Thailand is attracting more and more of our travelers every year. It is estimated that their number increases by 2 or more times each year. And the visits are caused not only by vacations or holidays. People began to spend winter in Thailand, or even permanently reside there, receiving a working or study visas to Thailand. Most people are interested in buying cheap food when they move. In addition to markets (for example Night Market in Pattaya or seafood market in Phuket), which may offer fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood, one should not forget the usual food. So you have to go to supermarkets in Thailand, but alas, unlike markets, trade is not appropriate here.
If you like to store and shop a lot, we recommend you visit the interesting section on our site devoted to shopping in Thailand.
Which one to choose, where is more profitable to buy products in Thailand and where there is a greater range of them? Let’s try to understand each of them by example. Let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages of Thai supermarkets for certain purchases. By the way, if you are interested in stoic materials and household goods, it is best to look at the Home Pro store in Thailand.
Big C supermarkets in Thailand
This chain is considered the most popular with both Thais and Russian tourists in Thailand. There are often promotions, and in addition to products you can buy other things (clothes, appliances or household goods). Buying products for 500 baht, at the checkout you get a coupon for a free gift. These can be sets of German knives given away one at a time, pots and pans. Each year, Big C Supermarket tries to update its range of gifts.
Big C Supermarket
This supermarket chain also has a good discount system for regular customers. For each purchase, they can receive a coupon worth 10% baht which can be redeemed for an extra 10,000 baht on top of the previous purchase.
If you shop at Big C for technology, it would be very beneficial since you would receive a coupon worth 1000 baht for every 10,000 spent. This coupon can be used to pay for other purchases or part of them. In addition, at Thai airports you can do VAT refund in Thailand, which will refund you 7% of your total purchases.
Tesco Lotus Supermarkets in Thailand
Prices at Tesco Lotus Supermarkets are often less than the discount prices at Big C. However, there are no promotions with gifts and cash coupons. So if you don’t go to supermarkets often, it’s better to buy food at Tesco Lotus to save money. The local bakery with its amazing baked goods is also worth mentioning.
Macro supermarkets in Thailand
These stores have a huge range of products, especially fruit. The peculiarity of supermarkets Macro in Thailand is that this chain is more focused on wholesale, reminiscent of our Metro. Accordingly, the prices in Makro are an order of magnitude lower than others. Another advantage of Macro is the sale of fruit in big bags. Apart from markets, you can’t buy it anywhere else. It is especially advantageous to buy here the appliances, dairy, meat products and semi-finished products that can be kept in the refrigerator for a long time. You can’t buy products by the piece, but for a large company it’s the perfect way to save on your budget.
Total
The bottom line is that where is the best place to buy groceries in Thailand? Macro would definitely lead in most parameters. However, the second and third places can change places, as to some extent it is a matter of taste, your specific needs and the proximity of a particular supermarket to your home or hotel. And if you want to buy building materials, plumbing, etc., then welcome to Home Pro stores in Thailand, somewhat reminiscent of our Ikea!
Read More:- Shopping in Phuket – Shopping malls, supermarkets and markets.
- VAT Refund when you buy goods in Thailand.
- Shopping in Koh Samui – Markets and Shopping.
- Phuket Island seafood: markets and restaurants.
- Shopping in Hua Hin – Hypermarkets, markets, stores, malls.
- 10 secrets of successful shopping in Thai markets.