Apple Does Not Support Their Computers In Thailand

[spot]

I feel embarrassed to be a die hard apple user. First of all most of the posters in this thread are idiots. Most of the software and issues your whining about are upgradeable for free online. Next is in terms of service and support if you have Apple Care then your covered but you have to pay for shipping yourself unless you have a decent retailer who will ship if for you. Apple Chiang Mai for example will cover shipping to Singapore which is a service facility for you.

My advice is to better research and most the complaints are non issues.

I thought the main complaint was about Quicktime Pro, which is not free- has to be bought. This goes for a lot of Apple related software, especially music software, which the Apple retailers don't stock here.

When I bought my new Macbook Pro from Siam Paragon, I couldn't get the Logic pro crossgrade (intel) from them, and they didn't know anything about it. They were not interested in helping out. I found out from elsewhere that it could only be purchased and delivered within one of the official Apple territories, and Thailand isn't one of them.

That to me isn't good customer support within Thailand. If they are going to sell Mac computers in Thailand, why is it too much to ask that they also provide decent after sales service, and at least be able to point you in the right direction for software, upgrades etc....?

The shop in Chiang Mai might be an exception, and another on Suk 55, but generally the Apple retailers in Thailand are clueless.

[nikster]

I feel embarrassed to be a die hard apple user. First of all most of the posters in this thread are idiots. Most of the software and issues your whining about are upgradeable for free online. Next is in terms of service and support if you have Apple Care then your covered but you have to pay for shipping yourself unless you have a decent retailer who will ship if for you. Apple Chiang Mai for example will cover shipping to Singapore which is a service facility for you.

My advice is to better research and most the complaints are non issues.

Apple users whine a lot more than Windows users. Probably because the latter are used to things kinda not really working, and therefore much more forgiving...

That's why the genius bars in the Apple stores are such a great idea. A place where any Apple user can go and whine to their hearts content.

[ozzieman05]

Sorry Cobra Snake do you not read the original message

My comments are tryin to set up Quicktime Pro in a country thta is not officially supported by Apple

You comments that this upgrade is free, shows me you do not seems to know to much abut Apple Software or you have been in Thailand to long

You did not mention that all has been solved

anyone with apple software problems can contact a private apple repair shop in pattaya

Nothing to do with Apple so they work direct with Australia

[email protected]

They fixed all my problem in 15 mins flat

All is well that ends well

I got put in touch with an Australian guy in Pattaya who is an ex Apple Service Manager and lives right here in Pattya

He was at the computer for 15 mins and every things now is now working as it should do

Fixed Quicktime for me and it is now working as Quicktime Pro

When I told him about my experiences he just smiled and told me of many experiences owners of Apple products have here in Thailand, his answer was simple "Just call me"

I bought a wi fi amplifier off him whch amplifies the incoming signal by 5 db before it reaches the Macbook

Can pick up WiFi signals from what must be miles around my hotel

The internet now screams

Anyone having troubles can contact him on [email protected]

I feel embarrassed to be a die hard apple user. First of all most of the posters in this thread are idiots. Most of the software and issues your whining about are upgradeable for free online. Next is in terms of service and support if you have Apple Care then your covered but you have to pay for shipping yourself unless you have a decent retailer who will ship if for you. Apple Chiang Mai for example will cover shipping to Singapore which is a service facility for you.

My advice is to better research and most the complaints are non issues.

[DaffyDuck]

Now as I do a lot of Video work I need Quicktime Pro

I am a registered user of Quicktime Pro 7.1 but this version will not work on Quicktime 7.2 which is used under versin OS X 10.4.10

No problem I just get a copy of Quicktime Pro

(...)

Has anyone in Thailand managed to get a copy of Quicktime Pro for System OS X 10.4.10?

(...)

Maybe Apple feels the pirate industry can do their job better than themselves here

Have you even remotely considered running Software Update on your Mac?

If, as you claim, you have a licensed copy of QT 7.1, then Software Update would have easily, and automatically, uopgraded you to QT 7.2, and kept your license intact (as it should). The QT license only expired upgrading from QT 6.x to QT 7.x, and required the purchase of a new license at $29.95 (available via the Apple Store, as an online upgrade).

Likewise, a QT 7.x license can be found via many other means, including as part of a professional video package (Final Cut pro comes with a QT 7.x license, for example, as does Final Cut Express - so if you do, as you claim, work with video, your software should have provided you with it, or the upgrade to your software should have - in fact, if you previously used your video software under PPC, you really should upgrade to a Universal Binary version).

Anyway, so I fail to see where the problem in Apple allegedly failing to support their worldwide customer base is?

(Yes, I know your problems were fixed in this thread, which does not negate the fact that you needed your hand held - and yes, I have (and am) doing Mac support in Thailand, and what I just described is very possible in Thailand -- if your original description of your situation was true)

>He was at the computer for 15 mins and every things now is now working as it should do

Yeah, sure, he probably ran Software Update, let it complete, and handed you the computer back. Money well earned, and I hope you paid him well. He deserves it. Good man, I agree!

I do have to agree with CobraNeckTie - seems a lot of the users posting in this thread ("Waaaah, my iPod broke and Apple won't fix it", "Waaah, I can't run Software Update") are not really the brightest bulbs in the pack (he used a different word, though), particularly those spreading blatant misinformation. They are right though, they should not be using any Apple products, at all, anymore.

These kind of folks make it tough being a professional in the face of stupidity.

(sigh)

Edited September 11, 2007 by DaffyDuck

[cdnvic]

I do have to agree with CobraNeckTie - seems a lot of the users posting in this thread ("Waaaah, my iPod broke and Apple won't fix it", "Waaah, I can't run Software Update") are not really the brightest bulbs in the pack (he used a different word, though), particularly those spreading blatant misinformation. They are right though, they should not be using any Apple products, at all, anymore.

These kind of folks make it tough being a professional in the face of stupidity.

(sigh)

If this is the face of Apple service then I can't blame them for not wanting to use the products anymore. IMO Apple makes great products but by the looks of it the support people are arrogant <deleted>, and who wants to deal with that?

Someone came here asking for help, not to have some tosspot show off his lack of social skills. If the latter is all you offer you could do us all a favour by staying silent.

[ozzieman05]

I sent your reply to the Apple Tech from Australia to read

Whn he picked himeself up off the floor after laughing for 10 solid minutes he just said

I rest my case

Techs in Thailand are like Dykes on Bikes

Useless to anyone who needs them (soory not my words his)

If you can upgrade Quicktime Pro from 7.1 to 7.2 you must be Steve Jobs as no other person ca do this

He said to me give you a 5 min lesson and you know more than hi and it took him 12 years to lean

as far as him using system upgrade I am sorry to say I know exactly what he did as he asked me to watch while he did it, not like most Apple service centres that take the computer into the back room where you can not see

After you statement I am even more convince we Apple users in Thailand are in big trouble

but God has sent us help in the shape of a genuine Aussie Tech with 12 years experience

and as to how much he charged me

only the apple Quicktime Pro price that was paid on the net by my credit card and a big 0 to him

I purchased a 5 db wifi amplifier of him. and he made it clear if I have any trouble just ring him

No charge

show me any computer store in Pattaya that does this

Now as I do a lot of Video work I need Quicktime Pro

I am a registered user of Quicktime Pro 7.1 but this version will not work on Quicktime 7.2 which is used under versin OS X 10.4.10

No problem I just get a copy of Quicktime Pro

(...)

Has anyone in Thailand managed to get a copy of Quicktime Pro for System OS X 10.4.10?

(...)

Maybe Apple feels the pirate industry can do their job better than themselves here

Have you even remotely considered running Software Update on your Mac?

If, as you claim, you have a licensed copy of QT 7.1, then Software Update would have easily, and automatically, uopgraded you to QT 7.2, and kept your license intact (as it should). The QT license only expired upgrading from QT 6.x to QT 7.x, and required the purchase of a new license at $29.95 (available via the Apple Store, as an online upgrade).

Likewise, a QT 7.x license can be found via many other means, including as part of a professional video package (Final Cut pro comes with a QT 7.x license, for example, as does Final Cut Express - so if you do, as you claim, work with video, your software should have provided you with it, or the upgrade to your software should have - in fact, if you previously used your video software under PPC, you really should upgrade to a Universal Binary version).

Anyway, so I fail to see where the problem in Apple allegedly failing to support their worldwide customer base is?

(Yes, I know your problems were fixed in this thread, which does not negate the fact that you needed your hand held - and yes, I have (and am) doing Mac support in Thailand, and what I just described is very possible in Thailand -- if your original description of your situation was true)

>He was at the computer for 15 mins and every things now is now working as it should do

Yeah, sure, he probably ran Software Update, let it complete, and handed you the computer back. Money well earned, and I hope you paid him well. He deserves it. Good man, I agree!

I do have to agree with CobraNeckTie - seems a lot of the users posting in this thread ("Waaaah, my iPod broke and Apple won't fix it", "Waaah, I can't run Software Update") are not really the brightest bulbs in the pack (he used a different word, though), particularly those spreading blatant misinformation. They are right though, they should not be using any Apple products, at all, anymore.

These kind of folks make it tough being a professional in the face of stupidity.

(sigh)

[cathyy]

I'm a very happy Mac user here in Thailand, but there are serious support issues.

I couldn't buy anything from the iTunes store until I started using a credit card for which I maintain a US billing address instead of my real Thai address.

I can't buy legitimate copies of software, either Apple or Aspyr, online and have them shipped here, because neither Apple nor Amazon (shipper used by Aspyr) will ship software here. As if I would actually get them if they were mailed to me here, of course.

I can't even get illegitimate/pirate/cracked copies of most new games. There are a couple places in Pantip that sell Mac software, but the selection is very old, very limited, and I'd honestly rather get the real thing.

If you do buy something from the Apple store online, like, oh, a .mac membership, they charge you in Singapore dollars if you live in Thailand. They do this even if you are using a debit card from a US bank. I'm pretty sure converting the currency from US dollars (advertised price) to Singapore dollars (the price I get charged) and then back to US dollars again (what my bank will actually charge my account) doesn't work in my favor. The obvious solution to this is to maintain a US address with Apple (and I do!) but that reinforces the perception that there aren't enough Mac users in Thailand to justify real support.

[El Taco Loco]

Thank you. I finally know my last name: IDIOT.

I feel embarrassed to be a die hard apple user. First of all most of the posters in this thread are idiots. Most of the software and issues your whining about are upgradeable for free online. Next is in terms of service and support if you have Apple Care then your covered but you have to pay for shipping yourself unless you have a decent retailer who will ship if for you. Apple Chiang Mai for example will cover shipping to Singapore which is a service facility for you.

My advice is to better research and most the complaints are non issues.

[nikster]

I do have to agree with CobraNeckTie - seems a lot of the users posting in this thread ("Waaaah, my iPod broke and Apple won't fix it", "Waaah, I can't run Software Update") are not really the brightest bulbs in the pack (he used a different word, though), particularly those spreading blatant misinformation. They are right though, they should not be using any Apple products, at all, anymore.

These kind of folks make it tough being a professional in the face of stupidity.

(sigh)

If this is the face of Apple service then I can't blame them for not wanting to use the products anymore. IMO Apple makes great products but by the looks of it the support people are arrogant <deleted>, and who wants to deal with that?

LOL.

Come on, you should know that support people anywhere think all of their customers/clients are mad. And they love to say so whenever they can get away with it, because if they say it on the job they will be fired.

Anyhoo, Apple customer service in my experience is brilliant in the U.S. - they will do anything for you - and lacking or non-existent in many other countries. Europe and Thailand are pretty bad. Singapore - naturally - is great.

[nikster]

I'm a very happy Mac user here in Thailand, but there are serious support issues.

I couldn't buy anything from the iTunes store until I started using a credit card for which I maintain a US billing address instead of my real Thai address.

I can't buy legitimate copies of software, either Apple or Aspyr, online and have them shipped here, because neither Apple nor Amazon (shipper used by Aspyr) will ship software here. As if I would actually get them if they were mailed to me here, of course.

I think many companies don't ship to places like Thailand aka the big, bad world out there, because of credit card fraud. Online credit card fraud is so easy, and if you ship your goods outside the country you pretty much have no realistic chance of following up on fraud attempts. It sucks but I kind of understand where they are coming from. Credit cards are such an incredibly insecure system one wonders how anyone had the idea of using them for internet payment.

That said, I have ordered lots of books and DVDs from Amazon (U.S.) and had no problems shipping to Thailand. Even worked with a credit card with a Thai billing address. I found it amazingly cool to be able to get very specialized books that even the biggest bookstores in the west probably don't have in stock. In a village in the mountains in northern Thailand.

As for iTunes, you really have to ask the big evil RIAA about that - they want to hold on to control of each country and so Apple must limit sales to inside that country. They are dinosaurs that hopefully will die out soon.

[Jimjim]

You do a lot of video work? So why don't you use the real thing and use Final Cut? I don't get it.

[ozzieman05]

Did you not read my post

when the problem started I had all the software I needed but Apples upgrade to 10.4.6 stopped me using Quicktime Pro

I was left with no choice

I had to upgrade my password

But they would not recognise my request in Thailand

At no stage did I say I did not use Final Cut Pro

My God grrrrrr

[DaffyDuck]

when the problem started I had all the software I needed but Apples upgrade to 10.4.6 stopped me using Quicktime Pro

Just for shits and giggles, I reinstalled a virgin OS X installation (10.4.2), upgraded it to QT 7.0. Then entered the QT 7.0 license code, tested it, and then ran the updater to 10.4.6, updated QuickTime to 7.2 - and lo and behold, it still works, and runs just fine, with the original QuickTime 7.0 license code. Apparently, Apple must have just pulled a 'sneakie' on *just* you, and no one else.

Unless, that is, you actually had a Quicktime 6.x installation, which does expire the license code and requires a new QT 7.x license code - something the upgrade process points out to you clearly.

I then proceeded to upgrade to 10.4.10, and the latest versions of QT Pro - still the same, the same license code continues working.

All I can say, is, 'Good for you', that you found a good tech - it's certainly true that Thailand has a shortage of good technical services for Macintosh users - but don't blame Apple for a problem that wasn't there to begin with. If he says that QT 7.1 can't be upgraded to QT 7.2 without a license upgrade, then he's just dragging you along for the ride...

At no stage did I say I did not use Final Cut Pro

Depending on which version of FCP you were using, I suspect you never bothered to upgrade the QT license that came with it, which could have been QT 6.x.

Never versions, particularly FCP 5.0, which you would have needed in order to get Universal Binary compatibility for your MacBook, included a license for QT 7.x, which we have established upgrades just fine to QT 7.1 and QT 7.2. Panthip specials, though, do not include that QT license, though.

I do also happen to know, that (coincidentally with the QT 7.2 upgrade) Apple expired a whole slew of QT Pro licenses that were pirated, i.e. that showed up all over the place), so maybe your license was (erroneously, I'm sure) included in the expired batch.

Either way, the Pattaya Tech you used appears to have solved your problem, as expected, by simply grabbing a recent license for you, which (obviously) did the trick.

Glad you like the MacBook - oh, and I'm NOT a Thailand based Mac Tech, just FYI.

Enjoy.

[stevenjm]

Apple support SUCKS in every country including AUSTRALIA. Heres my experience with their brilliant support. Had an ibook g3 and was living in Phnom Penh. This model was infamous for a design fault in motherboard in which display went.

Sure enough mine had the problem and when I checked their website it said that mine was covered by extended warranty due to admitted design flaw. Being in Phnom Penh I contacted my mother in oz and asked her to call apple and explain I was in Cambodia and could not return until after their deadline, Their reply - no problem.

Flew back to Aus, mainly for this reason, and took a one hour drive each way to drop it at chatswood. Then I get a call saying that they cannot fix it without auth from apple. Back on the phone to apple and they were virtually accusing my respected schoolteacher mother a liar and had her nearly in tears. Result - sorry you will have to pay about 1000 dollars to repair our admitted design flawed piece of shit ibook.

Went back to phnom penh and called apple agent in pantip and was told 400 dollars for repair. flew to bangkok and dropped it in and was told a it would take a couple of weeks so flew to phuket. was told on phone after a couple of weeks it was ready and flew back to bangkok. Well f.... me it was not ready when I got there (the only upside was they saved me from tsunami) so I leave it with them to repair and fly back to phnom penh.

about 3 months later they call and say its ready so I make plans to fly to aus withy bkk stopover. called them and said make sure its charged as I need to get some work done on flight to aus - yeah no problem we have charged it up.

fly to bkk and go to pantip to get it. First thing I notice is the housing around the screen is snapped and he tries to tell me it was like that, flicked through pics on computer and showed him pic of laptop with no crack and he admits they cracked it.

Next try to plug it in for charging as they have not charged it like I asked and the piece of shit would not even charge. Finally I am about to start swinging punches and he tells me no charge as they have not fixed it properly and I have to catch flight that afternoon and am fed up and not going to worry about it anymore.

fly back to aus and think well at least I can use it with power plug in and go to boot it up and the useless piece of crap is totally dead.

Thanks for honouring your word scumbags - send that to your apple mate.

it now sits as a useless dead memory of apple warranty experience in the back of a cupboard. Their service is renowned for being sub standard. What really pisse me off is I had to buy another new one as osx is only real choice for web developement on the move.

[ozzieman05]

It seems you know more than Apple themselves

Please read the following from the Apple Website

Apple security update fixes QuickTime flaw

Apple today released QuickTime 7.2 for Mac and Windows, an update to the multimedia software that addresses critical security issues and delivers full-screen support for viewing in QuickTime Player.

The update also brings enhanced H.264 codec support, and includes numerous bug fixes.

Apple recommends the update for all QuickTime 7.1 users, but warns that upgrading will disable the QuickTime Pro functionality in prior versions of QuickTime -- including QuickTime 7.1

Users choosing to install the update must purchase a new QuickTime 7.2 Pro key to regain QuickTime Pro functionality.

[bobthebob01]

Hello guys.

stevenjm, i agree with you on the Apple support. But i think what does not help us people living in Asia (i'm in vietnam), is the Asian mentality and the fact that customer service and customer satisfactory mean crap for them. It does not have the same meaning as we have in US, Canada (i'm from MTL), Australia etc...

i had the same problem with my in-laws 23' apple screen (white and blue one) that had a problem with the back light. Sine it was bought in the "authorize Apple retailer" in Siam Discovery Center in BKK, but brought it back to the one in the Central on their way to Ko Samui. the answer was: yes....yes...no problem (of course! in vietnam when they say yes...yes... that means something is wrong, if they only say 1 yes or 1 ok, then it should be good)

On their way back they pick it up and when we unpacked it in Hanoi we discover that the problem was actually never fixed.

Now unfortunately for them, we have friend living in BKK and they will take care of this. I'm curious to hear the final word from them.

here is another great experience in a Thai Apple shop: http://www.mangosauce.com/your_letters/mac...apple_store.php

what i am afraid and piss off to Apple about , is that they gave to the biggest IT company here in Vietnam the "authorized distributer" title. but the problem, is that this company is actually one of the worse i have ever dealt with.

Apple should be careful before they authorize some one to sell their product.

I need to buy 2 new Macbook Pro as soon as the new OS will be released. I will check here in Hanoi, but i know for sure that it will be very expensive (vietnamese are very greedy, they've been depraved for so long that they are catching up now!). Is there any good shop in BKK for apple?

thanks for sharing

cheers

[Mahout Angrit]

Is there any good shop in BKK for apple?

Maybe look at Apple Singapore as well, I think you will find them cheaper there, service will be better and as a non resident you will even get the VAT refunded as you leave.(and you wont have Thai characters on the keyboard (unless, of course, you need them))

[Richard-BKK]

Okay guys.... In a quick scan of the whole discussion I decided to try one Mac for the 10.4.10 upgrade.

Did not experienced unsolvable problems with QT Pro, easily fixed...but for a out little computer center we got into something else..... unexplainable cross-platform network problems.

Sometimes the Bonjour service see devices I wished we had, and most of the time 10.4.10 doesn't have a clue about device we truly have in our network. Some are very unique devices, but some are as simple a a Bonjour enabled media server, not want to bitch but even MS Windows 2K/XP/Vista gets this server.

Our luck is that VLC (Video Lan Client) runs notable better on 10.4.10, or maybe it is me trying to tell the wife it is not all bad..... (lesson 1 never mesh up a Thai wife 89k computer, they get moody)

****And guys with Ipod or Mac problems, show me some pictures..... because I have the feeling that a lot of bullshit stories here *****

Edited September 14, 2007 by Richard-BKK