Just Be A Little Careful With These Adapters.

[JAS21]

I use these as I have some electrical equipment from the UK and also the electric lawnmower I bought here has a UK style plug.

I was checking the earth continuity of something and found it open circuit. I eventually traced it back to this adapter, it looks like it is made by Wonpro and I think it came from HomePro. No matter how hard I pressed the earth pin in I couldn’t get it to touch the strap..maybe there was a bit missing. The adapter was not new and I had used it on and off for a while.

So just a word of warning…if you use these check that the earth pin is actually connected to the earth strap inside. This one might have being a ‘one off’ but fortunately I found it.

[PattayaParent]

Didn't you know that an earth connection in Thailand is just for decoration and they have no practical use?

[willi2006]

When the wall plug isn't earthed correctly which is common in Thailand than a proper adapter won't help.

[TiredTeacher]

The only real earthing that happens here are in houses where the owner is a very smart and rich person - very rare (although many are rich).

Besides this, earthing might be in place for water heaters in showers... no matter how dopey the world may be... people do not like getting fried in the shower!

So, don't stress yourself too much... the plugs are often for show and the sockets are just as effective!

[yankee99]

Many buildings here do not supply earth ground so checking is useless....If the water pipes were copper then you might have a chance..

[H2oDunc]

As said, 99% of houses in Thailand do not have any earthing system so the adapter being faulty will not make a blind bit of difference !

[Forkinhades]

The only real earthing that happens here are in houses where the owner is a very smart and rich person - very rare (although many are rich).

Besides this, earthing might be in place for water heaters in showers... no matter how dopey the world may be... people do not like getting fried in the shower!

So, don't stress yourself too much... the plugs are often for show and the sockets are just as effective!

I must disagree, I am indeed not rich, live in a modest 3 mill house, and have earthed it myself by installing an earth rod, and have installed a dual RCD DB, also I have UK style plugs, and plugs installed throughout my house. My plugs are also fused

All my sockets are earthed, and my showers are earthed, and indeed supplied with the correct size cable, so as to prevent fire hazards aswell.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Forkinhades

[H2oDunc]

Sorry to have to disagree you but you are in a minority of several that has done this. for the rest of the country you are either rich and had it built in or as said smart. I would put you in the samrt class so still correct, unless you disagree about you being smart

Plus if the house had an earthing system then you would not need an adapter as the socket itself needs to be a three pin socket. A Thai socket with just 2 pins equals NO EARTH

[Forkinhades]

Sorry to have to disagree you but you are in a minority of several that has done this. for the rest of the country you are either rich and had it built in or as said smart. I would put you in the samrt class so still correct, unless you disagree about you being smart

Plus if the house had an earthing system then you would not need an adapter as the socket itself needs to be a three pin socket. A Thai socket with just 2 pins equals NO EARTH

OK I will settle for smart

[JAS21]

Sorry to have to disagree you but you are in a minority of several that has done this. for the rest of the country you are either rich and had it built in or as said smart. I would put you in the samrt class so still correct, unless you disagree about you being smart

Plus if the house had an earthing system then you would not need an adapter as the socket itself needs to be a three pin socket. A Thai socket with just 2 pins equals NO EARTH

OK I will settle for smart

No it's not you that are smart, it's the rest who are dim. Clearly some mis-understood...I need that adapter so that I can use my equipment brought from the UK in my 3-pin Thai sockets...as previously stated.

[kamalabob2]

Those adapters are an "electrocution waiting to happen". The largest authorized HP dealership in our province had a "technician" install a computer, printer, monitor and scanner a few years back in our 2000 baht a month rental house which did have real Panasonic grounded wall sockets, Square D breakers, a grounding rod all installed by an off duty PEA staff person at my expense. But the computer technician without my knowledge used a cheap adapter as in the OP photo for our Brother laser jet printer and a LCD monitor. I kept getting mild shocks and one day I realized those "British type" plugs would in fact go safely into a grounded power strip (with 3 wires in the cord, not the fake un-grounded power strip) such as a DATA or Carrefour power strip. The other option is to cut off the end of the Britsh type plug and install a well made Hubbell or Cooper wiring grounded male plug which are sold in Thailand. The plastic adapter is the "weak link", not necessary if you buy the correct power strip.

[Spoonman]

Kamala, that PC/Monitor/Printer should have been on a UPS.

[powderpuff]

I have a couple of Robert Bosch electric drills which the manufacturer states do not need to be grounded.

That's because the case is plastic & the manufacturer claims are "double insulated".

A lot of 2 pin Thai sockets are perfectly adequate for what they are used for such a toaster, light bulb etc.

Before you start screaming my condo & my house are fully grounded.

Agree on the Cooper & Hubbell plugs. Better hi-fi shops sell them

Only rated to 10 amps at 120 mvolts though which ain't much.

[Forkinhades]

I have a couple of Robert Bosch electric drills which the manufacturer states do not need to be grounded.

That's because the case is plastic & the manufacturer claims are "double insulated".

A lot of 2 pin Thai sockets are perfectly adequate for what they are used for such a toaster, light bulb etc.

Before you start screaming my condo & my house are fully grounded.

Agree on the Cooper & Hubbell plugs. Better hi-fi shops sell them

Only rated to 10 amps at 120 mvolts though which ain't much.

I would be very careful with a piece of electrical equipment that you have to hold whislt operating, despite the manufactures claims. Make sure the circuit is protected by an RCD!

[yankee99]

I have a couple of Robert Bosch electric drills which the manufacturer states do not need to be grounded.

That's because the case is plastic & the manufacturer claims are "double insulated".

A lot of 2 pin Thai sockets are perfectly adequate for what they are used for such a toaster, light bulb etc.

Before you start screaming my condo & my house are fully grounded.

Agree on the Cooper & Hubbell plugs. Better hi-fi shops sell them

Only rated to 10 amps at 120 mvolts though which ain't much.

I would be very careful with a piece of electrical equipment that you have to hold whislt operating, despite the manufactures claims. Make sure the circuit is protected by an RCD!

I am no expert and please correct me if i am wrong. What exactly would be the point of grounding a drill if the case is plastic? What part of the drill would be grounded? The bit and chuck? Many drill in America are UL approved and work without ground

[Forkinhades]

Whats the voltage in the US?

[yankee99]

Whats the voltage in the US?

110v

Btw you would be hard pressed to find a socket in the USA that is not grounded

[Forkinhades]

110V with a centre tapped transformer, meaning that you can only get a shock of 55V. Thailand the Voltage is 230V, with no centre tapped transformer. Therefore potential shock of 230V. A huge difference, life saving in fact.

[lopburi3]

Actually it is the current that kills you and US 120v can supply plenty to do the job.

One plus in Thailand is that a lot of homes do use RCD protection and have done so for far longer that US and I suspect other places. I installed a local Safe-t-Cut in 1978 and it is still protecting.

[Forkinhades]

Actually it is the current that kills you and US 120v can supply plenty to do the job.

One plus in Thailand is that a lot of homes do use RCD protection and have done so for far longer that US and I suspect other places. I installed a local Safe-t-Cut in 1978 and it is still protecting.

As others have mentioned its current that kills not voltage. Also the path of the current through the body has a difference, whether or not its through vital organs such the heart especially. The current that is generated from a certain voltage applied to the body depends on many things, what the return path is etc etc. Different people may have different skin resistance.

50 volts is considered safe for industry standards but I expect under certain circumstances, it could still kill. (hardly likely conditions in industry though).

Its accepted that 30mA is sufficient current to kill a woman if it takes a path through the heart.

I also hope that you test your RCD with the proper test equipment, and get tripping times below 40 milli seconds. Something that is 30 years old electrically would be considered redundant in the UK, and replaced as a matter of course.

[longball53098]

This link provides some nice to know info and makes a good read about how electricity can be fatal if not respected.

Electricity

[powderpuff]

Robert Bosch is a famous German tool maker. I'll take their word for it.