went to purchase a new WD MyBook external hard drive yesterday and was faced  with sticker shock. 

over 8,000 baht for a 6TB drive.  absurd, same drive can be had for less than 5,000 baht at Best Buy in L.A.  <deleted>, last time i checked they where made here in LOS?  rip off.

Lazada also has them listed at 8,050 baht... see here.

that's the price here, no rip off just the price, checked a few stores all the same

Welcome to Thailand.   Some stuff just cost a lot more in Thailand than other countries even though it may be made in Thailand.   It's usually due to govt "excise" tax....not import tax or value added tax (VAT)....but excise tax.   

 

Another good example of something that costs a lot more in Thailand is most vehicles even though they may be made in Thailand.  Why do they cost more?  Because of the "excise"  tax on vehicle. 

 

It's just the way the Thailand tax revenue system is setup where a lot of tax is obtained via excise, VAT, and import tax since many people do not earn enough to pay personal income tax or they under-report their personal income resulting in lower personal income tax paid.    In a way, it's a regressive tax system that impacts the poor more than the rich.

Thank you for sharing. I'll merely suggest you see whether another brand of drive w/ around the same capacity might be cheaper. Probably not, but sometimes this holds true. Also consider buying an OEM drive and putting into an external enclosure yourself.