Has anyone tried buying laptop in Singapore and bringing it in. Guy at work does this, using cheap flights and swears by it - genuine software, English, etc. - unlike in Thailand where there is always something which is 'copy'.

I've shopped electronics a bit in Singapore in the past and while there was plenty of selection, at least in the shops I visited, the prices weren't any kind of steal. Then throw in even for bargain airfare a couple thousand baht RT for one person, and double that for a couple, and the misc other travel expenses.... and it begins to make buying in the U.S. and having it shipped here even more of a bargain... particularly for lower weight items such as laptops and tablets.

Even if I was already heading there on a vacation, and so backing out the travel related expenses, I'm not sure Singapore shapes up as a better deal than hard shopping online in the U.S. Or even, going the route of someplace like EBay Singapore, which is relatively easy to use with the Thai banking system.

From the U.S., it's traditionally been better to use either USPS Global or Express mail services, which come with insurance. In Thailand, those will often arrive with relatively minor fees, perhaps just 7 percent in total against the declared purchase price only.

I have had exact same experience shipping laptop from US using Fedex three times now in past two years! YMMV I guess!