Multivitamins and Supplements

[NanLaew]

Where is the best-priced, widest range, one-stop shopping option for multivitamins and supplements in Pattaya? Nothing terribly exotic and not looking for diet supplements. I appreciate that many here import theirs due to local cost or quality issues but just shopping around locally for some basic, over the counter stuff for men and women.

 

Thanks!

NL

[tropo]

Boots and Watsons have the best price and range that I've found. Watsons has an advantage on price, but Boots has a better range.

 

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, tropo said:

Boots and Watsons have the best price and range that I've found. Watsons has an advantage on price, but Boots has a better range.

 

Cheers for that. I think I have one of the Boots tourist discount cards somewhere as well.

 

Now... which Boots branch would be the best bet?

Edited November 15, 2016 by NanLaew

[balo]

I buy the locally produced herbal capsules like ginseng and gingko biloba in the health stores , they are cheap and strong enough. For vitamins I use iHerb.com , much cheaper than any pills sold at Boots. 

[NickJ]

The Mega brand is made in Thailand and has a product named NatB they also make NatC... They are at Booths and Watson Big C. sometimes they go on sale or offer two for one.

 

[JSixpack]

I think Fascino on N. Pattaya Rd. has probably the best selection.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Cheers for that. I think I have one of the Boots tourist discount cards somewhere as well.

 

Now... which Boots branch would be the best bet?

 

I always check the prices at Boots and Watsons before I buy. They often have specials in one or the other store. I mostly buy at the branches on the 4th floor of Central as they're close together and have more stock than most other stores.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, balo said:

I buy the locally produced herbal capsules like ginseng and gingko biloba in the health stores , they are cheap and strong enough. For vitamins I use iHerb.com , much cheaper than any pills sold at Boots. 

 

iHerb can be a bit tricky as they have a 2kg weight limit on cheap shipping. If you want large bottles of fish oil, for example, you can't order many at a time. You have to separate your orders, so you lose out on the extra discounts for bulk (2 or more discounts) and pay more for shipping.

[Dexlowe]

The multis and supplements I buy are available at most of the pharmacies on the darkside.

 

FYI, the pills I take are Centrum multi, Mega B, Mega C, coenzyme Q10, turmeric (kamin chan) and magnesium - plus I boil a banana for 10 mins most nights for potassium and additional magnesium. Prices are swings and roundabouts, and the variation is so minimal that it's not worth the effort to chase around.

 

 

 

 

[balo]

9 hours ago, tropo said:

If you want large bottles of fish oil,

 

Fish oil is actually not expensive in Thailand. Fascino sells a Thai brand , JSP 1000 mg and the source is imported from Iceland and manufactured in Bangkok. 240 baht for 60 capsules. 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2016 by balo

[tropo]

1 hour ago, balo said:

 

Fish oil is actually not expensive in Thailand. Fascino sells a Thai brand , JSP 1000 mg and the source is imported from Iceland and manufactured in Bangkok. 240 baht for 60 capsules. 

 

 

 

That's very expensive to me. Watsons sells it at 585 baht (or something near that) for 230 caps, and I find that expensive.

 

I buy it on iHerb, but I can't ship 2 big 500 cap containers within the weight limit, but it's a lot cheaper than my Watsons price.

[i claudius]

6 hours ago, balo said:

 

Fish oil is actually not expensive in Thailand. Fascino sells a Thai brand , JSP 1000 mg and the source is imported from Iceland and manufactured in Bangkok. 240 baht for 60 capsules. 

 

 

 

At the moment Tesco chemist in NPattaya have 1000 mg fish oil on special 80 baht for 30 , hurry i notice that they were getting low yesterday .

[frodo77]

I have found vitacost.com generally cheaper than iherb.

[DMC1]

Cheers for that. I think I have one of the Boots tourist discount cards somewhere as well.
 
Now... which Boots branch would be the best bet?

Check out Boots & Watsons in Harbor mall. I've got some good deals in there over the past 4 weeks on all sorts of stuff. Maybe this is because it's generally quieter?

Plus Boots will give you the tourist discount too on top.

[tropo]

4 hours ago, i claudius said:

 

At the moment Tesco chemist in NPattaya have 1000 mg fish oil on special 80 baht for 30 , hurry i notice that they were getting low yesterday .

 

No rush - that's just over the cost per capsule regular price at Watsons when you buy the 230 capsule pack. (100+100+30)

[mauroest]

and what about the best price for whey protein  80-90%    ?

[OMGImInPattaya]

Not sure exactly what you're looking for but there's a GNC at Harbor Mall.

[The manic]

GNC

[NanLaew]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I opted for Boots since they had a price break on Blackmore's products plus I had their Tourist card discount. Ostensibly I was shopping for Folic acid and B-6 for Mrs NL who is in the family way and was recommended a Blackmores multivitamin product for women's health including those in gestation. Mrs NL was mortified to see the instruction on the label (in Thai only) "Not to be taken when pregnant or by children." Looking up Blackmore's local website only had the advice to observe the instructions on the label but reading their FAQ's, there was a very recent query about why Thai sales staff are selling this as beneficial to pregnant women when the label clearly says otherwise. Apparently the Thai FDA classifies these multivitamins under the broader 'supplements' banner and as such, by Thai law, all supplements labeling must include the "Not to be taken when pregnant or by children" admonishment, regardless if the 'supplement' is specifically formulated or made for pregnant women. The Australian market labeling even has a profile of a pregnant woman on the label but not the Thai marketed one as maybe that would be breaking the law... or even more confusing?

 

Just another TiT I guess.

[The manic]

On 16/11/2016 at 9:52 AM, i claudius said:

 

At the moment Tesco chemist in NPattaya have 1000 mg fish oil on special 80 baht for 30 , hurry i notice that they were getting low yesterday .

Buf what is the source of the oil.  Does it have mercury?  Krill oil is suppossed to be best. 

[The manic]

On 15/11/2016 at 7:29 PM, Dexlowe said:

The multis and supplements I buy are available at most of the pharmacies on the darkside.

 

FYI, the pills I take are Centrum multi, Mega B, Mega C, coenzyme Q10, turmeric (kamin chan) and magnesium - plus I boil a banana for 10 mins most nights for potassium and additional magnesium. Prices are swings and roundabouts, and the variation is so minimal that it's not worth the effort to chase around.

 

 

 

 

Ubiquinol is supposed  to be the best form of Coq10...but what dosage? 

[medimusic]

iHerb can be a bit tricky as they have a 2kg weight limit on cheap shipping. If you want large bottles of fish oil, for example, you can't order many at a time. You have to separate your orders, so you lose out on the extra discounts for bulk (2 or more discounts) and pay more for shipping.

Order from iherb and use Shipito Forwarding Service and have everything you want delivered in one big order [emoji106]
https://www.shipito.com/en/



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[balo]

23 minutes ago, medimusic said:

Order from iherb and use Shipito Forwarding Service

How much extra do you pay for that service ? 

[tropo]

46 minutes ago, medimusic said:

 

Order from iherb and use Shipito Forwarding Service and have everything you want delivered in one big order
https://www.shipito.com/en/



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

If you order a big box it will be stopped and checked out by customs. iHerb has a $100 limit on orders to Thailand, which is probably to avoid any customs holdups.

 

I've used a mail forwarding service (from the US) before and it was a nightmare. I had to pay a customs clearance agent and full duty and VAT. Then all the questions about each and every product in the box was a real annoyance. That's in addition to paying for the US forwarding service. 

 

The regular 2kg limit orders from iHerb work very well. Shipping up to 2kg works on weight unless they have a free shipping deal so ordering more of a particular item doesn't save you anything. Their shipping costs are amazingly low too.

 

If you want more, you just order another shipment. I've been making orders about twice a month, and they've been arriving in under 2 weeks. The last one was 9 days from order date to arriving at my door.

[Lumbini]

IHerb changed the game here . I was at a pharmacy downstairs at Terminal mall and saw some foreigner having trouble finding a vitamin that was easy to get at iHerb so I helped him put the app on his phone . The Thai pharmacist saw me doing this and told me he and his friend started ordering from there also . Wow ... so here is the guy who works at pharmacy with wall of vitamins and protien powder telling me he uses iHerb also [emoji854] go figure .


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[tropo]

4 hours ago, Lumbini said:

IHerb changed the game here . I was at a pharmacy downstairs at Terminal mall and saw some foreigner having trouble finding a vitamin that was easy to get at iHerb so I helped him put the app on his phone . The Thai pharmacist saw me doing this and told me he and his friend started ordering from there also . Wow ... so here is the guy who works at pharmacy with wall of vitamins and protien powder telling me he uses iHerb also go figure .


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

They certainly have (changed the game here). We'd be sunk without them because you can't get jack in Thailand and what you can get is ridiculously high priced.

 

All my friends in Australia order from iHerb too, and they can get most stuff in Australia.

 

One online Thai company is advertising Cordyceps mushroom powder for which they are asking USD $42 per 60 caps. I can get a higher dose 60 caps of same for just over $8 on iHerb with negligible shipping (nearly free shipping because it's a shipping saver product).There are also over 200 reviews on this product, so I can get a fairly good idea of how good it is.

[NanLaew]

OK, playing catch up here. I started this thread last year primarily to search for pre-natal supplements for Mrs Nan. That's all behind us now we are 4, so now it's (momentarily) all about me again! Looking for.

 

Cod liver oil.

Glucosamine or

Glucosamine-Chondroitin

 

I have been taking Mega brand CLO 1000 mg but only 1 times daily versus the suggested 3 times daily. Am I screwing myself and/or saving money?

 

I also take GNC (from USA not local) Mega Men 50 Plus supplement. Cost only US$10 for 60 caplets. Is there a local equivalent at a reasonable price? The details are appended.

 

I have been taking Mega brand Glucosamine 1500 mg sachet daily versus their smaller multiple pills/day. In the US, I would take the Glocosamine-Chondroitin + MSM in 1500 mg one-a-day form but can't seem to find either that combo or that size locally (in Udon Thani). In Pattaya maybe?

 

Any tips on the Pattaya bargains right now? I will be in town later this weekend.

 

Thanks!

NL

 

Amount Per Serving			% DV
Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide)	125mg		31%
Zinc (as Zinc Oxide)	30mg		200%
Selenium (as Sodium Selenite)	120mcg		171%
Copper (as Cupric oxide)	2mg		100%
Manganese (as maganese sulfate)	2mg		100%
Chromium (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate)	200mcg		167%
Molybdenum (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate)	75mcg		100%
Chloride (as Potassium Chloride)	72mg		2%
Potassium (as Potassium Chloride)	80mg		2%
Vitamin A (as Retinyl Acetate)	3500IU		70%
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid)	100mg		167%
Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol D-3)	1200IU		300%
Vitamin E (as d-alpha Tocopheryl Succinate)	45IU		150%
Vitamin K (as Phytonadione)	60mcg		75%
Thiamin (Vitamin B-1) (as Thiamin Mononitrate)	4.95mg		330%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2)	3.74mg		220%
Niacin (as Niacinamide)	22mg		110%
Vitamin B-6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride)	6.6mg		330%
Folic Acid	600mcg		150%
Vitamin B-12 (as Cyanocobalamin)	110mcg		1833%
Biotin	300mcg		100%
Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium d-Pantothenate)	16.5mg		165%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate and Dicalcium Phosphate)	250mg		25%
Phosphorus (as dicalcium phosphate)	15mg		2%
Iodine (as Potassium Iodide)	150mcg		100%
Brain Health Blend	0		**
Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract	10 mg		**
Phosphatidyl Serine	2.5		**
Choline (as Choline Bitartrate)	2.5 mg		**
Inositol	2.5 mg		**
Eye Health & Free Radical Protection Blend	0		**
Lutemax 2020™ Lutein	1 mg		**
Zeaxanthin (as Zeaxanthin Isomers)	200 mcg		**
Prostate Health Blend	0		**
Pumpkin Seed Meal (Cucurbita pepo/maxima)	5 mg		**
Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (Serenoa repens)	5 mg		**
Lycopene	600 mcg		**
Men's Health & Mineral Blend	0		**
Silica (as Silicon Dioxide)	2 mg		**
Boron (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate)	150 mcg		**
Tin (as Stannous Chloride)	10 mcg		**
Vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate)	10 mcg		**
Nickel (as Nickel Sulfate)	5 mcg		**
** Daily Value (DV) not established.

Edited October 12, 2017 by NanLaew