Buying wine at Tesco Lotus Express

[farang1979]

And btw I heard similar complaints from the Japanese all the time, about the service and work ethic standards in Thailand. In fact apparently you manage to drive the Japanese even more crazy than Westerners with all this day-to-day service or work practices... I mean Japan is also an East Asian Buddhist country - so what are you going to so to that?

I agree that a lot of westerners are very arrogant, but I see more often than not it's just being used as an excuse for Thailand to never improve to the elementary service and work standards which are accepted everywhere - including you sister countries like Japan or Singapore... so I suggest you don't make a habbit of it. If you get a complaint there's 90% chance you are doing something seriously wrong, but I think it's pretty much a standard practice in Thailand that they just never follow up on it...

The fact that you compared Japan directly to Thailand based on the fact Japan an "east Asian Buddhist country" (actually Japan is split Shinto/Buddhist country) says ALOT about your perspective. It's like you're walking around with a perfectly knotted tie and squeaky shoes ticking boxes and making notes on perceived sloppiness and lazy work ethic before disappearing into a little office. Thai people work incredibly long hours and are intelligent people. Why SHOULD Thailand or Thai people conform to your or anyone's standards. The Thai culture has existed for a very long time and is the only SE Asian country which wasn't colonised. Your mistake is misunderestimate them because they don't always suit your Happy Meal McConvenience philosophy.

[jonw8uk]

I already speak basic Thai......

Well, you say you do, but spelling tam mai mai dai "tamaj majdaj" indicates otherwise....

I'm guessing the 167thb bottle wasn't wine....I mean it can't be for 3 quid can it?!

[Jblood]

It's just a very common misconception that the cheaper wine is always worse than the more expensive type. It's true most of the time but by far not always. I have never bought 167 baht wine until the last New Year. I bought an expensive bottle of wine, but then I also bought the cheap bottle "just in case", you know just to have more booze on the table, it's party time after all. But I sampled the two bottles on two different days, and the cheaper wine appeared to be just as good surprisingly. Because for me it's important that it tastes really nice, that it doesn't have that acidic nuclear after-taste - well it didn't. And when I woke up the next morning I didn't have a hang-over and my mind felt really refreshed. I got the same effect one would expect from good quality alcohol... you know it just wasn't toxic at all, it was really good - it's the effect one would expect from good quality grapes used in production. So I had no reason to look down on that particular bottle of wine, so when I saw at my local Tesco Express - I wanted to buy to just to sample it a second time, but you know for some reason they just wouldn't sell it to me

And generally speaking, usually even the cheapest bottle of wine has far better grape quality than what goes into the most expensive grape juice or any other type of grape beverage, so that's why I don't understand what all the fuss is about Generally try it, before you mock it, but I do agree that you have to be careful. But if Tesco is selling it then it certainly passed all the necessary sanitation standards, that's all I'm worried about. And also living in this city which is just turning into one of the most violent capitals in the world, and where a lot of people drive like complete mad lunatics - worrying that a cheap bottle of wine will kill you, is softly speaking completely ridiculous ....

[SoiBiker]

It's just a very common misconception that the cheaper wine is always worse than the more expensive type. It's true most of the time but by far not always. I have never bought 167 baht wine until the last New Year. I bought an expensive bottle of wine, but then I also bought the cheap bottle "just in case", you know just to have more booze on the table, it's party time after all. But I sampled the two bottles on two different days, and the cheaper wine appeared to be just as good surprisingly. Because for me it's important that it tastes really nice, that it doesn't have that acidic nuclear after-taste - well it didn't. And when I woke up the next morning I didn't have a hang-over and my mind felt really refreshed. I got the same effect one would expect from good quality alcohol... you know it just wasn't toxic at all, it was really good - it's the effect one would expect from good quality grapes used in production. So I had no reason to look down on that particular bottle of wine, so when I saw at my local Tesco Express - I wanted to buy to just to sample it a second time, but you know for some reason they just wouldn't sell it to me

And generally speaking, usually even the cheapest bottle of wine has far better grape quality than what goes into the most expensive grape juice or any other type of grape beverage, so that's why I don't understand what all the fuss is about Generally try it, before you mock it, but I do agree that you have to be careful. But if Tesco is selling it then it certainly passed all the necessary sanitation standards, that's all I'm worried about. And also living in this city which is just turning into one of the most violent capitals in the world, and where a lot of people drive like complete mad lunatics - worrying that a cheap bottle of wine will kill you, is softly speaking completely ridiculous ....

It's not a misconception in Thailand. Real wine is expensive here, primarily because of import taxes. The reason the cheap bottles are cheaper is because they're not really wine, they're what's best described as a 'wine-style drink with added fruit juice'. Check the label, before you embarrass yourself with further talk of 'good quality grapes'.

[Jblood]

I don't mean to rub it in like this, but you are the one embarrassing yourself:

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. Due to a natural chemical balance, grapes ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients. Basically just because they add other fruits, then strictly speaking it is still wine - no more no less. You don't know what you are talking about. Why don't you just google the definition before embarrassing yourself again ?

[mogandave]

It's just a very common misconception that the cheaper wine is always worse than the more expensive type. It's true most of the time but by far not always. I have never bought 167 baht wine until the last New Year. I bought an expensive bottle of wine, but then I also bought the cheap bottle "just in case", you know just to have more booze on the table, it's party time after all. But I sampled the two bottles on two different days, and the cheaper wine appeared to be just as good surprisingly. Because for me it's important that it tastes really nice, that it doesn't have that acidic nuclear after-taste - well it didn't. And when I woke up the next morning I didn't have a hang-over and my mind felt really refreshed. I got the same effect one would expect from good quality alcohol... you know it just wasn't toxic at all, it was really good - it's the effect one would expect from good quality grapes used in production. So I had no reason to look down on that particular bottle of wine, so when I saw at my local Tesco Express - I wanted to buy to just to sample it a second time, but you know for some reason they just wouldn't sell it to me

And generally speaking, usually even the cheapest bottle of wine has far better grape quality than what goes into the most expensive grape juice or any other type of grape beverage, so that's why I don't understand what all the fuss is about Generally try it, before you mock it, but I do agree that you have to be careful. But if Tesco is selling it then it certainly passed all the necessary sanitation standards, that's all I'm worried about. And also living in this city which is just turning into one of the most violent capitals in the world, and where a lot of people drive like complete mad lunatics - worrying that a cheap bottle of wine will kill you, is softly speaking completely ridiculous ....

Actually, the cheap wine is generally not made from grapes. It's just alcohol with water, color & artificial flavor added.

Maybe the problem is that that they've gotten to know you.

[SoiBiker]

Actually, legally the product in question is considered a cider, I believe - which is how it escapes the higher tax imposed on wines.

[The Dancer]

Methinks the clerk wasn't thinking about the bottle at all. He was slowly edging away from the OP who sounds like a scary wild-eyed brat.

[mogandave]

Methinks the clerk wasn't thinking about the bottle at all. He was slowly edging away from the OP who sounds like a scary wild-eyed brat.

That had to leave to scratch up another THB20 for a bottle of cheap wine.

Too funny.

[roo860]

Plonk and plonker spring to mind!

[Jblood]

Most of your comments don't really deserve a response. All of you who claim to be the hi-so wine connoisseurs probably have lower IQ than the Tesco Express clerk. And those who brag about being proper and wealthy only shows just how Ghetto you really are... It's typical for peasants to constantly try to pretend like they were more than they actually are. I think it's one of the biggest problems here in Bangkok actually.

[roo860]

Most of your comments don't really deserve a response. All of you who claim to be the hi-so wine connoisseurs probably have lower IQ than the Tesco Express clerk. And those who brag about being proper and wealthy only shows just how Ghetto you really are... It's typical for peasants to constantly try to pretend like they were more than they actually are. I think it's one of the biggest problems here in Bangkok actually.

Nice one Rodders!!!!

[mogandave]

So carrying enough money to pay for a movie and a small pop-corn is bragging "...about being proper and wealthy...?

[tx22cb]

I must say I enjoy this thread - thank you OP.

Takes my mind off the depressing political threads for a few minutes.

Perhaps the elder members of this forum could do a whip-round to raise 20 Baht for our new friend?

[happy Joe]

Actually, the cheap wine is generally not made from grapes. It's just alcohol with water, color & artificial flavor added.

Maybe the problem is that that they've gotten to know you.

This is exactly the case of this drink sold 167 b at Tesco Lotus. Unable to drink for a Western.

The OP was lucky being refused sale of this drink that in my home ended up directly into the sink.

[richard_smith237]

Actually if you READ my post carefully, I never said "East" or "West". I was only pointing with my Hand each, time, every time, I'm only using "east, west" here to explain to YOU what was happening. You don't NEED to shout "West!" to POINT West with your finger. This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk.... it's very sad really. As for the other comments. I understand if I traveled to another town to do my daily shopping with just 147 baht, what happened here is I just ran down the stairs of my condo to hop in into Tesco EXPRESS for a quickie, but for some this "Express" part at Tesco turns into some "Seriously weird BS" stuff each time, where they don't serve you but just serve themselves and waste your nerves. Instead of acknowledging that this is a great example of horrendous service which is typical of Thailand lately - all of you are ganging up on me for some reason..... lol

I've traveled extensviely around the world, I've never experienced anything more weird than what I keep experiencing here in Thailand, where even shopping at a European based food chain express point turns into some seriously weird Twilight zone BS...

This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk....

Can't argue with that... However, your story does seem to imply that you are the type of character who may hit stumbling blocks and trip over minor hurdles on a daily basis...

I too have encountered the extremely dumbfoundingly impossible character when attempting something which should otherwise be extremely simply..... I sometimes wonder if these folk are secretly smart and have an excellent and very dry introverted sense of humour !...

In reality you are dealing with people who's maximum through process is a second - It is alleged that 80% of communication is non-verbal, however, speaking Thai helps for the most part, but when dealing with an idiot you will still face minor challenges.

Most people would have put this incident down to - 'dealing with an idiot' and forgotten it before getting home... You are likely to be facing ridicule by many members here because they like to 'gang up' on and ridicule the ridiculous... In this case.. sorry to suggest it, but its you for taking this issue seriously..

[TheCruncher]

Actually, legally the product in question is considered a cider, I believe - which is how it escapes the higher tax imposed on wines.

I rather think these kinds of wine are cheaper because they have to import less of the alcoholic product, since they dilute it with fruit juices.

[thai3]

Big C had 13% Banrock Chardonnay last week at 170 baht, it was excellent

[SoiBiker]

Actually, legally the product in question is considered a cider, I believe - which is how it escapes the higher tax imposed on wines.

I rather think these kinds of wine are cheaper because they have to import less of the alcoholic product, since they dilute it with fruit juices.

No, the main reason is down to taxes. Imported wines attract a duty of 300-400%. By exploiting various loopholes, this can be avoided by classifying the product as something else. Local or locally bottled wines attract significantly less. 'Cider' - less still.

Edited March 14, 2016 by SoiBiker

[naboo]

The 167 Baht "wine" in Lotus is locally produced, and not really that bad. No body, but very drinkable.

The OP has just upset the staff in his local Lotus and now they don't want him to come back.

[Thainess]

Who walks around with less than THB150 in their pocket?

Me for one. I rarely spend as much as 150 baht in a day in Bangkok! Food, 70-90 baht. Drinks, 30-50. Transport: I walk. Entertainment: I talk to people. I don't buy stuff that I don't need. It's not that I'm poor. I have retirement and investment income of about US$4,800 a month. I just don't see the need to spend more money than I need to. I stopped overeating, and as a result my weight dropped from 240 to 170 pounds.

[mogandave]

Who walks around with less than THB150 in their pocket?

Me for one. I rarely spend as much as 150 baht in a day in Bangkok! Food, 70-90 baht. Drinks, 30-50. Transport: I walk. Entertainment: I talk to people. I don't buy stuff that I don't need. It's not that I'm poor. I have retirement and investment income of about US$4,800 a month. I just don't see the need to spend more money than I need to. I stopped overeating, and as a result my weight dropped from 240 to 170 pounds.

What does what you spend in a day have to do with what you have in your pocket?

I eat at home and go to work every day, so most days I spend nothing, but in the event I might want or NEED to buy something I have a keep a little money in my pocket.

You on the other hand (apparently) like to walk around broke, good for you.

[1BADDAT]

It's just a very common misconception that the cheaper wine is always worse than the more expensive type. It's true most of the time but by far not always. I have never bought 167 baht wine until the last New Year. I bought an expensive bottle of wine, but then I also bought the cheap bottle "just in case", you know just to have more booze on the table, it's party time after all. But I sampled the two bottles on two different days, and the cheaper wine appeared to be just as good surprisingly. Because for me it's important that it tastes really nice, that it doesn't have that acidic nuclear after-taste - well it didn't. And when I woke up the next morning I didn't have a hang-over and my mind felt really refreshed. I got the same effect one would expect from good quality alcohol... you know it just wasn't toxic at all, it was really good - it's the effect one would expect from good quality grapes used in production. So I had no reason to look down on that particular bottle of wine, so when I saw at my local Tesco Express - I wanted to buy to just to sample it a second time, but you know for some reason they just wouldn't sell it to me

And generally speaking, usually even the cheapest bottle of wine has far better grape quality than what goes into the most expensive grape juice or any other type of grape beverage, so that's why I don't understand what all the fuss is about Generally try it, before you mock it, but I do agree that you have to be careful. But if Tesco is selling it then it certainly passed all the necessary sanitation standards, that's all I'm worried about. And also living in this city which is just turning into one of the most violent capitals in the world, and where a lot of people drive like complete mad lunatics - worrying that a cheap bottle of wine will kill you, is softly speaking completely ridiculous ....

It's not a misconception in Thailand. Real wine is expensive here, primarily because of import taxes. The reason the cheap bottles are cheaper is because they're not really wine, they're what's best described as a 'wine-style drink with added fruit juice'. Check the label, before you embarrass yourself with further talk of 'good quality grapes'.

The label generally says "fruit wine". That is how they get around the import taxes for alcohol. See below:

Edited March 15, 2016 by 1BADDAT

[1BADDAT]

Actually, legally the product in question is considered a cider, I believe - which is how it escapes the higher tax imposed on wines.

I rather think these kinds of wine are cheaper because they have to import less of the alcoholic product, since they dilute it with fruit juices.

No, the main reason is down to taxes. Imported wines attract a duty of 300-400%. By exploiting various loopholes, this can be avoided by classifying the product as something else. Local or locally bottled wines attract significantly less. 'Cider' - less still.

http://www.bkkpsp.com/Cheap-Wines-In-Thailand.html

[Bantex]

[louse1953]

Actually if you READ my post carefully, I never said "East" or "West". I was only pointing with my Hand each, time, every time, I'm only using "east, west" here to explain to YOU what was happening. You don't NEED to shout "West!" to POINT West with your finger. This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk.... it's very sad really. As for the other comments. I understand if I traveled to another town to do my daily shopping with just 147 baht, what happened here is I just ran down the stairs of my condo to hop in into Tesco EXPRESS for a quickie, but for some this "Express" part at Tesco turns into some "Seriously weird BS" stuff each time, where they don't serve you but just serve themselves and waste your nerves. Instead of acknowledging that this is a great example of horrendous service which is typical of Thailand lately - all of you are ganging up on me for some reason..... lol

I've traveled extensviely around the world, I've never experienced anything more weird than what I keep experiencing here in Thailand, where even shopping at a European based food chain express point turns into some seriously weird Twilight zone BS...

Your clearly not equiped for Thailand,go home and regroup.

[louse1953]

Most of your comments don't really deserve a response. All of you who claim to be the hi-so wine connoisseurs probably have lower IQ than the Tesco Express clerk. And those who brag about being proper and wealthy only shows just how Ghetto you really are... It's typical for peasants to constantly try to pretend like they were more than they actually are. I think it's one of the biggest problems here in Bangkok actually.

Delusional.

[Jblood]

Actually if you READ my post carefully, I never said "East" or "West". I was only pointing with my Hand each, time, every time, I'm only using "east, west" here to explain to YOU what was happening. You don't NEED to shout "West!" to POINT West with your finger. This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk.... it's very sad really. As for the other comments. I understand if I traveled to another town to do my daily shopping with just 147 baht, what happened here is I just ran down the stairs of my condo to hop in into Tesco EXPRESS for a quickie, but for some this "Express" part at Tesco turns into some "Seriously weird BS" stuff each time, where they don't serve you but just serve themselves and waste your nerves. Instead of acknowledging that this is a great example of horrendous service which is typical of Thailand lately - all of you are ganging up on me for some reason..... lol

I've traveled extensviely around the world, I've never experienced anything more weird than what I keep experiencing here in Thailand, where even shopping at a European based food chain express point turns into some seriously weird Twilight zone BS...

Your clearly not equiped for Thailand,go home and regroup.

It's Thailand that is not equipped for me... lol. I will definitely leave this country and I will never return. All my friends on my private facebook page are also going around this country, you know because they actually ask me what's going on and I keep them up to date...

You have to be a complete lunatic to actually come and live here, invest in business, buy property and so on... Or even come here as a tourist - it's a completely unnecessary and unsubstantiated risk to your life or your health or your wealth...

You just sent me like 5 messages in public... pace yourself... looks like I'm not the one who needs help here...

[Bantex]

Actually if you READ my post carefully, I never said "East" or "West". I was only pointing with my Hand each, time, every time, I'm only using "east, west" here to explain to YOU what was happening. You don't NEED to shout "West!" to POINT West with your finger. This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk.... it's very sad really. As for the other comments. I understand if I traveled to another town to do my daily shopping with just 147 baht, what happened here is I just ran down the stairs of my condo to hop in into Tesco EXPRESS for a quickie, but for some this "Express" part at Tesco turns into some "Seriously weird BS" stuff each time, where they don't serve you but just serve themselves and waste your nerves. Instead of acknowledging that this is a great example of horrendous service which is typical of Thailand lately - all of you are ganging up on me for some reason..... lol

I've traveled extensviely around the world, I've never experienced anything more weird than what I keep experiencing here in Thailand, where even shopping at a European based food chain express point turns into some seriously weird Twilight zone BS...

Your clearly not equiped for Thailand,go home and regroup.

It's Thailand that is not equipped for me... lol. I will definitely leave this country and I will never return. All my friends on my private facebook page are also going around this country, you know because they actually ask me what's going on and I keep them up to date...

...

Whine Whinge, Whine Whinge, Whine Whinge, Whine Whinge, Whine Whinge

!!!!!

[roo860]

Actually if you READ my post carefully, I never said "East" or "West". I was only pointing with my Hand each, time, every time, I'm only using "east, west" here to explain to YOU what was happening. You don't NEED to shout "West!" to POINT West with your finger. This is really hilarious, because now I think what I suspected for a while - it turns out a lot of you are even more retarded than the Tesco Express counter clerk.... it's very sad really. As for the other comments. I understand if I traveled to another town to do my daily shopping with just 147 baht, what happened here is I just ran down the stairs of my condo to hop in into Tesco EXPRESS for a quickie, but for some this "Express" part at Tesco turns into some "Seriously weird BS" stuff each time, where they don't serve you but just serve themselves and waste your nerves. Instead of acknowledging that this is a great example of horrendous service which is typical of Thailand lately - all of you are ganging up on me for some reason..... lol

I've traveled extensviely around the world, I've never experienced anything more weird than what I keep experiencing here in Thailand, where even shopping at a European based food chain express point turns into some seriously weird Twilight zone BS...

Your clearly not equiped for Thailand,go home and regroup.

It's Thailand that is not equipped for me... lol. I will definitely leave this country and I will never return. All my friends on my private facebook page are also going around this country, you know because they actually ask me what's going on and I keep them up to date...

You have to be a complete lunatic to actually come and live here, invest in business, buy property and so on... Or even come here as a tourist - it's a completely unnecessary and unsubstantiated risk to your life or your health or your wealth...

You just sent me like 5 messages in public... pace yourself... looks like I'm not the one who needs help here...

Does ya Mum know you're out? Edited March 16, 2016 by roo860