Surge Protecors In Thailand - Easily Available Or Not ?

[torrenova]

I need a surge protector for a few new pieces of electronic equipment. No hard wired telephone connection so not worried about it including telephone lines.

Trouble is I am not there to get one and would like to send the missus to BigC or Tesco etc.

Anyone know what is generally and easily available ?

Thanks

[jfchandler]

I've been looking for them lately.... and bought one as well...

The Tesco and Big C stock and models I've seen have been pretty meager, and not really inspiring of confidence, generally... They mostly looked cheap and Chinese made.

On the other hand, in looking at Carrefour, I did find what appears to be a good, more substantial looking model with 6 multi-style plug slots, a good thick electrical cord, and packaged as a Carrefour brand... I think about 250 to 300 baht....

The configuration is two rows of three plugs side by side, each row with its own breaker switch. Package was gold and black color, as I said, with the Carrefour brand packaging.

They also had several different varieties, each with a different configuration of plug style on the end of the cord, depending on the type of outlets you have in your place of intended use.

I'm using it with my TV and laptop and misc. other electronics in the bedroom at home... If I had really expensive stuff and wanted to be double careful, I'd probably go looking at FortuneTown IT or Pantip...

[torrenova]

I've been looking for them lately.... and bought one as well...

The Tesco and Big C stock and models I've seen have been pretty meager, and not really inspiring of confidence, generally... They mostly looked cheap and Chinese made.

On the other hand, in looking at Carrefour, I did find what appears to be a good, more substantial looking model with 6 multi-style plug slots, a good thick electrical cord, and packaged as a Carrefour brand... I think about 250 to 300 baht....

The configuration is two rows of three plugs side by side, each row with its own breaker switch. Package was gold and black color, as I said, with the Carrefour brand packaging.

They also had several different varieties, each with a different configuration of plug style on the end of the cord, depending on the type of outlets you have in your place of intended use.

I'm using it with my TV and laptop and misc. other electronics in the bedroom at home... If I had really expensive stuff and wanted to be double careful, I'd probably go looking at FortuneTown IT or Pantip...

Are you really talking a surge protector ? I think you might be talking an extension lead. An individual switch is not protection.

I'm on about something which blows like a fuse if there is a surge and doesn't let that surge through to the end equipment, not just an extension with individual on / off switches.

[fantuzi]

I'm on about something which blows like a fuse if there is a surge and doesn't let that surge through to the end equipment, not just an extension with individual on / off switches.

You have to remember,that devices you are looking for, are like fuses - once its blown its gone!you need to replace it.There are some cheap on market,not difficult to find.

Better ones - from Belkin,for instance ,are rather expensive.Another solution is - UPS,they have the same protection and more.

[torrenova]

You have to remember,that devices you are looking for, are like fuses - once its blown its gone!you need to replace it.There are some cheap on market,not difficult to find.

Better ones - from Belkin,for instance ,are rather expensive.Another solution is - UPS,they have the same protection and more.

I know, I have Belkin and Philips in some places but again, I am not there to cover this, so I need something which someone who can, with very little understanding about what it does, buy at a shop near Nang Rong, Buriram. Otherwise they would buy a Bt59 extension and we'd blow up 20k of equipment !

[ignis]

Been here 7 years...

Pleanty of named 'surge protector' extensions from 3 - 600 baht.... problem is they appear not to last that long just bought 2 more for the kitchen, 1x 299 baht the other higher powered for the nicrowave and Deep fat frier 545baht, that is at least the 5th in 7 years.! they just appear to keep cutting out after about 6 - 9 months, then stop working all together.

I have a 10 socket 'surge protector' used every day from the UK, bought 11years ago, so must be made better or something.?

Pc + everything to do with the PC have a UPS... PC + 2x extensions plugged into it. Likewise TV's + everything to do with TV's are also on UPS = I have 4x UPS.

The battery last about 2 years in an UPS, but a new one cost around 250 - 300 baht, so really works out a lot cheaper over the years than the surge protector extension leads.

Edit: UPS cost 1,400baht up

Edited February 21, 2010 by ignis

[garyh]

If you really want to protect your equipment go to a computer store and buy a Uninteruptuble power supply UPS this will give much better protect and if power drops out it will keep the device running for a few minutes. They are not real expensive, around 1500 Baht.

[samuijimmy]

You need to know what wattage your equipment is using. The UPS protectors are rated by wattage. ie 400 watts, 800 watts etc.

I just increased the power supply in my computer & then had to get a higher capacity UPS ....

Also a voltage regulator is s good idea too.

I have the Voltage regulator, then the UPS after that, just as double "insurance"... I certainly would not trust the cheap Power Bars to do the job.

After loosing a computer once, that was enough.... (& it makes no difference whether you are in Thailand or any where else in the world).

Better to buy a high end version than a cheap one ..... Most better Computer shops or good electrical stores carry a wide range.... Tesco & the like do not....

Edited February 22, 2010 by samuijimmy

[welo]

If going for a power extension with surge protection I'd check the following:

• Does any on/off switch cut both phases/lines or only one. Dump it if only one is cut.
  
• Do they actually connect the grounding wire to each separate outlet? You will find all kind of weird setups, the most common one is providing outlets with 3 pins but connecting the extension only with 2 pins to the wall outlet. However, even if both outlets and plug have 3 pins I would check that the line actually is connected
  

Of course you might not require either of those (e.g. if you not have grounding in your house), but my assumption is that if you find an extension in Thailand that fulfills these criteria then the company knows what it is doing and the extension should be of good overall quality. Well, maybe that's just my logic.

welo

[jfchandler]

If folks will notice, the OP said his purchase needed to be done in Buriram...not Bangkok, which presumably limits the store choices... And he didn't say it was for a PC, just electronics worth about 20K baht...

For whatever it's worth, the unit I bought at CF (does Buriram have a CF???) is indeed a surge protector, in addition to having multiple outlets and on-off switches. I don't have the original packaging with me, but read it carefully at the time I purchased.

I need to get another unit...so I'll look again today and see if I can post a pix here... The regular Thai stores all stock what seems like the same brand of very cheap looking ONLY power strips, no surge capacity, for prices that seem to range from 60 to 150 baht. 3 to 5 meter cords, very thin, which I'd never use for any of my electronics stuff.

Separately, for my PC and related stuff in the living room, I use good quality strip search protectors purchased in the U.S. and a 600 watt APC UPS unit purchased here in Thailand, which carries juice for about 18 minutes in the event of power outages, and very brief ones seem to happen quite regularly here in my neighborhood of BKK.... But since I got the UPS, don't bother me anymore...

[Beggar]

I have those extension plugs with surge protection. We had a severe and long power surge here at my apartment block. The result was that the TV burned down and the PSU of the computer was dead (the monitor I could switch off quickly enough). BUT the extension plug with surge protection had no damage. So it seems to work.

Could be that I used the wrong wall socket. I have only two connections there. Perhaps these plugs need an extra ground connection to work. On the other hand they sell those surge protection plugs with two contacts only too. So now I have a surge protection plug with 3 contacts going into a surge protection plug with 2 contacts. No idea if this makes sense. But it gives me at least a better feeling.

Of course - a good UPS might be the way to go. I am still saving

[garyh]

If folks will notice, the OP said his purchase needed to be done in Buriram...not Bangkok, which presumably limits the store choices... And he didn't say it was for a PC, just electronics worth about 20K baht...

For whatever it's worth, the unit I bought at CF (does Buriram have a CF???) is indeed a surge protector, in addition to having multiple outlets and on-off switches. I don't have the original packaging with me, but read it carefully at the time I purchased.

I need to get another unit...so I'll look again today and see if I can post a pix here... The regular Thai stores all stock what seems like the same brand of very cheap looking ONLY power strips, no surge capacity, for prices that seem to range from 60 to 150 baht. 3 to 5 meter cords, very thin, which I'd never use for any of my electronics stuff.

Separately, for my PC and related stuff in the living room, I use good quality strip search protectors purchased in the U.S. and a 600 watt APC UPS unit purchased here in Thailand, which carries juice for about 18 minutes in the event of power outages, and very brief ones seem to happen quite regularly here in my neighborhood of BKK.... But since I got the UPS, don't bother me anymore...

UPS is mainly designed for PC and sold in computer shops but are excellent for TV's etc.

[NanLaew]

Only 2 brands of surge protected outlet strip you should consider purchasing, Belkin or Wanpro.

Everything else is sh!te.

PS. I have only seen Belkin at Carrefour and only seen Wanpro at certain HomePro outlets.

Edited February 22, 2010 by NanLaew

[welo]

Only 2 brands of surge protected outlet strip you should consider purchasing, Belkin or Wanpro.

Everything else is sh!te.

PS. I have only seen Belkin at Carrefour and only seen Wanpro at certain HomePro outlets.

Found Belkin outlet strips at Pantip Plaza (Bangkok) yesterday starting at 2xx THB for 3 outlets up to 1300 THB for 8(?) outlets. Surge capacity increased with number of outlets. Two different series, the cheaper one white and the most expensive outlet brownish, and surge capacity and security 'features' increasing with number of outlets and price. All with 3 line plugs (ground) and good build quality.

welo

[garyh]

Only 2 brands of surge protected outlet strip you should consider purchasing, Belkin or Wanpro.

Everything else is sh!te.

PS. I have only seen Belkin at Carrefour and only seen Wanpro at certain HomePro outlets.

Found Belkin outlet strips at Pantip Plaza (Bangkok) yesterday starting at 2xx THB for 3 outlets up to 1300 THB for 8(?) outlets. Surge capacity increased with number of outlets. Two different series, the cheaper one white and the most expensive outlet brownish, and surge capacity and security 'features' increasing with number of outlets and price. All with 3 line plugs (ground) and good build quality.

welo

If it doesn't have a ground it is worthless.

[welo]

[...] All with 3 line plugs (ground) and good build quality.

If it doesn't have a ground it is worthless.

If your house doesn't have ground it does not make much difference, does it? (Other than being an indicator for good quality, at least in Thailand).

So the question probably is: do surge protectors work without ground?

welo

[garyh]

[...] All with 3 line plugs (ground) and good build quality.

If it doesn't have a ground it is worthless.

If your house doesn't have ground it does not make much difference, does it? (Other than being an indicator for good quality, at least in Thailand).

So the question probably is: do surge protectors work without ground?

welo

Open one up and look at the circuit, there are components connected to ground to get rid of any surge.

So "do surge protectors work without ground?" they might have some placebo effect!

[welo]

Open one up and look at the circuit, there are components connected to ground to get rid of any surge.

So "do surge protectors work without ground?" they might have some placebo effect!

Well, that makes sense to me. Thought that maybe they could redirect the surge in a capacitor or just cut the line in case of a surge... But I obviously don't know much about it and trust you on this one

welo

[garyh]

Open one up and look at the circuit, there are components connected to ground to get rid of any surge.

So "do surge protectors work without ground?" they might have some placebo effect!

Well, that makes sense to me. Thought that maybe they could redirect the surge in a capacitor or just cut the line in case of a surge... But I obviously don't know much about it and trust you on this one

welo

You would want some very large capacitors.

For your own sake you should have an earth on every power point in your house and a earth leakage protection device(these do save lives). Electrical safety has about as high priority in Thailand as does road safety.