1 hour ago, a-447 said:

If I'm heading back to the hotel with a 'friend' I usually tell him he can go and pick up anything he wants. Usually it's a drink, hair products, toothpaste etc. To their credit, no guy has every gone overboard with their purchases and taken advantage of my offer.

........................

The product I most want to try is some kind of durian product like biscuits or desserts - but I'm still not brave enough. 🤣

that's my habit and experience as well, very often they point at tooth brush but I always make sure to have at least spare ones in the room. Only once guy asked for some electronic gadget, speakers or phone case , can't recall , but it was not overboard

.................

be brave. I had the same qualms until I tried durian ice cream in Singapore. In my opinion durian and durian products don't smell as bad and don't taste as heavenly as legend has it although are leaving bit of lasting impression, in a rather good than bad sense.

Bringing durian to the hotel room and keeping it in the fridge is another story , once in Nantra Silom I asked to change room because of stench. There were full or it was what they said and it was my last time there. So I'm not surprised hotels are charging 2000-5000 penalty for bringing durian in.

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

As for lube , buy bigger tube so no need for daily trip for that

You obviously don't know me.

I've got a much bigger and better stamp collection than you!

9 hours ago, a-447 said:

I always drop into 7/11 in Silom every night to get my morning coffee, condoms and lube and a dessert.

If I'm heading back to the hotel with a 'friend' I usually tell him he can go and pick up anything he wants. Usually it's a drink, hair products, toothpaste etc. To their credit, no guy has every gone overboard with their purchases and taken advantage of my offer.

In Japan you can eat like a king at any of the numerous convenience stores.

Each chain has its own speciality for which it is famous. For example,, 7/11 has its 'tamago sando' - egg sandwich (YUM!!!!), Family Mart it's 'famichiki' - deep fried boneless chicken cutlet, Yamazaki it's baked goods....

The Western-style dessert choice is endless. It's where I head to first. Lots of crème caramel, crème brûlée, tiramisu, soft buns filled with cream....

All the stores sell 'onigiri' - rice balls with different fillings (although they are actually triangular!) For years I struggled to open them, knowing that there must be a proper way of doing it. Afterall, this is Japan I finally decided to read the instructions! They are wrapped in 2 layers to keep the crispy seaweed separate from the rice to prevent it becoming soggy. It's ingenious. Pull down the tab in the middle, pull both sides at the bottom outwards and hey presto! The seaweed magically wraps itself around the rice.

Whenever friends came to visit when I was living there, they were astounded at what they could buy in a convenience store. They would take a basket, wander down all the aisles and just buy up everything and throw if in their suitcases.

'Can we come back again tomorrow?'

Over the years I've noticed the selection of products has really expanded in Thailand 7/11 stores. I love all their spicy snacks. The product I most want to try is some kind of durian product like biscuits or desserts - but I'm still not brave enough. 🤣

Dang it I’m out of likes again. But great post. I can’t remember the last time I went inside a 7 Eleven back in the U.S. It’s where we just go to get the other kind of gas. 😉 I don’t think any here even have gas pumps?

9 hours ago, a-447 said:

In Japan you can eat like a king at any of the numerous convenience stores.

Each chain has its own speciality for which it is famous. For example,, 7/11 has its 'tamago sando' - egg sandwich (YUM!!!!), Family Mart it's 'famichiki' - deep fried boneless chicken cutlet, Yamazaki it's baked goods....

The Western-style dessert choice is endless. It's where I head to first. Lots of crème caramel, crème brûlée, tiramisu, soft buns filled with cream....

All the stores sell 'onigiri' - rice balls with different fillings (although they are actually triangular!) For years I struggled to open them, knowing that there must be a proper way of doing it. Afterall, this is Japan I finally decided to read the instructions! They are wrapped in 2 layers to keep the crispy seaweed separate from the rice to prevent it becoming soggy. It's ingenious. Pull down the tab in the middle, pull both sides at the bottom outwards and hey presto! The seaweed magically wraps itself around the rice.

Whenever friends came to visit when I was living there, they were astounded at what they could buy in a convenience store. They would take a basket, wander down all the aisles and just buy up everything and throw if in their suitcases.

'Can we come back again tomorrow?'

Speaking of 7-11 Japan, I came home with quite a number of packs of those pour-over drip coffee bags that I cannot find in my country, but have found in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They don't sell them at 7-11 in Thailand but I have found some at Big C.

8 hours ago, a-447 said:

You obviously don't know me.

I've got a much bigger and better stamp collection than you!

agreed on both counts.

Fortunately I'm not competitive so my fragile ego is unscratched , lol

On 9/19/2026 at 4:36 AM, a-447 said:

In Japan you can eat like a king at any of the numerous convenience stores.

Each chain has its own speciality for which it is famous. For example,, 7/11 has its 'tamago sando' - egg sandwich (YUM!!!!), Family Mart it's 'famichiki' - deep fried boneless chicken cutlet, Yamazaki it's baked goods....

INDEED. The egg-salad sandwiches are terrific! Japanese 7-11's are an institution. Along with the Donki stories, you can live happily in Japan with products only from those two stores. Luckily some of the Japanese goodies seem to be spreading outside Japan. Here in Hawaii I am noticing more and more. I assume they will continue to grow in Thailand stores as well. <fingers-crossed>

2 hours ago, Marc308 said:

INDEED. The egg-salad sandwiches are terrific! Japanese 7-11's are an institution. Along with the Donki stories, you can live happily in Japan with products only from those two stores. Luckily some of the Japanese goodies seem to be spreading outside Japan. Here in Hawaii I am noticing more and more. I assume they will continue to grow in Thailand stores as well. <fingers-crossed>

I'm not a great fan of Donki.

The aisles are too narrow and there's just too much 'stuff'. But I do drop in from time to time. They have a very interesting adults-only section upstairs!

The Chinese, who are by far the biggest customers, are still boycotting Japan so it is now possible to walk around the store. You can actually walk down the aisles now.

Last time I was in their huge Asakusa store, the place was deserted - there were more shop assistants than customers. Unbelievable!

They were unhappy with the lack of Chinese, as they are in danger of losing their jobs.

'At least it's quiet now'

The reason why Japanese convenience stores are so good is because the competition between them is fierce.

6 hours ago, a-447 said:

I'm not a great fan of Donki.

I’m not a great fan of Donki in Silom, it’s a pale cousin to its Japan megastores (and I am a huge fan of Bic Camera in Japan too)

When Donki first opened next to Sala Daeng BTS the Japanese restaurant on the second floor was terrific. They had chefs in from Japan and were serving excellent cuts of sashimi for very good pricing. The boy I was with then had a real love for sashimi and anxiously awaited my arrival each time so I could treat him to dinner, which I did with pleasure since it was such good value. However a few months later the Japanese chefs (who were likely only there to get the place up and running) disappeared, the quality plummeted as they probably discovered they could make more money selling cheaper cuts of fish to a Thai audience who weren’t as discerning.

Interesting trivia, "Donki" stores were original Don Quixote, but way too long, so it became "Donki"

I kind of like the overstuffed, disheveled look of Donki. Yes here in Hawaii everything is stacked to the rafters too with hugely narrow aisle which makes meeting "interesting" people a possibility ;)

As for sushi who has good recommendations for finding good sushi in Thailand. You are right, Hank, its hard to find (reasonably priced) high-quality sashimi outside Japan. Has anybody found some in Bangkok or Pattaya?? My go-to is Sushiro which is a chain around Thailand. It is okay but the Japanese standards are hard to beat!

42 minutes ago, Marc308 said:

Interesting trivia, "Donki" stores were original Don Quixote, but way too long, so it became "Donki"

neat and makes sense

1 hour ago, Marc308 said:

Interesting trivia, "Donki" stores were original Don Quixote, but way too long, so it became "Donki"

If a word can be shortened in Japanese, it always is - especially if it's an adopted English word, of which there are many.

A smart phone (sumaato hon) is abbreviated to 'sumaho', Starbucks (sutaabakkusu) is 'sutaba', MacDonald's (makkudonarudo) is 'makku', icecream (aisukuriimu) is 'aisu', a department store (depaatomento stoa)) is 'depaato' and the basement of a Japanese department store where all the delicious food is (depaato no chika) is 'depachika'.

The list goes on.

'My go-to is Sushiro'

There are at least 3 very popular sushi restaurants in Japan- Sushiro, Kura and Hama. All are incredibly cheap, and operated with only one waiter who you need to call if you want assistance. Everything is automated.

I have found some really good Japanese restaurants in Thailand. Zen and Fuji come to mind.

4 minutes ago, a-447 said:

If a word can be shortened in Japanese, it always is - especially if it's an adopted English word, of which there are many.

A smart phone (sumaato hon) is abbreviated to 'sumaho', Starbucks (sutaabakkusu) is 'sutaba', MacDonald's (makkudonarudo) is 'makku', icecream (aisukuriimu) is 'aisu', a department store (depaatomento stoa)) is 'depaato' and the basement of a Japanese department store where all the delicious food is (depaato no chika) is 'depachika'.

The list goes on.

Gives us a chance!

4 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Gives us a chance!

Not really.

The English words are pronounced as they would be written in the katakana alphabet and so are usually unrecognisable as English.

4 hours ago, Marc308 said:

Interesting trivia, "Donki" stores were original Don Quixote, but way too long, so it became "Donki"

How timely your post was today as I was walking from my hotel to the Sukhumvit BTS station = Phrom Phong there was a Don Quixote - but it was selling Nuru Massage instead of Japanese merchandise 😜

9 hours ago, Marc308 said:

As for sushi who has good recommendations for finding good sushi in Thailand. You are right, Hank, its hard to find (reasonably priced) high-quality sashimi outside Japan. Has anybody found some in Bangkok or Pattaya?? My go-to is Sushiro which is a chain around Thailand. It is okay but the Japanese standards are hard to beat!

I am not sure, but I imagine there would be some decent places in/around Soi Thaniya, considering the clientele?

11 hours ago, Marc308 said:

Interesting trivia, "Donki" stores were original Don Quixote, but way too long, so it became "Donki"

I read somewhere that the original intention was to globalise the Don Quixote brand, but when the research business expansion into Southeast Asia, they found that "Don Quixote" had already been registered as trademarks in some countries. That's how "Donki" came to be adopted for their overseas expansion.

I still like 7/11 better

1 hour ago, macaroni21 said:

I read somewhere that the original intention was to globalise the Don Quixote brand, but when the research business expansion into Southeast Asia, they found that "Don Quixote" had already been registered as trademarks in some countries. That's how "Donki" came to be adopted for their overseas expansion.

It's always been called 'donki' in Japan.

Bkkmfj2648 posted a photo above of a store in Bangkok using the full name. I presume it's the same company selling the same kind of 'stuff'.

That's not what I see on their Japanese signboards. They say Don Quijote (sorry I spelled it as Don Quixote earlier). But you may be correct that the customers have long shortened it to Donki.

See their own website: https://www.donki.com/en/. That said, corporate headquarters may be moving towards a uniform use of "Donki", seeing how their domain name for their website is "Donki".

6 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

That's not what I see on their Japanese signboards. They say Don Quijote (sorry I spelled it as Don Quixote earlier). But you may be correct that the customers have long shortened it to Donki.

See their own website: https://www.donki.com/en/. That said, corporate headquarters may be moving towards a uniform use of "Donki", seeing how their domain name for their website is "Donki".

I just looked at their Japanese website, where they use both names.

As is usually the case in Japan, the full name is often used in written form and the shortened form in conversation.

Words of 4 syllables or less are not abbreviated.

That's why Uniqlo - yu ni ku ro- is not abbreviated.

Family mart (famima) is famous for its chicken cutlet called 'famichiki', arguably the most famous convenience store item in Japan.