Purchasing Laptop - Pantip Or Singapore?

[thohts]

Looking to purchase a Toshiba Satellite laptop, and wondering if I should purchase it at Pantip or wait until my visa run to Singapore in a couple of weeks? Any ideas on which place might be better/cheaper?

[monty]

Easy to compare prices!

Thailand:

http://www.pantipprice.com/product.asp?sc_id=303

Singapore:

http://sg.hardwarezone.com/priceguide/priceguide.php?id=74

A few notes:

Pantipprice is more expensive then the shops in Panthip plaza. You should be able to knock off at least 5-10% from their prices...

Hardware zone is not a shop, they just indicate going prices and actively look for the cheapest available. You would be hard pressed to find the item much cheaper then the prices listed on their site!

So, when I compare the price on a decent mid level Toshiba, the Satellite A80-P440, I'm pretty sure you can pick it up under 61.000 Baht (64000 - 5%).

In Singapore it'll cost you roughly 2200S$ or 53000 Baht.

So basically if you have to be there anyway it's probably a good move to pick it up there.

Although you might have to pay extra for international warranty if you want to be able to get it serviced in Thailand.

You also will get a US English keyboard, so if your wife/GF wants to use it you have to go the sticker way (not very nice on a new machine!)

In short, buy it when you're there, but certainly don't make a trip to go pick it up! The trip will be more expensive then the 8000 Baht saved!

On a side note, I've seen shops in Panthip who sell either Malaysian or Singaporean machines (US English keyboard) and they are markedly cheaper. So you'll probably be able to put half of the savings in your pocket without even doing the trip

[Jai Dee]

If you buy in Singapore you will also be able to claim the VAT back... if you've been in Thailan longer than 180 days in the past 12 months you will not be able to claim Thai VAT back.

Just another thing to consider...

BTW, I bought an Acer notebook in Singapore a little over 12 months ago.

The HDD developed an overheating problem after about 6 months which was rectified by Acer here in Thailand under the International Warranty... no charge to me at all.

[thohts]

Yeah.. VAT is a good thing to consider. I actually stopped asking for VAT refund slips because I've spent most of my time in Thailand the past couple of years.

I also don't want any problems with Thai versions of Window-installs. I still can't get the date function to work on the desktop I bought here.

Seems like the two countries might have about the same price, but I save on VAT.