Where Would I Buy . . .

[impy_la_blimpy]

an i-pod in BKK

also - where's the best place to get a decent digi camera?

OR . . .should I shop at the airport on the way to Thailand and make a duty free purchase?

Cheers

Imp

[pal78]

I think the duty free can actually be more expensive for stuff like digital cameras and I noticed the duty free in BKK airport had older equiptment. You will get an iPod at any for the Apple stores in Bangkok. If you are going to be in Thailand on a tourist visa then bring your passport with you so you can get your vat back. There is a cool little Apple shop in Siam Discovery Center. You'll get the vat back at the airport when you leave Thailand.

Singapore is the best place to get this sort of stuff; Thailand is not much cheaper than UK/Ireland. Good luck.

[El_D]

I've shopped & shopped & shopped in BKK for digital cameras and accesories.

Best prices I've seen (overall) is "Fotofile" in the MBK (Mah Boon Krong) shopping center located off the National Stadium BTS.

Fotofile is on the ground floor near the the McDonalds, on the street side of the building.

Don't blink too often as you look for it as it's a tiny shop, but they do a huge business there, and all of their staff speak excellent English.

It's a great place to find very good condition, used SLR lenses as well.

I recently bought a used Tokina lens (for Canon SLR's) f2.6-2.8, 28-70mm internal focus lens there for roughly 60% the cost of a new one, and I'm quite happy with it 60+ days later.

[wuggiman]

there are two Mac shops in Pantip Plaza, one off them also provides Tax-free for tourists. was there yesterday, and they have i-pods in different GB sizes. Remember to hackle a bit.

They are on the third floor

[think_too_mut]

there are two Mac shops in Pantip Plaza, one off them also provides Tax-free for tourists.

To recover your VAT, you have to do it BEFORE going through customs/passport control. Ask at check in.

Prices: BKK prices are not higher than Singapore. Can even be opposite.

A flat screen, identical, was 20% cheaper at Pantip retail than at Changi Duty Free.

If you are already in BKK, not worth holding back your purchase. MBK and Pantip prices are cool.

[randyksf]

Prices for the IPod are about 10% - 20% Higher than the US. Current prices in Pantip for the 40 GB is 23,400 baht. From a previous post a user was saying he got a good deal in Sig but in reality he paid the exact same price but with some freebies.

One thing if the vendor states you can get a vat refund ask them where they desk is to process it. Go to it b4 you give them any money and ask them if that store is valid.

Some time the shop will say just show your receipt at the Airport that is dead wrong.

There is also a vendor at Fortion Town. One of the guys there speaks really good English.

When get the IPOD down load the Itunes software. Only use the most current versions you will also need to update the firmware to version 2.1 on the unit. Both are 20 megs so start now. Hee hee hee

If you are a PC user that software that comes with the Ipod Music Juke box Sucks rotten apples. .

++++++++++++++

For digital cameras do a search in this forum for digital cameras this topic has been talked about so many time.

I agree the duty free stores seem to be much more expensive than just paying the duty.

[Dah fahrang]

To recover your VAT, you have to do it BEFORE going through customs/passport control. Ask at check in.

Too late then!!

You MUST go to the VAT Refund Office (Terminal 2, near check in desks row 9) with the goods, receipt, passport and VAT Invoice.

The clerk is totally disinterested, (or when I did it he was) stamps the forms whilst watching TV, never spoke.

Then AFTER check in, you must show the goods at the VAT refund counter (Terminal 2, beneath the staircase) after clearing immigration departures.

As long as you get the right paperwork at the point of purchase, and it meets the minimum spend of B20,000, you get the full VAT back, minus B100 Customs paperwork fee.

See

http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/tips/vat_refund.html

and

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/Trave...?menuNme=Travel

[El_D]

And don't even bother with attempting a VAT refund if you've spent more than 180 days in LOS in the past year.

My passport looks like the New Testament (rather thick with 100 + pages in it), yet the guy with the cash (located AFTER passport control), took his sweet time burrowing through it with his calculator close at hand, and informed me that I wasn't eligible for a VAT refund as I'd been in LOS more than 180 days over the past year.

At least he was nice and smiling and apologetic about it.

[SurferDude]

When I got a VAT refund in January, I had to wake up the guy in the "form stamping" office, he stamped the form without looking at the goods.

Past immigrations is where you get the cash, these people only looked at the first page of my passport. They did not even look at page-after-page of entry/exit stamps.

Af far as the digital camera, if you are coming from the U.S., you might find them cheaper there. Also, when leaving BKK< after passport control, there are a ferw counters with very good prices and selection (less than at Pintip and other places).