Lotus's vs Big C vs 7-Eleven: where to shop in Thailand

Every luk khrueng has a 7-Eleven story. The first cold drink after the airport. The toastie at midnight. The cousin who could only give directions as “past the Seven, left at the temple”. Thailand’s corner shops and big supermarkets are where family trips actually happen, between the meals.

Here’s which shop is for what, and the bit of Thai for when Yai sends you. Last checked 20 October 2026. Member schemes, app features and prices change often, so check before you rely on a detail.

What is each shop for?

7-Eleven: right now. Open late, everywhere, and the answer to most small problems: water, a snack, a toastie, sunscreen, a phone top-up, paying a bill at the counter. It isn’t the cheapest place for a big shop, and it isn’t meant to be. Thai nickname culture took the name too: there are people called Seven, as our Thai nicknames page shows.

Lotus’s and Big C: the weekly shop. These are the big chains for fresh food, rice by the sack, cooking oil, washing powder, school things, fans and pots. Both also have smaller convenience branches in cities. For a visitor there isn’t a big difference between them; families tend to go to whichever is closest, or whichever one Mum has the points card for.

A name note: Lotus’s was Tesco Lotus until 2021, when the CP Group, which had bought Tesco’s Thai business, rebranded the stores. Older relatives may still say Tesco. Everyone knows what they mean.

Fresh markets: still the heart. For fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, plenty of Thai families still go to the morning market first and the supermarket second. If Yai has a stall-holder she trusts, follow Yai. For the evening version, see night markets.

Member cards and apps: worth it?

If you’re staying a few weeks or longer, probably yes; for a short visit, probably not.

• 7-Eleven has ALL member, in the 7-Eleven TH app: points on what you buy, which you can spend like cash, plus member-only prices. Sign-up can be fiddly without a Thai phone number.
• Lotus’s and Big C each have their own member scheme and app, with points and member prices. The details change often; ask at the till or check the app.
• The family shortcut: a relative almost certainly already has the card. At the till you’ll often hear a question about whether you’re a member; giving Mum’s phone number is a very Thai solution.

There’s more on which apps to install before you land in apps you need in Thailand.

Bags: bring your own

Big chains stopped handing out free plastic bags in 2020, so most Thai shoppers now carry a tote or buy a reusable bag at the till. You’ll still get hot food in a bag, and small shops vary. If the cashier reaches for a bag and you don’t need one, the line from the app is:

ไม่เอาถุง (mai ao thung), “no bag, thanks”. Add ครับ or ค่ะ at the end to soften it.

What to buy for Yai

The best answer is: ask. Thai grandparents rarely want what we’d guess, and very often they’ll send you with a list anyway. Reply Thai’s errand lesson has the lines for it:

• When she asks you to pick something up: ได้ เดี๋ยวไปซื้อให้ (dai, diao pai sue hai), “sure, I’ll go and get it”.
• Before you go: ยายเอาอะไรอีกไหม (yaai ao a-rai iik mai), “do you need anything else, Yai?”.
• Standing in front of eleven kinds of fish sauce: เอายี่ห้อไหน (ao yii-hor nai), “which brand?”. She has a brand. She has always had a brand.

You may also hear ฝากซื้อน้ำปลาขวดนึงนะ, “could you buy me a bottle of fish sauce?”. The word to catch is ฝากซื้อ: “buy it for me while you’re there”.

Things families often appreciate from the big shop, if she says “nothing”: good fruit, a sack of the rice she likes, the snacks she won’t buy for herself, and the heavy things (water, oil, washing powder) that are hard to carry home. For gifts from abroad instead, see gifts for your Thai family.

When you get lost on the way back

If the shop was further than you thought, the 7-Eleven is also the most useful landmark in Thailand. The app’s lost-on-the-way lesson pairs อยู่หน้าเซเว่น (yuu naa se-wen), “I’m in front of a 7-Eleven”, with:

มารับหน่อยได้ไหม

maa rap noi dai mai

มารับหน่อยได้ไหมครับ

maa rap noi dai mai khrap

มารับหน่อยได้ไหมคะ

maa rap noi dai mai kha

Who is speaking?

ครับ said by a manค่ะ said by a woman

Draft: waiting for a native speaker’s review.

It works. There may be three 7-Elevens on the street, but whoever comes to get you will find you.

Practise this conversation in Reply Thai

The errand to the shop, “which brand?”, “anything else?”, and the call from in front of the Seven are all in Reply Thai’s Visiting Thailand moment, practised as replies so you’re ready when Yai hands you the list.

Reply Thai for iPhone: coming soonEmail me at launch

Buying online instead? See TikTok Shop and Shopee in Thailand.

Thai words on this page are a draft until a native speaker has reviewed them. Member schemes and prices change: check before you go. Last checked 20 October 2026.