I am going to buy a handicam digital video camera, I am in Japan but i will not be here forever, and most of the appliances i have bought here come with no English instructions.

I hear they are just as cheap or even cheaper in Thailand.

I will be going back via Hong Kong, does anybody know what the duty free shopping prices are like in Hong Kong, i know in Bkk they are more expensive than outside for some reason.

Anybody got one, any Tips or recommendations?

Thanks.

The thing about buying video cameras (I take it miniDV format) from Japan is that they're in NTSC format, like the US. Thailand, however, uses PAL. If you're planning on using it here in Thailand, then you might run into problems later on.

Video cameras are usually sold at MSRP (or higher) in Thailand, with very little difference between stores (unless you go to gray market stores). No discounts. In Japan, new models are usually expensive, but last year's models are usually heavily discounted. I don't know about the situation in HK.

hi,

Are u sure digicam in HK is cheaper than BKK? I don't think so. My friend went to HK last year and bought camcorder Hitachi DV cam, record direct to DVD-R. Then she came back to BKK and show me her camcorder. So i went to check the price in Thailand. Can u believe it was cheaper than HK. and have a garantee card too.

So, if u need to buy it from HK. pls check the price in Japan first. I think u should buy it from ur country. 'coz thai people always go to buy digital camera and camcorder from Japan.

My digital cam, Fuji S5000. I bought it from here, BKK at that time is about 19500 baht. While price in Japan is only 15000 or less.

Take Care,

Chat

You can get a good idea of the cost of many electronic items in Thailand from the following site:

tohome.com

Thanks for the replies, i will check them out,

I was home in Thailand a couple of months ago, and I saw the Canon Digital 300D (rebel), SLR Camera, for 42,000 Baht in Carrefour in Pattaya, that is cheaper than it was in Japan........anyway i am gonna check out some prices and i will post my findings, thanks again.

Generally I found some differences between the offers in Japan or outside. In Japan, in the Duty Free Shops all such sales are heavily discounted....often models are a bit different, too. It takes however time, to check this out and asking for the prices by yourself. You cannot just compare the prices printed in leaflets...

The difference is often made out of customs, VAT, or exchange-rates.

baht 15000 in Japan and 19500 in Thailand (imported, 7 perc. VAT added) sounds reasonable.

Often Japanese shop offers are including some additional software, or carry-bag, or additional memory-chips, bigger hard-disk and so on...

Strong price differences I found with special goods, like radio-amateur-transmitters, electronic testing tools, which are made in Japan and indeed here on the market they are clearly cheaper than anywhere overseas.

Canon EOS-300D

6.3 MegaPixel Digital SLR, 1.8 LCD

List Price : 42,586 Baht

Our Price : 33,551 Baht (Incl.Vat = 35,900 Baht) ,

That's from the site the Pvt Dick posted, I saw it in Japan at 125,000 yen a while ago, that's 46,000 Baht, but that was not in Akihabara. Somehow I cannot see that price in Thailand being beaten.

As Yohan said, maybe the goods Made in Japan are cheaper, but most big Japanese brand name equipment is made outside then imported into Japan.

I am going to buy a handicam digital video camera, I am in Japan but i will not be here forever, and most of the appliances i have bought here come with no English instructions.

I hear they are just as cheap or even cheaper in Thailand.

I will be going back via Hong Kong, does anybody know what the duty free shopping prices are like in Hong Kong, i know in Bkk they are more expensive than outside for some reason.

Anybody got one, any Tips or recommendations?

Thanks.

Begs,

Don't buy at the duty free in HK. The price for most electronic goods at HK duty free are way overpriced versus the HK street price and even Bangkok regular price.

If you don't mind buying from the street store (store warranty and no international warranty) you will probably find the price to be cheaper than Thailand but that gap is narrowing and also varies by items.

As an example, I was looking at the price for a 25" Flatscreen TV the other weekend in Bangkok. In comparison the price in Bangkok was cheaper than HK by around 20% - 30%.

Now if I could figure out my way around the weight issue I could have just checked it in as luggage and have myself a new TV.

I don't think that the Digital Rebel 300D is a good model to compare prices. From what I've heard in forum discussions, the 300D "kit" sold in Japan (and ONLY the one sold in Japan) comes with a USM (ultrasonic motor) lens. The ones sold everywhere else comes with a standard motor lens (lack of the "usm" acronym on the lens). I may be wrong.