Big C is one of a new breed of warehouse superstores that have spread like wildfire across Thailand. Virtually every town and city has a Big C, a Tesco Lotus and a Macro store on the outskirts. These massive superstores combine supermarkets and department stores under one roof and have huge parking lots.
10 years ago such stores didn't exist in Thailand. When they arrived, there were mass protests across the country and even a bombing as small traders feared they would be bankrupted. In response authorities forced the superstores to the outskirts of town only, which dampened if not stopped the protests.
The thing is, cities like Khon Kaen are growing so fast that what was the outskirts of town a few years back is now pretty much in the middle suburbs.
We spent an hour wandering the place, bombarded with awful christmas carols and marvelling at how it is possible to buy 50 different kinds of soft drinks or 100 kinds of potato crisps. Who really needs all this stuff anyway ?
Check one of these places out if you are in Thailand, and see how the big multinationals are slowly but surely doing what they did to Western countries years ago - wiping out the fascinating little stores and stalls and replacing them with soulless places like this. That's progress.
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