BANGKOK, Oct 17 (TNA)
Thailand's local retailers on Tuesday staged a protest against the continued expansion of transnational retail giant 'superstores' in the kingdom.
Some 200 local shop owners gathered at Bangkok's Royal Plaza intending to petition Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont for help in stopping the expansion of the foreign hyper markets, particularly the UK-based Tesco Lotus which they claimed has continued its business expansion plan without heeding calls from both small retailers and Thai government agencies.
Acknowledging that martial law is still in effect, the core leaders of the protest said their gathering was not meant for political gain, but simply to voice their grievances over the transnational superstores' business expansion, and asking for help from the interim government.
Showing no signs of halting its expansion, the protesters claimed, Tesco Lotus alone has now increased the number of its branches to over 50, even though other giant retailers have agreed to delay their business expansion following the former government's resolution requiring all hyper markets to stop expanding for a certain time because the expansions badly hurt small retailers.
"If the superstore refuses to cooperate, that means it has no respect for Thailand," said protest leader Panthep Suleesatira, chairman of the Confederation of Thais Opposing Foreign Retailers "If the government does not stop it, the foreign superstores will eventually take over all Thai business."
In their petition, the protesters asked the government to force foreign giant retailers to halt their expansion plans for five years, and called for a central agency to be set up to educate Thai people on the impacts of transnational retailers.
After five years of halting business expansion, public hearings should be conducted nationwide to decide whether and to what extent the international retailers should be allowed to expand their business plans, the protesters demanded.
Local Thai retailers protest foreign superstore expansion
Local Thai retailers protest foreign superstore expansion
I intend to live forever - so far so good.
I think it's a question of balance
We shop at Tescos once a month for essentials but we still shop in the local Thai shops and the market for every day items
I wouldnt dream of buying fruit and vag or meat for that matter from a superstore when you can get all from the market or street sellers knowing it's fresher and cheaper
We shop at Tescos once a month for essentials but we still shop in the local Thai shops and the market for every day items
I wouldnt dream of buying fruit and vag or meat for that matter from a superstore when you can get all from the market or street sellers knowing it's fresher and cheaper
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
What's happening here is/has happened all over the world. I used to publish a trade magazine to small grocery retailers in the UK. Numbers have fallen from 80,000 odd to some 30,000 over the past 15-20 years.
I'm not making any statement about right or wrong here, just giving rough facts.
What strikes me in the news article above is the introduction of the word "foreign".
I'm not making any statement about right or wrong here, just giving rough facts.
What strikes me in the news article above is the introduction of the word "foreign".
Only got to look at the decline in butcher and fishmonger shops to realise
Used to have a very good butcher in Dawlish, Devon who sold (sorry gave) me real dripping. Wasn't allowed to sell it over the counter
Experienced a situ in Tescos (UK) where at the meat counter the man behind the counter was not allowed to sell beef fat. Now I like my roast beef with fat and it also contributes to the gravy. The missus managed to get him to give her a sizable chunk that would have been binned
Supermarkets are too clinical in my opinion
Where can you buy offal in the UK?
Used to have a very good butcher in Dawlish, Devon who sold (sorry gave) me real dripping. Wasn't allowed to sell it over the counter
Experienced a situ in Tescos (UK) where at the meat counter the man behind the counter was not allowed to sell beef fat. Now I like my roast beef with fat and it also contributes to the gravy. The missus managed to get him to give her a sizable chunk that would have been binned
Supermarkets are too clinical in my opinion
Where can you buy offal in the UK?
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
Me too. Would there be the same protests if the supermarkets were wholly Thai owned?lomuamart wrote:What strikes me in the news article above is the introduction of the word "foreign".
Richard, my local Tesco sells fresh lambs hearts, liver and kidneys. If you want calves brains, tripe or chitterlings you need the butchers. However, if you like pigs uterus, they sell it in Tesco HH.
Im glad someone has noticed
Since Tesco opened its big shop the smaller local businesses has suffered badly. What I don't understand is why people insist on shopping at Tesco when things are much cheaper at the local corner shop. For example if you want light bulbs (of any description) why go to Tesco when the Lady on the corner of Poolsuk and whatever the name of the road that the night market is on is so much cheaper and closer than the Market Villa.
The little food restaurants and stalls behind the Temple are also suffering now that there is a food court at Tesco.
We have all seen this in our own countries. Little local shops are closing or have closed their doors because they can not compete with these multi million dollar (Baht) companies.
The Gov should do something and as Norseman has said these large superstores should show some respect for the wishes of Thailand and halt their expansion for the time being, as asked.
How on earth are the local businesses going to survive once Hua Hin has both a large Tesco and a Big C (I don't know where the construction of this is up to at the moment).?
The little food restaurants and stalls behind the Temple are also suffering now that there is a food court at Tesco.
We have all seen this in our own countries. Little local shops are closing or have closed their doors because they can not compete with these multi million dollar (Baht) companies.
The Gov should do something and as Norseman has said these large superstores should show some respect for the wishes of Thailand and halt their expansion for the time being, as asked.
How on earth are the local businesses going to survive once Hua Hin has both a large Tesco and a Big C (I don't know where the construction of this is up to at the moment).?
Richard, I’ve never asked about Lambs hearts before, but I’ve got to agree, roasted Lambs hearts are delicious. Used to eat them lot's as a kid, maybe they were cheap fodder for the masses then and are now some pseudo delicacy of some kind. I can easily get NZ Lambs kidneys, liver and sweetbreads, but never asked about hearts, nobody’s ever asked me for them before.richard wrote:ps
Roll on tripe, pigs trotters and lambs hearts
JD ----- Lambs hearts!! I'd buy for sure
I will be putting my December shipment order from my NZ supplier together over the next few days, I’ll ask. If I can get them I’ll let you know and put a small order in for them. If they don’t sell well, who cares as you and I will be eating well, over the seasonal period.
Per Angusta In Augusta.
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http://www.facebook.com/huahinhamandbacon
www.hamandbacon.co.th
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http://www.facebook.com/huahinhamandbacon
www.hamandbacon.co.th
Cheers JD
Guarantee I'll be a buyer and I'm sure many will follow
I reckon CoCos would be interested as they have an excellent chef
I'm sure I could convince him
Lambs kidneys Yum. My breakfasts are not the same without them
Look forward!!!!
Guarantee I'll be a buyer and I'm sure many will follow
I reckon CoCos would be interested as they have an excellent chef
I'm sure I could convince him
Lambs kidneys Yum. My breakfasts are not the same without them
Look forward!!!!
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
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DawnHRD
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- Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:39 pm
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OK, I realise that I'm going to get real problems for saying this, but I'm glad Tesco came here! Not so much for myself, but for the dog center.
We try & get everything as cheap as possible & Tesco (believe it or not) is a big help in that. We give the dogs 2 meals a day, 1 of dry food which we buy from a local shop and one of rice, meat & veg which invariably comes from Tesco. We have resorted to that because Tesco is the cheapest option available to us.
Rice: We have ordered from 2 different local suppliers. Both have started off really cheap; 9-11 baht a kilo, but after a while they can never get the cheap rice anymore & they gradually get more & more expensive up to 16 or 17 baht a kilo. In Tesco, they have a damaged goods area where they sell split bags of rice much cheaper. I've bought bags only missing 150 grams at half price. Even the intact bags are cheaper than what we eventually ended up paying from the suppliers
Meat: Tesco sells frozen mince for dogs. It's far cheaper at 32 baht a kilo than any other mince we've managed to get. We did get minced up offal etc from the market, made specially for us at 50 baht a kilo. We've also tried chicken carcasses, but they're a lot of work for 130 dogs with not so much meat
Vegetables: Again, Tesco has a cheap area. Veg approaching it's sell by date is sold here. OK, I wouldn't want to eat it, a little limp or yellow, but it's fine for the dogs & again, it's half price.
Local businesses have either tried to charge us farang prices or won't reduce goods in price because they're damaged or nearly out of date. OK, maybe this marketing strategy doesn't work so well for human consumption but I'm extremely happy to take cheap food for the dogs, be it rice, meat, veg, dog chews or biscuits, so, I for one, want Tesco to stay & thrive!
We try & get everything as cheap as possible & Tesco (believe it or not) is a big help in that. We give the dogs 2 meals a day, 1 of dry food which we buy from a local shop and one of rice, meat & veg which invariably comes from Tesco. We have resorted to that because Tesco is the cheapest option available to us.
Rice: We have ordered from 2 different local suppliers. Both have started off really cheap; 9-11 baht a kilo, but after a while they can never get the cheap rice anymore & they gradually get more & more expensive up to 16 or 17 baht a kilo. In Tesco, they have a damaged goods area where they sell split bags of rice much cheaper. I've bought bags only missing 150 grams at half price. Even the intact bags are cheaper than what we eventually ended up paying from the suppliers
Meat: Tesco sells frozen mince for dogs. It's far cheaper at 32 baht a kilo than any other mince we've managed to get. We did get minced up offal etc from the market, made specially for us at 50 baht a kilo. We've also tried chicken carcasses, but they're a lot of work for 130 dogs with not so much meat
Vegetables: Again, Tesco has a cheap area. Veg approaching it's sell by date is sold here. OK, I wouldn't want to eat it, a little limp or yellow, but it's fine for the dogs & again, it's half price.
Local businesses have either tried to charge us farang prices or won't reduce goods in price because they're damaged or nearly out of date. OK, maybe this marketing strategy doesn't work so well for human consumption but I'm extremely happy to take cheap food for the dogs, be it rice, meat, veg, dog chews or biscuits, so, I for one, want Tesco to stay & thrive!
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832
Make a dog's life better, today!
Make a dog's life better, today!
Any time, any place
Crawfords a good start
I'll teach them how to do the kidneys providing I take the goods and don't have to pay
We all wait on JD now !!!!!!
Crawfords a good start
I'll teach them how to do the kidneys providing I take the goods and don't have to pay
We all wait on JD now !!!!!!
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
ps
Mouth watering, now off to bed for a late snack
Market for coffee tomorrow and then, because the Issan family are here, a swim tomorrow
Catch you for a brunch with a few friends soon????
Assuming JD gets the goods!!!!!!
Mouth watering, now off to bed for a late snack
Market for coffee tomorrow and then, because the Issan family are here, a swim tomorrow
Catch you for a brunch with a few friends soon????
Assuming JD gets the goods!!!!!!
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.