Buying laptop at Amazon USA?

[Lorin]

I would like to get a 1500$ laptop from Amazon and it looking good with free shipping and 122$ import charges that Amazon calculated for delivery to Thailand. Will it be easy as it should or a nightmare with taxes and customs here? Please share your experience. Thank you

[malathione]

It is easy and seamless. I had two computers delivered last month, import charges pre-paid. No issues whatsoever.

[KhunLA]

Did you price the same brand & specs here in TH, from authorized dealer or authorized reseller ?

[Lorin]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Did you price the same brand & specs here in TH, from authorized dealer or authorized reseller ?

Yes, it much more expensive here, cause Amazon has big discount on that last year model.

[impulse]

5 hours ago, malathione said:

It is easy and seamless. I had two computers delivered last month, import charges pre-paid. No issues whatsoever.

 

Thanks for posting your actual first hand experience.

[Lorin]

10 hours ago, malathione said:

It is easy and seamless. I had two computers delivered last month, import charges pre-paid. No issues whatsoever.

Thank you for the info. How long does it take to come to Thailand and what courier they are using?

[malathione]

1 minute ago, Lorin said:

Thank you for the info. How long does it take to come to Thailand and what courier they are using?

It took about ten days but it was right around Christmas so it might be quicker these days. It was shipped directly from Amazon and not by the reseller via ECMS and delivered to me via DHL.

[KannikaP]

And if it goes wrong? Ship it back to USA? Or is it an International Warranty, and for how long?

[clokwise]

18 hours ago, KannikaP said:

And if it goes wrong? Ship it back to USA? Or is it an International Warranty, and for how long?

 

Yeah, I can share something about that. I bought some Reolink IP Cameras from Amazon last year. Out of the four, one of them would not charge, turns out the USB connector was cracked. The camera cost $90. I filed a claim to return the item. Was instructed to take it to DHL because it has lithium batteries built into it so the post office will not ship it. Shipment back to the USA cost 3500 baht - more than the camera itself. I had briefly (but not clearly) read that return shipping costs will be covered, so I just went ahead and paid for the shipping. Short time later I got a Amazon credit for the cost of the camera and nothing more. After reviewing the terms, they only covered up to $20 shipping by US post office only. So I was SOL - I had no camera and DHL got 3500 baht. I would have been FAR better off chucking the broken camera in the bin and ordering another one.

 

[donmuang37]

Hi,  I bought an HP high spec 17" notebook computer that I'm now typing on from Amazon.  At that time, I paid about 60% of the Thai price.  There is no duty on computers coming into Thailand, but you will pay 7% VAT, which was included in the price that I paid.  It took about 7 - 10 days to get here.  We weren't home when it arrived, so the courier gave it to the village maid who placed it on our front porch (see has our gate key), and I was pleased to find it there when we returned.  Fired it up.  Works great, very fast and a great screen.

 

Downside: If it fails it might be difficult to repair here as some parts may not be available in Thailand.  Also, it is an English only keyboard, but I don't need a Thai keyboard.

Good luck!

[ThaiBob]

On 1/17/2025 at 7:30 AM, Lorin said:

Yes, it much more expensive here, cause Amazon has big discount on that last year model.

A USA warranty will not be honored here so you must factor any repair costs, shipping costs and down-time into your decision. I purchased a Samsung phone in USA and the warranty was not honored here. Something like an Apple product might be an exception. 

[pelagicpete]

At the beginning of 2024 Amazon were advertising the sale with large discounts of many items, including shipping. I bought around 8 different items, such as laptops, and the money was taken from my account. I never received anything. It was reported that year that the volume of items to be dispatched caused big delays, so I waited, still nothing.

I will be taking this further with Amazon as I have copied the adverts and documents to prove the money was paid. I am now hoping to get to the bottom of this fraud.

[Satcommlee]

There is a rule that the laptop must not be worth more than 40'000 THB if you want it to get through Customs easily...

If it is worth more than 40'000 THB you may need an import licence and/or type approval..

I bought a Galaxy Book 4 edge from Ebay and it flew through customs.. it cost $1000 only.. I was aware of the 40K THB rule..

 

[dddave]

On 1/20/2025 at 10:22 AM, ThaiBob said:

A USA warranty will not be honored here so you must factor any repair costs, shipping costs and down-time into your decision. I purchased a Samsung phone in USA and the warranty was not honored here. Something like an Apple product might be an exception. 

I once bought a Gateway laptop in the US, brought it to Thailand and after 11 months, the HD crashed.  I took it to a Thai repair shop, he suggested I check with Acer service . Acer had bought the Gateway brand and they honored the Gateway US warranty.  No charge for HD replacement.

OP  One unlikely but possible glitch you can encounter with a computer purchased in the US and brought here.  Happened to me.  I got a new HP laptop I had bought while on a short trip to the US.  When I tried to set it up in Bangkok, I couldn't get the wifi to connect...it wouldn't even see the network.  All my other devices wore working on the wifi with no issue. Took 2 days to figure it out but the short version is, in the USA, wifi channels 12, 13 & 14 are reserved for government use and are locked out on all US sold devices.  This is only in the US.  Those channels are available in Thailand.  My router had happened to have assigned one of those channels to my home network, thus my US bought computer could not connect.  Changing the router channel to another channel resolved the issue.

[connda]

On 1/17/2025 at 12:42 AM, Lorin said:

I would like to get a 1500$ laptop from Amazon and it looking good with free shipping and 122$ import charges that Amazon calculated for delivery to Thailand. Will it be easy as it should or a nightmare with taxes and customs here? Please share your experience. Thank you

The import fees and taxes are already taken care of.  It's seamless.  It will just show up on your doorstep.  <----- 😕

That's right.  Amazon will be delivered by someone who probably doesn't have your telephone number, and they'll just drop it off in front of your door or gate.  If it's stolen...oh well.  The "Nightmare" will have nothing to do with taxes and custom fees.  Speaking from experience.

If Amazon has a place to put a notice to the delivery agent, then include your telephone number and instructions not to drop off the package without a signature.

[connda]

Personally I would not buy a computer from the US.  There are wayyyyy too many affordable options by purchasing locally and obtaining a warranty that is honored in the SE Asian region.

I buy things from Amazon that I can't get here - like underwear that fit and guitar strings for my short scale bass which is close to impossible to find here.