IKEA In Thailand: 1st Store Lands In Mega Mall Bangna

Most of the front of the Bangna Mall location on the outskirts of Bangkok

IKEA began as the brainchild of Ingvar Kamprad (a Swedish man) back in 1943, but has grown into a huge corporation now operating over 340 stores in at least 39 countries. They specialize in furniture and other housewares, the furniture often sold as "assemble yourself" kits. In years past they were known to be challenging to assemble, even if all of the parts were in the box when you got it home. Thankfully they've made great improvements over the years and their products are far more dependably manufactured and packaged.

When I read they were to open their first store in Thailand I was intrigued: how would their style and selection be received? It turns out they were both accepted and very popular. Part of that popularity most likely came from their TV ads, which have always been entertaining...



Quick and to the point, often clever and, some might say, borderline suggestive ads - one featured a child giggling over a personal vibrator - have been rolled out to regional audiences, such as this one of a Thai husband and wife who find some new spark for their relationship in this one:



One of their more recent ads (below) showed a man with his ladyboy partner and drew some criticism from the transgendered community, but still... it's clever:

The first Thailand location is in the Bangna district, just to the East of Samut Prakan. I was staying within a few kilometers from the Bangna Mega Mall IKEA anchors and, having some free time during the day while the friend I was visiting was off at work I decided to take a run out to see this blue and yellow giant.

If you're taking highway 3 to Chonburi you're likely to see the Mega Mall on your right as you're approaching highway 9... that distinctive IKEA sign sticking up into the sky is hard to miss, haze permitting.

There are precious few examples of differences between the Thai store and the ones I've visited here in the U.S., other than the English/Thai signage for items, but there are of course items in stock that might be more popular to a regional clientele.

Past the check-out area at IKEA Bangna

We'll see the new-ish, and quite modern Bangna Mega Mall in another post, but here's an image of one of the interior display islands that line the main aisles, featuring IKEA items:

There had recently been a recall of the Swedish meatballs that are somewhat of a staple of the store's cafeterias most places - something to do with bacteria in the beef they used - so I couldn't sit and have my usual "comfort food" there, but they did have a black pepper pork steak plate that was spicy enough for most locals, I'd guess.

Oddly enough (or not) the longer lines were at the snack bar outside the check-out area on the main floor, which featured a Thai version of hot dogs, fries and soft-serve ice cream cones.

One evening after my friend returned from work we took a run out to the Mega Mall to have dinner and catch a movie and since he'd never heard of IKEA I walked him through it. He saw several things he said he'd come back to pick up for his new room. I'm waiting to see how well his patience holds out while assembling them!

Map of the area of the Bangna IKEA, from their web site

The Thai DO Love Their Plastic Bags...

Bags from a single, short trip out one afternoon

If you've spent a morning in Thailand at the JJ (Jatujak/Chatuchak) Weekend Market and done any kind of shopping whatsoever you arrive back at your room with enough plastic bags to stop a train - elevated or otherwise - and probably of a surprising variety, to boot. From the feather light bags we're used to seeing in the produce departments of U.S. grocery stores to heavy-duty grade thick ones like the solid green one in the top of the photo above that you could carry ten pounds of nails in without a single one tearing through.

This isn't to pick on JJ Market; it's safe to say almost any time you buy any item over there - regardless of how small and insignificant - it's likely to be handed to you in a sturdy plastic bag, as if your pack of chewing gum needed special treatment. It's simply how it's done there, and most of the time it's not worth mentioning.

Occasionally I'll just take the item out, put it in my pocket and hand the bag back to them (which saves them the cost, anyway) but if it's something I'm taking back home as a souvenir I take it home in the bag and let the recipient recycle it. The bags are different enough that they're a novelty of a minor sort, so I figure it's just part of the gift.

But Mommm... it's Tommy's turn to take out the trash!

When you stop to think of the sheer volume of them used over time in Thailand, though, the numbers must add up. Wondering about that as I was gathering up what seemed like a small arm load of them to take out to the recycle bin this morning I did a quick check... and they do.  Add up, I mean.

Bangkok leases nearly three quarters of the 2,000 trash trucks on the streets daily - like this on stuck in traffic on the Saphan Taksin bridge one morning

The people of Bangkok alone generate about 9,370 tons of garbage per day (that's 8,500 metric tonnes), and of that total almost 2,000 tons (1,800 mT) are plastic bags.

I read an estimate from their Ministry of Natural Resources and environment that if they'd quit with just the bags the country could save $21 million a year, or 650 million baht.

Yes, this is the same picture from a "Safety On The Job...Or Not..." post from two years ago

Most of the time the streets of Bangkok are cleaner than a huge metropolis in the U.S., but people are people all over, and when you have visitors adding to the trash both there and in slightly less obvious areas you do see trashy spots. If you don't buy that, take a look down between buildings or behind fences in an unused spot and you'll see it - just like at home. It happens.

San Francisco and a couple of other nearby cities have outlawed the plastic bag, forcing people to either buy/re-use paper bags or buy and re-use other plastic shopping bags, as may happen at some point in Thailand, as well.  The Thai already use fiber re-enforced, re-usable bags for many things, especially larger quantities, things moved on a regular basis and for some storage. I can't use the larger versions for groceries here, but I've brought back the smaller bags from there for groceries here. Not that I'm waste-free, but at least I'm doing part of my part.

It's a pie-in-the-sky hope Bangkok will eliminate the bags you see flying along in the exhaust of a bus or carried skyward by the wind, but they could cut their carbon dioxide production by an estimated 11 million tons per year if they did. Worth at least taking a stab at, I suppose.

While they think about it, how about if I put that pie in a styrofoam box and bag it up for you, hmm? I'll be right back with that.

MBK (Mahboonkrong) Christmas

Mahboonkrong (MBK) Center in Bangkok

I mentioned on the 10th about a trip I took to Thailand near Christmas time, and here are a couple more pictures from that same trip. As I've already admitted, it was a mistake for me to get back home that close to the days I host so much of my family, but I'm grateful I can still do it. I hope I'm not "free" to be away from home at Christmas for many years to come, if you know what I mean.

Most of my friends in Thailand don't observe the commercial Western Christmas, which isn't such a bad thing, come to think of it. Many enjoy the decorations and lights, but they could be appreciated there for any reason, frankly. Other than ex-patriot friends I know very few there who follow any sort of christian beliefs, and that's just fine with me, too. Mahboonkrong, being the enormous shopping block it is, definitely gets itself gussied up for Christmas.

I'll post pictures of other shopping centers as we move towards Christmas itself. Today I get to stand in line again at the post office - a recurring holiday nightmare I do my best to avoid, but again this year it appears my best wasn't good enough.  See you back here on Friday, if I'm not trampled in the queue.

Christmas In Thailand

This may well be a toss-up between a Christmas post and one from the Same Same, But Different series. Obviously the U.S. doesn't have an exclusive on heavily-decorated shopping malls!

The photo today is of the main tree in front of the Big C Supercenter at Central Plaza Mall (at 78/12 Moo 9 Pattaya Sai 2 Road, Nongprue, Bang Lamung, Chon Buri 20260, for the detail oriented).

This tree was also in a panorama post from an overbooked day's post couple of years ago, but the images were actually taken in 2008 on a rare December trip to the Land of Smiles, when I ought to have been home preparing for the big family gatherings.

I got home barely a week before Christmas itself, and after jet lag did its sometimes brutal number on me I slammed the holidays together in one huge, jumbled rush; a mistake I hope I'm wise enough not to make again - at least as long as I'm blessed with fine family to host for the holidays.

That said, there's a long "to do" list on the table next to me, and I'm off to address that today.

Black Friday? No, Thank you... Is There Any Pie Left?

Big Fun (NOT) at Wal-Mart on Black Friday

Over the years, the day after Thanksgiving has been one of the biggest retail shopping days of the year. The idea was that it ended the red in on the ledgers and put businesses "into the black" as people began to shop for the 4th quarter holidays - i.e. Christmas, Hanukkah, etc. The title of biggest shopping day was passed to December 26th some years back; what you in the UK would call Boxing Day. People here go for enormous quantities of half-off merchandise on the 26th.

Risking life and limb to save $5.00

As more and more money was to be made, the boundaries began to be stretched, and somewhere along the line the whole idea mutated like an uncontrolled and untreated tumor. The stores began to open earlier and earlier on Friday morning, and the lines outside at 0-dark-30 began to stretch around the building.

Then the lines became queues and crushes, and then people started to die in the rush to get through the doors when they finally opened at 05:00 or whenever the floodgates were opened. Some stores this year were actually open on Thanksgiving.

No, I was here first. Gimme.

I stood in line seven or eight years ago - when things were foolish but not dangerous - for a PC monitor - and saved nearly 70% off of the regular price - but nothing since then. It was unpleasant... and needless, really. Twenty years ago I used to get up early (that's normal for me, anyway), find a bench in a large mall to sit in and just watch the hordes hurry from store to store, free from the need to participate. THAT was fun. Now I'd have to check to make sure my insurance covered such folly.

For those of you who will be out shopping this weekend - good luck! Today I slept in a couple of hours later than usual, and have nothing whatsoever planned. I'm staying in, watching a few movies I've had lined up to see and grazing on leftovers from yesterdays bacchanalia.

By the way, today's images were all pulled from the internet. See you again on Monday!

Same Same, But Different! Pt 12: Customer Service

Shopping at MBK Mall in Bangkok is much more entertaining than most malls in the USA - even with the occasional fright from one of those bizarre Thai mannequins.

[You'll find more examples of things "Same Same... but different!" by clicking on the link here.]

Sometimes the occasional language barrier is a blessing in disguise while in a country where the native tongue is not our own. In Thailand, for example, there usually isn't a whole lot of chit-chat possible with the person tending a stall or shop unless you speak at least a small (nit noy) amount of Thai, which, to be fair, is all one can expect as the answer to "do you speak English?" when you're there.

I can usually get a point across, but Thai being one of the tonal languages with an alphabet I've yet to find the dedication to master often leaves me doing pantomime and limiting interactions with the clerk to "how much?", "have XL?" and/or punching numbers into their proffered calculator to make a counter offer when haggling.

Two examples of customer interactions, the first here in the USA, the second in Thailand. Both had to do with looking for a specific item I wanted to purchase. We're not actually comparing apples with apples here, but oh... sometimes the frustrations of dealings in Thailand can seem so much simpler, overall...

United States customer service

First of all, I call the store directly, and nobody in the department answered the phone, so I went to their web site to get a customer service number. This is how the call(s) went:

[I punch numbers to work up a "phone tree", followed by something intended to be music which was interrupted every so often by a disembodied voice saying "All representatives are currently helping other callers. Your call is important to us, and will be answered in the order received".]
Me: I'm looking for a water filter part for the refrigerator I bought at Sears
Sears 1: You'll need to call Parts for that.  Here's the number.
Me: But this is the number you emailed me to call to re-order...
Sears 1: That's not correct. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

[I punch numbers to work up a "phone tree", followed by something intended to be music which was interrupted every so often by a disembodied voice saying "All representatives are currently helping other callers. Your call is important to us, and will be answered in the order received".]
Me: I was given this number to re-order a water filter
Sears 2: Oh, I'm sorry, this is the Repairs Parts Department. You need to call our regular parts department for individual sales.
Me: Can you please transfer me?
Sears 2: No, sir, I'm sorry - I can't do that.

[I punch numbers to work up a "phone tree", followed by something intended to be music which was interrupted every so often by a disembodied voice saying "All representatives are currently helping other callers. Your call is important to us, and will be answered in the order received".]
Sears 3: May I have your subscriber number for our automatic parts ship service?
Me: I don't have a subscription. I just need a water filter for my refrigerator. The last woman said this is the number I need to call to order one.
Sears 3: I'm very sorry, sir - this is the number for the Sears Automatic Parts Service. Would you like to subscribe to have a new filter shipped every three months?
Me: No, I don't need one that often.
Sears 3: Then I'm afraid I can't help you, sir. You'll need to call our Parts Department.
Me: They already gave me a number for that. They couldn't help me.
Sears 3: Let me give you a direct number for Parts Customer Service.
Me: Direct? Really?  No phone tree, no waiting?
Sears 3: Yes, sir.

[That was not the case. I punch numbers to work up a "phone tree", followed by something intended to be music which was interrupted every so often by a disembodied voice saying "All representatives are currently helping other callers. Your call is important to us, and will be answered in the order received".]
Sears 4: Thank you for waiting. How may I help you?
Me: I need a water filter for my refrigerator. May I have one shipped?
Sears 4: What's the model and part number, please?
Me: (answered)
Sears 4: Please hold while I check the availability of that for you.

Their system hangs up on me while I wait on hold.

[I punch numbers to work up a "phone tree", followed by something intended to be music which was interrupted every so often by a disembodied voice saying "All representatives are currently helping other callers. Your call is important to us, and will be answered in the order received".]
Me: I was cut off while I was waiting for availability of a part to be checked for me.
Sears 5: I'm sorry about that, sir. What was the part number?
Me: (answered)
Sears 5: May I put you on hold while I check that part for you?
Me: (hesitantly) Well... OK. Please try not to drop the call again.
Sears 5: (laughing) Oh, no, sir... I wouldn't do that!
[More bland elevator music]
Sears 5:  Sir? I can't seem to find that part number in our system.  I'm sorry I couldn't help you today, but thank you for calling Sears.
Me: WAIT! I'm not trying to jump and cause trouble, but may I speak to a supervisor, please?
Sears 5: Certainly, sir. Please hold.
[More bland elevator music]
Sears 6: Yes, sir - how may I assist you?
Me: I'm having trouble believing you folks can't find your own part in your system. I've already spoken to five people before you, and I'd like you to please take a moment to double check this for me.
Sears 6: Of course, sir. We're sorry for the inconvenience. What was the number?
Me: (answered)
Sears 6: Please hold a minute.
[More bland elevator music, and an ominous "click" that sounded like a disconnect.]
Me: Oh, they wouldn't DARE...
[More bland elevator music]
Sears 6: Sir?
Me: Yes?
Sears 6: That part is out of stock. It looks like we may have it back in stock in a month. Would you like to call back then and check?

Total time of the above calls: 38 minutes.  Result: none.

Thai Shop Customer Service

[I call a favored music/movie shop in Bangkok and speak with one of the people working there]
Me: Sawatdee... VCD Concert show Thongchai Bird McIntyre?
Clerk: No have. Finit.

Total time of the above interaction: 30 seconds. Result: same same!

Now, they might have been resting their elbow on a stack of the very VCD I was looking for while talking with me, but still...  In both countries the people were most likely working because they needed the money to hold body and soul together, but the overall attitude in Thailand (in general - I know I'm making a blanket statement here) is one of "let's just do the job and get through it" far more often, and I tip my hat to that.  Ex-pat readers and others may have have horror stories of their own, but by and large I'm going to say I'm not all that far off the money here today.

Let me know if you feel differently.  I may be a little slow replying because I'm on "hold", but I'll reply.

Trip Report, Part 19: The Grass Weaving Workshop

Woven mats await trimming and finishing in a small local plant outside of Chantaburi

[This is part 19 of a series that may or may not ever find its way to a proper conclusion. It has to do with my latest trip to Thailand, and the people, places and things I encountered along the way. You can find the rest of the series by clicking here on Trip Reports.]

You've probably seen items made from different reeds and grasses in import stores in your home country - Cost Plus and Pier 1 Imports are big here on the West Coast of the USA - and you probably even have examples of some woven items in your own home.

A finished set of place mats and coasters that many might buy to bring home on a first or second visit. 

The grass as it looks while alive

We're not talking wicker or woven bamboo here, although naturally the idea is the same; the materials used in these are finer in size and texture, and tend to be much more pliable.

Something along the lines of a grass or reed, if you will, and not wood-like like grape vine, wicker or, again, bamboo. Heavier baskets are made throughout Asia, of course, and are quite common in Thailand, too; baskets for carrying heavier items, such as produce, crops and the likes, but what we're talking about today are made from reeds or grasses.

While my friend called them "kog" (in a short, low tone, sounding almost like "gog") the closest I can find for them after doing some research is that they're a part of the wide Cyperaceae family of grasses, which includes sedge. Being bog plants they're a natural for the wetlands that also grow rice, the staple of both the Thai diet and economy. It's a self-seeding weed, actually, and about as easy to grow as one could ask for.

Drying rods at the small plant we visited near Chantaburi

My private showroom: I was
the sole customer that day

There are areas in the Southern part of Thailand where almost every family has a field of it growing, and casual cooperatives aren't uncommon; dried grasses brought in to one central location to be turned into souvenirs and more commonly used mats and items for local use. Not just for local Asian use, either: a couple of weeks ago I saw rolled up beach mats of a similar reed being carried to the beaches of Hawaii by people going to roast themselves in the sun, but that's off topic, slightly.

When we were in Chantaburi it wasn't anywhere near harvest season for the raw materials, and I was sort of sorry it wasn't. My friend said that when it is, folks dye the dried bundles of grass and hang them along their fences to dry, making a ride through the area a rather colorful sight.

When I mentioned how "You wouldn't dare do that back home," my friend (who has studied a few years here in the USA) agreed they might disappear in the night in some parts of my homeland. "Here it's your neighbors, friends and many times family doing the same thing," he said, "it's rare to hear of stealing." "Same-same, but different!" I joked, and he again agreed.

Dried, bundled and ready to be woven

He stopped to ask a girl on a bicycle where we might find a place that was actively in operation at this time of year, and she directed us to a small factory where we were able to see a bit of how the things were made. There was only one family there, rolling and wrapping floor mats in plastic wrap at a leisurely pace, but it was too nice a day to rush, I suppose. Might have taken all the sanuk out of it.

There were four people we saw there that day: a father, mother and their small son, and who I figured was the grandmother.  While the grandmother sat in the small shop selling purses, place mat sets, tissue box holders, sandals, floor mats and the likes, the other three were rolling floor mats up, tying them up and wrapping them with plastic film, sealing them with tape into items ready to ship for sale.

Seeing a couple of items I hadn't seen a thousand times before I bought a couple of things inside the shop, along with the table setting set you saw earlier in today's post.  A friend had asked specifically for a set in green, and what better place to buy it for them than right at the source?

The cost there vs here is astounding, of course. Should memory serve the set pictured above was less than five dollars.  Here in the USA they go from a wholesale of $7-$10 per set (if you want to buy 100 sets), up to around $25 per set.  Maybe next time I should use my extended suitcase allowance to bring back 50 sets or so and sell them on Amazon.  Oh, wait... that's most likely already been done!

Hopefully today's post will create a bit of an itch to get out of the city on your first (or next) trip to Thailand.  Ask a Thai friend - old or new - to help you out, or, better yet, accompany you and strike out into the countryside. There's so much to see, and most visitors miss it.

Everyone helps when the family is working

Duty Free Shopping 2 - Taoyuan Airport, Updated

Gucci galore in this shop

A slight detour from the Trip Report begun yesterday. We've already covered beauty supplies and makeup available in the duty free areas of Taoyuan International in Taipei, but having a little more time than usual at my transfer point this trip I did a little more wandering around to see what sorts of shops there were there for fans of duty free and other shopping while traveling.

When I showed them the image one man said he'd prefer not to be shown, so he's blurred out per his request

I've received a few messages asking what was actually available there - evidently by people planning to be there at some point - so this time I took a closer look.  I only took photos of a small fraction of what's available, but it wasn't difficult to see Gucci bags in one shop, Gucci watches in another, Burberry in a third and Borsalini in a fourth.  Nothing that I'd purchase myself, but many appreciate the brands so I'm happy to share the images, if it helps.

Not exactly cosmetics, but more of a mix in this shop

The first post about the duty-free shops there had more to do with the beauty supplies, cosmetics, perfumes, toilet water and the likes; what my brother used to call "foo-foo" when we were kids, for some reason.

Brands like Lancome, Biotherm, Estee Lauder and Shiseido rule supreme at a few shops, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I've purchased foodstuffs at Tastes of Taiwan and found them reasonably priced and a nice change from some of the usual things I bring back stateside for people. They had no problem taking US dollars, but I can't vouch for any other currencies. There are at least two locations in the airport.

There's also a Hello Kitty store, but as I don't care for that empire I didn't take a shot of it. There are dozens of other shops, too.

There are also locations to purchase electronics, and the pricing is reasonably good, from what I'm told. I didn't do any comparison shopping there. I'm adding a few more images here as reference; hopefully they'll be of use to some of you out there. They were an opportunity to take some longer exposures in lower light, but they don't quite fit into the Night Photography folder. Anyway, I'll try to get back on track with the story tomorrow.

And, probably only second to beauty products are the shops that sell cigarettes, cigars and all manner of liquor.  Be advised you can only bring one liter (33oz) of alcohol into Thailand, if that's your destination.  You can also only bring 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or loose tobacco.

DVD? CD? Come Look, Sir! - The Pantip Plaza Touts

Patpong Night Market - with a DVD stall halfway down the right side

The first real mention made here about the sales touts that accost you if you happen to venture onto their turf was back in March of last year, some 500 posts ago, [Sexy Movie? Sexy Movie? - The DVD Touts ] and it was about how I had a little fun with the guys who surreptitiously sidle up to you and try to get you to look at and buy X-rated movies.

Many of them had a crudely made scrap of paper or cardboard they'd palm and show you, so I made some myself back home and on my next trip flashed mine at them.  It was fun, and even before I left Bangkok 10 days later I saw how they'd taken my idea and run with it; they'd made their own laminated versions!

My home made "Sexy Movie" card

The porno market is a very small part of the overall copied media market in Thailand, and although it's illegal to copy and sell movies, music, software and games there you can find them almost anywhere. Even in recognized movie and music chain stores you're likely to see what could only be generously be "grey market" items.

If you buy a computer from somewhere other than a major retailer you're liable to find that the Microsoft Office that you also purchased and had them install isn't legal, either.  I've heard stories from folks, but since I'm not that adventurous I haven't tried buying computer gear there... yet. I tend to stick with the rules, anyway, and would likely be sweating like a pig trying to bring any sort of bootlegged items back through US Customs.

That said, I haven't been above purchasing movies and music to enjoy while I'm in the Kingdom, but I leave them behind with friends when I leave.  To you purists who are grinding your teeth, I agree: it isn't right to do that, either, but I'm a country mile away from perfect - and my friends are always pleased to have the spoils, so to speak.

In addition to the market stalls - especially in areas where tourists are found - you'll find shops in many towns to buy such items, and if you're lazing in a beach chair beneath an umbrella on any number of beaches you're likely to have some of the same items carried to you by a walking vendor, although those primarily tend to be mainly recent movies and porn.  One of these days I expect to hear some beach vendor approaching repeating "Mac? Windows?" as he trudges along, but it hasn't happened so far.

Some of you will remember the Where The Wild Boys Live story that ended with the two go go boys making use of my room to watch some porn VCDs they'd bought on Jomtien Beach that afternoon while I sat in the lobby and wrote for an hour, and it's a fair indicator of how people's curiosity about sex tends to cross all boundaries. 


[As a side note: VCD or video compact disc is a format foreign to most in the West, but it's common in parts of Asia. It uses CD discs rather than DVD discs, and often splits a movie onto two discs due to capacity limitations.  The video quality usually suffers, too, but you'll see players that play them throughout Thailand. While many are legitimate releases they won't play on your regular DVD player at home.]

The central core of Pantip Plaza in Bangkok

In Bangkok there's an enormous shopping mall devoted to all things electronic, including grey- and black-market items. Point of fact, there are others I've heard of, but since Pantip is an easy 10 minute walk from the Ratchathewi BTS station I've usually gone there. It's a great place to buy batteries, cables and other electronic peripherals, as well as all sorts of other electronic toys and chotchkes.  As you can see from the stitched panorama photo above that I took from a higher floor, it's huge; the photo only shows the open atrium area that encompasses half of the total area, if that much. You could spend hours there, and if you get hungry there's a food court, an S&P bakery/restaurant, an A&W root beer burger place and the usual assortment of vendors on the sidewalk out front.

There are dozens of shops on the ground floor selling CDs, DVD and VCD movies, Wii/PlayStation/X-Box game knock-offs, and a fair number of similar stalls around the landing of the 2nd and 3rd floor escalators, too.

Thousands of sleeved covers in cellophane to peruse - and this is only one shop of dozens

The police know they're there, and they know that the police know they're there.  More than once I've seen a vendor get a phone call and suddenly lower the shades or curtains over their stand, having been tipped off that uniformed "visitors" are about to arrive.  On one visit they all heard at about the same time, and the shuffling and swooshing sounds of stalls "closing down" was a rushed and audible event all around the area.  The vendors then either hide inside or stand near their stalls, looking as innocent as possible to avoid losing what stock they had on hand or paying the "fee" to make peace with the officers.  If you don't notice what's going on and ask one of them about something you're looking for you'll get "Can not," or "Not have".  Sometimes those stalls are shuttered for a day or three, depending.

Examples of pick-up receipts

In fact, most of the time in places like Pantip Plaza they don't have the actual discs on hand in the stall at all. After you pay for your selections from stacks of covers in cellophane sleeves that are clamped onto a clipboard you're given a slip of paper as your receipt and a "runner" is sent off outside of the building to retrieve your selection. You're told to come back in 20 minutes or so, and they then hand you a bag with your items in it.

Naturally, although peeking in to make see if you think you got what you ordered is acceptable you are not welcome to open and peruse your purchases in front of their stand.

Some of such merchandise is kept on premises, but such shop stalls are far into the nether regions of Pantip; far off into the back, or high on the top floors, where the lights are dimmer, let's say.

The cost for these items is less than 25% of what you'd be likely to pay in your home country, but it all depends on how lucky you feel about getting them through customs when you return home.  The one time some years back that I did bring a movie home with me for a nephew the agent who was rifling through my bag pulled it out, looked at it and said "Oh... I didn't know Star Wars was out on DVD here yet."  "It isn't," I replied, figuring that was 100baht I'd never see again, but he again said "Oh", and put it back into my bag.  It made me uncomfortable enough to stop while I was ahead.

As an example of cost, though, I had a man show me a set of extended releases of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in Blu-Ray, nicely packaged in a metal tin made in Japan, including the earlier 1970s Ralph Bakshi cartoon version for US$25 - and this was nearly a year ago, long before similar sets were released here at well over US$100.

Naturally, I'm not in any way encouraging or endorsing any such behavior, but as the saying goes: you can pay your money and take your chances - and there are chances a-plenty.

Amphawa: More From The Floating Market

BBQ shellfish and Chai tea for sale from boats along the steps in Amphawa

Yesterday you had an overview of the Amphawa Floating Market, and today you'll see some of the carts, stalls, boats and items for sale at this laid-back Thai tourist spot.  I say laid-back because it was unhurried, generally polite and less crowded by far than the behemouth that is Jatujak market.

With the exception of a few alleyways and other points of entrance and egress (like the alley to the left, where I wandered off from my friend while he was parking the car) it was easy to navigate, browse and people watch.

Again, you'll see very few farang and not much English in the signage, other than brand names and other related advertising, such as a restaurant sign or an ad for lodging.

There's enough English spoken that a Western visitor shouldn't feel uncomfortable being there taking pictures, trying to buy something or dining in one of dozens of restaurants, so don't let that keep you away from this satisfying experience of semi-immersion, unless you're clumsy on the stairs to the khlong and end up in the murky water, and that would be total immersion.

A good number of the items were "same same" as you'd see in most other open market areas, but there were subtle differences. For example, there was more packaging in Thai, and things like the sweets below (an uncommon item to begin with, as the Thai don't consume candy like we in the West do).

Packaged candies by the cartload

Above is another look at yesterday's BBQ muk, or squid (ika, to my Japanese readers) - and while it was good, I have a difficult time getting past the sometimes rubbery consistency of it. When it's dried and sold with other fish - as in the photo below - I have trouble getting past the strong fishy taste.  Not a favorite of mine, either way.  Many of my friends don't feel it's a meal without a muk dish, so I usually make a gracious effort to join them when it's offered, but more often than not I beg off with the "gosh, everything was so good I'm just too full!" ploy.

The  chompu/chompoo (Rose Apple) is a common fruit in Thailand; available almost everywhere, year 'round.  I think they're a good substitute for an apple, myself.  I like apples to be crisp, and I'm often disappointed by the ones brought in that I find in the stores and markets there.

A fruit vendor arranges red chompu on his boat, stopped at the Amphawa Floating Market

The Rose Apple has an inner center that's usually best scraped away, and can have a bit of a bitter aftertaste, but the fruit can be easily washed off, making it a safe thing for those of you wish sensitive systems to eat.  Plus, it gives your system a little fiber and some liquid.

A woman selects rose apples to purchase from a boat in Amphawa

Next time, more from the market.

Same Same, But Different! Part 8: Personal Grooming Products

I tried this Vaseline lotion, but I still don't look like the man on the billboard.

Anyone who has already visited Thailand knows about this. If you're in that group, you're excused for the day, but the rest of you are welcome to stick around and maybe learn something new.


We first looked at the phrase "same same, but different" back in April of last year. It's one you'll hear on your first visit, and here's another example of how things here and there are indeed the same... but different, even if only slightly this time.

Personal grooming products eat up a huge percentage of disposable income in the West; for many people, anyway. Some of us are are more vain than others, so that percentage varies.  I'm one of the least vain folks you'd ever meet, trust me.  I very rarely follow a fad, I don't buy fancy soaps or colognes and I don't make fashion statements as much as I do fashion slurs. That said, I keep myself cleaner than many, practice good oral hygiene, wear deodorant and dress respectfully for whatever the situation calls for.  

The Thai are, in general, a very clean group.  Some of that undoubtedly has been handed down through history because of the very nature of the hot, humid climate there, but  tropical hygiene really only requires basic soap and water, used while bathing regularly. It doesn't require high-cost "foo foo", as  my brother used to call it, but Americans spend billions on hair care, skin care and cosmetics.  While the Neisen ratings people said 80% of us in the US agree that regular brands of these are just as good as the fancy name brands, those still have quite a market... and it's a lot the same all around the world, including those with more disposable income in Thailand.

A night market stall displaying personal grooming products

You certainly see a lot of personal products for sale in Thailand - from the higher end label stores in the glitzy malls to stalls in the local morning markets.   The advertising for it seems to be just as prominent (and pervasive) there as it does here at home, although I wasn't entirely sure if the billboard up top was so much an ad for the Vaseline lotion as it was an idea for traffic control by way of hot air blasting.

A stall stacked high in a Pattaya morning market

Skin lightening creams are popular, as the feeling among many there is that the lighter your skin tone the higher your social ranking, but that's true in many countries, cultures and, indeed, races themselves. An African-American friend's mother used to reign in his uppity attitude by telling him "Don't you go getting all 'high tone' on me," and I'm guessing you can think of similar examples yourselves.


I'm not criticizing anyone who buys a lot of "better" name brand shampoos, cosmetics, soaps, creams or lotions at all.  Rather, take this as a repeated suggestion that you may well be able to find them for less in Thailand, so save some weight within your baggage allowance and consider stocking up.  In fact, many of the same items you buy here can be found there for noticeably less.  Try one of the cavernous Big C or Tesco-Lotus stores there, even if only just to browse a bit or pick up items you forgot back at home.


Let the Sensodyne toothpaste by the register in the photo below serve as another reminder that although you're in a foreign land, there are plenty of things that are "same-same, but different".

Toothpaste and other impulse items at the Tesco-Lotus registers