Lotus's Kanchanaburi

This is where you go when you've run out of sunscreen, need six liters 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, with 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.