Buying electronics in Bangkok ??

cathaldinneen

Hey Guys,

I'm heading off to SEA at the end of the week, just wondering if there is much of a saving on electronics in Bangkok over buying them here in Ireland or ebay? where are the best places in Bangkok to but these ?? Quality any good?

I looking for : Ipod Classic 80gb, 120 gb WD Passort Hard disk or similar, and a Canon Camera....

Thanks for any info !!!

breadmonkey

I remember thinking that the prices looked better in the airport in Kuala Lumpur. You're probably flying through either there or Singapore on the way so maybe have a look on the way out, compare in Bangkok and either buy there or on the return journey.

The_Conductor

Word of warning- a shocking amount of the electronics there are fakes- aka ipods/walkmen phones/MP4 players etc- are very often fakes. Caveat emptor.

S.M.B.

The cheapest place to get them would be in the likes of MBK/Pantip Plaza shopping centres but I'd be wary of what I was buying there.

If you want to look at somewhere a little more reliable then I'd go to Fortune Tower shopping centre (it just happens to be exactly where I am at the moment ) and have a look there.

cathaldinneen

Thanks Guys, Fortune tower it is I'd say. I'll try to avoid the protests and tear gas on the way

RATM

If you spend over a certain amount ( I think its around 200e )you can get a 7% VAT refund at the airport on the way out. Make sure to keep your reciept to claim this.

S.M.B.

RATM

Have you done this before? I'll be leaving Bangkok in the next 2 weeks and I'll be looking to claim back the 7% on a notebook I bought here.

hopalong85

just back from thailand. got some songs uploaded to my ipod, think the 80gb classic was about 10000 baht (roughly 200 euro) so ebay's your best bet i think. i got an 80gb classic in argos a few months ago for 220ish, can't remember exactly.

RATM

S.M.B.- yeah I bought my Mac laptop in Bangkok 2 years back. It was only around 250 cheaper than back home but I got 7% back at the airport ( they put it on your credit card ) The big saving though was on Apples 3 year worldwide warranty- it cost an extra 60 euro rather than the 300 the Apple stores charge in Ireland.
Make sure the shop you are buying from knows about the VAT refund so they can give you an appropiate reciept to show at the airport. Also leave an extra 30 minutes at the airport in case there is a queue. It generally only takes 5 minutes but best to have some spare time rather than missing your flight=)

watna

Just a warning. We bought a media drive when we're where in Kuala Lumpur. We did save a good bit of money and we spent a whole days shopping around for the best deal and a good brand.

2 months later it broke and because we bought it when we were travelling we can't bring it back under warranty etc. Just a good idea to be aware of the risk and be careful with what you buy.

S.M.B.

RATM wrote: »

S.M.B.- yeah I bought my Mac laptop in Bangkok 2 years back. It was only around 250 cheaper than back home but I got 7% back at the airport ( they put it on your credit card ) The big saving though was on Apples 3 year worldwide warranty- it cost an extra 60 euro rather than the 300 the Apple stores charge in Ireland.
Make sure the shop you are buying from knows about the VAT refund so they can give you an appropiate reciept to show at the airport. Also leave an extra 30 minutes at the airport in case there is a queue. It generally only takes 5 minutes but best to have some spare time rather than missing your flight=)

I already have the laptop and the vat refund form. I got a decent worldwide warranty on it too.

I was just wondering how long the claim can take to process at the airport.

I'll give it ago anyway.

Cheers!

RATM

Sorry misread your post, thought you were the OP.

It only took me 5 mins to get my refund put back on my credit card and there was 3 or 4 desks open to facilitate this but Id allow half an hour just in case there is a plane load of Japanese with sparkling new cameras in tow waiting for the same refund.

If you bought a laptop then the refund should be in the the order of 50-100 euro so itd be a shame not to pick up whats rightfully yours. It would also be a shame to miss your flight over it:pac:

S.M.B.

This probably won't effect 99% of the people looking to claim VAT back but I'll just add to the thread that you have to take the goods out of the country within 60 days of purchase. I also wasn't told this when making the purchase and completing my form.

No VAT refund for me. :mad:

thecornerboy

I found the prices in Bangkok to be poor enough. Contrary to the idea of the place being a great place to drive a bargain I found prices on individual products to be as close to fixed as possible. The same all over Asia to some extent (though I haven't been to Japan), you're just as likely to find equal bargains on line here and from a reputable supplier.

The_Conductor

thecornerboy wrote: »

I found the prices in Bangkok to be poor enough. Contrary to the idea of the place being a great place to drive a bargain I found prices on individual products to be as close to fixed as possible. The same all over Asia to some extent (though I haven't been to Japan), you're just as likely to find equal bargains on line here and from a reputable supplier.

However you will find weird little knick-knacks that will never ever make the consumer market over here- plus its incredible fun wandering around the markets.

thecornerboy

smccarrick wrote: »

However you will find weird little knick-knacks that will never ever make the consumer market over here- plus its incredible fun wandering around the markets.

Yeah had great fun wandering around and haggling but I didn't make any big purchases.

The_Conductor

thecornerboy wrote: »

Yeah had great fun wandering around and haggling but I didn't make any big purchases.

Probably just as well- I've gotten hit for C&E a few times on my way back I swear I must have a sign over my forehead!!! They are getting a whole lot more proactive in checking luggage these days.