Overview: Makro is a large, mega store selling groceries, fruits and vegetables and also a huge variety of other items including cooking goods (like plates, pots, pans) and larger utensils (like t.v.’s,, stoves, and refrigerators). This review focuses, though, just on the grocery side of their business. As a grocery store, their stores (at least 3 in Chiang Mai) offer good product selection and very good prices. I use Makro as my “go to store” and supplement purchases from here with visits to other grocery stores and fresh markets. Warning: bring you own bag (they cost B 11 otherwise).
In detail: Makro is a Thai company (originally deriving from a Dutch one that expanded to many countries) that has several large stores in the Chiang Mai area selling a variety of products from groceries to pots and pans. For me, I use Makro as my “go to” store because it has great prices (that is why mom and pop stores shop here and buy in bulk reselling what they buy at a higher price), a decent selection of products (with their own “Aro” product brand line), and clean, well-organized stores. I enjoy the Makro near the airport. Not many workers speak English but almost all are quite friendly and helpful. You do need a Makro card to shop here but more on that later (hint: it’s free).
The airport Makro has a large and good produce section with some of the best prices anywhere (often cheaper than the markets and easier for farangs because the price is marked and items are weighed). Good and varied selection of veggies and fruits (with a terrific selection of bagged apples).
It also has good fish (nice imported salmon section) and meat sections (hamburger is usually about B 280 a kilo) , a large canned good section, and a somewhat humble dairy case stuck out of the way. Oddly, butter and yoghurt prices are good here but milk is not. Yolida, natural low fat yoghurt (large size) sells for B 50 (it runs about B 55 elsewhere) and a stick of Imperial butter sells for B 80 (while at Lotus the same product, albeit a different brand, sells for about B 10-15 more). However, fresh milk at Makro costs around B 44 a liter compared to B 40.25 at Lotus. Admittedly, the cheaper products are for brands coming from Thailand (Imperial and Chokchai Farms) but are similar in quality to their imported counterparts.
Makro is also heaven for noodle lovers and vendors because you can find dry noodles of every kind in bulk here: it is generally the number #1 item bought by the mom and pop stores with Mama noodles (Thailand’s most popular noodle brand) selling in boxes.
The airport store has a good cheese section too with a large refrigerated display not far from the checkout counters/entrance. They generally have a very good Danish blue cheese for B 52 for 100grams and often have other items on sale. This section also has a large section of sausages, and preserved meats (like jambon) and sliced meats.
In front of this section, there are long shelves containing lots of products farangs enjoy: a huge pasta and tomato/pasta sauce section, a cereals and grains section, shelves holding canned goods (like beans, olives and artichoke hearts), an area with mustards/sauces from several countries, a Japanese food products shelf, and a large shelf area for olive oil. In fact, Makro, charges the least of any store in the area for extra virgin olive oil (the kind that is great for your heart and general health). A liter of Spanish, Ybarra extra virgin olive oil will set you back B 279, that’s about B 50-100 less than at Rimping, Tops, Lotus and other stores in the area for a similar product.
The large liquor section (near the cheese refrigerated case) is also commendable with a large selection of imported wines, beers and spirits at prices that are generally lower than other stores. You can find, for instance, some nice Australian wines for B 395 a bottle which now cost a minimum (for any brand) of around B 499 at Rimping. There are also good values in 2 liter wine bottles with wine coming from Australia and Italy. A 4 pack of Spy wine cooler sells for B 119 (cheapest competitor is, oddly enough, 7-11 with 2 packs selling for B 60).
One drawback of the store is that you have to buy lots of products, even things like salt and sugar, in bulk because the original business concept was to sell at wholesale prices to smaller grocers. This means you might have to buy 5-10 items when you want only one; so for these items, I generally shop elsewhere.
The other thing I don’t like about the store is its bakery section. Mind though, that there really are zero good bakeries in the whole province. Baked good here are really made for the Thai market and they generally have a pretty poor selection of breads (They do have the ubiquitous bags of “wonder type bread” featured here as elsewhere in Thailand). The French bread tends to be brittle, tastes like cardboard and must be eaten at once or it turns to a rock.
Originally, as mentioned above, the stores throughout Thailand (and Europe where Makro began) were designed as wholesale stores. One does need a Makro card to shop here but anyone can get one and they are free. The first time you shop at Makro, you fill out a form and they issue you a card that you can use to shop until your permanent, plastic card arrives about a week later. There is no charge. They airport Makro also offers free coffee and newspapers (Thai) near the checkout area and has numerous ATM’s. You can use your credit card here too.
Bottom Line: Makro is a good choice for your “go to”store and features very good prices, a large product selection, and clean stores. The airport store offers above average sections for cheese, liquor and wines, produce, and many farang products. The bakery section needs improvement and is below par.
Location: In the Chiang Mai area, there are at least 3 of these stores in Chiang Mai including one near the airport; one on the superhighway; and one in Mae Rim (Highway 107). They are of the megastore variety. There almost 100 Makros in Thailand.
Tips: (1) Bring your own bag (2) There are pushcarts/trolleys but no hand baskets to shop with (3) There is 1 checkout counter in the liquor section that will check out everything for you. (4) Keep your receipt and show it to the guards on the way out. (5) You need a Makro card to shop here but they are free and issued on the spot.
Reviewed: 23 June, 2014 after hundreds of visits.
foodloversofCM 