In Thailand Everything Is Built Not To Last, Or So It Seems.

[Richb2004v2]

Sometimes it seems like everything in Thailand is built to last only until its been used once or twice. I am constantly finding things I have bought to break within months, weeks or even days of buying them. And I don't just mean cheap items or none named goods. Every week something else big or small gives up the ghost. I used to try to fix things replace them or have them fixed but I have now more or less given up trying to keep on top of things.

The hot water boiler/kettle I bought two months ago now only functions with the top open. The breakers on my home electrics keep tripping out with increasing frequency, my shower hasn't heated the water properly from day one, my outside water filter was installed incorrectly and needs rectifying, and then today I realised that 8 of the 12 Philips light bulbs I bought and installed last week have gone. It is amazing! There are other things too. It seems like a false economy here to have to buy things again and again. They may be cheap but they don't last. Even power extensions break after a few months or don't work in the first place. Things that last a life time back home last maybe a year at best here. I now understand why most Thais live in shells of houses with little in the way of decoration and full of junk.

The secret would be I guess to rent a condo or house and don't even attempt to make it comfortable or homely.

[dumball]

Have you never heard of factory seconds or rejects ? I worked for a large company manufacturing light bulbs/flourecent tubes and sealed beam units , as long as they lit up they were boxed and had a ready market .

[thaitot]

The cheap Chinese goods in the west are of better quality than what you get in Thailand.

The clothes even if made in Thailand or Bangladesh and exported to the west are of better quality and at the same cost.

Just my observation

[Benjie]

Just sounds like you have bad electrical wiring in your house.

I've lived in my house for just over 2 years and around 3% of my bulbs have needed replacing (I have around 90 bulbs throughout the house), the only other thing to go has been one of the hot water heaters, but that was the one that was little used and a no name brand.

Edited November 22, 2009 by Benjie

[trogers]

Sounds like you have a Haunting. Time to get a psychic to visit.

[MrRichard2009]

Honestly I have those items that work just fine that are almost 10 years old. My guess is you have had a run of bad luck or need to shop somewhere else. But I would agree their is a worldwide quality deterioration in consumer products. I think the Thais that don't have much in the way of decoration probabbly can't afford it. All the homes in my neighborhood are decorated and similar to a home in America as far as decoration goes.

[toptuan]

I noticed it with power extensions (we call them "power strips" in my country) when I first came here. Back in the west, I had at least 5 or 6 of these and never replaced them over a period of 10+ years. Here, I also have about 5 or 6 of these units, and I'm replacing them at the rate of 1 every 3 to 4 months. It doesn't matter what price I pay for them, either. My house electrical system is fine, as everything else seems to work ok (bulbs, computer, TV, A/C, etc.)

I'm also living in a fairly comfortable apartment which is about 5 years old (I moved in when it was new). In that time, I've replaced all the electric switches and outlets at least once, and replaced 4 out of 5 water faucets. I've also replaced about 15 1.5m x 1.5m ceiling tiles in a drop-ceiling. This rate of built-in product deterioration is astronomically higher than anything I experienced in the west.

I agree with the OP, I only seem to have time to simply try to keep the basics in usable repair. No time to think about beautifying the place.

By the way, in our neck of the woods, the renter shoulders all the maintenance costs--from wall switches to new roofs. It's one of the trade-offs for a 2,500 baht monthly rental charge.

Edited November 22, 2009 by toptuan

[garyh]

Honestly I have those items that work just fine that are almost 10 years old. My guess is you have had a run of bad luck or need to shop somewhere else. But I would agree their is a worldwide quality deterioration in consumer products. I think the Thais that don't have much in the way of decoration probabbly can't afford it. All the homes in my neighborhood are decorated and similar to a home in America as far as decoration goes.

Maybe it is because you bought yours 10 years ago, quality just keeps dropping, all the chinese crap flooding the market is driving prices and quality down. Really the consumer is to blame because most will buy the cheaper product rather then the more expensive quality item, so the manufacturers fight it out on price.

[seaeagle]

Anything and everything can be built to "a cost". Manufacturers know they can't put quality into products here, because the locals generally can't afford them, So, the product is built to a different cost than it is for sale in other countries.

BTW, ever noticed the quality and longevity of car tryes here? Appalling.

[toptuan]

Anything and everything can be built to "a cost". Manufacturers know they can't put quality into products here, because the locals generally can't afford them, So, the product is built to a different cost than it is for sale in other countries.

BTW, ever noticed the quality and longevity of car tryes here? Appalling.

Makes perfect sense. Incidentally, I buy computers and motorbike tires at twice the rate I did in the States, just to keep functioning.

[Nio]

I think even Big C and Tesco Lotus are forgoing quality for lower prices

Over the past 5 years and more noticeably this year, it seems Tesco and Big C have replaced many items with cheaper quality junk from China.

From Electrical to tools, many, many items are very cheaply made.

I had a large tupperware tub in the shopping cart, it fell out on the floor and a 14" piece broke right out of the side. This is absolute junk if you ask me.

Small appliances I always stick with Brand Names and try to buy at Central so at least they last.

But all in all, you have to be very, very careful and check everything before you buy it

Money is becoming more important than ever here in Thailand and all ethics are flying out here as fast as lightning

[garyh]

I think even Big C and Tesco Lotus are forgoing quality for lower prices

Over the past 5 years and more noticeably this year, it seems Tesco and Big C have replaced many items with cheaper quality junk from China.

From Electrical to tools, many, many items are very cheaply made.

I had a large tupperware tub in the shopping cart, it fell out on the floor and a 14" piece broke right out of the side. This is absolute junk if you ask me.

Small appliances I always stick with Brand Names and try to buy at Central so at least they last.

But all in all, you have to be very, very careful and check everything before you buy it

Money is becoming more important than ever here in Thailand and all ethics are flying out here as fast as lightning

If it is Tupperware it has a lifetime warranty.

[hardy1943]

I think even Big C and Tesco Lotus are forgoing quality for lower prices

Over the past 5 years and more noticeably this year, it seems Tesco and Big C have replaced many items with cheaper quality junk from China.

From Electrical to tools, many, many items are very cheaply made.

I had a large tupperware tub in the shopping cart, it fell out on the floor and a 14" piece broke right out of the side. This is absolute junk if you ask me.

Small appliances I always stick with Brand Names and try to buy at Central so at least they last.

But all in all, you have to be very, very careful and check everything before you buy it

Money is becoming more important than ever here in Thailand and all ethics are flying out here as fast as lightning

Just build a beautiful house used the finest products , German or Japanese, used some Kohler manufactured here too, paid my workers well some 400 to 500 Baht a day,they where worth every penny, have 3 hot water tanks with copper tubing plumbing, I did have to fire a couple incompetent sub-contractors but replaced them. I will put this house up

against any house build in the USA for workmanship. I was a contractor in the states for over 35 years. One thing I learned here they are either suberb or incompetent.May I was just lucky but I worked with them all the way, found them loyal and very hard working and willing to learn after I proved myself to them.You get what you pay for and I got the best end result at a very reasonable price.

[givenall]

The cheap Chinese goods in the west are of better quality than what you get in Thailand.

The clothes even if made in Thailand or Bangladesh and exported to the west are of better quality and at the same cost.

Just my observation

Similar products that are sold in Thailand whether is made here or imported have a lot weaker standard than what we are used to in US or Europe. I guess you get what you pay for

[t.s]

this dovetails with the everything i buy is too expensive thread.

"yes, i know you can buy a fan at the market for 900 baht, but i dont want to buy another one to replace it next month". never actually happens in my home, but have witnessed the conversation.

incandescent bulbs are the worst, but if you are not running dimmers, fluorescent bulbs now come with that warmer incandescent tone.

i have a nasty beard (not as shown), but have no issue with razors, a complaint i hear often from others.

the power is just too dirty off the grid, with fluctuation from 190 to

240+ in my house in central bkk. i have had a number of western appliances like mixing boards, home theatre amps etc. i have stopped buing things with electric timers as well. microwaves especially.

i also bought a large power conditioner and rewired critical circuits. havent had an issue since, but it trips almost monthly.

Edited November 22, 2009 by t.s

[t.s]

I think even Big C and Tesco Lotus are forgoing quality for lower prices

the two largest low end consumer franchises in the country forgoing quality for lower prices? who would have thought it?

gee, why dont my 50 baht underwear last?

Edited November 22, 2009 by t.s

[greytown]

the power is just too dirty off the grid, with fluctuation from 190 to

240+ in my house in central bkk. i have had a number of western appliances like mixing boards, home theatre amps etc. i have stopped buing things with electric timers as well. microwaves especially.

i also bought a large power conditioner and rewired critical circuits. havent had an issue since, but it trips almost monthly.

Any suggestions for a good portable power conditioner / surge protector (available to purchase in the west or Thailand) to use when traveling in Thailand with a laptop?

Edited November 22, 2009 by greytown

[t.s]

the power is just too dirty off the grid, with fluctuation from 190 to

240+ in my house in central bkk. i have had a number of western appliances like mixing boards, home theatre amps etc. i have stopped buing things with electric timers as well. microwaves especially.

i also bought a large power conditioner and rewired critical circuits. havent had an issue since, but it trips almost monthly.

Any suggestions for a good portable power conditioner / surge protector (available to purchase in the west or Thailand) to use when traveling in Thailand with a laptop?

most laptops have power supplies that can handle most conditions. much more likely to have cooling or hardware, or dust issues.

[dumball]

You can buy a pre-plug in surge protector in the west to use for low use items such as computers and lamps , then plug your item into it , the ones you can buy similar in Thailand do not last long . I have a large surge control unit here in Cambodia and have not lost even a light bulb in over 4 years . Hope that helps .

[David006]

:D

...If not I'll cry..absolutely true mate, I have been thinking that for years..I thought it just must be my luck!

A few things:

-- New Japanese pressure water pump started to leak after three months..

-- I am on my third mid priced DVD player in 4years..just fitted a computer fan in the back of the entertainment cupboard unit ..maybe that will help

strangely enough my old Denon compact pre mp3 cd/radio player still going strong....brought IT from Oz.

-- light bulbs Philips ....don't talk about it!

-- ceramic relatively expensive kitchen tap drips!

-- Tools: all the wooden handles break! ( maybe my overzealous brush cutting), new skil saw burned out commutator in three months, spade bent, rake snapped at weld etc

-- gas regulator started leaking propane after 1 year

-- plastic Panasonic washing machine dryer lid snapped at hinge

-- and of course re the shower heaters have to turn the tap down to "dribble" before its decently hot..both new..suspect this is a function of the voltage as they are rated 3500w an unlikely requirement of what?...about 16 amps at 210v good luck in rural areas like ours.

okay bored now ??...but you get the drift...

maybe its the constant changes in temperature humidity...not sure its an overall Thailand quality issue ..maybe just Friday pm or Monday morning product? The wife tells me "you not careful"....who knows?

[cobra]

You'd think the axiom you get what you pay for would hold true here unfortunately it doesn't always apply,

The bane of cheap knock-offs like sun glasses, watches, etc, have a predictable half-life of several days to weeks and we're ok with that because they were essentially throw away items.

But big ticket items like AC's, electronics, tools, you'd hope would last for at least a few years but rarely do.

So maybe it is more prudent just to buy the cheapest and resolve that your going to be replacing soon.

[jackr]

The breakers on my home electrics keep tripping out with increasing frequency, my shower hasn't heated the water properly from day one

Could be dodgy wiring there, although agree stuff seems to give up real easy.

[Scott]

I used to complain about the quality of Thai products. Then the market opened up to Chinese products--these made Thai products look good. I bought two fans made in China and they both lasted a little over 1 month and that wasn't anything even closely approaching heavy use.

I now start searching the box to see if it's made in China. If so, I don't buy it.

If it's made in Thailand (and I am reasonably sure it's made in Thailand and not relabeled from China), I buy it.

Best alternative: buy imported from the West. (German products are expensive, but very superior and they do last a long time).

[Bagwan]

An old lady once said to me that she was too poor to buy cheap.

I refuse to buy anything manufactured in China because I have doubts about its durability, and as I tell the shop assistant, buying Chinese is a factor in the export of Thai jobs. Mind you there are very few things of Thai manufacture in my nest. 'Made in Great Britain' has not cut any ice with me for years either.

[parryhandy]

I have this imaginary QC department scene in my head for a lot of things here.

QC Inspector- " bad batch here boss , all fail !"

Boss -" but do they work at the moment ?"

QC Inspector- "yes but......"

Boss-"no worries we can send this lot to Thailand"

[Richb2004v2]

I think even Big C and Tesco Lotus are forgoing quality for lower prices

Over the past 5 years and more noticeably this year, it seems Tesco and Big C have replaced many items with cheaper quality junk from China.

From Electrical to tools, many, many items are very cheaply made.

I had a large tupperware tub in the shopping cart, it fell out on the floor and a 14" piece broke right out of the side. This is absolute junk if you ask me.

Small appliances I always stick with Brand Names and try to buy at Central so at least they last.

But all in all, you have to be very, very careful and check everything before you buy it

Money is becoming more important than ever here in Thailand and all ethics are flying out here as fast as lightning

Just build a beautiful house used the finest products , German or Japanese, used some Kohler manufactured here too, paid my workers well some 400 to 500 Baht a day,they where worth every penny, have 3 hot water tanks with copper tubing plumbing, I did have to fire a couple incompetent sub-contractors but replaced them. I will put this house up

against any house build in the USA for workmanship. I was a contractor in the states for over 35 years. One thing I learned here they are either suberb or incompetent.May I was just lucky but I worked with them all the way, found them loyal and very hard working and willing to learn after I proved myself to them.You get what you pay for and I got the best end result at a very reasonable price.

I think you are fortunate to know what you are looking at and how the jobs should be done. In my case I was only present part of the time my house was built and I'm not in construction. Through simple logic and common sense I did question several aspects of their work and I was told by the Thai workers that I was mistaken. I naively took their word for it. Of course months later I realized I had been right in every case.

Last night I found a floodlight in the garden had given up. It's been installed for about 4 years and used only half a dozen times for a couple of minutes each time. This was installed by a different outfit to those that built the house. Most of the things that have gone wrong have been done by different people, so it's not just one protagonist responsible.

Some of the shoddy work carried out on my house I see repeated on many houses around my estate.

[ignis]

It is the simple things that are used every day that gets me........

Long handled mop, the handle breaks/rusts off every 5 - 7 weeks...

Is there any normal mops that will last longer?

Anyone looking for 2nd hand near new mop heads? have about 30

At long last found a nice mop at 'Tops' with a handle that screws in. ha ha ha that handle broke yesterday lasted 5 weeks + 1 day.. + no have not found a handle with the same thread to screw into the head. Took a long time to clean the floors yesterday on my hands and knees with just a mop head

Last year found a nice mop in Home Pro, the handle looked better + cost over double more than the normal 159 baht mops, but that broke but did last longer, sadly have not seen that type of mop again... The problem was the handle screwed in but the rust made it impossible to get out, so I do have 2 spare blue handles for this type..

Could see the present mop was rusting under the plastic, so looked when I went shopping this last week, there was a new mop set with bucket @ 1,380 baht....... But that is expensive if it only last a few weeks....

Re electric light bulbs, in over 5 years only had to replace 4, 2 in the smaller Fish Tank and one in the Large Fish tank and 1 in the Desk light. but have replaced 5 12v one in the pond

[hhgz]

"Sometimes it seems like everything in Thailand is built to last only until its been used once or twice."

For many Thais, price is the only consideration. Come to think of it, many TVers have the same perspective. Follow the various threads, you'll always find something that begins with "where's the cheapest...?"

I have a farang friend who just built a home for him and his wife, and he complained to me about the leaking roof. I've built many homes for Habitat for Humanity, and I asked him some questions. He finally admitted that he purchased used shingles for the roofing. I asked why and he responded, "They were so much cheaper than new ones."

[tig28]

Any suggestions for a good portable power conditioner / surge protector (available to purchase in the west or Thailand) to use when traveling in Thailand with a laptop?

http://www.apc.com/products/resource/inclu...ase_sku=LE1200I

An excellent product --- can be purchased in Thailand. If you import make certain to order the international model.

[ThaiSunshine]

After 12 years in LOS I never buy Made In Thailand or Made In China stuff.....I only buy the imported goods - and I save myself a lot o f worries, and actually also saves myself a lot of money buying the charp crap over and over again when it give up the spirit......