Snus in Bangkok, and elsewhere in Thailand, is becoming increasingly easier to find. It wasn’t that long ago that in order to find snus one needed to know little, out of the way, bars and hotels that carried it. Few advertised the fact that they had it because they were illegally importing it from Sweden so you had to know where to find it.
If you’re not familiar with snus, it is a smokeless tobacco product similar to dip in the US. Snus comes either portioned in little packets or loose.
The portioned snus is basically a pre-measured packet that you can easily put between your cheek and gums while the loose snus is, as the name might imply, loose and has to be packed into a hard ball to keep it from dissolving in your mouth.
While some find any form of tobacco use disgusting, snus is very popular as it allows people to enjoy nicotine without smoking and even many smokers find it a lifesaver on long haul flights when they are unable to smoke for long periods of time.
But, where exactly can you find snus in Bangkok?
Siam Snus in Bangkok
First off, you can order snus online.
Siam Snus sells snus online. Siam Snus sources their tobacco in Thailand and the tins usually carry a tax ribbon on this showing that they have been taxed.
They also have resellers throughout Thailand and in Bangkok you can find their products at:
Buddy’s Bar and Grill on Sukhumvit Soi 22
Buddy’s Bar and Grill on Sukhumvit near Soi 89
Buddy’s Bar and Grill on the corner of Silom and Decho
If you need exact addresses, please check out Buddy’s Bar and Grill website.
You can also get snus at Cajutan Bangkok, a Swedish restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 18. They have a page specifically about their snus.
Sports Academy on Sukhumvit Soi 13 also is listed as a reseller.
You can find an updated list of locations (as well as for locations outside of Bangkok) on the Siam Snus website or their Facebook page.
Thailand Snus in Bangkok
There also seems to be another major competitor out there offering Snus products, Thailand Snus. Facebook
They seem to have a much bigger footprint in terms of locations carrying their products, which they claim are imported directly from Sweden. They do not seem to have an online ordering option though.
From what we’ve seen, you’ll most commonly find General XR brand at the locations that carry their products.
The Old English Pub, Sukhumvit Soi 55, Thonglor
The Australian Pub, Sukhumvit Soi 11
Captains Pub, Sukhumvit Soi 29
Hideaway Queens Park, Sukhumvit Soi 22 (CLOSED – POSSIBLE REOPENING ON SOI 33)
Olive Oyl Bar & Restaurant, Sukhumvit Soi 33/1
The Royal Oak, Sukhumvit Soi 33/1
The Session, Silom Complex, Silom Road
Witchcraft, Nana Plaza
You can find an up to date list on Thailand Snus’ website.
If you’re having problems finding a location, read out primer on Understanding Thai Street Addresses
Swedish Snus
Recently we were made aware of a Phuket-based company that imports Swedish Snus, named, well, Swedish Snus.
As of this writing, they seem to carry XR and One. Perhaps they’ll have more selection as they begin to gain traction in the Thai snus market.
Asking for Snus in Bangkok
Please keep in mind that at many of the locations listed for both Thailand Snus and Siam Snus, the staff at these bars/restaurants may not know what snus is.
When we went to The Game on Sukhumvit, they had several signs up around the bar saying that they sold snus. But when we asked the bartender, he had no idea what snus even was. We then asked the cashier and she also had no clue what we were talking about. Fortunately, the manager happened to be walking by and told the staff what we were asking for.
Just thought we would add that in case you go to one of these establishments and they look at you like you’re from another planet. Many of them have only recently begun carrying snus and the staff doesn’t know what snus is.
There are also a few places that carry snus that their customers bring with them from Sweden. While D’Pelican Inn on Soi 22 is no longer around, our sources say that Stable Loge on Sukhumvit Soi 8 still carries a selection of imported snus.
There may be others floating around but I would imagine that nobody was ever making big money from the snus trade and with Thailand Snus and Siam Snus making their products widely available, many of the old-school snus sources may just switch over to the local distributors.
Cost of Snus in Bangkok
So far, the prices have been all over the place. The first time we bought Thailand Snus’ product it was 250 baht per tin. A few months later, it was 280 at the same location. We were charged 300 baht per tin at Buddy’s for the Siam Snus product.
Ordering Snus From Sweden
For expats living in Thailand, they may want to do a little research and order their snus from some of the companies that will ship to Thailand. Reportedly, delivery takes about 1 week but there’s always a chance that your shipment could get hung up at customs.