How much do you pay avocados in Thailand ? why so expensive ?

[bazza73]

When in season, about 80-100 baht a kilo. Same price as a single avocado in Melbourne F&V shops. I don't buy when they are out of season.

In season, the stalls at Mae Sai on the Burma border have avocados the same size as baseballs. A meal in itself.

Avocado and smoked salmon on a fresh baguette - bliss.

[JAFO]

4 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Did you buy them grafted?

Yes, Bought three, 2 have taken off.

 

Bought them from a local friend of my wife who has a few trees that produce them. They are quite good. 

[kkerry]

If you can buy them by the kg. in Thailand then the prices are low. Up north sounds like it is very common to buy them that way. In Bangkok it's harder to find them sold outside of the major supermarkets, who sell the imported ones at a premium. My wife shops at various markets and always gets me some if she sees any, but even in season they're few and far between where I live because Thais don't seem to eat them much, at least in Bangkok. Sometimes Tesco will sell very ripe ones, 3 for 80 baht but if I offer any of the neighbors some to eat they're not interested. Any other excess fruit they are always happy to accept.

[PoorSucker]

Thinking about plant new trees on 3.5 rai at the border to the national park, there is a stream of cold water between our land and the park. Thinking 15 trees, if they can give fruit as my first tree, I'm going to end up with around 10.000 avocado per year in 3—4 years....

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[bangkokairportlink]

On 4/20/2017 at 7:13 PM, kkerry said:

If you can buy them by the kg. in Thailand then the prices are low. Up north sounds like it is very common to buy them that way. In Bangkok it's harder to find them sold outside of the major supermarkets, who sell the imported ones at a premium. My wife shops at various markets and always gets me some if she sees any, but even in season they're few and far between where I live because Thais don't seem to eat them much, at least in Bangkok. Sometimes Tesco will sell very ripe ones, 3 for 80 baht but if I offer any of the neighbors some to eat they're not interested. Any other excess fruit they are always happy to accept.

 

Exactly ! Where can you find the cheap one in Thailand ? Some people say 80thb for 1 kilo ? But it costs 80thb/piece at any supermarket in Thailand ! Please help !

 

 

[bangkokairportlink]

On 4/20/2017 at 3:24 PM, bazza73 said:

When in season, about 80-100 baht a kilo. Same price as a single avocado in Melbourne F&V shops. I don't buy when they are out of season.

In season, the stalls at Mae Sai on the Burma border have avocados the same size as baseballs. A meal in itself.

Avocado and smoked salmon on a fresh baguette - bliss.

 

When is the season ?

 

 

[bangkokairportlink]

On 4/20/2017 at 2:18 PM, JungleBiker said:

The imported Hass avocados (the ones priced at around 80 - 100 baht each and turning purple-black when ripe) are coming in by air, hence the high price. They could be brought in by sea container at lower cost, but the large volumes might be difficult to sell because they would still be relatively expensive for your average Thai consumer. 

 

Hass trees require cooler temperatures, usually in areas over 1,000 metres above sea level, so there aren't many places in Thailand where they can be grown. 

 

Most of the avocados produced in Thailand are varieties from the West Indian race and can be grown in lower/warmer areas. They stay green when ripe (not a problem in itself, but it'smore difficult for the consumer to know when they're ripe). They have lower fat content so are generally considered less tasty than Hass. 

 

I'm working on developing a Hass avocado orchard here in Paksong, southern Laos, at altitude 1,200 metres above sea level. Hopefully in a few years from now, I will be able to supply Thailand with good quality Hass at more reasonable prices.  

 

 

 

HAAS is what we find at Makro and other supermarkets ?

 

 

[kkerry]

13 hours ago, bangkokairportlink said:

 

When is the season ?

 

 

According to one chart I have, May to early August. I haven't seen any at all in my local Bangkok markets for a couple of months, and I always keep an eye out for them as I don't like paying the supermarket price for the imported varieties. The Thai people I know never seem to eat avocados.

 

In Bangkok, some few fruits I enjoy eating, lychee and rambutan, seemed to be later to market this year than usual so maybe avocados are as well?

 

 

[PoorSucker]

 
When is the season ?
 
 

My trees in Chiang Dao gives fruit in November and June.

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[bbi1]

99 baht for a bag of 5 at Tops

[bbi1]

On 2017-6-8 at 11:05 AM, bangkokairportlink said:

 

Exactly ! Where can you find the cheap one in Thailand ? Some people say 80thb for 1 kilo ? But it costs 80thb/piece at any supermarket in Thailand ! Please help !

 

 

Have you ever walked into a Tops supermarket in BKK at all? :)

[NanLaew]

On 6/8/2017 at 8:15 AM, bangkokairportlink said:

 

HAAS is what we find at Makro and other supermarkets ?

 

 

At any supermarket, Haas (imports) are typically 80 baht EACH. In the same supermarkets, anything selling for around 80 baht PER KILO is local.

[MuntyC0re]

i don't buy them 'cause I don't like them

[roo860]

i don't buy them 'cause I don't like them

Great post!

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[Jingthing]

Just now, MuntyC0re said:

i don't buy them 'cause I don't like them

We must show tolerance for culinary minorities. 

[StevieAus]

On 4/20/2017 at 2:29 PM, PoorSucker said:

 

I planted a grafted tree three years ago in Chiang Dao, it's about 6 meters now.

Last November it gave about 200 fruits, giving fruit in June again.

Planted 2 more trees 1 year ago.

No fertilizer or pesticides, across the soi there is a stream with cold mountain spring water all year around

 

Before that I bought avocados in neighboring village at the Burmese border for 20 baht per kilo.

 

 

 

My house is located 585 meters above sea level.

I think the trees like the mountain spring water at 18 degrees Celsius also.

 

 

 

Did you buy them grafted?

 

 

 

First season in North starting now, spotted them at Makro Samui for 80 baht/kilo

Correction..... 169 baht at Makro today.

 

Re my earlier post in April lost a few during recent storms when they were small but still  managed to harvest about 30 yesterday and plenty on the tree some seem to get pecked by the birds apart from netting which is not really practical any suggestions?

[petedk]

If any of you live near Ekamai, then I suggest you visit the farmer's market at Gateway's.
We have found a farmer selling avocados at about 20 baht each.
She grows them herself and gave us a long story about how she cares for them and how she picks them.
These are very good quality and one time when we had 2 pieces that weren't so good we told her and she gave us 2 others for free.

[tropo]

On 4/19/2017 at 7:32 AM, petedk said:

To answer your question about how much we pay FOR avocados.

 

The price varies a lot.

Thai avocados can be as cheap as 80 baht a kg in season. Some are very very good, but the quality does vary.

Right now it is off-season, so the price is about 199 Baht per kg (20 Baht each)

 

Imported avocados are more expensive, but usually better quality. They range from 80 to 100 Baht each.

 

It is not only here that they are expensive. I read somewhere that even in USA and Mexico the price has shot up so much that some people fear they may disappear from Mexican food.

You can't really compare the Hass avocados from NZ and Australia to local avocados. It's nearly apples & oranges by comparison. 

 

I'm paying 89 - 95 per avocado right now.

[kkerry]

Villa 99 baht each.

 

Local Bangkok market, 20 baht each last week but can be difficult to find.

Reasonable quality, fine with poached eggs on toast.

 

Singapore, imported from many different countries, 3 for SG4 (100 baht) or even cheaper, in major supermarkets year round.

Quality varies from superb to okay. Hard to find consistency due to constant change of country of origin, one week Peru, next week Mexico, then USA.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, kkerry said:

Villa 99 baht each.

 

Local Bangkok market, 20 baht each last week but can be difficult to find.

Reasonable quality, fine with poached eggs on toast.

 

Singapore, imported from many different countries, 3 for SG4 (100 baht) or even cheaper, in major supermarkets year round.

Quality varies from superb to okay. Hard to find consistency due to constant change of country of origin, one week Peru, next week Mexico, then USA.

I think the reason why imported avocados are so expensive is due to poor handling. They waste a large percentage. It's quite common to see a whole pile ready for the waste bin. When you buy one you're paying for the discarded ones too.

[balo]

Here in Pattaya ., imported ones sell for around 80 baht each . 

 

Thai avocados I paid 100 baht for a kilo from a lady , but the taste was just not the same.  

 

[tropo]

17 minutes ago, balo said:

Here in Pattaya ., imported ones sell for around 80 baht each . 

 

Thai avocados I paid 100 baht for a kilo from a lady , but the taste was just not the same.  

 

I haven't seen any at 80 baht for quite a while. If you're willing to pay 80, which is quite a bit for a small Hass avocado, why not pay 95? It's more about finding a good one at a decent size than saving 10 - 20 baht.

[Jingthing]

49 minutes ago, balo said:

Here in Pattaya ., imported ones sell for around 80 baht each . 

 

Thai avocados I paid 100 baht for a kilo from a lady , but the taste was just not the same.  

 

The Thai ones being sold now are not Haas-like varietals. Yes, they are very inferior in taste and texture but I find them still usable for nutrition and in some dishes. I mush them up in salads with lots of garlic, vinegar, and some olive oil. Sometimes OK spread on bread if the flesh hasn't gone too soft. They tend to go from hard to overripe really quickly. 

 

The Thai Haas-like ones when they are in season are quite good. But certainly not sold in Pattaya now. 

[kkerry]

My local Aeon Jusco store once upon a time had Australian or New Zealand avo's for 65 baht but they hardly sold any. Unlike Aussie supermarkets, they never seem to reduce the price for a quick sale when getting too soft. These days, nearly 100 baht each which is more than I am willing to pay because even with imported stock, you still get some bad ones. Tesco sometimes sell the Thai variety and when getting too ripe will sell them in packs of three for as little as 80 baht, worth taking a chance in my experience. 

 

This is what I get from my local market. The old man who runs the stall rarely has more than a dozen. They work out at 15-20 baht each and I almost always find a couple that while not first class, are good on toast or in a salad.

[tropo]

19 minutes ago, kkerry said:

My local Aeon Jusco store once upon a time had Australian or New Zealand avo's for 65 baht but they hardly sold any. Unlike Aussie supermarkets, they never seem to reduce the price for a quick sale when getting too soft. These days, nearly 100 baht each which is more than I am willing to pay because even with imported stock, you still get some bad ones. Tesco sometimes sell the Thai variety and when getting too ripe will sell them in packs of three for as little as 80 baht, worth taking a chance in my experience. 

 

This is what I get from my local market. The old man who runs the stall rarely has more than a dozen. They work out at 15-20 baht each and I almost always find a couple that while not first class, are good on toast or in a salad.

The fat content of imported Hass and local avocados is the main difference.

 

For me, it's just a matter of how many I buy. At the current price of imported avocados it's a luxury food, only eaten occasionally. It really does annoy me when I've paid 90 baht or so and it's brown inside. No matter how careful you are, you get these. It's best to buy them rock hard and wait to eat.

 

I don't mind the local type. My wife is addicted to the imported ones.