I feel almost embarrassed to post this here but can someone recommend a simple and easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera? Photography novice here. Budget around 5,000Bt but can be flexible. Thanks in advance!

Suspect that all models around that price are pretty much the same. What will be important for you is how it feels in your hands and how easy it feels to operate. Go into the biggest camera store you know, tell them your budget, and ask them to show you a few models. Stay away from companies you have never heard of.

See what people are recommending on Amazon, as good a yardstick as you'll get

try AV center (or similar name) in panthip .. and ask for their best P&S for around 5,000 baht.

anything by canon, nikon, panasonic, etc ... should do a job for U. one thing about P&S cameras, they all tend to struggle in low light conditions

Consider the Samsung ST66 for 3,490 Baht at the moment. Tiny size, metal case, and gets excellent reviews.

I just bought one for my son. Having read all the reviews for everything available in Chiang Mai for anywhere near this price this one came out as a clear winner IMHO.

See reviews here: http://www.testfreaks.co.uk/digital-cameras/samsung-st66/ and here: http://www.very.co.uk/samsung-st66-16-megapixel-digital-camera---pink/1065667838.prd

First of all, don`t feel sorry for posting a question about point and shoots. Many of the great photographers of the 20th century got famous shooting with equipment far less powerful.

Stick with a known reliable brand such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Lumix, Samsung, or similar. Some off-brands will advertise lower prices and more features, but for reliability and service they can be a nightmare.

A few things to check for that will make the camera more useful to you:

- A standard tripod thread on the bottom.

- A hot shoe (external flash mount). You may have to pay a little more, but the ability to add a flash will greatly extend your camera`s capabilities.

- HD video.

Also look for how many ways you can get the pictures off the camera. An SD card fits into your desktop or laptop, but some tablets need an HDMI connection.

I know it is outside your budget......but I recently purchased a Sony RX 100 and could not be happier.

I haven't tried all the features on it yet, still learning and so handy to carry around in your pocket .......love it!