Where to buy vitamins and supplements

[emgthailand]

I am moving to Thailand soon (Bangkok), and I would like to know if there is a reputable place in Bangkok, or a site online where I can buy vitamins and supplements.

These are some of what I take:
- Magnesium Glycinate - KAL brand. My stomach is very sensitive to magnesium supplements, so it has to be Magnesium Glycinate and this particular brand has had the least negative effects of various brands I have tried

- B12 vitamin 1000mg (local pharmacy brand)

- Ubiquinol (currently Jarrow brand 200mg, but any brand without vitamin E added is fine)

- Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic (currently also Jarrow brand, but it doesn't matter)

- Other probiotic blends (whatever is on sale, lol)

Normally I buy all my supplements from Amazon, but I don't know if they will import to Thailand and I heard that the import duties can be high for things coming from Amazon. I saw a reference to iherb.com on another thread here, but I think it was a few years old. iherb doesn't have the same brand of Magnesium Glycinate but it has another brand I previously used that I tolerated ok.

[happynthailand]

most malls have "boots",big C has a vitamin shop,just in side their stores I think its called "pure"

also there are "Watson" stores in side the malls

I like the "Black stone" brand the best

[tpthai2]

Go online, try www.Lazada.co.th Cash on delivery if you prefer.

[burgdawg]

emgThailand...

best deal is to bring over as much as you can carry from USA or Europe. In USA, COSTCO has the best prices, hands down, on various vitamin supplements.

Yes, you can order through Amazon---but it is a $50 shipping surcharge.

OR.....when friends fly over, have them stock up theri luggage kit with extra vitamin supplements.

ALL vitamin supplements are quite pricey in the Kingdom. Mostly---"vitamins are a falang thang."

Stock up on your fave vitamins. Pay extra luggage fee to haul your needs.

[emgthailand]

I intend to stock up but there is still only so much I can bring.

What about customs when I enter? Id I'm searched and had 4 bottles of 200 pills of magnesium glycinate will they think I'm trying to import to sell or anything?

emgThailand...

best deal is to bring over as much as you can carry from USA or Europe. In USA, COSTCO has the best prices, hands down, on various vitamin supplements.

Yes, you can order through Amazon---but it is a $50 shipping surcharge.

OR.....when friends fly over, have them stock up theri luggage kit with extra vitamin supplements.

ALL vitamin supplements are quite pricey in the Kingdom. Mostly---"vitamins are a falang thang."

Stock up on your fave vitamins. Pay extra luggage fee to haul your needs.

[xylophone]

iHerb will ship supplements to Thailand using international airmail (USPS) at a cost of $4.00 and no problems with customs.

[Rob13]

Yeah, iherb. I've had good luck with ebay too. What I've found in Thailand is overpriced and of questionable quality. Except for the Berrocca

[Gonsalviz]

On 7/29/2016 at 9:31 PM, happynthailand said:

most malls have "boots",big C has a vitamin shop,just in side their stores I think its called "pure"

also there are "Watson" stores in side the malls

I like the "Black stone" brand the best

Pretty sure you meant Blackmores.

[THAM]

If you bring multiple bottles, make sure you pack them in different bags if possible. And avoid powdered stuff on your handcarry - even if its coffee. Supplements are very expensive here. Try to avoid postal services if you order a few bottles due to taxes and possible import restrictions. I normally get my probiotics from Malaysia. It's ridiculously priced here.  

[thurien]

as for vitamins I suggest the local fresh and fruit markets, much more fun to eat a real mangosteen instead of a drab pill...

[emgthailand]

On 10/4/2016 at 7:47 AM, thurien said:

as for vitamins I suggest the local fresh and fruit markets, much more fun to eat a real mangosteen instead of a drab pill...

 

That's no help at all. You can't get probiotics from mangosteen. You can get them in yogurt but the concentrations are quite low. Most people are deficient of magnesium on some level and don't even know it. I could go on, but my point is, say something productive and helpful or not at all.  Thanks.

[Rob13]

6 minutes ago, emgthailand said:

 

That's no help at all. You can't get probiotics from mangosteen. You can get them in yogurt but the concentrations are quite low. Most people are deficient of magnesium on some level and don't even know it. I could go on, but my point is, say something productive and helpful or not at all.  Thanks.

 

Leafy greens,nut,beans are all full of magnesium and can be bought at the local produce market. Thurien makes a great point in his post. 

[emgthailand]

On 10/16/2016 at 5:07 PM, Rob13 said:

 

Leafy greens,nut,beans are all full of magnesium and can be bought at the local produce market. Thurien makes a great point in his post. 

 

Even if you eat a diet of nothing but leafy greens, nuts, and beans, it very well may not be enough.  I'm not going to go into why here.

 

The point is, I don't care about what can be bought at the local produce market.  I care about finding things I know work for me.  If you don't have anything positive to contribute in that respect, then please don't bother to post.

[rak sa_ngop]

Has anybody managed to locate magnesium glycinate in Thailand (as requested by the OP)?

 

I am currently taking magnesium citrate for atrial fibrillation, but magnesium glycinate seems to be more highly rated due to its higher levels of absorption.

[lgking]

iherb.com

[Lumbini]

iHerb has changed to way they ship and I and another friend of mine are over one month and have not gotten orders that show on tracking they came in country weeks ago . This is in Bangkok and Chonburi and all orders under $ 80 and sent slow way under 4 pounds ? Anyone else have these issues from iHerb ?

[Jack Mountain]

14 minutes ago, Lumbini said:

iHerb has changed to way they ship and I and another friend of mine are over one month and have not gotten orders that show on tracking they came in country weeks ago . This is in Bangkok and Chonburi and all orders under $ 80 and sent slow way under 4 pounds ? Anyone else have these issues from iHerb ?

They send you an email when it is sended and when it arrives in Thailand (airport), after that just wait and see. So far never had problems. Total time about 3-4 weeks.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, Lumbini said:

iHerb has changed to way they ship and I and another friend of mine are over one month and have not gotten orders that show on tracking they came in country weeks ago . This is in Bangkok and Chonburi and all orders under $ 80 and sent slow way under 4 pounds ? Anyone else have these issues from iHerb ?

 

Yes it appears that way and when I queried this with them, they said it was just about the same as before but through a different shipper? I do know that if you go via DHL, FedEx or the like, then you will most likely get your products stopped at customs, however I have used this new method and have received my products okay, albeit about a week later than normal.

 

Good luck.

[emgthailand]

On 10/29/2016 at 1:38 PM, rak sa_ngop said:

Has anybody managed to locate magnesium glycinate in Thailand (as requested by the OP)?

 

I am currently taking magnesium citrate for atrial fibrillation, but magnesium glycinate seems to be more highly rated due to its higher levels of absorption.

 

I like the KAL brand, also tried Doctor's Best, but I prefer KAL. http://www.iherb.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-400-mg-180-Tablets/18943  - Magnesium glycinate works much better than magnesium citrate for me. I think it's more bioavailable than magnesium citrate, and for me magnesium citrate would still cause the typical adverse gastrointestinal effects of taking magnesium, and the KAL magnesium glycinate does not. iHerb seems to carry it. I brought enough with me when I moved here to not need to worry about buying some for a good while.

 

Info on different types of chelated magnesium: https://drnibber.com/understanding-different-types-of-magnesium/

[Saastrajaa]

On 10/26/2016 at 8:33 AM, emgthailand said:

 

Even if you eat a diet of nothing but leafy greens, nuts, and beans, it very well may not be enough.  I'm not going to go into why here.

 

The point is, I don't care about what can be bought at the local produce market.  I care about finding things I know work for me.  If you don't have anything positive to contribute in that respect, then please don't bother to post.

 

Of course you don't care, because you don't care about science, you've bought into the many common stupid Western superstitions about vitamins, thinking that coefficients in necessary biological processes in your body which are in fact needed in tiny amounts must somehow must be consumed in mega-quantities.  

Okay, like others have said, if you feel a burning desire to produce expensive urine in Thailand (because that's where all your super-doses of vitamins will go--right out in your urine), then stock up in farangland before you come.  You'll spend less for your needlessly expensive urine in farangland than you will in Thailand.

[Rob13]

9 minutes ago, Saastrajaa said:

produce expensive urine in Thailand (because that's where all your super-doses of vitamins will go--right out in your urine)

 

Agreed.

I have AFib myself. There's a choice  between massive doses of supplements in pill form that mostly get washed out of your system or grazing on foods rich in magnesium throughout the day. Do a quick google search on pumpkin seeds and almonds. Throw in a daily serving of bak ganna and you can easily sustain your mg levels. If you'r living in Thailand it's cheap and easy to find a doctor to give you a blood check every month if you're worried about not maintaining high enough levels. 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2016 by Rob13

[emgthailand]

12 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

 

Agreed.

I have AFib myself. There's a choice  between massive doses of supplements in pill form that mostly get washed out of your system or grazing on foods rich in magnesium throughout the day. Do a quick google search on pumpkin seeds and almonds. Throw in a daily serving of bak ganna and you can easily sustain your mg levels. If you'r living in Thailand it's cheap and easy to find a doctor to give you a blood check every month if you're worried about not maintaining high enough levels. 

 

 

 

I already know most of the foods that are high in magnesium, this is not some new revelation you're trying to provide me. Leafy greens, nuts, coconut water (which is obviously prevalent here, but also very high in potassium for anyone concerned with that), sweet potato, etc, this is nothing new. Blood magnesium tests don't tell the full story so they're basically useless.  You can believe what you want to believe about vitamins and supplements.  Chelated magnesium is highly bioavailable, especially in comparison to magnesium oxide (what's sold in most stores in the US, for example).  I know what works for me. So you can attempt to lecture me because you think you know ohhh so much better than I do, or you can accept that what you have is an opinion and is not fact, and move on.

[Rob13]

^You oughta get you a big order of chill pills while you''re at it, old man. A bit over the top on your. defense of the supplements industry.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Rob13

[xylophone]

23 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

^You oughta get you a big order of chill pills while you''re at it, old man. A bit over the top on your. defense of the supplements industry.

 

Had to chuckle at your response, and I'm not meaning to denigrate it in any way, because that's the last thing I want to do as I do respect your posts (and those of the poster).

 

However I can see the original posters point to a certain extent because he requested information on where to buy/how to buy supplements here and on a few posts he got responses telling him that supplementation was a waste of time and he should try XYZ.

 

Had the same thing going on in another thread with with a poster basically saying I was stupid/thick because I believed in taking supplements. However when I pointed out that supplementation of some foods, with vitamins and minerals, was mandatory in some countries, he had to agree, thereby basically saying that supplements worked.

 

 

[Rob13]

Taking supplements iisn't stupid,, you're doing something for your health and if you're a heavy drinker /smoker and eat an unhealthy diet, it's  a smart thing to do.. I was spending a bunch of moneyt every month on them. I had a cardio rehab doctor explain  the targeted diet vs supplements choice and it hit home . Taking supplements is a bit like waking up and drinking a bunch of water and not drinking any the rest of the day. Most of it gets pissed out and you're going to have a deficiency later on in the day. The targeted diet does a better job of keeping a sustained level of  vitamins/minerals through ouit the day which is what the body really needs. Comes down to lifestyle really.

 

To each his own though.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Rob13

[xylophone]

4 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

Taking supplements iisn't stupid,, you're doing something for your health and if you're a heavy drinker /smoker and eat an unhealthy diet, it's  a smart thing to do.. I was spending a bunch of moneyt every month on them. I had a cardio rehab doctor explain  the targeted diet vs supplements choice and it hit home . Taking supplements is a bit like waking up and drinking a bunch of water and not drinking any the rest of the day. Most of it gets pissed out and you're going to have a deficiency later on in the day. The targeted diet does a better job of keeping a sustained level of  vitamins/minerals through ouit the day which is what the body really needs. Comes down to lifestyle really.

 

To each his own though.

 

"Comes down to lifestyle really".

 

Yes, that's what I believe in essence and as I am a lover of red wine and probably drink far too much of it, then I'm well aware of the downsides of this with regards to flushing certain vitamins and minerals out of my system.

 

In addition I don't eat fish or seafood of any description (perhaps rarely) and fruit is something I've never taken to, although I do eat a few vegetables, but probably not enough.

 

So I wouldn't be a good advocate for extolling the virtues of "a balanced diet"!

 

And as I've already alluded to, 86 countries worldwide (including Canada, UK, USA, Australia et cetera) have introduced mandatory supplementation of some foods and even if it is to help people to get the "balanced diet" then it still shows that supplements work, or at least that the powers that be believe they do.

[alexius89]

Hey Folks,

 

I tried ordering from the USA before (iherb) and twice the package did not arrive, it was kinda annoying to be honest.

So i searched and bought my Vitamin C and Zinc at https://www.hipvit.com/ - ordered via Website & got the stuff within 2 days.

 

Products are from the USA, prices are alright and service is foreigner friendly. Give it a try if you like.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[NYGuy816]

I purchase my meds at Boots. Oftentimes, doctors may refer you to pharmacies for specific meds too.

[Jonathan Swift]

It looks like Amazon Global ships to Thailand. There is also a Thai ebay, and ebay sells most brand name items

[rak sa_ngop]

Just received another package from iHerb containing one container of Magnesium Glycinate (Solray) and one of High Absorption Chelated Magnesium. Remarkably the order was placed on 22nd May and received 29th May with no duty.

 

The two other on-line sites mentioned above (Thailand and Guernsey) only seem to have Magnesium Oxide, which is considered to be 'not well absorbed by the body' (and is also easily available in Bangkok drugstores).

 

So that's two successful deliveries from iHerb for me. Now just waiting for the third.