Makro Beer Prices....Maybe not worth the trip.....

[bangmai]

Leo 12 large=584 per box.....exact same as Tesco. Tiger, 639 THB per box. Heineken 800 THB per box.

They did have some that were born in July. Check out lines were way long, and slow. In short, you probably aren't missing much, and even if you have a free ride, it may not be worth it. My local Tesco doesn't sell Tiger, so that is a consideration.

[khwaibah]

Makro lost its edge about 5 years back. Their prices are about the same as everyone else. If your buying in large amounts (24 cases) you can get a discount.

[bangmai]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

[Sparkles]

Forgeting prices places like Makro best to be avoided on a public holiday.

[sammygood]

you can always start to drink water ....

[SantiSuk]

Watch the best before dates at Makro. Ive seen very old stock there - particularly stuff like Heineken and Tiger but even Leo at times. Agree - it's not worth going just for beer unless you are after stock that Tesco or local case shops don't carry (Beer Laos at bigger Makros, Tiger, Leo, small bottles of Heineken).

[jacko45k]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

I just got my monthly stock and the dates on the boxes were a month earlier than on those I still had, those bought a month earlier still!

I think I shall keep buying from the Naklua beer dispenser, cheaper and fresher stock.

[stoneyboy]

I only use Makro in Phetchabun because they now stock Beer Lao,dark and regular.

[Anthony5]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Last time I was in my home country the supermarkets also had beer older than 2 months stocked, which I recall is normal, but hey in Thailand it should have the date from tomorrow. NOT

[Pinot]

My girl handles the ordering and deliveries. She proudly lets me know when she saves 10 baht.

[trainman34014]

Big C and Tesco sell beer at the same price as Makro.....and you get points meaning cash back later. Makro good for other kit you can't get elsewhere but go on Tuesdays or Wednesdays when it's a lot quieter.

[Fallangpakwan]

I go for TIGER large bottles and seems Makro is the only shop in town that sells it by the case; by town I mean Pattaya,Petchabun,Mae-sot ,Tak etc, and did notice that the case I bought in Mae-sot 2 weeks back were pretty old stock; tasted okay.

[dontejo]

Makro is for business, They will give you a bil and If you have a shop yourself you can get back the tax. Thats were you save the money.

[duanebigsby]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Pasteurized, lager beer if stored away from heat and light will last a long time.

I brewed my own back home and I've laagered batches for two years at times, and that's without the pasteurization.

Real Ales, on the other hand, peak at 6 weeks and then deteriorate rapidly.

[cmrichsw]

The meat dept STINKs also watch what you buy the Salmon is not really that good of a deal and has lots of bones in them.

[kaptainrob]

The meat dept STINKs also watch what you buy the Salmon is not really that good of a deal and has lots of bones in them.

Depends on branch and management - same applies to ALL food outlets and in our area it's BigC which has a stinky meat department, certainly not Makro.

Salmon we used to purchase was always fresh,100% pin-boned and up to half the price of elsewhere. We only stopped buying on health grounds as Noggie salmon has a bad rep.

My preferred brew is never more than 30 days old. Each store relies on good management and stock rotation. No complaints about Makro, Hang Dong.

[DanceAllNight]

If you drink a lot of beer, buying a case if the way to go. For example, a LEO is 55 baht everywhere, but buy a case and each one is 48 baht.

And buy a case of Archa (a decent beer for me), each beer is just 40 baht. Not bad considering the price of beer now.

Then again, you can skip the beer and get pissed on cheap black cock for the price of 1 and 1/2 beers.

Happy drinking!

[bangmai]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Pasteurized, lager beer if stored away from heat and light will last a long time.

I brewed my own back home and I've laagered batches for two years at times, and that's without the pasteurization.

Real Ales, on the other hand, peak at 6 weeks and then deteriorate rapidly.

those are big "ifs" here. The green bottles allow photo-chemical reactions with the hops. That's why Heineken cans often taste better than bottles. I agree with the poster, who stated less than one month old, and that's a fair guideline. Occasionally, they are less than a week old. Yes, you see older than 2 months in America...Anheuser Buch's guidelines state 105 days, but like most things, you would avoid it if it were close. I don't buy those if they are older than a month or so, either. And notice that the beer trucks aren't just delivering beer, but they spend about half their time picking up older ones, and then redelivering to a place that is having a big sale. Sometimes, the ones on sale are "recently born" but more often than not, they are 2-3 months old.

And yes, the store smelled bad, on the Super Hwy.., and I don't recall the one in HD being nearly that bad.

That was also a valid point about the Tiger boxes...my Tesco never sold he boxes, and even quit selling individual Tigers several months ago. They've got a mountain of Leos from April/May...might taste better on a salad.

[Sydebolle]

Makro is a wholesale provider with respective discounting structures for professional wholesale customer; issue VAT-receipts which allow retailers like restaurants to claim back the input VAT and pre-ordering allows quick turn-around.

Needless to say that all those end consumers ripping open shampoo packagings and buying fish and veggies by the piece are a nuisance and ultimately will bring Makro down; a professional restaurateur has definitely no time to queue behind Russian tourists without purchasing cards or not knowing, that Makro accepts only Citibank credit cards. Thailand - at its best again!

[bangmai]

I'd prefer to pay with my Visa card, but it's not a big deal. Costco has only accepted AmEx for years (will take Visa soon), and is one of the largest companies on the planet.

[bangmai]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Last time I was in my home country the supermarkets also had beer older than 2 months stocked, which I recall is normal, but hey in Thailand it should have the date from tomorrow. NOT

Half of all adults in Detroit are illiterate. Does that make it OK here?

[luther]

The Makro in Mae Rim cannot keep Beer Lao in stock, so no worries about the date. Same for cases of 12-ounces cases of Heineken bottles which taste completely different than Heineken in cans. Business folks get additional discounts. I know a woman who sells beer in a small shop about 100 meters from that Makro. She told me she sells it for 1 or 2 baht more than she pays for it. She sells it for less than I can buy it.

[bangmai]

But, you don't know how long they were warehoused, or bottled, or if the green bottles were exposed to light. Good turnover is usually a good thing with consumables. However, don't get complacent, some of the biggest volume bars will have beer that is one week old one night, then two weeks later, it will be 5 months old. Unfortunately, it can be like getting your passport stamped, you really have to keep an eye on them to make sure it is done right.

[duanebigsby]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Pasteurized, lager beer if stored away from heat and light will last a long time.

I brewed my own back home and I've laagered batches for two years at times, and that's without the pasteurization.

Real Ales, on the other hand, peak at 6 weeks and then deteriorate rapidly.

those are big "ifs" here. The green bottles allow photo-chemical reactions with the hops. That's why Heineken cans often taste better than bottles. I agree with the poster, who stated less than one month old, and that's a fair guideline. Occasionally, they are less than a week old. Yes, you see older than 2 months in America...Anheuser Buch's guidelines state 105 days, but like most things, you would avoid it if it were close. I don't buy those if they are older than a month or so, either. And notice that the beer trucks aren't just delivering beer, but they spend about half their time picking up older ones, and then redelivering to a place that is having a big sale. Sometimes, the ones on sale are "recently born" but more often than not, they are 2-3 months old.

And yes, the store smelled bad, on the Super Hwy.., and I don't recall the one in HD being nearly that bad.

That was also a valid point about the Tiger boxes...my Tesco never sold he boxes, and even quit selling individual Tigers several months ago. They've got a mountain of Leos from April/May...might taste better on a salad.

No, there aren't any big "ifs" in my statement. Pasteurized lager from large breweries have a shelf life of between 4-6 months unrefrigerated and up to 5 years in a temperature controlled environment. There are modified hops which can be used that are resistant to light damage and with many beers it doesn't matter what colour the glass is. If you don't want to buy "old 2 month beer" fine.

[MESmith]

No, there aren't any big "ifs" in my statement. Pasteurized lager from large breweries have a shelf life of between 4-6 months unrefrigerated and up to 5 years in a temperature controlled environment. There are modified hops which can be used that are resistant to light damage and with many beers it doesn't matter what colour the glass is. If you don't want to buy "old 2 month beer" fine.

Bottled beer here in Thailand doesn't travel well. 2 months old max here in Thailand. Bottles travel on trucks in direct sunshine, stored in hot conditions. I buy the 500ml cans now. Always tastes fresh. Also those 3 cans a night compared to 3 large bottles help me keep my consumption down, a little bit

[Anthony5]

For every case they had born in July; they had three born in May...so if you were to buy a large quantity, you would likely be taking some of their old inventory.

Pasteurized, lager beer if stored away from heat and light will last a long time.

I brewed my own back home and I've laagered batches for two years at times, and that's without the pasteurization.

Real Ales, on the other hand, peak at 6 weeks and then deteriorate rapidly.

those are big "ifs" here. The green bottles allow photo-chemical reactions with the hops. That's why Heineken cans often taste better than bottles. I agree with the poster, who stated less than one month old, and that's a fair guideline. Occasionally, they are less than a week old. Yes, you see older than 2 months in America...Anheuser Buch's guidelines state 105 days, but like most things, you would avoid it if it were close. I don't buy those if they are older than a month or so, either. And notice that the beer trucks aren't just delivering beer, but they spend about half their time picking up older ones, and then redelivering to a place that is having a big sale. Sometimes, the ones on sale are "recently born" but more often than not, they are 2-3 months old.

And yes, the store smelled bad, on the Super Hwy.., and I don't recall the one in HD being nearly that bad.

That was also a valid point about the Tiger boxes...my Tesco never sold he boxes, and even quit selling individual Tigers several months ago. They've got a mountain of Leos from April/May...might taste better on a salad.

And notice that the beer trucks aren't just delivering beer, but they spend about half their time picking up older ones, and then redelivering to a place that is having a big sale. Sometimes, the ones on sale are "recently born" but more often than not, they are 2-3 months old.

Do you spend your time following the beer trucks all day, to see what they pick up where and deliver where, or is this just in your imagination?

I think I know the answer already.

[bananafarang]

I find that if I buy from Makro, I drink more at home. So I stopped buying and just run down the stairs for couple of bottles if I have inkling for some alcohol buzz.

[hawksway]

May not be much cheaper but CP would rather get end users into their other interests like Tesco Lotus and 7-Eleven. Yes CP have investments everywhere.

CP Makro is primarily for the Trade who use the wholesaler as a one stop shop; not just for beer but almost everything else to fill the shelves. In the UK, Makro will not allow non trade into their stores, but with the hammering they are presently getting from Costco, who are sweeping across the Country, that may change.

[bangmai]

It was probably most noticeable, when I lived in a rural county of 40,000, with only 20 places selling in the largest city. I've been on the phone with Anheuser Bush over the same issues....all you have to do is call them, and they will issue you a coupon for a new 30 pack. The blame rest with the distributors, not the brewery, but they hold their distributors loosely responsible for the distribution of their products, which they have exclusive rights to in their perspective areas. About the fifth time, I called, I said I didn't wan't the free beer, but just wanted to let them know that they showed very little integrity, and I would be taking my business elsewhere. Many of the customers in that area actually live in Mexico and cross to shop at Wal-Mart, milk prices are way less, and gasoline is of much better quality. I recall back in 2003, I was standing next to a Mexican and a mountain of Budweiser at Walmart, Nogales the day before the Kentucky Derby...He told me "Funny Cide" would win, at a long price, but he was about to purchase 20 cases of four month old beer. I pointed to the date, and said "nacimiento," and he nodded his head with thanks. So the guy could pick a winner in a field of 16 that paid 27.60 on a 2 USD bet, but didn't know about born on dates (until I told him). Similar to CNX, a lot of people can't or don't know how to read the born on date....I'm sure they are the best customers of the distributors.

Edited August 1, 2015 by bangmai

[Anthony5]

May not be much cheaper but CP would rather get end users into their other interests like Tesco Lotus and 7-Eleven. Yes CP have investments everywhere.

Indeed CP has investments everywhere, only not in Tesco lotus though.