Buying A Kindle In Chiang Mai?

[PoodMaiDai]

Have you seen a Kindle (or like product) for sale anywhere in Chiang Mai?

[brommers]

You buy the Kindle online, direct from Amazon & it arrives in about one week. The B&N Nook is not available outside the U.S. and Sony do not sell their e-reader in Thailand and will not support/service one that is bought in another country. My Kindle is two years old & I use it daily to read newspapers, magazines and books. In this wet weather it is particularly convenient, as it is at all times. I have had no problems with carrying my Kindle all over the world & if you get the 3G + wi-fi model you can download items anywhere any time. The best thing I have bought in years.

[barefoot1988]

don't see any around . . if buying from online, there is heavy tax from amazon. if from ebay, choose to ship from usps, at least the tax seems reasonable.

i bought some stuff from ebay using fedex, the import tax charged by god knows who actually exceed the total value of the items. can you even believe that?

[PoodMaiDai]

What have you had to pay in import tax to Thailand on this item?

[barefoot1988]

What have you had to pay in import tax to Thailand on this item?

im pretty sure you will need to if you ordered it online. had sent countless of stuff over here and every single parcel i received from overseas i had to pay some sort of tax regardless of it being labelled as gift, or value of a dollar.

the good news is that the tax is always 7 baht for shipping through usps for my case. that is being labelled as gift.

[kast]

Another option, though more expensive, would be to buy an iPad from the Apple store here in Chiang Mai. You can then download the free Kindle app, Nook app, and every other kind of app you want. Then you'll have your own Kindle, Nook, tablet computer, etc. that can do so much more than just a Kindle.

[VerbalKint]

The import tax on the Kindle was 41 $ when I ordered it (for 139 $) about a year ago at Amazon, shipping 21$, total 201$.

It's cheaper now so I assume you'll pay less import tax.

I have both, Ipad and Kindle and the Kindle is the one I use for reading, much lighter and the e-ink screen is a lot better for reading.

(there was a Kindle for sale in the Citylife classifieds about 2 weeks ago)

on the B2S website there are ads for Kindle and if you google on Kindle Thailand, there is a Thai website selling them for 5 K baht

[WinnieTheKhwai]

iPad sucks as an e-reader. It's fun for the kids to play Fruit Ninja, and... ... and that's it.

> if buying from online, there is heavy tax from amazon.

No, there isn't. There is a reasonable tax & duty from the Thai customs department, but if you use a non-scammy, non-worthless courier company then this isn't a huge issue. (i.e.: don't use Fed-Ex) I actually use regular registered mail wherever possible, as mentioned above.

Edited May 8, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[noise]

What have you had to pay in import tax to Thailand on this item?

My first Kindle DX broke when I dropped it on the concrete. After on line dialog with Amazon about repairs (which they do not do), I just got a new one.

They calculated $75 shipping and duties, all inclusive. It arrived within a week, delivered by DHL. A week or so later, they gave me a credit of something like $10 as the duties were less than they calculated.

This worked out very well for me. Not only was it quick and easy, all done on line, Amazon deactivated my first Kindle and linked all my past purchases and future purchases to my new Kindle. I could have done it easily enough, but it was nice that I did not have to.

I know of no one else that has gotten one directly, so this may only apply to my one time deal or, as they say, your mileage may differ.

[Dante99]

on the B2S website there are ads for Kindle and if you google on Kindle Thailand, there is a Thai website selling them for 5 K baht

Good information, just looked at that site and is seems easy to buy it here in Thailand.

[mcgriffith]

I ordered a Kindle (base model, Wi-Fi) last December from amazon.com.

Price was $109.

Shipping was $20.98

Thai Customs Duty was estimated at $44.56.

It arrived in 5 days.

A couple of months later I got an email from amazon- my debit card was being credited $22.27.

This was a refund of the portion of Thai Customs duty that was not charged.

So total cost: $152.27

I love it. Went on a motorcycle tour of N. Thailand for 8 days in January- had all my reading material, bike owners manual, etc. in something that fits in your back pocket.

[hellodolly]

You might want to check Amazon in England.

[techno]

on the B2S website there are ads for Kindle and if you google on Kindle Thailand, there is a Thai website selling them for 5 K baht

Good information, just looked at that site and is seems easy to buy it here in Thailand.

I bought my Kindle from Kindle Thailand in Bangkok via the internet. Excellent service and delivered in 2 days

[Lobo4819]

I am not sure about Thailand, but I have done this in other countries with high import duties.

A. "Gifts" are usually exempted.

B. Have the item shipped to someone you know in the US (or other country where you can get one)

C. Remove the original packaging, gift-wrap it, include a birthday card.

D. Send it on its way registered mail, declared as "gift".

Has worked without a catch for me in the past, but not sure about here.

[StevieH]

have to say, whatever it costs, get one. am not always a fan of progress riding roughshod over tradition but in this instance you will never look back.

[harrry]

My advice is buy direct from Amazon. you know the maximum cost upfront including duty and get it within a few days. Cheaper than buying from Bangkok too.

[sharktooth]

I bought mine from amazon uk and got it sent to my old boy in the uk. He repackaged it and sent it over with the declaration "sample only, no commercial value." it arrived no problem and with no duty to pay.

I use my kindle all the time when I am offshore. I have over 7500 books on my computer which I transfer a selection of to my kindle before I go away.

If you buy one though, get a decent case for it as well.

[mallmagician]

Once you've paid the extra cost to buy from Amazon UK, and to pay the onward post costs to whoever you ask to send it on, you can near enough buy the global kindle from Amazon.com, and pay the duty etc.

The advantage.... If you have an issue, Amazon will happily send replacement to your address in Thailand with no duty charge to you. I cracked a screen whilst my kindle was in an Amazon case, and they did just that... Deactivated my old one and told me to dispose of it, then sent me a new one.

Much better imho then going the Amazon.co.uk route.

I bought mine from amazon uk and got it sent to my old boy in the uk. He repackaged it and sent it over with the declaration "sample only, no commercial value." it arrived no problem and with no duty to pay.

I use my kindle all the time when I am offshore. I have over 7500 books on my computer which I transfer a selection of to my kindle before I go away.

If you buy one though, get a decent case for it as well.

[mallmagician]

Just did the sums, and I reckon you are deffo better off ordering direct from Amazon.com (Mine arrived in about 3 days when I ordered mine a year or two ago)

Total from Amazon.com including P&P and Duty Deposit of $45(Some may even be refunded!)

= $175.62 or roughly 5440Baht.

Amazon UK price delivered TO UK

=4400baht (89GBP)

+ Postage to Thailand

+ Possibly getting duty fee's - even if you put sample/gift or whatever.

= Buy direct from Amazon.com!

You can buy from that Kindle Thailand website, but the saving is negligable (considering you are likely to get a small refund of duty as I did, and others), and perhaps tricky to sort out issues with Amazon directly if something goes wrong.

[TantraMantra]

I'm on my second 3G Kindle. With the first, the screen went unreadable. This is a common problem known to Amazon and they quickly replaced my Kindle. Now part of my second Kindle's screen has the same problem and I can't read some words.

I can't be bothered getting it replaced. I'm waiting for the Kindle Fire to be released in UK. It's full colour and has more features like a Tablet. You could order from US Amazon. But check for comparability issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-Tablet/dp/B0051VVOB2

[mallmagician]

An ereader without e-ink defeats the purpose for me. I want a kindle to read with. A backlit screen just doesn't cut it. Otherwise id use the iPad I bought, or my Samsung Note.

The availability of content for the Fire when overseas means it's a low end tablet with little redeeming features for any user overseas. Admittedly, it's a good price for what you get, but a good e-reader it is not.

I'm on my second 3G Kindle. With the first, the screen went unreadable. This is a common problem known to Amazon and they quickly replaced my Kindle. Now part of my second Kindle's screen has the same problem and I can't read some words.

I can't be bothered getting it replaced. I'm waiting for the Kindle Fire to be released in UK. It's full colour and has more features like a Tablet. You could order from US Amazon. But check for comparability issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-Tablet/dp/B0051VVOB2

[sharktooth]

Just did the sums, and I reckon you are deffo better off ordering direct from Amazon.com (Mine arrived in about 3 days when I ordered mine a year or two ago)

Congratulations for being good at "sums". Pity your arithmetic doesn't extend to knowing the difference between 12 or 24 months...

[mallmagician]

What a nice chap you are.

I know the difference, and didn't say I didn't know, or even hint at it.... I used a turn of phrase to indicate my kindle was bought a while ago, but wasn't precise about that as it has little bearing on the OP.

Did I hurt your feelings when I suggested that maybe buying from the UK isn't necessarily the best option?

Just did the sums, and I reckon you are deffo better off ordering direct from Amazon.com (Mine arrived in about 3 days when I ordered mine a year or two ago)

Congratulations for being good at "sums". Pity your arithmetic doesn't extend to knowing the difference between 12 or 24 months...

[TravelTeach]

Another option, though more expensive, would be to buy an iPad from the Apple store here in Chiang Mai.

Just to expand on what someone else said, a Kindle is basically ink between two screens jerked about by electricity. It would have the same strain on your eyes as a book would. I have had my Kindle for two years and it is fantastic. I use it almost every day. With the internet you can download anything you want. And with torrents...

No offense, but there's always someone who says "why not get an iPad". They are apples and oranges. Yes, a Kindle will never do what an iPad does. But an iPad can't do what a Kindle does either: provide a comfortable reading experience.

[PoodMaiDai]

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

[mallmagician]

You cannot download movies or music through Amazon when in Thailand. So the fire, which is a device for consuming Amazon content is no good for that here. It will still work as an Android tablet, but as I said above, if your primary reason for looking for kindle is reading books, avoid the fire (or buy both). E-ink screen on the normal kindle devices means that it is the same as reading from a printed page. with the fire, it's like reading a book on your laptop screen or your TV... I.e. not very comfortable for your eyes if reading for lengthy periods (over 45 mins).

Feel free to pm me or post questions on here, as I know both devices very well, and should be able to help.

The best thing for you to do is decide what you want the device for?

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

[harrry]

You cannot download movies or music through Amazon when in Thailand. So the fire, which is a device for consuming Amazon content is no good for that here. It will still work as an Android tablet, but as I said above, if your primary reason for looking for kindle is reading books, avoid the fire (or buy both). E-ink screen on the normal kindle devices means that it is the same as reading from a printed page. with the fire, it's like reading a book on your laptop screen or your TV... I.e. not very comfortable for your eyes if reading for lengthy periods (over 45 mins).

Feel free to pm me or post questions on here, as I know both devices very well, and should be able to help.

The best thing for you to do is decide what you want the device for?

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

You can download books from Amazon in Thailand to a device purchased through Amazon. The Fire is not approved for here and hence cannot be used to download Amazon content directly.

[hellodolly]

You cannot download movies or music through Amazon when in Thailand. So the fire, which is a device for consuming Amazon content is no good for that here. It will still work as an Android tablet, but as I said above, if your primary reason for looking for kindle is reading books, avoid the fire (or buy both). E-ink screen on the normal kindle devices means that it is the same as reading from a printed page. with the fire, it's like reading a book on your laptop screen or your TV... I.e. not very comfortable for your eyes if reading for lengthy periods (over 45 mins).

Feel free to pm me or post questions on here, as I know both devices very well, and should be able to help.

The best thing for you to do is decide what you want the device for?

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

You can download books from Amazon in Thailand to a device purchased through Amazon. The Fire is not approved for here and hence cannot be used to download Amazon content directly.

I am out of my league here but is it because 4g is unavailable here. I know the I Pad has 4G only available in The States and North America. I heard that they are trying to work a deal with Europe and Australia.

Edited May 8, 2012 by hellodolly

[PoodMaiDai]

You cannot download movies or music through Amazon when in Thailand. So the fire, which is a device for consuming Amazon content is no good for that here. It will still work as an Android tablet, but as I said above, if your primary reason for looking for kindle is reading books, avoid the fire (or buy both). E-ink screen on the normal kindle devices means that it is the same as reading from a printed page. with the fire, it's like reading a book on your laptop screen or your TV... I.e. not very comfortable for your eyes if reading for lengthy periods (over 45 mins).

Feel free to pm me or post questions on here, as I know both devices very well, and should be able to help.

The best thing for you to do is decide what you want the device for?

GREAT info here. Thanks to all.

Has anyone had a normal Kindle AND a Kindle Fire?

Curious if getting the fire is worth the extra cost. A poster above said something about it being limited abroad. What limits are there?

Great info, thanks.

I'm only wanting this for reading. I figure a Kindle will be cheaper than continuing to have books shipped to me that I can't find in Thailand.

For those of you who are unable to download from Amazing due to being in Thailand, use a VPN connection with a non-Thai IP address. You can choose many different countries. Amazon will think you are in that country and should allow access. That is how many people get past many internet blocks (streaming movies, music, some youtube channels, and so on who block their sites from Thailand) while in Thailand and using their computers and phones. I assume the Kindle Fire can be set up with a VPN, as most devices can. Worth looking into if that is an issue for you.

I don't think I'm allowed to link out, but feel free to PM me for VPN suggestions if you are new to using a VPN. It's the best way to live here and enjoy the internet.

[CMX]

You can download books here in Thailand (and magazines, and mp3) to Windows and Android, using Kindle apps. Also store to cloud and read via wifi or 3G if your device accepts 3G.

But then you're not reading on a reading device, though some suggest using computers and tabs for periodicals with color, or Fire.

I have a vpn, too, but am not interested in Fire. It's plain reading Kindle I like.