Five years ago, buying wine in Bangkok, Thailand was something people just didn’t seem to do. Wine shops in Bangkok were difficult to find, imported wine was expensive and Thai wine wasn’t very good. Fast forward five years and, oh, how times have changed. Wine shops are popping up all over Bangkok with a selection that’s just about as good as in any western city. Thai, French, German, Australian, Chilean, American – wines from all over the world are now available in Bangkok, and prices have come down too. If you want a good bottle of wine, look no further than these Bangkok wine shops – some of the best places to buy wine in Thailand.
Villa Market – With one of the best wine selections in Bangkok, Villa Market is very popular with Thais and foreigners looking for a decent bottle of wine. Villa Market is also one of the best places to buy wine in Bangkok, because the prices are good. I’ve bought a bottle of Chilean wine for $5.50 and a bottle of very nice French Bordeaux wine for only $9. Villa Market sells wine from all over the world – German, French, American, Spanish, South African,Thai, Australian etc. – and also has a good selection of liquors, sangria, whisky, vodka, rum etc. There are several branches of Villa Market in Bangkok, with the most popular one being the Villa on Sukhumvit Soi 33, across the street from Emporium Mall.
Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon – There’s a smaller, but nice wine shop attached to Gourmet Market at Siam Paragon mall. The selection is about half of what most Villa Supermarkets have, and prices are higher, but they do have wines I haven’t seen at other wine shops in Bangkok. Try a nice Chilean wine or an Australian wine, if you’re looking something cheaper, as these run between 250-450 baht usually (between $7.50 and $13.25). Gourmet Market is in the basement of Siam Paragon mall, which is right next to Siam sky train station.
Foodland – My favorite small supermarket in Bangkok also has a small but good selection of imported wines. Australian wine starts at around $8 a bottle, with French and American wines between $10 and $15. Foodland is a nice place to buy a bottle of wine though, because the food they sell at the delicatessen and in the produce section is so incredibly fresh. So you can buy a nice bottle of wine, plus some wonderful food and cook up a quick romantic dinner for someone special. Sukhumvit Soi 5 and Sukhumvit Soi 16 are my two favorite Foodland locations.
Emporium Wine Cellar – Located on the 5th floor of Emporium Mall, decent selection of imported wines with a few Thai wines thrown in too. Look especially for French, American, South African, South American and Italian wines – an average bottle of wine being sold for between $12 and $25. Emporium Mall is next to Phrom Phong sky train station, and Emporium Wine Cellar is upstairs on the fifth floor, right next to the supermarket.
Don’t forget, Thailand has odd alcohol purchasing laws, so you cannot buy wine at all hours of the day. Thailand only allows people to buy alcohol before 2pm or after 5pm (something about not selling alcohol to children, those times being when the kids are getting out of school) unless you are buying it in bulk, in which case you can purchase it at any time of the day. Buddhist holidays are also days where no alcohol is allowed to be sold (even most of the bars and pubs cannot) so, if you plan on drinking wine on a Buddhist holiday, make sure you buy your bottle of wine before.
