Lotus's Kanchanaburi

This is where you go when you've run out of sunscreen, need six litres of water for an Erawan day trip, or just want thirty minutes of air-conditioning without anyone quoting you a tourist price. It's the Kanchanaburi branch of the Lotus's chain, the one most people still call Tesco Lotus, and it does exactly what those stores do: groceries, snacks, toiletries, plus non-food aisles with clothes, household bits and basic electronics.

Don't come expecting anything but a supermarket. The shoppers are mostly local, the signage is clear, prices are fixed and nobody's going to haggle with you. That's the appeal. If you're self-catering, or you've flown in light and plan to buy the boring stuff on arrival, an hour here saves you a lot of wandering. It sits on Thanon Sangchuto, the main road through town, so it's easy to fold into other errands rather than making a special trip.