Never really done this sort of thing before, but I can buy a few iPhone's in the US,. So, I figured I'd make a few baht and bring a few of them with me (literally just a few- i don't want to have any issues. I've brought 4 extra smartphones with me before for friends without issue before- just in my carry on).

Anyway, I was thinking the highest end in gold would be the most in demand just from my experiences with the 'target market' where i expect the conversations would be, 'oh, you got the small one. i got the most expensive gold 6 Plus 128'. So, I imagine the demand from people who want to get these early will be people who want to impress others by buying "the best", along with people who have the money and have waited for a big screen iPhone for a long time and want the biggest. I'm not a fan of gold phones, but my perception is also that the gold ones are, by far, the more popular in SE Asia.

Basically, just asking here to make sure I'm not off base on these assumptions. Opinions? My plan is basically to sell them to one of the shops @ MBK and give up a bit to not have to deal with the hassles of selling them to end users myself. I'll be back in Thailand in 3 weeks. As supply constrained as Apple appears to be, I don't see that being an issue. Obviously I'll be checking for the going price right before I leave the US. If somehow the prices aren't that great, I'd just return them before I leave.

Thanks.

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I've been told the iPhones are area specific as in regional.

My understanding is an iPhone bought in The USA won't be repaired by any authorized Apple repair center in Thailand or anywhere in SEA.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

I cant see you would be able to make even 20B on each phone Apple is pretty much the same price everywhere, any Thai in Thailand if they can afford 30,000 plus for a phone wont be buying it in an MBK stall.

I did manage to get my ipad2 $AU50 cheaper there when i bought in Thailand but that was due to currency's rapid movement up at the time.

I don't think the Thais would want the large storage... And Apple charges a high premium for that extra ram... I would get the cheapest iPhone 6 Plus - get a couple of each color...

Edited September 25, 201411 yr by sfokevin

Pretty risky venture seeing as no release date is actually known - it could go official here at any time, plus once it does it will be available on amortized plans, which is how I imagine most people will buy a phone that expensive.

Given the latest news of impending raids on MBK, I'm not sure your plan to move them onto a vendor there will work either, and what's to say they're not already paying less for their stocks?

I cant see you would be able to make even 20B on each phone Apple is pretty much the same price everywhere, any Thai in Thailand if they can afford 30,000 plus for a phone wont be buying it in an MBK stall.

I did manage to get my ipad2 $AU50 cheaper there when i bought in Thailand but that was due to currency's rapid movement up at the time.

They are selling on facebook for 50k for the 6 and 100k for the 6+

I cant see you would be able to make even 20B on each phone Apple is pretty much the same price everywhere, any Thai in Thailand if they can afford 30,000 plus for a phone wont be buying it in an MBK stall.

I did manage to get my ipad2 $AU50 cheaper there when i bought in Thailand but that was due to currency's rapid movement up at the time.

They are selling on facebook for 50k for the 6 and 100k for the 6+

Just because somebody is asking that much doesn't mean there's somebody paying that much.

For that you could send your man-servant to HK and let him get some iPhones there, and come back, and still save some money. Just to say, the prices just don't make sense.

The usual once the grey market has settled is that the iPhones are sold here for a BHT 3,000 markup vs. HK. Very efficient grey market!

I cant see you would be able to make even 20B on each phone Apple is pretty much the same price everywhere, any Thai in Thailand if they can afford 30,000 plus for a phone wont be buying it in an MBK stall.

I did manage to get my ipad2 $AU50 cheaper there when i bought in Thailand but that was due to currency's rapid movement up at the time.

They are selling on facebook for 50k for the 6 and 100k for the 6+

Just because somebody is asking that much doesn't mean there's somebody paying that much.

For that you could send your man-servant to HK and let him get some iPhones there, and come back, and still save some money. Just to say, the prices just don't make sense.

The usual once the grey market has settled is that the iPhones are sold here for a BHT 3,000 markup vs. HK. Very efficient grey market!

Meh. they are selling.

Have you considered the possibility of having them discovered by Customs on your way in?

And then there is this:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/763293-customs-warns-of-sting-to-seize-smuggled-iphones-at-bangkoks-mbk/

I asked my SIL to buy a iPhone 6Plus in New York, but she was unable to get a phone, which was not SIM locked. So be aware of the problem. If your iPhone bought is USA is SIM-locked it's useless here in Thailand.

So check before you buy.

I asked my SIL to buy a iPhone 6Plus in New York, but she was unable to get a phone, which was not SIM locked. So be aware of the problem. If your iPhone bought is USA is SIM-locked it's useless here in Thailand.

So check before you buy.

In the States you can get T-Mobile contract free, it's Factory Unlocked.

I asked my SIL to buy a iPhone 6Plus in New York, but she was unable to get a phone, which was not SIM locked. So be aware of the problem. If your iPhone bought is USA is SIM-locked it's useless here in Thailand.

So check before you buy.

In the States you can get T-Mobile contract free, it's Factory Unlocked.

Yes, this is true but I read that they have a new SIM design.

Will phone service providers here have a compatible SIM?

Sorry...not savvy on this...but my iPhone 3 finally can no longer repaired and I have been looking at the 6.

The bigger screen of even the smaller 6 will help my cataracts.

The sim is Nano Sim, same as the iPhone 5/5s.

No problem with availability.

https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

What does your link have to do with being able to get a regionally specific (repair wise and not sim as in band wise) iPhone repaired outside the region where it was purchased??

Please explain..

Unless there's been a policy change Apple will only repair phones within the region where the phone was purchased.

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I've been told the iPhones are area specific as in regional.

My understanding is an iPhone bought in The USA won't be repaired by any authorized Apple repair center in Thailand or anywhere in SEA.

You mis-understand.

My mom is going back to Thailand early next month from the US and bringing with her 1 iPhone 6 gold 64GB and 1 iPhone 6 Plus gold 64GB, both unlock version.

At first, sis said to buy the cheapest model but I convinced her to go with the 64GB version. And instead of 2 iPhone 6, I convinced her to get a 6 and a 6 plus based on my own experience with the iPhone 6.

Its for my sister and her daughter. Its not for resale. Hope Customs won't giver her hard time.

I told my mom to keep the iPhones in her purse and put the iPhone boxes in luggage.

Edited October 22, 201411 yr by Aswin

Yeah so when they see the empty boxes in the luggage they'll look in her purse for the phones.

My mate bought me a 6 from the States yesterday, as well as a Plus for his Missus and his own Plus and his old 5, he left the boxes in the states and bought the phones in his hand luggage, no problem.

Will bring the empty boxes on his next trip.

LOL all this IPhones you bringing from the US have no warranty in Thailand.

Next Friday October 31st it's the official release date in Thailand.

All the mature operator will have it for sale. TRUE, AIS, DTAC etc.

Just hope for the best that those US IPhones will not make you any problems otherwise you ending up paying for the repair cost.

Just Fed ex it to my mate in the States, he exchanges it for a new one at The Apple Store and sends it back, not really a hardship, there is no Apple Store in Thailand so you can't just walk in the Store and exchange it so any repairs/exchange would probably take as long as sending it back to US, exchanging and returning to Thailand.

Edited October 23, 201411 yr by Banzai99