Supermarkets & Grocery Guide

Bangkok's supermarket landscape is surprisingly diverse, ranging from budget-friendly hypermarkets to gourmet import stores that rival the best delis in London or New York. For everyday shopping, most residents rely on the big domestic chains: Tops, found inside Central and Robinson department stores, covers the mid-range with decent imported goods; Big C and Lotus's (formerly Tesco Lotus) are the go-to hypermarkets for bulk buying and Thai household staples at rock-bottom prices; and Makro, Thailand's answer to Costco, offers wholesale quantities of everything from cooking oil to restaurant-grade seafood. These chains blanket the city, and you are rarely more than a 10-minute drive from one.

Expats and visitors craving international products head to Villa Market or Gourmet Market (the premium Tops sub-brand inside Siam Paragon and EmQuartier). These stock everything from Australian beef and New Zealand cheese to Japanese condiments and European wines, though prices can be two to three times higher than home-country equivalents. For Japanese groceries specifically, UFM Fuji Super on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 is an institution among the Japanese expat community. Budget tip: shop late in the evening when supermarkets discount ready-made meals and bakery items by 25–50 percent, and always check the Tops and Big C apps for digital coupons before heading to the checkout.