Us Prices Vs The Rest Of The World

[MrWorldwide]

If I cant find what I want in Japan in 2014, I am going to have to fly to LA - it's appalling when you run the numbers and realise how cheaply Americans can pick up almost anything electronic, regardless of country of manufacture. How an item which is handmade in Britain, shipped to the US and stored in a warehouse can still be cheaper than the UK RRP mystifies me, but I've seen it repeatedly in audio. In many cases, the US sticker price is identical to the GBP price ! Save me, Akihabara.

[isawasnake]

Imagine growing up there, then coming here. Even more frustrating.

I think the low prices has to do with their grey market many times.

I have found patience is the key. If the item is not too big, just wait until my next trip to the US. Then there is the process of making it appear "not new". I don't know how often people get charged import tax for bringing in boxed items to the Kingdom, but I sure don't take the chance.

[MrWorldwide]

I suspect that having a camera or laptop in a your carry-on is no biggie - wheeling some monstrous box through the 'Nothing to Declare' exit may be a little tougher

[mania]

Could be a few things

USA = No VAT

USA = largest consumer base ( well that may be changing )

So they get a better deal

Places like Walmart literally beat the sellers into submission

If you want to sell something in Walmart their buyers basically tell you

the price, take it or leave it.

Most accept because they know a Walmart in is an entry to a major

consumers pool. They even did a segment on it once in the US on TV

It is as another poster said though, hard to swallow when moving from the US here.

I just assumed being closer to where electronics are manufactured things would be cheaper.

[kennedy]

Cheaper to fly to Portland Oregon, and no sales tax.

[mamypoko]

Based on overall quality and price, the standout deal to be had here in Thailand vs. the States is street food. As for cloths, electronics, most FMCG's, most things from the grocery store and wine...the U.S. is the place to shop. Consider U.S. based online shopping and the comparison gets even more dramatic.

Going to see a movie here is cheaper and you get to pick your seats in advance.

[MrWorldwide]

Buying online does you no good when Thai Customs get their hands on your package. No pun intended

Japan, and possibly S Korea are my shining lights at the moment - both high wage countries compared to Thailand, but I've seen examples of their prices in various places and its clear that if buy something that is made in Japan (or Korea), you can save serious dollars.

Example - Stax SR-009 headphones sell for roughly half the US sticker price in Japan, and they would be easy to bring back in without arousing Customs suspicion - it's just a pair of headphones, right ? A pair of headphones that sell for 5K USD ....

http://www.wooaudio.com/headphones/stax/sr009.html

Thai Customs would rape me if I bought those from Woo Audio in NYC.

[KHR1010]

Your service based market is the real bargin in Thailand. This was the main reason we opened subsidiary companies here in Thailand to handle simple design/engineering overflow for our US based engineers, also 80% of our fabrication is done here. Our billable hours and fabrication stays the same, with internal business costs reaching a 70% savings which goes straight to the bottum line profit. My maids and drivers cost a fraction of what I pay in the States. These areas are the real bonus to be had in Asia, retail purchases are certainly better in the US.

[jamhar]

Cheaper to fly to Portland Oregon, and no sales tax.

But who wants to! D'oh!

Sorry i couldnt help it. Actually i love Oregon. Beautiful country side and coastline,

Most of the electronics are built for the US or EU markets. they are the biggest consumers, and the population with the the biggest disposable income. So volume pricing prevails. when you order in the quantities of millions or tens of millions, the price drops quickly.

There are some products manufactured in China that you can get via ebay, or merit just as cheaply as in the US. Not much, and it depends on what you are looking for.

I never did understand the higher pricing in Japan and Taiwan. Both have sizable populations with same order of magnitude disposable income, but my friends from there always complained of higher prices. Go figure. I thought i was probably because of tariffs or taxes.

[Pib]

It all depends on taxes such as import taxes, local taxes, etc. Some countries are just tax crazy.

[MrWorldwide]

Higher prices in developed nations also tend to reflect the higher wages paid locally, but the price differential on those Stax headphones I listed earlier is just astronomical. Stax has a dealer network to support, and I'd be interested to see how you get on with warranty if you buy from one of the 'grey importers' promising to get you a pair of SR-009s for roughly half the US price.

(FWIW, Boulder, CO looks to be the place for those who are into US-made audio. It seems to be the audio version of Silicon Valley)

[negreanu]

shipito.com Oregon address

[isawasnake]

A big part of the equation is no doubt the amount of volume US consumers purchase. Oddly enough, most of this volume is based in nothing, with the purchases being made with money that does not even exist yet. The US really knows how to do it, i'll tell you. Give everyone credit, the money to back the credit doesn't even exist to a large extent, then let them go out and buy anything they want thus effectively turning them into slaves. I guess the model is as long as the slaves have nice things, they will be happy and keep the system going.

[MrWorldwide]

shipito.com Oregon address

Believe it or not, some of the dealers refuse to ship to any business address which they believe to be a 'freight forwarder' - pathetic, but it's all part of 'protecting the brand'. The big boys argue that the cost of doing business in Sydney is much higher than Sacramento - beats the hell out of me.

[USNret]

The US really knows how to do it, i'll tell you. Give everyone credit, the money to back the credit doesn't even exist to a large extent, then let them go out and buy anything they want thus effectively turning them into slaves. I guess the model is as long as the slaves have nice things, they will be happy and keep the system going.

As an American currently living in America, I'd say you've hit the nail on the head. This concept, as you capture so concisely, is what has powered our economy for the past 40 years. The brilliant things is that 95% of them don't even realize they are slaves. I, too, was caught in this trap until about 6 years ago (about the time I moved to Thailand), went debt-free (almost unheard of among Americans) and I haven't looked back since.

[mania]

The brilliant things is that 95% of them don't even realize they are slaves.

I, too, was caught in this trap until about 6 years ago (about the time I moved to Thailand), went debt-free (almost unheard of among Americans) and I haven't looked back since.

Good for you

You know our grandparents felt the same way.

In those days they worked hard to pay off a mortgage asap

if they even had one,

& they would have mortgage burning celebrations when they did.

Today in the USA they like to say things like

"The one who dies owing the most wins"

Your right in saying they don't even realize they are tied to a wheel.

[lomatopo]

I return to the U.S. every 60 days or so. I always bring back a fair amount of gear and comestibles.

Last week came back with a new iPad 4, and a new Tab 10.1; I've brought in three PC builds, everything except the case, which I buy here. The savings are significant.

All of my hard drives are manufactured in Thailand, and purchased in the U.S., then brought back to Thailand.

I always go through the Green Channel but my box(es) & bags usually get X-Rayed; Thai Customs doesn't seem to have any issues.

Still no sales tax from Newegg, unless shipping to CA.

Then add in eBay, or even Craig's List for used exotic audio gear, and you can really save some money.

But many report success using re-shippers like shipito.

Not sure what types of products you are looking for but I assume you are aware of the potential AC power issue, which precludes my purchase of a lot of smaller home appliances.

Edited March 14, 2013 by lomatopo

[MrWorldwide]

iamotopo, all I know is that I have to get gear configured for 230/240V mains with the Euro plug - I've used several Aussie appliances with an adaptor in Thailand without issue. That is one area where Piyanas and other locals have a major advantage over bringing stuff in from the States.

Give me the 3-pin Furutech plugs over anything with 2-pins.

http://piyanas.com/shopping/product.php?cat=123.345〈=th

I mentioned Boulder earlier - these guys know how to build a power supply:

http://www.psaudio.com/shop/p10-power-plant/

Good luck getting that on the plane in your carry-on luggage

[Ticketmaster]

A big part of the reason for cheaper prices in the US is that it has been molded over the years by Big Business into a capitalists dream. Despite the ravings of the Tea Party types, the US now has some of the lowest taxes in the entire world. Big Business, with its drive for profit, detests import duties and embraces free trade. So it is not necessarily the product that is cheaper in the US so much as the invisible taxes do not exits there.

For example, how many people know that when they by a vehicle in Thailand, it carries a whopping 30% excise tax? Folks, on a 800,000 ThB car ($26,,600USD), there is a whopping 240,000 ThB excise tax ($8,000USD) The buyer sees the 7% VAT on the invoice, but the excise tax is invisible. If the vehicle is imported, add another 100% import duty. With 137% in tax on a imported BMW motor cycle, for example, it is no wonder that the price is less that half in the US. States like Alaska, Oregon and New Hampshire do not even have any sales tax. And these invisible excise taxes are levied on almost everything sold in Thailand, at varying rates depending on the product category.

Also, the US has laws against anti-competitive trade practices, like price fixing. They are reasonably well enforced, and even if not enforced by the government, class action suits by consumers strike fear into the hearts of those that would flout the law.

Thailand has the same laws -- very good ones, in fact. However, they aren't enforced -- don't even get lip service. And there are not any consumer class action suits here. Even if there were, you would need a jury system to get traction and Thailand doesn't have that either. Thus, monopolies and price fixing reign supreme. Most of the business here is controlled by a few giant family cartels.

So, you see, the reason for low prices in the US is not so hard to understand. It has some of the lowest taxes in the world and a jury court system, which some call the fourth branch of government.

[Ticketmaster]

I suspect that having a camera or laptop in a your carry-on is no biggie - wheeling some monstrous box through the 'Nothing to Declare' exit may be a little tougher

I've wheeled three monstrous boxes through the "no declare" exit and never got a glance. That is not to say I will always get away with it. but is is always worth a try.

I have had over $8,000USD (300,000 ThB) in motorcycle parts, tools and electronics shipped to me from the US by post over the last 3 or 4 years and never paid a dime (baht) in tax. Some of the boxes were monstrous. Use a plain, used box with a hand written address label and a vague (but honest) description of the contents -- it's always worked for me. The shipping is expensive, but the things I have imported typically cost double here -- like aluminum motorcycle sides cases -- so the shipping, even at a couple of hundred dollars is cheap, when I'm saving $500-600 on the contents.

[negreanu]

Believe it or not, some of the dealers refuse to ship to any business address which they believe to be a 'freight forwarder' - pathetic, but it's all part of 'protecting the brand'. The big boys argue that the cost of doing business in Sydney is much higher than Sacramento - beats the hell out of me.

shipito.com has multiple address's never had a issue getting refusal to all of them. Amazon.com and amazon marketplace are the best places to shop for shipito.com and they have nearly everything you would want.

[isawasnake]

I suspect that having a camera or laptop in a your carry-on is no biggie - wheeling some monstrous box through the 'Nothing to Declare' exit may be a little tougher

I've wheeled three monstrous boxes through the "no declare" exit and never got a glance. That is not to say I will always get away with it. but is is always worth a try.

I have had over $8,000USD (300,000 ThB) in motorcycle parts, tools and electronics shipped to me from the US by post over the last 3 or 4 years and never paid a dime (baht) in tax. Some of the boxes were monstrous. Use a plain, used box with a hand written address label and a vague (but honest) description of the contents -- it's always worked for me. The shipping is expensive, but the things I have imported typically cost double here -- like aluminum motorcycle sides cases -- so the shipping, even at a couple of hundred dollars is cheap, when I'm saving $500-600 on the contents.

I totally agree with what you have said, but the "problem" is with the unpredictable nature of it all. One of your boxes could have just so happen to have gotten stopped and charged a huge, unreasonable fee, and you'd probably be singing a different tune. In any case, it is nice to hear about others' experiences and techniques. Cheers.

[MrWorldwide]

A big part of the reason for cheaper prices in the US is that it has been molded over the years by Big Business into a capitalists dream. Despite the ravings of the Tea Party types, the US now has some of the lowest taxes in the entire world. Big Business, with its drive for profit, detests import duties and embraces free trade. So it is not necessarily the product that is cheaper in the US so much as the invisible taxes do not exits there.

For example, how many people know that when they by a vehicle in Thailand, it carries a whopping 30% excise tax? Folks, on a 800,000 ThB car ($26,,600USD), there is a whopping 240,000 ThB excise tax ($8,000USD) The buyer sees the 7% VAT on the invoice, but the excise tax is invisible. If the vehicle is imported, add another 100% import duty. With 137% in tax on a imported BMW motor cycle, for example, it is no wonder that the price is less that half in the US. States like Alaska, Oregon and New Hampshire do not even have any sales tax. And these invisible excise taxes are levied on almost everything sold in Thailand, at varying rates depending on the product category.

Also, the US has laws against anti-competitive trade practices, like price fixing. They are reasonably well enforced, and even if not enforced by the government, class action suits by consumers strike fear into the hearts of those that would flout the law.

Thailand has the same laws -- very good ones, in fact. However, they aren't enforced -- don't even get lip service. And there are not any consumer class action suits here. Even if there were, you would need a jury system to get traction and Thailand doesn't have that either. Thus, monopolies and price fixing reign supreme. Most of the business here is controlled by a few giant family cartels.

So, you see, the reason for low prices in the US is not so hard to understand. It has some of the lowest taxes in the world and a jury court system, which some call the fourth branch of government.

I saw something a while back about businesses moving to Delaware because they were pushing themselves as a 'low tax state'. I dont know if that still holds, but I do see complaints from various American audio folk re the state taxes they have to pay on their toys. I think income tax also varies from state to state, or have I got that ballsed up ?

Some good info in this thread, and I will definitely take a look at shipito. Thanks to all who have taken the time to post.