American Turkey Imports Banned ?

[BruceMangosteen]

I was planning my annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and a local restaurant owner told me the Thai Government has banned turkey imports from the U.S.A. due to fear of chicken flu.

Has anyone seen any Butterball or other imported frozen turkey's in Pattaya? I'm going out today myself, perhaps to Makro and Big C, but any suggestions much appreciated. I might go to Foodland as well.

November is here! Time to get ready, don't wait until the last few days, especially if there is an import ban in place.

Kind regards and Happy Holidays.

[KittenKong]

Fairly sure I saw one in Villa the other day. It would probably be cheaper to fly to the states and bring one back yourself though!

[Jack Mountain]

Maybe here

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/763630-butterball-boneless-turkey-breast/

[JESSVANPELT]

in the past week I have seen frozen Turkeys in Central , Villa and Friendship. They may be left from last year but if Frozen they should be ok.

[champers]

And don't forget to put the Brussels sprouts on.

[jcowle]

All raw imports of fowl meat is currently banned into Thailand and many other countries due to an outbreak of avian flu in many parts of the USA a few months back, this is to protect the chicken flocks here, as Thailand is the 2nd exporter after Brazil in the world of cooked and raw chicken products.

[LennyW]

Friendship has.

[BruceMangosteen]

Thailand is the 2nd exporter after Brazil in the world of cooked and raw chicken products.

What is your source of that claim? Thanks.

[BruceMangosteen]

Friendship has.

I'll go by there again, thanks. I didn't see them yesterday in same. Are they still at the left end of the long freezer? I was distracted by a ladyboy putting the moves on me so only had a second to look as he scared me away.

[jcowle]

Thailand is the 2nd exporter after Brazil in the world of cooked and raw chicken products.

What is your source of that claim? Thanks.

I work in the industry here

[NanLaew]

Also check the links in this post.

The only US turkey products I have seen are the boneless breast 'crowns' in the left-hand freezer at Friendship that have a produce date of < 3 months ago and cost around 750 baht and up. They also turn out well in the crock pot (slow cooker).

[Rimmer]

Unnecessary personal attack and troll post removed

[NanLaew]

in the past week I have seen frozen Turkeys in Central , Villa and Friendship. They may be left from last year but if Frozen they should be ok.

...and then you woke up?

Friendship has the ONLY US turkey meat in Pattaya and has been like this for a fair few months now.

[gk10002000]

Wasn't there an article about the westerner that had the first and only turkey farm in Thailand running into some sort of trouble, or being forced out of his business a few years ago?

[NanLaew]

Wasn't there an article about the westerner that had the first and only turkey farm in Thailand running into some sort of trouble, or being forced out of his business a few years ago?

Probably, but that has nothing to do with the current bird flu alert in the US, the Thai response to it and the shortage of turkey meat imported by Thailand from the US which is the topic at hand.

[pegman]

All raw imports of fowl meat is currently banned into Thailand and many other countries due to an outbreak of avian flu in many parts of the USA a few months back, this is to protect the chicken flocks here, as Thailand is the 2nd exporter after Brazil in the world of cooked and raw chicken products.

Neither in top 15, but Brazil is #1 for frozen and Thailand #9

http://www.worldstopexports.com/chicken-exports-by-country/5830

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just curious.... can avian flu be spread by the presence of frozen turkey breasts like those marketed by Butterball, etc???

Live turkeys I can understand, and even perhaps fresh turkey meat. But frozen turkey breasts???

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Also check the links in this post.

The only US turkey products I have seen are the boneless breast 'crowns' in the left-hand freezer at Friendship that have a produce date of < 3 months ago and cost around 750 baht and up. They also turn out well in the crock pot (slow cooker).

That's the standard price I remember from my frozen turkey breast shopping last Thanksgiving in BKK...

Though, as Thanksgiving approached last year, Tops, Villa and others had promotions that cut their prices down to about 590b per kilo, which is what I paid.

Will be interesting to see this year, if there is a market shortage come Thanksgiving, whether the past turkey sale promotions will also become a thing of the past.

[KittenKong]

Villa had a half-dozen frozen turkeys this evening. Also a big promotional poster at the checkouts devoted entirely to various forms of turkey for the Thanksgiving/Xmas season.

[NanLaew]

Villa had a half-dozen frozen turkeys this evening. Also a big promotional poster at the checkouts devoted entirely to various forms of turkey for the Thanksgiving/Xmas season.

I will be grabbing one.... if there's any left. Did you check the prices?

[KittenKong]

Did you check the prices?

I saw a sticker with what looked like 4000+B on one. That one look was enough for me!

I've never really been very impressed by turkey.

[jcowle]

Just curious.... can avian flu be spread by the presence of frozen turkey breasts like those marketed by Butterball, etc???

Live turkeys I can understand, and even perhaps fresh turkey meat. But frozen turkey breasts???

The answer is yes, the only way to be certain to kill the contamination is to cook it, that's why cooked meat exports are not affected, Thailand was banned by the EU and many other countries for many years in exporting raw/frozen poultry until earlier this year, after the avian flu outbreak many years ago here in Thailand.

[NanLaew]

Just curious.... can avian flu be spread by the presence of frozen turkey breasts like those marketed by Butterball, etc???

Live turkeys I can understand, and even perhaps fresh turkey meat. But frozen turkey breasts???

The answer is yes, the only way to be certain to kill the contamination is to cook it, that's why cooked meat exports are not affected, Thailand was banned by the EU and many other countries for many years in exporting raw/frozen poultry until earlier this year, after the avian flu outbreak many years ago here in Thailand.

The Butterball boneless turkey breast crowns available in Friendship are also uncooked. I think the difference is in having the carcass with bones as well as the turkey meat which is why the whole turkeys are banned and mostly unavailable.

I understand that US turkey producers have tried to explain to Thailand, Japan and others banning their products, that the avian flu outbreak is in free-range stock and Butterball's and Norbert's products are totally isolated so there's no risk of exposure to that. However, I do recall a cull of ALL chickens in (I think) the UK or elsewhere in the EU several years ago after bird flu contamination from 'the wild' did somehow manage to migrate into a commercial plant.

[JHolmesJr]

Turkey…..mehhhhh…tryptophan rubs me the wrong way.

[Thailaw]

Turkey…..mehhhhh…tryptophan rubs me the wrong way.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults. Your body cannot produce it -- you must get it from your diet. The body uses tryptophan to help make niacin and serotonin. Serotonin is thought to produce healthy sleep and a stable mood.

In order for tryptophan in the diet to be changed into niacin, the body needs to have enough Iron, Riboflavin and Vitamin B6.

Tryptophan can be found in:

• Cheese
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Fish
• Milk
• Nuts
• Peanut butter
• Peanuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Soy
• Tofu
• Turkey

Your post suggests that you are not getting enough Tryptophan in your diet, and you have developed a sour, cranky and unpleasant mood/attitude as a result. Time, I think, to add some turkey (or cheese, nuts, eggs and milk) to your diet to improve your attitude and your posts....

[JHolmesJr]

I eat a number of items on that list….so I s'pose I am getting my rda of trypto in manageable doses.

Turkey however has so much of it that quickly brings on the winkies.

Ok for geriatric sexpats in pattaya playing bad grandpa…or bingo.

[NanLaew]

Did you check the prices?

I saw a sticker with what looked like 4000+B on one. That one look was enough for me!

I've never really been very impressed by turkey.

Four left in Villa last night ranging from 4,300 baht to 4,600 baht. If I recall, that's about 1000 baht higher than Butterball and Norbert birds when they were readily available. Maybe this batch from Jennie-O in the US required some 'special consideration' from the importer before the Thai FDA let them in. I noted that one of the frozen bird bags at Villa was punctured so that one should be avoided.

[KittenKong]

^^ Did you pick up one of the promo posters at the checkout? They seemed to be entirely about turkey products, of various types.

[NanLaew]

^^ Did you pick up one of the promo posters at the checkout? They seemed to be entirely about turkey products, of various types.

Yes, but just the front and back pages are all about Thanksgiving and turkey foods.

If you give them enough notice, they can cook up a whole bunch of stuff as well as turkeys. May be a DIY option for those that can't find a decent TG or Xmas turkey dinner around the Pattaya traps.

[KittenKong]

If you give them enough notice, they can cook up a whole bunch of stuff as well as turkeys. May be a DIY option for those that can't find a decent TG or Xmas turkey dinner around the Pattaya traps.

Interesting. I wonder what their cooking skills are like?

Certainly cooking a whole turkey plus trimmings would be difficult in the sort of oven one finds in most condos here. As you say, not a bad idea for a group to get together and prepare the easier things themselves and have the turkey done for them and delivered.

To return to the topic, I'm told by a friend that Makro also have turkeys in stock though I haven't seen them with my own eyes.