Which supermarket?

[sante]

I can also recommend the delivery service from Tops & Tesco. I especially like Tesco with their refrigerated trucks so dairy products like cheese and ice cream are available. Also, according to Tesco's policy, tips are refused. I've tried to tempt some of the delivery guys when I've had big orders with lots of juices and other heavy items but they've always refused.

Last week when I returned from a two month travel trip one of my first CM activities was ordering online from Tesco to replenish supplies.

[Konini]

Rimping has a bigger selection of western food, although with some things you are paying a king's ransom for. I don't see the point in buying imported cleaning liquids and gels just because they are the ones I've been used to all my life (although if they sold Domestos here I would buy it and I bring Ariel laundry liquid for whites back from UK as nothing works as good as it). Try local brands but buy small packs to see if you like them before buying a bigger one. Took me a long time to find a washing up liquid I likes.

I'm pretty much a brand slut even in the UK - with a few exceptions I buy what's cheapest, especially if it's not edible. For the last 2 years I've mostly been doing my laundry with bar soap or shampoo in a hotel wash basin, and the washing up soap at our place in Goa last month was some strange green paste in a tub. I'm sure whatever they sell here will be fine ☺

Do you know about the street washing machines? They have a slot and cost 20 or 30 baht per wash, depending on how big they are. The best local soap powder/liquid is OMO, great for coloured loads but not so hot for whites. The name OMO isn't on the pack itself (all in Thai), but on the price sticker on the shelf (I'm always glad they put the description in English as well as Thai). Pack and bottle are blue on the bottom, grey on the top and has a lightning strike in red/white.

Wandering around all the different supermarkets can fill a couple of days when you are stuck for something to do. If you want cheese, Big C (French company) has a really big selection of their home brand, Casino, and Tops at Central Festival has a full cheese counter.

The green paste sounds interesting....

[FolkGuitar]

If you want that local laundry soap to do a better job, especially on whites, throw in a handful of powdered borax. It breaks down the surface tension of the water allowing the surfactants in the cleaners to penetrate more effectively. In the US, you can purchase "20 Mule Team Borax" in most supermarkets, but here you have to buy it from the jewelery making supply shops.

[Kathiejs]

The green paste sounds interesting....

Interesting? Possibly. Effective? No.

[NancyL]

During our first year here -- after the initial flurry of activity of getting settled -- I did a detailed study of the supermarkets at the time, as Konini suggested. Even developed a spreadsheet with prices for the items we commonly buy. I could chew up an entire afternoon in airconditioned comfort doing one of my supermarket studies and discovering new food items from all over the world. Then home to the internet to learn more about the food, how to use it and into the sorry little excuse of a kitchen we had at the time to try out some new recipe ideas.

And to think that now I've gotten so busy with other activities, I haven't even had the time to see the super dupper Tops at Central Festival. (Actually, I must confess, I haven't been into that mall at all.) And we have a much nicer kitchen, yet my cooking often consists of tossing some extra veggies and meat into a couple of S&P frozen meals and adding a tomato and bell pepper to a ready-made salad.

[pgrahmm]

During our first year here -- after the initial flurry of activity of getting settled -- I did a detailed study of the supermarkets at the time, as Konini suggested. Even developed a spreadsheet with prices for the items we commonly buy. I could chew up an entire afternoon in airconditioned comfort doing one of my supermarket studies and discovering new food items from all over the world. Then home to the internet to learn more about the food, how to use it and into the sorry little excuse of a kitchen we had at the time to try out some new recipe ideas.

And to think that now I've gotten so busy with other activities, I haven't even had the time to see the super dupper Tops at Central Festival. (Actually, I must confess, I haven't been into that mall at all.) And we have a much nicer kitchen, yet my cooking often consists of tossing some extra veggies and meat into a couple of S&P frozen meals and adding a tomato and bell pepper to a ready-made salad.

Aha - NOW we know why you love the store downstairs ....!

Helping you be lazy - and efficient at the same time.....

[flyDelight]

There is only one good supermarket thats Tops, because it's Dutch.

Not anymore Ahold sold the Tops supermarket chain many years ago and is now owned by the Thailand based Central Retail Company.

Aha. Also the south American Tops chain?

In that case, if it ain't Dutch - it ain't much.

After the accounting scandal in 2003 they were forced to terminate their business in South America and Asia.

In Rimping Kad Farang I saw bitterballen, kroketten And frikandellen btw

There are also imported frikandellen available in ChiangMai now. And in Pattaya is a retired Dutch butcher who makes excellent rookworst and other Dutch sausages and smoked ham, delivers per airline.

[Konini]

If you want that local laundry soap to do a better job, especially on whites, throw in a handful of powdered borax. It breaks down the surface tension of the water allowing the surfactants in the cleaners to penetrate more effectively. In the US, you can purchase "20 Mule Team Borax" in most supermarkets, but here you have to buy it from the jewelery making supply shops.

And the pharmacy supply shops - I get borax, peroxide and amonia from them. If you have a bath (tub), a handful of borax thrown in there is a real treat, leaves your skin feeling like silk. I use a 50/50 mix of borax and Epsom salts. Makes a nice addition to a bowl of water to soak your feet too - I remember reading years ago that the Epsom salts are good if you suffer from smelly feet, but I don't so I can't say if it works.

Until your post I had not even the vaguest clue why it was so nice.

[Frank James]

Try wet markets as well. Should have one nearby. That's where the locals shop, not in TOPS.

For veggie go to Doi Kham (Royal Project). But again, you need transport, scooter.

That's funny, I was just in TOPS this morning. The store was filled with locals (Thais)! In fact I don't think there was more than 3 farangs in there at the time (myself included).

The Tops Chotana Market, behind the Mercure Hotel off Chang Puak Rd always has a lot of Thai customers. They have all of the items this farang ever craves, as well as Thai staples. With the wonderful Siri Wattana traditional market nearby, it makes no sense to buy fresh fruits/vegs at Tops. They have had a marvelous surge in business at night, every since the Miracle Cabaret Theater (high class katoey revue!) opened next door. Busloads of Chinese roll up every night, and between acts or after the show they run to Tops and buy lots of items they apparently can't get at home.

Tops and Rimping are both great stores, with fairly identical pricing. I have never shopped at Big C, and Tesco Lotus reminds me too much of Wal-Mart.

[northernjohn]

Kasem store for 95% of my farangian food needs.

Yes it depends on where he lives. People recommend all kinds of places but forget that they can walk to the Rimping by the river. There is several markets they can walk to in that area. Kasem is one that might be possible depending on where they are in relationship to the Rimping. Also it is close to Waroros market.

If it was me I would go to Makro and get in the basics then there is plenty of places with in walking distance. For straight out western foods I prefer the Tops in Central Festival. But you can't walk there and back with groceries'

[MadMac]

Get a f*cking bike. Done.

[Kathiejs]

Get a f*cking bike. Done.

Not. An. Option.

As it turned out the decision was made for us. After we'd finished doing the paperwork our landlady offered to drive us to Rimping as she was going there anyway, and then she'd drop us back if we wanted. And she'll pick us up on Monday when she goes to Promenada to do the TM30, so we can do our TM28s. What a lovely lady ?

[MaeJoMTB]

Supermarkets in Thailand are not the discount stores that we know and love in the west.

Apart from Makro, they usually charge premium prices for everything.

Tops and Rimping being the worst offenders.

You want cheap, shop locally.

You want the most expensive overpriced imports, Rimping is the place.

[cmsally]

Kasem has been having "2 for 1" jam promotions a lot lately. My cupboard looks as though Winnie the Pooh must have converted from honey to jam!

[pgrahmm]

Supermarkets in Thailand are not the discount stores that we know and love in the west.

Apart from Makro, they usually charge premium prices for everything.

Tops and Rimping being the worst offenders.

You want cheap, shop locally.

You want the most expensive overpriced imports, Rimping is the place.

Always surprises me but in the Rimpings around me it 8-1 Thais and their baskets are piled.....

About a week ago at the Dukes in Promenada the place was 2/3 packed & besides me only one other Farang...

Just an aside.....

Edited December 12, 2015 by pgrahmm

[kanook]

Supermarkets in Thailand are not the discount stores that we know and love in the west.

Apart from Makro, they usually charge premium prices for everything.

Tops and Rimping being the worst offenders.

You want cheap, shop locally.

You want the most expensive overpriced imports, Rimping is the place.

You are correct, local markets are the place to buy all the raw ingredients you need in the kitchen. Even the household cleaning supplies and toiletries are cheaper in local stores like Jampha and others around town. Except for a 12kg container of olive oil from my family's olive grove, that I brought back with me from Greece in September, I consume local products. Some of the items my fellow farangs buy, like Florida orange juice, still has me scratching my head.

[Throatwobbler]

"In town" people may eat out more often than those who live in the 'burbs. Or buy meals from vendors in the Thai markets to bring home & "improve" with a few additions (one of my favorite ways of "cooking")

And there are little shops all over the city where you can pop in to get daily needs. For example, in our condo building, there is a mini-market that is run by a brilliant Thai lady who used to be a buyer for Rim Ping. She runs the store like a mini-Rim Ping (but without fresh meat) and knows the tastes of her good customers. She's game for stocking new items if a good customer recommends it. If you lived in our building she'd place an initial order for Wolf's Garlic Hot Sauce and you'd hear about it, too, if no one but you bought it! (yeah, I failed her with cottage cheese. asked to have it stocked, but only bought it once or twice a week and the only other lady who bought it moved away. oops, sorry!)

The Tesco Lotus Express stores have a surprisingly good selection of fresh meat. There are Five Star Chicken stands almost everywhere.

People who live in the city walk places and observe the little shops in their neighborhoods. You'd be surprised at what you can find within 300 meters of most in-town residences.

In fact, it's one of the things I love about living in the city. I can be cooking dinner, realize I forgot to purchase a key ingredient and send Hubby out at 8 pm (on foot) and he's back within 10 minutes with whatever was missing. Usually quicker, since the mini mart in the condo stays open until 8:30 pm. and has most of the items I sometimes forget (eggs, a can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, etc) Can't do that living in the 'burbs, where you have to get the car out of the garage and head toward the superstore.

But the Burbs give you a lot greater experience of Thai life. Depends what you want. Comforts from home or new experiences.

[Konini]

If it was me I would go to Makro and get in the basics then there is plenty of places with in walking distance. For straight out western foods I prefer the Tops in Central Festival. But you can't walk there and back with groceries'

Free shuttlebus into town - I usually walk there and time it so I can get the shuttle back if I have a lot of shopping and don't want to walk back with it.

[FolkGuitar]

Spending three hours in Tannin Market (Sri Wattana Market on Chiang Puak Rd) with a Thai cooking school teacher was one of the best 'investments' I've made in years. The saving over the last three years (since I did this) have been incredible.

I waited until Low Season, then contacted a local cooking school and asked for a day when they had no other students. I know how to chop garlic and how to use a mortar and pestle. I didn't need lessons in stir-frying. I needed to know what the heck all these different vegetables were that I was seeing, and how they can be used; do you eat them raw? Boil 'em? Do they get cut large or small? So I asked for a 'special lesson,' rather than the packaged "spend 15 minutes in the market, then learn to make your own curry plus 1 dish from 5 different categories." I figured (correctly) that I could learn how to make 'Khao Pad Moo' or 'Pad Prik Kheng Gai' from YouTube without too much trouble. (I recommend "Pai's Hot Thai Kitchen" for this! Excellent!)

We started at one end of a veggie vendor's table and worked our way through each and every one of them, what dishes they would work with, what other veggies go well together, which seasonings to use, etc., etc., etc. Who knew that eggplants could come in so many different sizes, shapes, and colors?!? Then we moved to the 'grocery' vendors on the side of the market, and did the same thing with all the bottles, jars, and bags, different curry pastes, vats of this and that...

I estimate that the cost of ingredients for a two-course Thai meal, when purchased at a fresh market is half of what I'd pay at Tops. It's just not packaged in little white trays with cling-wrap over it. The meats and seafood are fresher tasting (shrimp from Tops or Rimping always taste 'off' to me...) and I get to deal face to face with someone who cares about what they are selling, rather than trying to pry a Rimping clerk away from her conversation with other store clerks for help finding something on the shelves.

[northernjohn]

If it was me I would go to Makro and get in the basics then there is plenty of places with in walking distance. For straight out western foods I prefer the Tops in Central Festival. But you can't walk there and back with groceries'

Free shuttlebus into town - I usually walk there and time it so I can get the shuttle back if I have a lot of shopping and don't want to walk back with it.

Not that short a walk from the Rimping market area. For you just walk up the street. It is a mile just to get on your street. If I lived there I too would walk it for the movies. Come back with maybe a few items. Have to get me the free shuttle lists. Didn't realize they stopped at your Condo.

[PassionDelivery]

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Select your bacon by typing "UK bacon" or "US bacon" into the "Notes" box before checkout.

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-------------------

[PassionDelivery]

In case you wanted quality food delivered to your door in Chiang Mai, our PassionBox service might be of interest to you.

We have quite a few regular customers in Chiang Mai already and most said they choose our service for the convenience (just a few clicks of the mouse) and also because of our product range.

We have a massive section of great quality meat (dry aged beef, Certified Angus beef, Wagyu, veal shanks, baby lamb leg & shoulder, marinated pork etc), seafood (including a lot of NZ wild caught such as deep sea cod) as well as jams, granola, mustards and more.

Delivery charges are from FREE to just 390 baht and you will receive your delivery within 2-3 days of placing your order.

More details can be found here http://www.passiondelivery.com/collections/passionbox-dry-delivered-nationwide

We also have a special promotion that is valid until midnight tonight...

--------------

FREE Bacon with every order. Offer ends this weekend!

Weekend hot promotion from PassionDelivery.

Place any order* and get a FREE pack of either UK back bacon or US streaky bacon from Sloane's!

*Min order in Bangkok 1500 baht, nationwide 3000 baht.

Offer ends midnight Sunday 13th Dec.

Select your bacon by typing "UK bacon" or "US bacon" into the "Notes" box before checkout.

Get shopping now at www.passiondelivery.com

-------------------

[Konini]

If it was me I would go to Makro and get in the basics then there is plenty of places with in walking distance. For straight out western foods I prefer the Tops in Central Festival. But you can't walk there and back with groceries'

Free shuttlebus into town - I usually walk there and time it so I can get the shuttle back if I have a lot of shopping and don't want to walk back with it.

Not that short a walk from the Rimping market area. For you just walk up the street. It is a mile just to get on your street. If I lived there I too would walk it for the movies. Come back with maybe a few items. Have to get me the free shuttle lists. Didn't realize they stopped at your Condo.

Not officially, I wait downstairs 5 minutes before they're due and wave them down if I'm being lazy or my back isn't great, and tell them where to drop me off on the way back.

Usually nobody but me onboard either way.

[Atum]

I used to shop a lot at local markets the first 3 years I lived here. I also got food poisoning 2-3 times a year back then (throwing up every 2 hours all the night, sometimes with diarrhea "thrown in" as a bonus). For the next 5 years I shopped only at Rimping and Makro - and had food poisoning only once, not a year, but in the whole 5 year period. Of course you have to take into account my body getting used to the local germs, but I still choose to stay clear of the local markets. Maybe I am unique in this experience, but I don't think so.

[FolkGuitar]

I used to shop a lot at local markets the first 3 years I lived here. I also got food poisoning 2-3 times a year back then (throwing up every 2 hours all the night, sometimes with diarrhea "thrown in" as a bonus). For the next 5 years I shopped only at Rimping and Makro - and had food poisoning only once, not a year, but in the whole 5 year period. Of course you have to take into account my body getting used to the local germs, but I still choose to stay clear of the local markets. Maybe I am unique in this experience, but I don't think so.

I still use Tops or Rimping for things I can't get at Tannin Market, I don't usually buy prepared foods at the fresh market, except for Vietnamese-style Spring Rolls, BBQ'd chicken and sausage. But all fresh veggies, pork, chicken, shrimp, etc. that I cook with each night come from the fresh market, and have for the past three years. So far, so good... not even a single case of the Green-apple Two-step in this family.

[cpq11]

I have found the average basket from Rimping represents good value particularly if you collect their Superplus points. It's also a much quieter + nicer place to shop. They will deliver to your door if you spend over 1000 THB which is very handy

Their veggies are expensive but they offer some good pesticide free choices.

Go to Muang Mai market for veg

Happy shopping!

[jobin]

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[CMKiwi]

Of course its an advert from Passion...they are sponsors after all. And me being a red blooded guy love the look of their meat, havent had a decent medium raw (Not med rare) beef steak for ages. Partially due to the cost of good beef.

I think the advert is beautiful!

[taotoo]

That is a blatant advert by Passion. And if i may say so, a rather ugly advert, since i'm a vegetarian.

While we're on the subject, I bought a Sausage King veggie pie from Rimping recently that appeared to actually be a wrongly-packaged meat pie. Needless to say SK didn't reply when I notified them. Presumably they haven't made any efforts to recall them either.

[PassionDelivery]

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