Food shopping in Pattaya

Shopping for food in any country not your own can always be a bit daunting. That is, not just fast food or restaurants, but buying raw food so you can cook for yourself. It’s always hard to know exactly where to go, though. Sure there are always the staple places in Thailand like 7-11 or the new little shops open by Lotus and Big C, but those that just don’t cut it except for the bare basics.

The biggest problem is getting frustrated because not every store is going to have exactly what you’re looking for. Major supermarkets like Big C and Lotus will primarily cater to locals and not fussy expats. I’m not saying they aren’t great places to shop, but you won’t find much variety when it comes to Western or non-Thai foods.

Food land
Possibly the best place to go for imported goods when buying food (Asian and Western) will be Foodland outside Pattaya Klang Road. Foodland supermarket started as a boutique in Bangkok attending mostly embassy staff, but has become one of the best supermarkets in Thailand. If it comes to Europe and they want, they probably have. Foodland is the place to go in Pattaya for deli foods and imported.

Foodland also has an excellent selection of alcoholic beverages.

Friendship / Saenthip supermarket
A new supermarket recently found out about Golden Friendship is Saenthip Supermarket in South Pattaya Road, near the mall electronic Tukcom. Friendship is a great place to find different Some snacks, sauces or small foods from anywhere. The place is a pretty wide mix of everything and is definitely worth going to if you’re craving something a little different. Turns out he’s pretty well known but not at the time Sami. Everyone who knows about it assumes that everyone else already knows, so nothing is said. Parking can be a bit of an ounce problem so long as you are in the area there are other things to do. Taking advantage of an afternoon of the visit is not a bad plan.

Big C Central Pattaya (Formerly Crossroads)
Big C in Central Pattaya is one of the most interesting supermarkets when shopping for food in Pattaya, Thailand. There are several different types of Big C stores in Pattaya; a mix of convenience stores to compete with 7-11 and traditional supermarkets for your usual dining experience.

Minimarts are exactly what you would think of in a grocery store when building convenience stores. These stores have enough fresh produce and meats to compete with 7-11, but not enough that there would be no need to go to the main food-store supermarkets in Pattaya. They are great to have around, especially if there is one very close to where you live, as a great alternative to 7-11. Sometimes you just need more groceries than convenience related items.

Big C’s standard supermarkets can be found in both North, South and Central Pattaya with items that are approximately available in each. It is my opinion that the North and Central ones are the best, depending on your location. The North location is integrated into a large shopping center with plenty of other stores available.

Big-C had always been seen as a lower end shopping experience compared to its main competitor, Tesco Lotus. His blinds were always well stocked goal with less expensive items and a more cluttered look. Big C tried to counteract this image by buying the French hypermarket chain, Carrefour. Carrefour HAS KNOWN As always one of the best supermarkets in the world, with locations in the Middle East and Asia, and is well known by expats.

This purchase gave the Big C Carrefour hypermarket wide in downtown Pattaya, which is basically a big shopping mall. Food shopping wise, it’s still a great place to go due to lots of western items, good selection of spirits, fresh produce, fresh seafood and fresh meats available. Available in the complex are a HomePro (home improvement center), vacation rentals for cell phone provider AIS and DTAC, several bookstores, Swensens and ice queen dairy ice cream parlors, a couple of restaurants (Subway, KFC, Black Canyon, Fuji Japanese foods), bakeries, and a pharmacy. Due to the central location to everything, large parking areas, availability of high quality food, and general ease of access this is a very popular shopping spot in Pattaya Thailand.

tesco lotus
Tesco Lotus is another large supermarket chain within Thailand. The great thing about Tesco is that you can buy anything you want there, much like a Walmart. TVs, printers, computers, PS3s, games, clothes, you name it. Everything is in their hypermarkets. It’s a great place to go and all the stores have a large parking lot. Tesco Lotus has stores in both North and South Pattaya, as does Big C, so it’s hard to know which one you want to go to. Sometimes Lotus has things available that Big C doesn’t and preference is something you learn when shopping for food in Thailand.

villa market
Most notable about Villa of the market is that bacon can buy American-style and Italian meats imported ridiculously high prices there. Other than that, not much more than a convenience store with specialty items and it seems to be more for the benefit of people living in condos near anything else. There is really nothing that adds to the experience of buying food in Pattaya Thailand, apart from being the only place I’ve seen American-style bacon. Overall, Villa of the market is not worth making a stop at unless you happen to be in the commercial center of the avenue for Major Cineplex movie or go bowling. Villa Market is located on the ground floor of the avenue.

Tops Central Supermarket
Tops Supermarket Central is located at the bottom of Central Festival Pattaya and, curiously, lives up to its name. Despite being a very small shop compared to the massive locations Big C and Tesco, Tops manages to offer the best selections bakery, alcohol and products. Everything is of the highest quality and is reflected in the price. This is not a place for shopping every day for long-term visitors or expats in Pattaya, but I really enjoy going there sometimes.

Tops Market Pattaya is located right on the side of the food court and feel like a complete with sandwiches Western supermarket high quality freshly made (which are delicious). If you find yourself at Central Festival, I recommend you stop by and take a look. The downside is that this market is not worth including in your normal shopping activities due to the crowded location and high prices.

However, don’t take this as a recommendation to avoid Tops markets elsewhere. Tops is really a great place to shop with some great prepared foods available. They also have a wonderful variety of foods available from all over the world and could definitely be considered a world market. I will talk in more depth about the food shopping section in Bangkok throughout the year.

Fresh markets
There are also quite a few fresh produce markets (farmers markets) and fish and seafood markets in the area. As soon as I get some names, photographs and locations Google maps I’ll update with details about this important aspect of shopping in Thailand. It can even be made into your own item.