Automotive Relays

[Jingjok]

Does anyone know where I can buy good quality (eg Bosch) car electrical relays in Phuket please?

[HDRIDER]

HI

Not far from BKK Phuket international hospital, same side when you come from Lotus, think they have it or can get it, can’t remember the name.

[dreaminthai]

The shop is called Phuket Allied, on the west side of thepaksattri road near to the esso petrol station. They have a small car park by the side and have most common auto parts in stock. Best to take a sample if you can.

[Jingjok]

RELAYS: A cautionary tale

Gentlemen, many thanks for the advice.

I found Phuket Allied, and another shop called Saam Koong, on the same road.

As advised, I did take a sample. Asking for anything remotely technical in Thai is way beyond me!

I didn’t get very far though. There are two main types of automotive relay: on/off (SPST) and changover (SPDT). I wanted SPDT.

Allied INSISTED that the standard on/off they tried to sell me was the same as my sample, an SPDT. Ignoring the fact that the circuit diagram is embossed on the side of the bloody package, they insisted it was the same. Well, they are both little black cubes, so maybe that's what they meant.

Irritating and dangerous: fitting the wrong one could cause expensive damage in some circuits, especially in modern cars full of electronics (although mine isn't).

Luckily I sometimes know what I'm talking about and I'm the argumentative type!

Saam Koong did the same: immediately on seeing the little black cube, tendered a SPST without even looking. Again I had to argue, and get the bloke from the back (who was quite knowledgeable) to come out, before I got what I wanted. I needed ten, but of course they had only two. He called Bangkok: no stock, waiting for import.

I also bought some wiper blades for a Suzuki Jeep. Hardly an exotic, but they were wrong as well. Luckily I insisted of seeing them fitted before leaving.

Had I sent a colleague to buy these simple things, and not gone personally, all the items would have been wrong.

Aargh!!! I give up. An afternoon wasted. I ordered the relays over the net from Europe. Will be here in ten days.