Extension Cords and Voltage

[emanphoto]

When I moved here I left all my nice extension cords behind thinking they would not work or would overheat if I used them here. Now I'm not so sure about that.

I am using the same power cord for one of my photo strobes (device is switchable from 110 to 220) that I used in the US. That made me think that any heavy duty extension cord from the US will work for the other photo device I have w/no power cord. That said, let me show the reason I want to do this.

First off, 3 prong extension cords are not available here. Period. If they are, I'm from Missouri. Show me. I planned to buy one here thinking the one back home wouldn't work. I've been to Tesco, HomePro, and Fortune Town. Nothing. Everything here is power strips. Bugger looking anymore as I'm effen tired of looking and hearing "mai mee" unless someone can show me a photo of some here in BKK in a store that I can get to.

The reason I need this is because of the device it will power which requires such a cord. Attached is a shot of where the female end of the cord needs to go. Also attached are some shots of typical cords that I am talking about that would fit this device.

So my question is, can these US cords handle the power here in LOS? It seems like they can but I'm not fluent in electronic-ese. Is there a spec on the cords that I should look for to make sure they are compatible?

Thanks for any help!

[arthurwait]

Yes 3 pronged extension cords are available, the red signed electric shop you get in some supermarket malls have them nice and thick . I use them for welding where standard ones blow the fuses.

If you can't find them go to Hardware house on the bang na tradt about Bang PLee. Not been to that branch myself but the motorway branch has everything you can need.

As for can your US wires work here it depends on the thickness of the wire and what power your device needs. Check wattage ratings.

[arthurwait]

Have you checked Pantip plaza ?

[arthurwait]

Oh hang on you said power strips. the ones I have have a box for 2 plugs.

Still check Hardware house and the electrics shop, Pantip.

I did see one like the orange one looking like it was designed for outdoor use in Thai wadsadu yesterday.

If you want the computer type check pantip plaza/I mall, Petchaburi road.

[lopburi3]

US wire has twice the size conductors than normally used so works very well here.

3 wire extension cords are available here - strip type in any department type store and longer extension cords are indeed available in Home Pro (bought one a few months ago). But you have to look beyond the cheap stuff.

This is one at Home Pro but not what I bought there (which was longer and different brand):

http://www.directtoshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/directtoshop/extension-cord-psvc-10-toshino-p133831

Oops - now see it is the socket that you are in need of obtaining - am sure you can find on Ebay or other online source and attach to any three wire extension cord - the cord I bought had a three outlet covered socket at end so not the type you looking for.

[emanphoto]

Thanks arthurwait.

Thai Wadsadu I'd heard of but it means another trip and that one is not on a BTS route. Also I was told that what I'd find at Thai Wadsadu are the PARTS and not a cord I can walk in and buy, ready to use. Not doubting you, but I've been told "for sure" it's here and there and came away w/more mai mee's and miles walked in stupid malls than I care to think about, so I'm in no dang hurry to go on another snipe hunt. Shopping is here a pain in my a__.

Yes I'm looking for exactly these kind of cords, and as the supplied shot of my power pack shows, it's recessed and the female end has to go in there and fit into that recessed hole. Power strips are useless for this unless I end up stripping one down to make my own…but then I'd have to find that female end too! Argh.

The power pack has a 4amp fuse in it, and I've always used heavier gauge cords with it in the US. It's a giant capacitor so when the flash is triggered, power is drawn to refill those capacitors in 2 seconds.

[emanphoto]

Thanks lopburi3, ye who has saved my posterior on many an immigration question.

I'd seen those but unfortunately they won't fit into the recessed female outlet on the power pack.

[wayned]

Doesn't the power pack have a short cord which was supplied with it? If it does, plug that into the power pack and then into the extension cord that Lopburi3 suggested. After all you are looking for and extension cord, aren't you!

[lopburi3]

I would not worry about the 125v rating - am sure it will insulate 230v fine for your use.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-socket-receptacle-Nema-5-15R-female-connector-15A-125V-AC-New-/290686215489?pt=UK_TravelTickets_Accessories_RL&hash=item43ae3fa541

[emanphoto]

The supplied cord was basically a 3 prong extension cord. I regret leaving it behind. So any heavier gauge extension cord will do as a replacement if the female end fits into the illustrated recess.

Doesn't the power pack have a short cord which was supplied with it? If it does, plug that into the power pack and then into the extension cord that Lopburi3 suggested. After all you are looking for and extension cord, aren't you!

[emanphoto]

That is what this may come to lopburi3

I would not worry about the 125v rating - am sure it will insulate 230v fine for your use.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-socket-receptacle-Nema-5-15R-female-connector-15A-125V-AC-New-/290686215489?pt=UK_TravelTickets_Accessories_RL&hash=item43ae3fa541

[emanphoto]

I've never noticed these places so if you know of one let me know where.

Yes 3 pronged extension cords are available, the red signed electric shop you get in some supermarket malls have them nice and thick . I use them for welding where standard ones blow the fuses.

If you can't find them go to Hardware house on the bang na tradt about Bang PLee. Not been to that branch myself but the motorway branch has everything you can need.

As for can your US wires work here it depends on the thickness of the wire and what power your device needs. Check wattage ratings.

[emanphoto]

Just so no one think me totally cynical, I'd also been told I could buy an outlet tester at any Tesco and looked at 2 big ones and found none. Wife finally found one at a event at some convention center…all in Thai of course.

[lopburi3]

Tesco used to always have the small multimeters (not specific outlet testers - they are not normally available anywhere) but there electric departments have been almost done away with it seems with the expansion into super shops.

[Emster23]

Amorn carries those. It's the amps more than the volts you need to be concerned about generally. I have brought extension cords over from USA no real problem. May need to file down US male prong for polarizing, as perhaps too wide for female outlet receptacle (no jokes, please... ok, one or two). Do not bring anything that may have circuit breaker etc in the strip. That will fry like bacon.

[SOTIRIOS]

....I beg to differ....I accidentally used an adaptor (Orange 3 to 2) from North America....it melted and almost caught fire...

....it only took an instant to blow my Drill Battery Charger on the wrong setting too....

...do not skimp.....and be careful....there are frequent power surges in Thailand as well....

[maderaroja]

You could have someone from your family in Missouri send you one in the mail.

[attrayant]

[deleted as I see you're looking for molded extension cords, not strips]

Edited September 28, 2014 by attrayant

[attrayant]

....I beg to differ....I accidentally used an adaptor (Orange 3 to 2) from North America....it melted and almost caught fire.

Without an autopsy we can't be sure what happened but American appliances pull a lot more current due to the lower mains voltage. That means extension cords must have higher gauge wire at the same power rating. I've spliced several "heavy duty" extension cords here and the wire appeared to be 24AWG or smaller.

[lucifer666]

Three pronged extension cords are available here, although you may think they are two pin

The ones i have seen, come with TWO pins and a hole ( you buy the earth pin seperate and screw it in), Yes , really.

[T_Dog]

Voltage rating on your extension cords is very important, as there is four times more energy available to cause damage here than in the USA. (Energy being a voltage squared product.) When I first moved here, I was surprised by how Thai folks always unplugged anything not in use; It felt like a religion almost. Now, some ten years later, after seeing a few line cords arc I know why. We had one extension cord that our builders unplugged when it started to arc. I plugged it back in, no load on it, and it started to buzz and arc at its socket end in about ten minutes. It was outside and I let it arc away for several minutes until the 20 Amp circuit breaker finally kicked out. The arcing and plastic burning supported a nice bright arc for quite a while until the actual conductors finally came together in a true short. The line voltage here in Thailand is not very clean and I would bet there are high voltage transients that get arcs going initially which the 230 volts can support after the initial transient.

[herb59]

first i have to ask my friend Cord.

[slipperylobster]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I always would check the Amps....

A 5 amp plug is fine for a light, but not for an appliance. Best to get the highest amp rating (its on the plug)

[siamike]

I brought over quite a few extension cords from the USA, some 2 wire and some 3 wire, and they all work just fine here in Thailand. As Lopburi13 already mentioned, most any extension cord you might bring from the USA will be able to handle the 220 voltage found here in Thailand, and they will handle the power even better. The max current (ie amps) your cord can safely carry is determined by the size of the wire, regardless of the voltage, 120 or 220, doesnt matter. Electrical power is usually measured in Watts, and Watts = Amps x Volts. So, if your device draws 500 watts, then it needs 4.1666 amps at 120 volts but only 2.273 amps at 220 volts. There's a lot of info on this subject here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power

Do be careful of using any power strips you might have brought from the USA as many of them contain electronic devices (Typically MOVs) which will burn up when plugged into a 220 outlet.

[emanphoto]

If it's of heavy gauge, I'd buy one. Only question is where.

Three pronged extension cords are available here, although you may think they are two pin

The ones i have seen, come with TWO pins and a hole ( you buy the earth pin seperate and screw it in), Yes , really.

[Crossy]

Three pronged extension cords are available here, although you may think they are two pin

The ones i have seen, come with TWO pins and a hole ( you buy the earth pin seperate and screw it in), Yes , really.

No not really, those 'two pin' plugs are Euro or Schuko plugs, the hole does NOT line up with the ground pin in a Thai outlet, forcing it to fit will damage the outlet. Have you actually SEEN these pins for sale?

There are plenty of proper 3-pin extensions and traily distribution boards, in Tesco, HomePro, HomeWorks etc, you just have to look.

[emanphoto]

Traily distribution boards? Never heard of that and from the looks of the pix in the link, that would make sense.

I googled "AC 3-pin female extensions" and didn't see anything I can use. W/O the "AC" you get a lot of computer cable results.

The concept seems sound, having a female and male end on a 1-2 inch plug, but can I really find this? Sorry, my last few shopping outings for things of this nature under advice of others and coming up snake eyes makes me ask.

A search for "AC 3-pin female/male extensions" brings up similar results.

[ryanmacl]

All the Thai Watsadu's have them in several different lengths, I think I paid around 170 baht for the 10 meter one my dog just chewed through. US style 3-prong male plug, with the multi-country grounded female end that always wears out with the round two-prong local stuff. Still, works fine for what you want it for, and you could always snip it and replace the female side. The whole thing is orange and pretty heavy gauge, suitable for whatever you plan on using it for. They aren't hard to find either, big displays in the electrical sections and they also hang them up around the store near power tools and such.

[emanphoto]

I had heard tell of the fabled Amorn store in Fortune Town and again walked out empty handed after hearing mai mee. I did a once thru the store anyway and they did have the light duty type that we use for lamps and such, but just a couple of them and they were only 2 prong.

Amorn carries those. It's the amps more than the volts you need to be concerned about generally. I have brought extension cords over from USA no real problem. May need to file down US male prong for polarizing, as perhaps too wide for female outlet receptacle (no jokes, please... ok, one or two). Do not bring anything that may have circuit breaker etc in the strip. That will fry like bacon.

[emanphoto]

They have been alerted.

You could have someone from your family in Missouri send you one in the mail.