Nikon Factory In Thailand

[HTWoodson]

I was reading that all of Nikon's DX cameras and lenses are now produced at their Thai facility in Ayuthaya. (FX are still made in Japan) Has anyone been up there? Just wondering if you can pick up lenses directly from the factory and if they have a repair facility.

[astral]

Usually these factories are for export only with no direct customer interaction

[neverdie]

^ I have been also told that astral. It would also seem that whilst the lenses are being made here, they are still being flogged to the thais at a much higher price than what they retail for in other parts of the world. go figure

[astral]

It is the same with Seagate disks and the like.

[Nordlys]

It's in Rojana industrial estate in Rojana, Ayutthaya. And it seems FX models are now also manufactured there including D3X (previously in Japan). Like you can't buy a car or get it repaired at the factory, doubt you can do that with a camera.

they are still being flogged to the thais at a much higher price than what they retail for in other parts of the world. go figure

I've once paid 22,000 baht for Toshiba air purifier made in Thailand, the same model sold in Japan for as little as 5,000 baht there (also made in Thailand). The same air purifier is still sold in Thailand at the same price almost 3 years after during which period it has long been discontinued in Japan and replaced with new model for at least three times.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Nordlys

[HTWoodson]

Yea, that's about what I figured. At least with a car, Honda for example, you can go to the Honda dealership, owned by Honda, buy a car and have a Honda mechanic work on your car, for fixed prices. I hate that with Nikon (or any camera brand) I have to go to lousy resellers with ridiculous mark ups that want to try and squeeze me for every baht I've got.

And yea, it's absurd that the same lens that is made in Ayuthaya is cheaper when shipped all the way to the other side of the planet and mailed back from an internet seller than it is buying it here.

Oh well, can't be changed. It felt good to get that off my chest though.

[astral]

Perhaps you should have bought Canon.

At least they have their own service centres around the country.

[HTWoodson]

I am a little jealous.

Canon had a huge display in the Airport Plaza Mall in Chiang Mai this weekend. Had cameras set up with massive telephotos looking the length of the mall, for anyone to come up and play with. Cute girls in Canon miniskirts. You guys have all the fun.