Infant Car Seat

[KrisJ]

I'm currently living in Khon Kaen but am heading to Bangkok in a couple of weeks, and would like to purchase an infant car seat while I'm there. Options here in Khon Kaen are extremely limited! I would appreciate any advice as to where to look for a good quality car seat - and hopefully reasonably priced.

Thanks in advance!

[samran]

they are all very expensive here. I'd look at places like Emporium, Central Chitlom. Grayco have a store at All Season Place on wireless Rd, and they are forever selling product at 30-70% off, so you may want to try there.

There is a child's toy store on the ground floor of the Carefore complex on Rama IV (forget the name) which have ones there in the prams section.

Whatever you do, make sure that it straps in safely to your model of car. Some seatbelts can actually be too loose, so it pays to test it first.

[sierra01]

The Mothercare branches?

[think_too_mut]

There is a child's toy store on the ground floor of the Carefore complex on Rama IV (forget the name) which have ones there in the prams section.

Toys "R" Us.

Quality car seats: you won't find them at Carefour/Lotus.

See Emporium and similar. Prices shot up to 40,000B for imported Combi (the price is identical in Japan).

Depends how much time your child will be spending in the car. For a daily routine with possible sleeping in it, you would want a comfortable and a well reclining one.

For my needs, the seat was 9000B and has fitted well in all smallish rentacars, all different.

[sonicdragon]

Central Dept Store in Bangna has a good selection. I expect other branches will too.

[gavstah]

I'm currently living in Khon Kaen but am heading to Bangkok in a couple of weeks, and would like to purchase an infant car seat while I'm there. Options here in Khon Kaen are extremely limited! I would appreciate any advice as to where to look for a good quality car seat - and hopefully reasonably priced.

Thanks in advance!

I see that britbaby.com is advertising here on the forum - I've been looking at their website for a carseat/stroller combo and they have Graco brand (popular in the US) - some for decent prices. Haven't ordered just yet (baby just born) but will be purchasing shortly.

Since you can get it delivered, you can have the carseat for the trip to BKK

[chanchao]

Yes, I think Central is best. I can't speak for all branches, but Central Chitlom is easy to reach (Attached to Chitloim Skytrain station) and has a very large selection.

Do ask for / check out when they have sales / promotions.

And remember, there's no such thing as spending too much on an infant safety seat.

This is one thing (perhaps the only thing) where I'll go for a reputable imported brand. Also the fancier ones are SO much more easy to install and get your kid in & out of.

We got ours at Central Chiang Mai (where we live), after talking with the Maxi-Cosi importer who let us know what models would be on sale when. Then there was some 'Advanced Coupon Usage & Trading' going on with the sales girl ( ) so in the end I think we got a nice discount, while still paying around 10K I think. (for the 1-3.5 year old model; baby (newborn - 1 year) seats are cheaper). But (*#$&(# is it worth it.

Edited April 17, 2007 by chanchao

[Crabby]

Honda sell a range of child seats - priced from about 8,000B to 11,000B (+ VAT). Shown in their Jazz accessories brochure. Hope this helps.

[KrisJ]

Thanks for all the leads. It is very helpful.

[faheem28]

I'm currently living in Khon Kaen but am heading to Bangkok in a couple of weeks, and would like to purchase an infant car seat while I'm there. Options here in Khon Kaen are extremely limited! I would appreciate any advice as to where to look for a good quality car seat - and hopefully reasonably priced.

Thanks in advance!

I can help as I purchased one 6months back from "Baby house", a shop on main sukhumvit between phromphong & thonglo. It may vary from Bht3,000-8,000 depending on your need.

Carrefour (Rama IV) has ToysRUS at ground floor. One branch of ToyRus in Central World.

Emporium, Paragon also have good collection.

[sylvafern]

Got an infant rear facing baby carrier/seat at Mothercare for about 3,500 baht (on sale) at Emporium which lasted until 9 months then a Maxi-cosi car seat he's been in since 10 months and is still good at 2 and a half. Was 7,000 on sale at Central (from 11,000) and I'd highly recommend it. It is way more secure in a the car than my friend's car seat (doesn't wobble at all when belted in correctly) and has a very good harness. Also has reclining positions which is great for naps on long journeys.

I am not sure if there are any promotions on at Central/Emporium at the moment but if they have any coupon promos going on, it might be worth spending 1000 baht on something else and doing a lucky dip to get a discount coupon to use when buying the car seat. The Mall has a similar promo going on at the moment where te more you spend the bigger the discount voucher.

To get to The Mall from Khon Kaen direction ..... on Vipawadee Road, go past DM airport and look for signs for 'Ngam Wong Wan'. You proabably need to do a u-turn coming from that direction as it is to your right. Go down Ngam Wong Wan Road. When you come to the first set of traffic lights (don't go over the over bridge), go straight ahead and The Mall is on the left hand side past the hospital (less than 100 metres from the lights). They have a very big children's and babies' section including a Mothercare.

[Neeranam]

Tesco Lotus Khon Kaen - 2,500 baht.

[scubamatt72]

I bought a "Cool Kids" form birth to 9 months rear facing car seat form Central in Phuket - I think available in all Central stores. Only 2000 Baht I think. She will soon grow out of it, but I have seen forward facing car seats reasonably priced form the same company.

Web site

http://www.all-4-baby.com/products.asp?catid=2

Friends have bought forward facing car seat form Lotus in past, but had major difficulties fiting it and keeping it secure. They ended up throwing it out and buying a better one!

[Sanpatong]

I also bought that one and I think it's crap. It doesn't install securely at all.

As been said before, if you are EVER going to buy something imported from a reputable company, this is that thing.

I can only assume Neeranam was joking with a 2500 baht car seat sold at Tesco (or from vendors around Tesco). Or that he doesn't have young kids. Or both.

[scubamatt72]

I also bought that one and I think it's crap. It doesn't install securely at all.

As been said before, if you are EVER going to buy something imported from a reputable company, this is that thing.

I can only assume Neeranam was joking with a 2500 baht car seat sold at Tesco (or from vendors around Tesco). Or that he doesn't have young kids. Or both.

I have no problem with the "Cool Kids" car seat. It fits very securely in the back of my forutner without a problem. I am one who wouldn't flaunt safety, especially for my baby, ever. Most places actually advise trying out a car seat in your vehicle before you buy it for this exact reason....

[Neeranam]

I also bought that one and I think it's crap. It doesn't install securely at all.

As been said before, if you are EVER going to buy something imported from a reputable company, this is that thing.

I can only assume Neeranam was joking with a 2500 baht car seat sold at Tesco (or from vendors around Tesco). Or that he doesn't have young kids. Or both.

I have no problem with the "Cool Kids" car seat. It fits very securely in the back of my forutner without a problem. I am one who wouldn't flaunt safety, especially for my baby, ever. Most places actually advise trying out a car seat in your vehicle before you buy it for this exact reason....

I have young young kids and am NOT joking. I know it's a lot of money for car seat - you can pay it off monthly if you need to.

[Tony Clifton]

Do any of you use a baby car seat in a pick-up truck?

We have a fairly new King Cab but I found out it came without seatbelts for the one piece back seat, if you can call that a seat...

We've yet to deal with a baby car seat (and a baby in Jan.).

If the baby's seat is to be strapped at the front, should it somehow face backwards as would be done on the a back seat?

[sonicdragon]

Do any of you use a baby car seat in a pick-up truck?

We have a fairly new King Cab but I found out it came without seatbelts for the one piece back seat, if you can call that a seat...

We've yet to deal with a baby car seat (and a baby in Jan.).

If the baby's seat is to be strapped at the front, should it somehow face backwards as would be done on the a back seat?

Yes, it should face back, but the vehicle must not have a passenger airbag if you use a rear-facing infant car seat in the front passenger seat.

[kenk3z]

The rear-facing car seats for infants are recommended (required) because the kid's head is very heavy at that age compared to the strength of neck muscles. If you are in a hard accident traveling forward the child's neck will be reinforced by the car seat. If hit from the side, you are supposed to have a good fitment with cushions on the side. The car seat we had for our son when very small held him pretty tightly around the head.

The safest place for any car seat is in the back seat rather than in the front. If there is no choice but a front seat, then the air bag has to be disabled, else it will injure the child if deployed.

Well, that should bring you up to foreign standards. Failing procurement of a car seat, you can probably do a world of good by just avoiding Tuk-Tuks and scooters as your mode of travel.

kenk3z

[Tony Clifton]

Thanks.

There is no airbag on the passenger side.

[Neeranam]

If you don't get a baby seat, make sure that if anyone holds the baby in the front seat, to do it strongly with two arms.

If carrying a baby on a motorcycle, put the baby between the front and back big passengers. The person behind holding.

Don't let the toddler sit on the front holding on to the handlebars until they are at least 2.

Never carry kids in the back of a pickup, it's very dangerous.

[Neeranam]

If you don't get a baby seat, make sure that if anyone holds the baby in the front seat, to do it strongly with two arms.

If carrying a baby on a motorcycle, put the baby between the front and back big passengers. The person behind holding.

Don't let the toddler sit on the front holding on to the handlebars until they are at least 2.

Never carry kids in the back of a pickup, it's very dangerous.

[Daewoo]

If you don't get a baby seat, make sure that if anyone holds the baby in the front seat, to do it strongly with two arms.

Neeranam, I know you are only trying to help, but it is never safe to carry a baby in any seat of any car.

In a 50km/h crash, a 10-pound infant slams forward with a force of 300 pounds. It is just as though the baby fell from a third-story window. An unrestrained child can be thrown against the inside of the vehicle, or out of the vehicle, with enough force to cause serious injury or death.

Holding a child on your lap may seem comforting, but it is not safe. At 50 km/h, a 125-pound adult smashes forward with a force of nearly two tons. A child on an adult's lap can be crushed between the adult and the dashboard. And research proves that seat-belted adults holding a dummy "baby" in mock test crashes cannot hold onto the dummy. This is true even when they know when the "crash" will occur. The "baby-in-arms" seating position is not safe.

http://recall.djgusa.com/services/brochures/brochure.htm

No adult, no matter how strong, can hold onto a baby in a car crash. The sooner that ALL parents understand this, the sooner that good quality carriers will become available at reasonable prices, and the sooner more

babies will live into adulthood.

Cheers,

Daewoo

[Neeranam]

If you don't get a baby seat, make sure that if anyone holds the baby in the front seat, to do it strongly with two arms.

Neeranam, I know you are only trying to help, but it is never safe to carry a baby in any seat of any car.

In a 50km/h crash, a 10-pound infant slams forward with a force of 300 pounds. It is just as though the baby fell from a third-story window. An unrestrained child can be thrown against the inside of the vehicle, or out of the vehicle, with enough force to cause serious injury or death.

Holding a child on your lap may seem comforting, but it is not safe. At 50 km/h, a 125-pound adult smashes forward with a force of nearly two tons. A child on an adult's lap can be crushed between the adult and the dashboard. And research proves that seat-belted adults holding a dummy "baby" in mock test crashes cannot hold onto the dummy. This is true even when they know when the "crash" will occur. The "baby-in-arms" seating position is not safe.

http://recall.djgusa.com/services/brochures/brochure.htm

No adult, no matter how strong, can hold onto a baby in a car crash. The sooner that ALL parents understand this, the sooner that good quality carriers will become available at reasonable prices, and the sooner more

babies will live into adulthood.

Cheers,

Daewoo

Daewo, thanks for pointing that out. I was pointing out the lesser of two evils.

[Tony Clifton]

If you don't get a baby seat, make sure that if anyone holds the baby in the front seat, to do it strongly with two arms.

If carrying a baby on a motorcycle, put the baby between the front and back big passengers. The person behind holding.

Don't let the toddler sit on the front holding on to the handlebars until they are at least 2.

Never carry kids in the back of a pickup, it's very dangerous.

I' m one of the biggest whiners on here about road safety and Thais bad driving habits.

If I didn't get a baby car seat, he wouldn't see the inside of the truck. Even with a seat, I will still feel uncomfortable with the idea of taking the little one on the road since every drive, be it short or long, is a dangerous adventure, e-v-e-r-y time. When leaving the house, it never takes more than a few minutes to see crazy traffic situations.

[Jared]

Ive had a rear facing seat in the front of my pickup for 10 months now, wont let the little fella get in a car without it. The only problem is that nows hes to big for it and he needs a bigger forward facing one that should be fitted in the back. The back only has a little bench type thing with no seat belts so im wondering what are peoples views on a front facing child seat in the passengers seat?

[sonicdragon]

Ive had a rear facing seat in the front of my pickup for 10 months now, wont let the little fella get in a car without it. The only problem is that nows hes to big for it and he needs a bigger forward facing one that should be fitted in the back. The back only has a little bench type thing with no seat belts so im wondering what are peoples views on a front facing child seat in the passengers seat?

I think there should be no problem with a front facing child seat in the passenger seat, but I'm not 100% sure (ours are in the back). Also. some of them come with a fitting where you can secure it to the floor of the vehicle, as well as with the seat belt for added safety.

[Boo]

front facing is fine as long as passenger air bag is disabled

[Daewoo]

front facing is fine as long as passenger air bag is disabled

Front facing is acceptable (without airbag) if there are no other options. I would suggest that there is likely to be seatbelt holes under the seats as most other countries would require them. Buy a seatbelt, fit it, and the seat is in the safest location.

Cheers,

Daewoo

[Tony Clifton]

I'll have a look at the back for pre-made seatbelt holes.

I would prefer using the back seat. Anyway, an adult sitting back there without a belt becomes a missile for the front passengers, no better.