wine (not whine)

I was in seven eleven last night and noticed that a bottle of 100pipers scotch (OK crap ) was 399 and a same size bottle of red plonk was 650 why is wine so expensive in Thailand!!

I was in seven eleven last night and noticed that a bottle of 100pipers scotch (OK crap ) was 399 and a same size bottle of red plonk was 650 why is wine so expensive in Thailand!!Tax

I didn't say I wanted cheap wine I want wine cheap

Import tax protecting the fledgling Thai wine industry. You can attend a Thai wine tasting along many roads in Issan. What you don't drink makes a great coolant for the car radiator.

No wine here!

Adjust your drinking habits to beer and spirits. Or, of course, be extremely wealthy. Drinkable wines from Australia, Chile, Spain, etc. start around 600-700 per bottle, and quickly go to 1,000 and beyond.

I have never tasted a good Thai wine. "Cooking wine" -- OK. But I don't think Thailand is the right sort of place to grow wine grapes. Look at the wine districts of Europe, California, etc. None of them are tropical.

[Narakmak]

Thai wines are taxed the same way as imports. It is not to protect the Thai wine industry. It is to protect the Thai whisky and beer industry. It is simply a luxury tax and an expression of a culture that is simply not a wine culture.

problem isn't just the amount of tax but the way wine is taxed. If it were taxed at a fixed amount per bottle rather than as a percentage of the cost price then the undrikable crap exported from france would only be slightly cheaper than decent stuff.
Those doing visa runs should check out the bridge between Nong Khai and Laos. Large supemarkets selling good quality wine at low cost. Acceptable quality cask wine from California or Australia costs 500 baht for 5 litres.

[Narakmak]

problem isn't just the amount of tax but the way wine is taxed. If it were taxed at a fixed amount per bottle rather than as a percentage of the cost price then the undrikable crap exported from france would only be slightly cheaper than decent stuff.
Those doing visa runs should check out the bridge between Nong Khai and Laos. Large supemarkets selling good quality wine at low cost. Acceptable quality cask wine from California or Australia costs 500 baht for 5 litres.
Only one liter is allowed back duty free, unless you want to smuggle it.

Always wondered what the official limit was. If you're only bringing one container of alcohol back over the bridge, nobody bothers - whether it's a bottle or a 5 litre cask. Never hidden it - always in a clear plastic carrier bag. On the sole occasion my luggage was searched, customs took no interest in the bag containing the wine. They had a quick check in my suitcase, maybe looking for drugs; more likely just going through the motions.

In a previous life, when I was a smoker, I was arriving for a stay of one or two months and so I packed about a dozen cartons of cigarettes. Law-abiding me showed these to the customs agent upon arrival in Thailand -- the guy just waved me through, somewhat irritated by the delay.

Your mileage may vary!

[gumblebee]

Only one liter is allowed back duty free, unless you want to smuggle it.

It's worse than that, I inquired at the border if it would be possible to bring more than 1l of our Belgian beer, and simply pay the duty, but I learned you need a specific license to import alcoholic drinks.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

I didn't say I wanted cheap wine I want wine cheap

yes but cheap wine is wine cheap ..no?

or do you want a good quality wine at a cheap price ?

more importantly..would you know a good wine if you fell over it ?..or a good whine for that matter !

and shouldn't one have a license to drink Belgium beer ?..or at least a good doctor.

[gumblebee]

and shouldn't one have a license to drink Belgium beer ?..or at least a good doctor.

Only if you want to drink Mort Subite (sudden death) beer. :clown:

change 7-11 it's only 339 at most for 100 pipers