Soda Water... Why does it cost so much!?

[MROLL320]

At around 80p a litre, costs far more than petrol! Yet only 2 companies enjoy this massive profit margin and no supermarket brand alternative? Something dodgy going on.....

[geronimo]

So, let's wait for the soda bubble to pop!

[Ace of Pop]

At around 80p a litre, costs far more than petrol! Yet only 2 companies enjoy this massive profit margin and no supermarket brand alternative? Something dodgy going on.....

. Use Petrol then..it's the same for most things look at Walls Ice Crem for those Magnums ,cots em about 1 Bht for 6

[MROLL320]

Explains nothing.... Why aren't other companies making it and competition would bring the price down. 80p a liter for carbonated water?

[Rob13]

Upscale market maybe? If you're buying soda water; you're most likely buying imported liquor and will pay for the mixers.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Rob13

[Ace of Pop]

Explains every thing ,no extra bottling capacity ,or they would.

[Rob13]

At around 80p a litre, costs far more than petrol! Yet only 2 companies enjoy this massive profit margin and no supermarket brand alternative? Something dodgy going on.....

. Use Petrol then..it's the same for most things look at Walls Ice Crem for those Magnums ,cots em about 1 Bht for 6

makes no sense

[siamcrut]

Buy a soda machine at lazada, sorted.

[SoiBiker]

I don't know where you're getting your soda water or your figures from, but they seem a bit off to me.

Bought individually from 7/11, its about 56p a litre. Buy a crate from Tesco, it's about 40p. I'm sure you can get it cheaper than that some place, but frankly I've never felt the need to look.

Edited April 17, 2016 by SoiBiker

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

[1FinickyOne]

48p - - 80p - - ??

I have to buy everything here in baht... they must be charging you extra to exchange the coins...

[MROLL320]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

59b is cheaper than thai made stuff! 29.5b per litre..... The small bottle is 250ml is 10b in 7-11, making 1 litre 40b or 80p a litre.... My maths isn't really the point of the thread?

[ricklev]

I've often wondered why I can't buy a plastic bottle of soda water here with a reusable screw top.

[MROLL320]

48p - - 80p - - ??

I have to buy everything here in baht... they must be charging you extra to exchange the coins...

(Shaking the head slowly in dismay)...... Trying make the point it's a rip off price by using the much lower UK price to back up my point that's all...

Chang and Singha brands that's it.....? Somebody would have brought out cheaper alternatives in a free market...

[SoiBiker]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

59b is cheaper than thai made stuff! 29.5b per litre..... The small bottle is 250ml is 10b in 7-11, making 1 litre 40b or 80p a litre.... My maths isn't really the point of the thread?

The small bottles are 325ml, and cost 9 baht.

Your maths is the point, if you're complaining about the wrong price.

[MROLL320]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

59b is cheaper than thai made stuff! 29.5b per litre..... The small bottle is 250ml is 10b in 7-11, making 1 litre 40b or 80p a litre.... My maths isn't really the point of the thread?

The small bottles are 325ml, and cost 9 baht.

Your maths is the point, if you're complaining about the wrong price.

..... Which I'm not. Yes your right, I got the bottle size wrong. The point is just 2 companies are enjoying a very healthy profit margin, I would have thought tesco or big c or somebody would have pitched in with a cheaper alternative......? Something not right? And not just my maths!

[SoiBiker]

If you can't afford a 9 baht bottle of soda, you must be really struggling.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

59b is cheaper than thai made stuff! 29.5b per litre..... The small bottle is 250ml is 10b in 7-11, making 1 litre 40b or 80p a litre.... My maths isn't really the point of the thread?

The small bottles are 325ml, and cost 9 baht.

Your maths is the point, if you're complaining about the wrong price.

OK... so, price aside, I don't buy the glass small bottles of soda water, 1] because, mainly, I don't want to be using, collecting and be disposing of dozens of small glass bottles. And 2] I have my doubts about the quality of the bottled water provided by the Thai companies.

But, from a pricing perspective, if the price and size you quote above is correct, then those small Thai soda bottles are selling for the equivalent of about 54 baht per 2L serving (6 325ml bottles X 9). And as I mentioned above, Central was selling the imported 2L bottles of Waitrose soda water from the UK on sale for 59b per 2L plastic bottle. So yes, that kind of suggests the Thai pricing for local soda water is pretty high.

Looking at it another way, you can buy regular Thai still water in the 1.5 liter bottles for what, less than 10 baht per bottle if you buy them in the 6-packs. And, the equivalent price for the Thai soda water for a 1.5 liter portion would be about 45 baht (6 325ml bottles X 9 baht per). More than 4 times the price of local still bottled water.

So, basically, they're pricing and selling the soda water not as drinking water, but instead as an alcoholic beverages drink mixer at inflated prices. And apart from the obvious profit motive, another factor I'd assume would be the added cost of selling the soda water in all those small glass bottles, which are considerably more expensive to produce than a single equivalent portion 2L plastic bottle.

The only 1.5 and 2 liter bottles of regular soda water I've ever seen in Thailand are imported brands, those sizes being ones you'd buy and use for drinking at home. The only soda water I've ever seen from the Thai companies are the small glass bottles that you'd use in bars/clubs for serving drink mixers.

Bottom line: adding carbonation to regular still water just isn't that expensive.

BTW, another factor could be, the Thai beverage conglomerates may not want to be selling inexpensive carbonated water as a regular drinking option, because, doing so would cut into their other and more profitable business of selling more expensive (junk and sugar filled) soft drinks like Coke, Pepsi, et al.

From what I read, sales of sugary soft drinks have been flat and/or declining in recent years in the West as people turn to sparkling (soda) waters and other healthier options. But soft drink sales have been growing in less and underdeveloped places like Thailand, where health considerations apparently are still many years off on the horizon.

Edited April 17, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[SoiBiker]

Then buy a Soda Stream and make your own.

Seriously though, if 9 baht a bottle is too much, you must be on the bones of your arse.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As I clearly stated above, though perhaps you're having trouble comprehending, for me price isn't the issue.

If I can afford the Waitrose water from the UK, I certainly COULD afford the Thai soda. But price alone isn't the issue.

The issue is, the Thai beverage conglomerates don't sell soda water as a drinking water alternative. They sell, price and market it as a mixed drinks complement.

If they intended to sell it as a drinking water alternative, then they'd produce and market soda water is 500ml, and 1.5 or 2 L plastic bottles, like they do with still water.

Edited April 17, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[SoiBiker]

Oh. It's the principle.

I guess we must be running low on things to moan about.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Go back to sleep please...

OK... so, price aside, I don't buy the glass small bottles of soda water, 1] because, mainly, I don't want to be using, collecting and be disposing of dozens of small glass bottles.

Edited April 17, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[manarak]

I don't know where you're getting your soda water or your figures from, but they seem a bit off to me.

Bought individually from 7/11, its about 56p a litre. Buy a crate from Tesco, it's about 40p. I'm sure you can get it cheaper than that some place, but frankly I've never felt the need to look.

I think I buy my chang soda 325 ml bottles for 4.5 baht per bottle at makro...

[manarak]

As I clearly stated above, though perhaps you're having trouble comprehending, for me price isn't the issue.

If I can afford the Waitrose water from the UK, I certainly COULD afford the Thai soda. But price alone isn't the issue.

The issue is, the Thai beverage conglomerates don't sell soda water as a drinking water alternative. They sell, price and market it as a mixed drinks complement.

If they intended to sell it as a drinking water alternative, then they'd produce and market soda water is 500ml, and 1.5 or 2 L plastic bottles, like they do with still water.

Thais rarely drink soda as an alternative to water, their primary use for soda water is to mix whisky and other drinks.

[MROLL320]

Tops and Central in central BKK sell 2 liter bottles of Waitrose carbonated water from the UK.

Normal price 119 or 129b per bottle, which is pretty dear. Lately, they had a sale for 59b per... I stocked up big time.

Don't understand why you can't buy local 2L plastic bottles of carbonated water.

Especially during the summer heat, with a bit of lime or lemon juice and ice added, it's a very refreshing drink. And no sugar.

59b is cheaper than thai made stuff! 29.5b per litre..... The small bottle is 250ml is 10b in 7-11, making 1 litre 40b or 80p a litre.... My maths isn't really the point of the thread?

The small bottles are 325ml, and cost 9 baht.

Your maths is the point, if you're complaining about the wrong price.

OK... so, price aside, I don't buy the glass small bottles of soda water, 1] because, mainly, I don't want to be using, collecting and be disposing of dozens of small glass bottles. And 2] I have my doubts about the quality of the bottled water provided by the Thai companies.

But, from a pricing perspective, if the price and size you quote above is correct, then those small Thai soda bottles are selling for the equivalent of about 54 baht per 2L serving (6 325ml bottles X 9). And as I mentioned above, Central was selling the imported 2L bottles of Waitrose soda water from the UK on sale for 59b per 2L plastic bottle. So yes, that kind of suggests the Thai pricing for local soda water is pretty high.

Looking at it another way, you can buy regular Thai still water in the 1.5 liter bottles for what, less than 10 baht per bottle if you buy them in the 6-packs. And, the equivalent price for the Thai soda water for a 1.5 liter portion would be about 45 baht (6 325ml bottles X 9 baht per). More than 4 times the price of local still bottled water.

So, basically, they're pricing and selling the soda water not as drinking water, but instead as an alcoholic beverages drink mixer at inflated prices. And apart from the obvious profit motive, another factor I'd assume would be the added cost of selling the soda water in all those small glass bottles, which are considerably more expensive to produce than a single equivalent portion 2L plastic bottle.

The only 1.5 and 2 liter bottles of regular soda water I've ever seen in Thailand are imported brands, those sizes being ones you'd buy and use for drinking at home. The only soda water I've ever seen from the Thai companies are the small glass bottles that you'd use in bars/clubs for serving drink mixers.

Bottom line: adding carbonation to regular still water just isn't that expensive.

BTW, another factor could be, the Thai beverage conglomerates may not want to be selling inexpensive carbonated water as a regular drinking option, because, doing so would cut into their other and more profitable business of selling more expensive (junk and sugar filled) soft drinks like Coke, Pepsi, et al.

From what I read, sales of sugary soft drinks have been flat and/or declining in recent years in the West as people turn to sparkling (soda) waters and other healthier options. But soft drink sales have been growing in less and underdeveloped places like Thailand, where health considerations apparently are still many years off on the horizon.

thanks for the in depth post, nice somebody as taken time to understand my point I the original post....

[MROLL320]

As I clearly stated above, though perhaps you're having trouble comprehending, for me price isn't the issue.

If I can afford the Waitrose water from the UK, I certainly COULD afford the Thai soda. But price alone isn't the issue.

The issue is, the Thai beverage conglomerates don't sell soda water as a drinking water alternative. They sell, price and market it as a mixed drinks complement.

If they intended to sell it as a drinking water alternative, then they'd produce and market soda water is 500ml, and 1.5 or 2 L plastic bottles, like they do with still water.

Thais rarely drink soda as an alternative to water, their primary use for soda water is to mix whisky and other drinks.

.... So why isn't sparkling water available... There's some market fixing going on least.

[manarak]

As I clearly stated above, though perhaps you're having trouble comprehending, for me price isn't the issue.

If I can afford the Waitrose water from the UK, I certainly COULD afford the Thai soda. But price alone isn't the issue.

The issue is, the Thai beverage conglomerates don't sell soda water as a drinking water alternative. They sell, price and market it as a mixed drinks complement.

If they intended to sell it as a drinking water alternative, then they'd produce and market soda water is 500ml, and 1.5 or 2 L plastic bottles, like they do with still water.

Thais rarely drink soda as an alternative to water, their primary use for soda water is to mix whisky and other drinks.

.... So why isn't sparkling water available... There's some market fixing going on least.

sparkling water just isn't a Thai thing.

same as you would say the market for nam pla is fixed in your country.

the retail stores just don't sell a lot of sparkling water, therefore their margin got to be higher to sustain selling the product.

as I said, you can buy the 325 ml bottles for approx. 4.5 baht each at makro, that's about 15 baht per liter.

[slipperylobster]

because some alcoholics just can't live without it.

mix something else in there.

[MROLL320]

As I clearly stated above, though perhaps you're having trouble comprehending, for me price isn't the issue.

If I can afford the Waitrose water from the UK, I certainly COULD afford the Thai soda. But price alone isn't the issue.

The issue is, the Thai beverage conglomerates don't sell soda water as a drinking water alternative. They sell, price and market it as a mixed drinks complement.

If they intended to sell it as a drinking water alternative, then they'd produce and market soda water is 500ml, and 1.5 or 2 L plastic bottles, like they do with still water.

Thais rarely drink soda as an alternative to water, their primary use for soda water is to mix whisky and other drinks.

.... So why isn't sparkling water available... There's some market fixing going on least.

sparkling water just isn't a Thai thing.

same as you would say the market for nam pla is fixed in your country.

the retail stores just don't sell a lot of sparkling water, therefore their margin got to be higher to sustain selling the product.

as I said, you can buy the 325 ml bottles for approx. 4.5 baht each at makro, that's about 15 baht per liter.

maybe they don't sell it because it's price is fixed so high...? Or they can only sell the 2 certain brands...

[Bantex]

48p - - 80p - - ??

I have to buy everything here in baht... they must be charging you extra to exchange the coins...

(Shaking the head slowly in dismay)...... Trying make the point it's a rip off price by using the much lower UK price to back up my point that's all...

Chang and Singha brands that's it.....? Somebody would have brought out cheaper alternatives in a free market...

I recently bought 2 bottles of Chang soda water from my local 7/11 - Only 15 baht for the two bottles. If you open a large bottle and don't use it all, it quickly goes flat leaving you with expensive water.