Using Us Monitor In Thailand

[poorfarang]

So my new monitor will be here any day now and im wondering about the power issues. Its made for use in the USA so what will I have to do to use it here? I dont want to blow the hel_l out of my brand new 45,000 baht monitor!

[Tywais]

So my new monitor will be here any day now and im wondering about the power issues. Its made for use in the USA so what will I have to do to use it here? I dont want to blow the hel_l out of my brand new 45,000 baht monitor!

Verify that it uses universal power supply (should say something like 105-240VAC on the AC input) which it probably is. Put it on a UPS!

[sierra01]

Get an adapter for the plug too

[poorfarang]

So the power source might be able to accpet Thai voltage of it says up to 240? Then I just use the ups to avoid spurts of extra voltage?

[Tywais]

So the power source might be able to accpet Thai voltage of it says up to 240? Then I just use the ups to avoid spurts of extra voltage?

Yes on both counts.

[lopburi3]

As said check the input power requirement on the case. If it says something like 100-240v you are fine plugging it in. If it says 100-130v or similar you will need to buy a transformer to lower your wall voltage from 230v to 115v.

US plugs are what they use here in Thailand for almost all computer equipment so there will not be any need to change plugs.

[sierra01]

As said check the input power requirement on the case. If it says something like 100-240v you are fine plugging it in. If it says 100-130v or similar you will need to buy a transformer to lower your wall voltage from 230v to 115v.

US plugs are what they use here in Thailand for almost all computer equipment so there will not be any need to change plugs.

I've never been to the US, so I have no idea what plugs they use. So America has no earth system, and uses plugs with 2 flat pins that easily fall out of the socket?

[Tywais]

As said check the input power requirement on the case. If it says something like 100-240v you are fine plugging it in. If it says 100-130v or similar you will need to buy a transformer to lower your wall voltage from 230v to 115v.

US plugs are what they use here in Thailand for almost all computer equipment so there will not be any need to change plugs.

I've never been to the US, so I have no idea what plugs they use. So America has no earth system, and uses plugs with 2 flat pins that easily fall out of the socket?

Not sure what you are getting at. US - 3 prong grounded system. Lopburi's comment - almost all computer equipment.

[sierra01]

I was trying to establish whether an adapter is needed for the monitor mains power lead.

Out of the box would a US plug fit into a Thai socket, If not then surely an adapter is needed?

My monitor was bought in LOS, it has a 3 pin plug on it, but to use it in the UK I would need an adapter.

I forgot that most equipment like this has 3 pin plugs on them, not the stupid flat 2 pin things that fall out of the sockets....sorry.

[Tywais]

I forgot that most equipment like this has 3 pin plugs on them, not the stupid flat 2 pin things that fall out of the sockets....sorry.

Mai bpen rai. Easy enough for the OP to get an universal power strip that excepts 3-prong US style, round pin style and 2-pin flat blades. Covers all bases.

[sierra01]

I guess the most important thing is to check that it'll except 220v without frying itself!

[poorfarang]

Yes, this is the most important thing.

Some USA plugs have 3 prong (a ground) and some dont. usaully big items like PC's do and small electronics like cordless phones and radios have the 2 prong. Im sure this will have 3

[spacebass]

As stated on other threads recently, as long as it is 110-250v as it probably is stated on power supply or on back of computer if it doesn't have separate power supply, if the plug doesn't fit cut it off and fit one that does, available in lotus and everywhere else.

[lopburi3]

As said check the input power requirement on the case. If it says something like 100-240v you are fine plugging it in. If it says 100-130v or similar you will need to buy a transformer to lower your wall voltage from 230v to 115v.

US plugs are what they use here in Thailand for almost all computer equipment so there will not be any need to change plugs.

I've never been to the US, so I have no idea what plugs they use. So America has no earth system, and uses plugs with 2 flat pins that easily fall out of the socket?

Actually the US polarized two flat blade plugs hold there place in a socket here much, much better than the two round pins used in Europe. But as stated most computer equipment does have the US three pin plug.

[Tywais]

Actually the US polarized two flat blade plugs hold there place in a socket here much, much better than the two round pins used in Europe. But as stated most computer equipment does have the US three pin plug.

What frustrates me are the hugh power blocks that come with some equipment and have the 2 rounded prong type molded in to it. It occupies two spaces on my power strip but worse is that they can be pickey to make contact due to their mass (want to rock to one side). I usually end up bending the h3ll out of the pins so there is some pressure when it is plugged in.

[sierra01]

I couldn't agree more Tywais!

[pgrin]

I couldn't agree more Tywais!

Here is the definative answer. First, as stated, check the power supply that comes with the monitor. Some monitors have an internal power supple and some have the external"brick" power supply in line on the power cord. Either way it will be rated. The brick will have an input/ output rating. You want the input to be up to 240V. Now look at the outlets in the place where you will use the monitor. Older electrical systems will have a 2 prong opening, newer will have a 3 prong( do not assume the third prong is actually grounded, it may be just for show). DO NOT CUT OFF any plugs or remove the third prong from your brand new monitor! Instead go to Big C or Lotus or any big store and by a power strip for 100 Baht. If your home has a 2 prong system buy a power strip that has a two prong plug but with 3 prong outlets on the strip. If your monitor is 240 you are good to go, if not plug a voltage converter into the power strip and then plug your monitor into the convertor. Remember a power strip is not a surge protector. You can place a UPS into this system but note that the output from UPS in Thailand is 220 so follow the same precautions.

Pgrin

[spacebass]

I couldn't agree more Tywais!

Here is the definative answer. First, as stated, check the power supply that comes with the monitor. Some monitors have an internal power supple and some have the external"brick" power supply in line on the power cord. Either way it will be rated. The brick will have an input/ output rating. You want the input to be up to 240V. Now look at the outlets in the place where you will use the monitor. Older electrical systems will have a 2 prong opening, newer will have a 3 prong( do not assume the third prong is actually grounded, it may be just for show). DO NOT CUT OFF any plugs or remove the third prong from your brand new monitor! Instead go to Big C or Lotus or any big store and by a power strip for 100 Baht. If your home has a 2 prong system buy a power strip that has a two prong plug but with 3 prong outlets on the strip. If your monitor is 240 you are good to go, if not plug a voltage converter into the power strip and then plug your monitor into the convertor. Remember a power strip is not a surge protector. You can place a UPS into this system but note that the output from UPS in Thailand is 220 so follow the same precautions.

Pgrin

With a 100bht power strip you have a fair chance that it will not take the U.S. plug that has one pin slightly larger than the other (polarised).

[mouse]

If on the back label of the Monitor you see 110~240 50/60 you should be good to go. I know of few monitors that are not automatic voltage now-a-days. Just got my 24" Wide Screen Dell Monitor and had the same fear. Good luck!

[pgrin]

I couldn't agree more Tywais!

Here is the definative answer. First, as stated, check the power supply that comes with the monitor. Some monitors have an internal power supple and some have the external"brick" power supply in line on the power cord. Either way it will be rated. The brick will have an input/ output rating. You want the input to be up to 240V. Now look at the outlets in the place where you will use the monitor. Older electrical systems will have a 2 prong opening, newer will have a 3 prong( do not assume the third prong is actually grounded, it may be just for show). DO NOT CUT OFF any plugs or remove the third prong from your brand new monitor! Instead go to Big C or Lotus or any big store and by a power strip for 100 Baht. If your home has a 2 prong system buy a power strip that has a two prong plug but with 3 prong outlets on the strip. If your monitor is 240 you are good to go, if not plug a voltage converter into the power strip and then plug your monitor into the convertor. Remember a power strip is not a surge protector. You can place a UPS into this system but note that the output from UPS in Thailand is 220 so follow the same precautions.

Pgrin

With a 100bht power strip you have a fair chance that it will not take the U.S. plug that has one pin slightly larger than the other (polarised).

Not true. I have my computer with USA plug plugged into this type of power strip right now, purchased at Big C for 100 Baht. More importantly I was responding to the post to cut of the plug from the monitor. I have seen this advice on this forum before and it is STOOOPID. First lets take a brand new $1000.00 US monitor and void the warranty before you even know if it works. Next, after cutting off the plug you now have 3 unmarked wires that have to go into a 2 plug replacement. Pick the wrong wire and fry the monitor. Finally, lets supposed the original poster wants to return to America someday with this expensive piece of electronic equipment, he now has to reverse the process and deal with the mentioned polarity problem. All of this can be avoided by my suggestion.

[Firefoxx]

As he said, there is a "fair chance" that the plug will be incompatible... and yes, these plugs do exist. You might have been lucky to never see one of these, but hey, why not warn of possibilities?

As for saying that the posts in this forum are "stoopid"... you're not going to be making many friends here. Yes, there are answers in this forum which may be incomplete, unresearched, vague, not to the point, lacking, misleading, uninformed, irrational, or just downright wrong, but there *are* answers, and there are usually more than one, which means that people are trying to be helpful, instead of calling other people names.

Now, you may be smarter/more informed/superior/greater/holier than some people in forum, but you really shouldn't go around strutting... since there are bound to be people who are, in fact, better than you, and they don't go around rubbing their superiority in other people's faces by saying that theirs is the *only* right answer to end all answers, period.

Be a bit civil, folks.

[pgrin]

As he said, there is a "fair chance" that the plug will be incompatible... and yes, these plugs do exist. You might have been lucky to never see one of these, but hey, why not warn of possibilities?

As for saying that the posts in this forum are "stoopid"... you're not going to be making many friends here. Yes, there are answers in this forum which may be incomplete, unresearched, vague, not to the point, lacking, misleading, uninformed, irrational, or just downright wrong, but there *are* answers, and there are usually more than one, which means that people are trying to be helpful, instead of calling other people names.

Now, you may be smarter/more informed/superior/greater/holier than some people in forum, but you really shouldn't go around strutting... since there are bound to be people who are, in fact, better than you, and they don't go around rubbing their superiority in other people's faces by saying that theirs is the *only* right answer to end all answers, period.

Be a bit civil, folks.

I apologize. In an effort to be civil, and for the reasons I have previously stated, the advice to cut off the plug of a brand new monitor is incomplete, unresearched, vague, not to the point, lacking, misleading, uninformed, irrational and just downright wrong. It is not however stoopid. I stand corrected.

P

[poorfarang]

Just got my 24" Wide Screen Dell Monitor and had the same fear. Good luck!

My montior is the 24" dell as well so i guess I wont have any trouble

[solo siam]

The Big C multi-adaptors work well, can even use UK plugs in some of them. Thai electrical equipment is all supposed to be supplied with a larger prong size on one side of their plugs (for Earth?).

Cant think of any plug I have that cant fit into my strip, besides there are adaptors availanle as well, I would say it was pretty good advice to not cut the end of the power cord off.

whats the resolution on those Dells?

Edited March 10, 2006 by Ben@H3-Digital

[Firefoxx]

There is a difference between what's supposed to be (or what the law says should be) and what actually is, and that difference is seen quite often in Thailand. There are literally thousands of different types of power strips sold in Thailand, and many of them are non-standard or sub-standard. I personally use around 20+ different types in my own house (I have 7 desktops and more than 10 laptops), and they're all different.

My point was that there are no right or wrong answers... there are suggestions, some good, some not so good. There is also no need to verbally abuse others if opinions/experiences differ... if you have never seen a one-armed rabbit, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Nobody knows everything.

I do applaud pgrin for apologizing.

The American plug is pretty standard, and will fit into a normal, grounded Thai outlet (which typically takes American plugs and European plugs, depending on the configuration). If not, buy a small adapter at your local electrical store.

The Dell 24" widescreen LCD monitor does not come with a power brick, but with a typical 3-prong outlet (like the one found on your desktop), in which you can plug a typical 3-prong power cable that can easily be found with most outlet types. So, no problem there, and no problem if you want to cut the included one open, since a replacement is easy to find. As for voltages, the specs say 100-240V, so no problem there.

In the end, much ado over nothing.

Oh, and the resolution on this particular model is 1920x1200 (WUXGA, wide ultra xtended). Enough for full HDTV 1080i, which is 1920x1080 (interlaced).

Edited March 10, 2006 by Firefoxx

[poorfarang]

Stuck in customs right now. They didnt even call me, I just happened to notice on the website by entereing the tracking number. So I called them up only to find out that they stop working at noon on saturday. What a joke UPS is on the Thai side of things.

[bubba]

I'm not sure if this makes any difference for displays (although it would for anything with a motor) but there is also a frequency difference between the USA and Thailand. USA frequency is 60 Hz and Thailand is 50 Hz.

And by the way, we use air couriers a lot on shipments coming in to Thailand. Without a doubt, UPS are the least efficient and most expensive air courier when it comes to getting shipments past Thai Customs. And in our experience, Fedex are the best and least expensive. DHL are somewhere in the middle. Also, keep in mind that for each day that UPS doesn't get your shipment cleared, you will be paying a customs storage fee, so that makes things even worse. All that said, this is not to relieve Thai Customs from responsibility for being incredibly slow and inefficient!

Edited March 13, 2006 by bubba

[Firefoxx]

The display's specs are 100-240V, 50-60Hz. It's got a transformer that's capable of taking input from different electrical systems, and the transformer is located internally.

Normally, if an appliance can take different voltages, then it can take different frequencies (50-60hz), otherwise there wouldn't be much point in being multi-voltage.

No worries.

My experience with Thai airport customs (or any other Thai customs) has never been good. I've been in their offices, and you could see the huge amount of "gifts" they get to encourage them to work faster (lots of booze, lots of cigarettes, etc). By "work faster", I mean "work at all", since if you don't pay them tea money, it'll be quite some time before you see your goods. It's a real disgrace.