Grocery Shopping

Thailand has a wide range of grocery shopping options ranging from local fruit and veggie stands, standard grocery stores, and even the Thai version of a “big box” store called Makro. There are also a few purveyors of specialty goods that deliver to ISB the International School based in Nichada. Please see the specialty options section of this list.

Let’s start with the local fruit and veggie stands that are in golf cart range of Nichada:

Local Veggie Stand: Sichaitong Gate: (side gate of Nichada) – accessible by golf cart. It is located on Soi Sichaitong about 5-6 blocks down on the right hand side of the road. It is a pretty large vegetable stand and dry goods store, but it has no sign. You will see the vegetables arranged on tables in front and inside the store. Closed Fridays.  There is a wide variety of locally grown and imported vegetables available at very reasonable prices. You can buy a week’s worth of vegetables for about 300 baht or $9 There is a great selection of fresh herbs, vegetables, dry noodles, fresh chilis, and a lot of dry goods such as cooking oils and even paper goods. This is super convenient to Nichada and is frequented by many Nichada residents. It is also a good way to experience some of the local culture right outside of Nichada.

Local Fruit Stand: Across the street from the above mentioned veggie stand. It is a very small but well stocked fruit stand. It carries a nice variety of locally grown fruit and some imported fruit as well. The watermelons, pomelo, passion fruits and mangos are especially good. The prices at this fruit stand are very reasonable too. However, some imported fruit can be quite expensive.

Pineapple Truck: On the same street as the above mentioned fruit and veggie stands there is a pick up truck with a large umbrella over the bed of the truck. It is filled with pineapples and often fresh young coconuts. These are the BEST pineapples you will ever eat! I’m not exaggerating. The couple that sells the pineapples is very sweet as well. They sell little bags of pre-cut pineapple and also whole pineapples too at extremely reasonable prices! The pre-cut pineapple comes with a little bamboo skewer that you can use like a fork to eat your pineapple on the way home. They keep it on ice so it is very refreshing on a hot day.

Now we can move on to traditional grocery stores. You will need a car or taxi to get to all of the following except Villa Market because it is located inside Nichada

1. Villa – There is a traditional grocery store located right inside Nichada called Villa Market. It is super convenient and has a lot of American and European favorite brands. There is a good selection of local and imported goods ranging from meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fruit, veggies, alcohol and dry goods. However, the uber convenience of this well stocked, air-conditioned store right in Nichada is that it is VERY expensive. I like to refer to Villa as the “3000 baht store”. ($100) We buy our chicken and some western favorites here but get the bulk of our groceries at other stores. That being said, you cannot beat the convenience of Villa and you are likely to run into some friends while you are shopping. Many folks do all their shopping at Villa because it is so easy and convenient. Villa Market – Nichada Thani
2. Big C – There are a few locations near Nichada. This is a very large grocery and home goods store. You can find a lot of western and European brands here. It is a good place to find reasonable prices on imported cheeses (better prices than Villa). Besides groceries, Big C has home electronics, small appliances, towels, containers etc. There are several in Thailand. There are two located near Nichada one on Chaengwattana Road and one off of Samakee Road.
3. Food Land – My favorite grocery store for local veggies, fruit, chicken, meats and cheeses all at great prices is Food Land. It has a great selection of western and European brands as well as lots of products from all over Asia. The meat and fish is all refrigerated and kept in glass cases or sold packaged (which is standard for western grocery stores, but a bit of a rarity in Thailand). They have wonderful prices on chicken breast, whole chickens, beef, pork, and seafood. The staff is friendly and helpful. They are quick to find an English speaker on staff if needed. They also have a great selection of imported cheeses at great prices too. I also have been very happy with the local Thai produce I have purchased at Food Land. It is a bit of a drive down Chaengwattana Road. It is located in a shopping area called IT Square. Open 24 hours.
4. Tesco Lotus – Tesco is a popular local grocery and home goods store which is very similar to Big C. It has groceries and a good selection of home goods and clothing as well. It is a bit similar to Target, but not nearly as nice. There are several around Bangkok. The nearest full service Tesco Lotus is located on Chaengwattana Road in the Index Living Mall. Index Living is basically a knock-off of IKEA so that is a great place for household items and inexpensive furniture, shelving, etc.
5. Lemon Farm – This is a smaller grocery with a great selection of Organic and more natural food items, veggies, fruit, spices, and beauty products. It is a great option if you are looking for more natural products and produce. It is a cute store and has a naturally focused restaurant inside. So you can get some groceries and grab a healthy snack or lunch at the same time. I love their natural (non-msg laden) spice packets for traditional thai dishes such as Tom Yum Soup and Massaman Curry for example. They also have a nice selection of raw nuts and dried fruit that is unsweetened. it is located on Chaengwattana Road just beyond the above mentioned Index Living Mall.
6. Makro – If there were a Thai version of Costco this would be it. It is a Big Box store with a giant selection of everything from TVs and small appliances to art supplies, cleaning supplies, pots, pans, wine, beer, and all your grocery needs. They also have an extensive freezer section with a wonderful selection of frozen fruits, veggies, meat and fish. Makro has a good selection of bulk spices, fish, seafood, meat and dairy. It is also a good place to find bulk nuts, and seeds too. You can also find large packages of paper towels and toilet paper there too. It is located very close to Nichada on Chaengwattana Road. Unlike Costco, you can shop there without a membership card. You can join Makro and get a card however, you don’t need one to shop there and I’m not sure if there are any benefits to being a member of Makro. Just like Costco, the checkout lines can be a bit crazy so going early in the morning is a good idea.

Specialty purveyors who visit/deliver to Nichada:

The Milk Man

The Pasta Man

Urban Pantry