Expensive Electronics

[Igor]

I really want a Samsung Galaxy Tab. The price in Chiang Mai sits right about 22,000 baht. At current exchange rates that's a bit north of US$725. In the US you could get free shipping and save a hundred buck getting it from Amazon. $719 is full list price in the US.

I've noticed other high prices here. I bought a copy of Windows 7 for about 1000 baht more than the full list in the US.

My question is: In a land where a good monthly wage is 8 or 10 K baht, why are prices as high or often higher than in other countries with much higher standards of living?

Again using the TAB as an example: I've read the manufacturing cost is about US$215. Is a 300%+ markup justified? I don't know where it's manufactured, probably China, so shipping costs are lower, advertising costs, staff salaries, taxes, etc. are lower here than in Europe or USA. So, is Samsung and other electronic manufacturers being unfair to the Thai people? Maybe they worry if they give Thais abetter price, the grey market will buy them here and ship them overseas.

Well, Microsoft addressed that problem by requiring you register their software from a SE Asian IP address - even though the price was higher than in the US?!?! Go figure. But, we know it can be done. So, what justification do these companies have to charge more here where fewer people can afford it?

[gotlost]

LOS...land of scams.

[little_muppet]

because the products u mention is in the category of not-necessery, or luxury item which is target on customers that can afford to buy it, and for the majority if they cant afford it ,it wont make them die.

if u see my point

[kennalder]

because the products u mention is in the category of not-necessery, or luxury item which is target on customers that can afford to buy it, and for the majority if they cant afford it ,it wont make them die.

if u see my point

Yup, if the biggest user is Farang, then import taxes go up. How do you think they built all the roads, bridges, airports? Because Thais pay so much income tax? LO f'kn L.

We are financing this country. While they hate us, they can't afford to kick us out. Just the way it is.

Better hope they remain stupid, because if they ever don't need us they will have us on the other side of a border quicker than you can say "Bug Off"

Best hope we have is they continue to think they can do it all. They will keep making inferior crap. They will continue to ban Farangs from working most jobs, and thereby injecting new and better ideas into the system.

They will continue to need our money. So long as we spend more per capita than the average we are a net asset to the country.

Make no mistake, we pay dearly for everything we get. From girlfriends to wives to cheese, beer and golf.

Many things have a two tier pay system.

Can you imagine a sign in the US that says "whites" $10.00, "Asians" $300.00? The ACLU would be all over it and rightly so.

Maybe the government here is looking after us without knowing it. Keep them dumb, uneducated, poor and on the farm.

That equates to cheap prices.

Done (for now)

[Igor]

Well. Mr Kenalder, You sound like a very bitter person. My original post said nothing about two tier pricing. In fact, it lamented that people here who have less money are being forced to pay higher prices. At the same time Microsoft complains about piracy, they inadvertently encourage it. I assume you're living in Thailand. I wonder why you continue to live someplace where you feel everyone hates you? It must be a miserable existence.

[nikster]

because the products u mention is in the category of not-necessery, or luxury item which is target on customers that can afford to buy it, and for the majority if they cant afford it ,it wont make them die.

if u see my point

Yup, if the biggest user is Farang, then import taxes go up. .... (snip)

Your argument starts out with a wrong statement, then goes downhill from there.

I don't know why the Galaxy Tab is expensive here - $100 more compared to the USA, with the ever more worthless USD doesn't sound very much to me. Does the US price include VAT, like the Thai price? Compare it to Europe, it's probably the same as here, or even more.

Some things have crazy import taxes here, cars for example, or motorbikes. So a new imported car or bike will cost you 2x or 3x the price in the west. Annoying but there's nothing we can do about it. What's more if you look at it from a Thai government perspective, these policies have worked well for Thailand/SEA - the manufacturers have moved factories into Thailand, which was the whole point.

Anyway, electronics either have very low or no import tax so they should cost around the same as elsewhere.

[kennalder]

Well. Mr Kenalder, You sound like a very bitter person. My original post said nothing about two tier pricing. In fact, it lamented that people here who have less money are being forced to pay higher prices. At the same time Microsoft complains about piracy, they inadvertently encourage it. I assume you're living in Thailand. I wonder why you continue to live someplace where you feel everyone hates you? It must be a miserable existence.

Yes, I live here in Chiang Mai and had another fantastic day today. I certainly don't think everyone hates me. I can love it and still recognize the inequalities that exist. You see I live more of a Thai existence than a Farang existence. I don't buy expensive toys so I don't have to worry about who is ripping off whom. You wanted to blame the companies, I don't think that is the case. They surely want to be as competitive as possible. I think it is import duties that are to blame. Look at things like cheese & wine. It's not like they have thriving local industries to protect. But a $5.00 bottle of wine in the Bay Area, costs $20.00 here. No doubt a "Farang tax". Live like a Thai, pay like a Thai is my motto. I love it! I cannot imagine living any place else.

[Phil Conners]

Tablets are way too expensive still. The cost of manufacturing one is not higher than a netbook and eventually the price will be similar to that too, i.e. around 10K. Wait and see.

[Igor]

I've never been very good at waiting when it comes to gadgets.

Just ask my ex-wife.

[nikster]

I've never been very good at waiting when it comes to gadgets.

Just ask my ex-wife.

Waiting is, as Dr Seuss said, most useless.