Gaybutton Posted December 16, 2009 Posted December 16, 2009 Makro is a major bulk buying shopping center in Thailand. If you are familiar with outlets such as Costco or Sam's Club in the USA, Makro is similar in nature. Today was the opening of the Pattaya location. The location is on Sukhumvit Highway, very close to Underwater World. We went to have a look this afternoon around 1:00pm and it was very crowded. Apparently a lot of locals were looking forward to the opening day. Of course, prices are much lower than just about anywhere else if you are buying in bulk. Makro also has a full featured grocery store, with many items sold individually and in bulk. We noticed a great many items we've never seen in any other grocery stores. If you are a resident in Pattaya, it's well worth a look. Plenty of free samples were being given out as well. According to my own observations, as well as those of the Thais we were with, prices are either the same as other grocery stores or less expensive. Produce, especially, is as much as 30% less expensive than elsewhere. There is also a much wider variety of seafood available than I've seen elsewhere. You can even buy venison, ostrich, and crocodile meat if you wish. Makro is a membership store. I don't know if you can buy without a membership or if a membership entitles you to further discounts, but for farang retirees getting a membership is easy and it's free. You need to have your passport and some sort of documentation that shows your residence address. They also ask for your mobile phone number. Even with the crowds, I had my membership within ten minutes. For the time being they are issuing temporary membership cards, which can be traded in for a permanent card at some point in January. The hours are 6:00am to 11:00pm. Quote
Guest RichLB Posted December 16, 2009 Posted December 16, 2009 Just a couple of pointers before you go. First, yes you apparently need a membership to purchase anything - at least the girl at the check out counter asked for our card before she would ring up the prices And, make sure you bring your own bags to carry your purchases from your car to your place of residents - they offer them, but for 11 baht each. you might also be surprised at the checkout counter procedure. There is no conveyer belt for you put you items on. Instead the girl at the check out rummaged through our cart and scanned each item. She didn't miss any or double scan, but I think it would have been difficult to not make that mistake often. And GB is correct. The prices of produce are considerably lower than at other markets - according to my bf some were as much as 70% less (I've never paid much attention to how much the various weeds he eats cost, but he was delighted). I also noticed the array of items was much broader than elsewhere. If you're a cook and know about spices, there is an entire subsection devoted to just spices with tons of them and they're even labelled in English. In short, Makro is a welcome addition to the Pattaya scene. Check it out. Quote
Guest globalwanderer Posted December 16, 2009 Posted December 16, 2009 Use Makro a lot here in Udon, and yes I think it will be a wonderful addition to Pattaya. You do need to be a member, but that has been said is not difficult Quote
Guest GaySacGuy Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Here in Ubon I have been shopping Macro for a couple of years...and still no membership. When they ask for card I say "No have", and they type in some number from a slip of paper...maybe I should get a card. They have good pricing, but they also have some imported meats, like fillet strips from Australia or New Zealand, and while pricy, seem to be pretty good. They also have good prices on case lots of Coke and Pepsi, and Beet. Like mentioned above, bring your own bags, because otherwise you will have all you items sitting in the trunck of your car...and impossible if using public transit. Oh, and they are the only store in Ubon still posting security at the entrance to give you the plastic card, and at the exit to collect it....Tesco and Big C quit that months ago. Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 17, 2009 Author Posted December 17, 2009 Oh, and they are the only store in Ubon still posting security at the entrance to give you the plastic card, and at the exit to collect it....Tesco and Big C quit that months ago. The same is true in Pattaya. Most stores have done away with the parking security cards. For those who don't know what we're talking about, when you enter a parking lot, first you have to stop at a booth at which an attendant hands you a plastic card. You have to give it back at the exit booth when leaving. Just what that kind of security is supposed to secure beats me, but most stores have done away with it. Makro has the same kinds of booths installed, although yesterday, the opening day, there were no attendants in the booths and no cards were being handed out. There were plenty of attendants in the parking lot, helping people find a place to park. My guess is that for the time being, until the hubbub slows down, there are so many cars trying to get in and out, along with trying to find a parking spot, that dealing with the cards would only cause a hell of a mess. I doubt they installed those booths for nothing, so sooner or later they'll probably start handing out the cards. Quote
Guest jtrack33 Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Those booths could be there for nothing......read the following membership requirements if you still feel Makro won't do something for nothing! http://www.siammakro.co.th/en/member_02.php I also am not a member but shop at Makro in Bangkok occasionally, where they ask for a card...much like they do in Tops or now Tesco...never new it was supposed to be a requirement. Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 17, 2009 Author Posted December 17, 2009 I also am not a member but shop at Makro in Bangkok occasionally, where they ask for a card...much like they do in Tops or now Tesco...never new it was supposed to be a requirement. I don't know if is a requirement. The application link you posted is for a business membership. The application I filled out for an individual membership was quite different. I went back again today. Yesterday I was there only to look around and see what they have. Today I had a few things I wanted to buy. The opening day chaos is over with. Today everything was quite normal. Plenty of parking, no huge crowds, and about a two minute wait at the cash register. By the way, the security card booths are still not open. The only negative, in my opinion, is the location. It's hard to get there if you don't have your own transportation and even harder to get back if now you have a load of groceries and other items. At the cash register I did not wait for the cashier to ask for the card. I simply handed it over. The cashier scanned it and my name appeared on the cash register display. I guess the membership card is used to keep track of whatever it is they want statistics about. Since the membership card is free, I imagine it is used primarily for marketing purposes. Quote
Guest GaySacGuy Posted December 18, 2009 Posted December 18, 2009 I went to Macro yesterday here in Ubon, and decided to get a member card. When I entered the store, they took a copy of my Thai Driver's license and a copy of my printout I carry of my address. They said go shop, and pick up when you leave. I did that...and they handed me a new card when I was ready to check out. Couldn't have been easier!!! Also, they had some really nice looking turkeys, but I am passing on cooking turkey this Christmas. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted December 23, 2009 Posted December 23, 2009 The Pattaya Makro is a very welcome addition for me. I have been traveling to Chonburi to shop there. I keep bags and a Styrofoam cooler in my car. I take the cooler into the store and even coming from Chonburi to Pattaya my butter stayed firm. I will be heading to Makro today to get what I need for the holidays. Quote
