thailandsgreat Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Ado yourself a big favour, do not buy a laptop in Thailand most of them are very low quality, they are not the same models you would buy in a western country. All apps are copies anything go wrong and they will not help you. I have bought 3 over the last 7 yrs all packed up useless. Full of viruses all the time. They do not want to know if you have problems. I took one back to New Zealand with me to get looked at and fixed, they said copy cannot fix it. Just don't do it buy one from home. It will be cheaper in the end. What you say is important when you buy electronics in Asia. I lived in China long time, often bought computer stuff in Hong Kong.My impression is that cheaper deals can sometimes give problems. I will probably have to go to a larger shop, buy a little better items. It will be more expensive than at home. But I hope it will work. I can't buy at home. Last time at home (before short visit last month) was 2 years ago. What kind of computers did you buy? How much were they? Edited June 17, 2016 by thailandsgreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 On Racheda, there is fortune tower...lots of new and used laptops of every make...and repair centers... I stay in a small city in chon buri...and there are plenty of shops here...I would assume you'd find similar shops where you are as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabula Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Go to Fortune Town Mall. 3rd and 4th floor. Have Nick at Pro Corner computer repair,3rd flòor, set up the new computer or do any installs for you. He speaks English and is the best service in Thailand. Dell and Acer is on the 4th floor. No problem with buying computers in Thailand. Consult with Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathon Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Probably the top mall for computers is Fortune Town which is at the Rama 9 subway station so easy to get to and much closer to city center. Absolutely, good choice of outlets there. Avoid Panthip and the nuisance of the guys trying to sell knock off DVDs. Edited June 17, 2016 by Jonathon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estrada Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I used to own Computer Shops in the UK before I moved here 22 years ago. I have worked for Companies who have many laptops, I don't have a good experience with any HP models. I have two HP desk tops at home, both have some hardware problems and keep crashing. I have bought two top of the range Vaios as I used to do a lot of AutoCAD work so need large screens. The Vaio laptop suffered from hard wear crashes due to an inherent problem with RAM slot contacts, and the original power transformer was too small due to a design fault. The Vaio desk top hard drive(Toshiba) packed up after 12 months (made in China) I have an ACER Aspire 8942G i7 1.28GB 17.5" Screen with Dolby Surround sound that I bought in IT City 7 years ago for $3,000 and I have just bought the ACER Predator 17.5" HD 1080 Screen i7 with 64GB RAM, 512GB solid state drive and 2TB Hard drive for B89,900 ($2,800). For all intents and purposes, it is the latest model of my previous gaming and work laptop. It comes with Windows 10 home and 3 years home service warranty (they come and pick it up and bring it back after servicing) also a 2 year international travelers warranty. The travelers warranty is important if you are buying in Thailand as many computer warranties are not covered outside of the country it is sold in. In the early days I bought my computers at Pantip Plaza Bangkok, but after problems with cracked main boards and loose chips, I have bought all my computers from IT City at Seacon Square which is not far from Suvarnaphum Airport. IT City have branches all over Thailand and you have no problem getting an invoice and documents to enable you to get the VAT back at the Airport when you leave Thailand. They have a very nice ACER gaming quality laptop for B29,900 with Windows 10 Genuine on offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bredbury Blue Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 ^"In all these stores, only the higher end model laptops come with Windows installed". I bought my latest laptop here without Windows installed, bought Windows in their store and paid them a minor fee to install for me while I went for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony0339 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Don't go to any place unless you are sure you can bye the true name brand. This is the reason why I bought a Mac book air. Secondly, no viruses and much more reliable with the longest battery life. Warranty is honoured internationally. It's been 3 years and mine is still going strong unlike my 3 Acers bought in the US which all died just after the 1 year warranty expired. Well worth the extra cash, was about 32,000 Baht at the time from Istudio. Edited June 17, 2016 by anthony0339 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seancbk Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I don't know where you are, but I would not get a laptop in Thailand. 90% of laptops don't come with Operating System (unless you want DOS or sometimes Linux) and staff is certainly not knowledgeable... at least not in English. But up to you. I'm in Myanmar. So they don't offer any "deals" on operating systems. I may have to run two softwares under Linux (MBDyn and Matlab). But without Windows it is less convenient. It is not urgent. I may have to think a little. Thanks for info. Linux Mint 18 beta just came out and will be officially released next month. I've already installed the beta and it's a lovely OS. I totally ditched windows and the Mac OS (on my macbook air) a couple of years ago in favour of Linux Mint Cinnamon. As for buying a laptop in Bangkok, go to Fortune Town computer Mall which you can get to be taking the MRT (underground trains) to Phra Ram 9 station. Lots of choice there. You could also take a look at invadeit .co .th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) I don't know where you are, but I would not get a laptop in Thailand. 90% of laptops don't come with Operating System (unless you want DOS or sometimes Linux) and staff is certainly not knowledgeable... at least not in English. But up to you. I'm in Myanmar. So they don't offer any "deals" on operating systems. I may have to run two softwares under Linux (MBDyn and Matlab). But without Windows it is less convenient. It is not urgent. I may have to think a little. Thanks for info. Linux Mint 18 beta just came out and will be officially released next month. I've already installed the beta and it's a lovely OS. I totally ditched windows and the Mac OS (on my macbook air) a couple of years ago in favour of Linux Mint Cinnamon.As for buying a laptop in Bangkok, go to Fortune Town computer Mall which you can get to be taking the MRT (underground trains) to Phra Ram 9 station. Lots of choice there. You could also take a look at invadeit .co .th I think you are right. I used Ubuntu several years, but like many, I never liked the Unity interface when it came. It still runs on a server where interfaces don't matter.It will be Linux Mint next time. Edited June 17, 2016 by thailandsgreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seligne2 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Ado yourself a big favour, do not buy a laptop in Thailand most of them are very low quality, they are not the same models you would buy in a western country. All apps are copies anything go wrong and they will not help you. I have bought 3 over the last 7 yrs all packed up useless. Full of viruses all the time. They do not want to know if you have problems. I took one back to New Zealand with me to get looked at and fixed, they said copy cannot fix it. Just don't do it buy one from home. It will be cheaper in the end. You're right and you're wrong. Computers sold here are not the same owing to the fact that they have Thai keyboards. But the guts of computers here are the same as computers anywhere. Your vendor may choose to load up your machine with all kinds of unwanted, dodgy software, but that is a local problem. If you were to buy a Dell laptop, e.g., from Dell Thailand http://www.dell.com/th/p/laptops.aspx?c=th&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn you get a machine that has a warranty honored worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seligne2 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Ado yourself a big favour, do not buy a laptop in Thailand most of them are very low quality, they are not the same models you would buy in a western country. All apps are copies anything go wrong and they will not help you. I have bought 3 over the last 7 yrs all packed up useless. Full of viruses all the time. They do not want to know if you have problems. I took one back to New Zealand with me to get looked at and fixed, they said copy cannot fix it. Just don't do it buy one from home. It will be cheaper in the end. You're right and you're wrong. Computers sold here are not the same owing to the fact that they have Thai keyboards. But the guts of computers here are the same as computers anywhere. Your vendor may choose to load up your machine with all kinds of unwanted, dodgy software, but that is a local problem. If you were to buy a Dell laptop, e.g., from Dell Thailand http://www.dell.com/th/p/laptops.aspx?c=th&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn you get a machine that has a warranty honored worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 Good you brought up the keyboard. Is it difficult to buy a computer with English keyboard here? I assume I can have English Windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 The normal keyboard has both English and Thai and operating system can be in either language. Thai use a lot of English when using computer so easy switching is always available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aronp1 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Pantip Plaza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lannig Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) The normal keyboard has both English and Thai and operating system can be in either language. Thai use a lot of English when using computer so easy switching is always available. Correct, but the dual symbol engraving on every key makes the keyboard messy and hard to the eyes IMO. Besides this, +1 for JIB at Zeer Rangsit or in any major IT mall. They're serious resellers although I would not expect good technical advice from them. Better see what they have and choose your model based on web reviews and user feedback. Edited June 17, 2016 by Lannig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Americano555 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Buy a Mac..........<deleted> are you wondering about HOW YOUR GOING TO RUN IT?????? I have a Sony Vaio also....and I hate it. Windows BLOWWWSSS. I only have to keep up to date on where windows is going..... Most I know here in Thailand their computers are loaded with Pirated Software....Go to the States, and get caught and can be 5-10-15-20 K fine...... meanwhile my Mac is humming along, no cash out of the pocket for ohhhhh...THE NEW WINDOWS...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Buy a Mac..........<deleted> are you wondering about HOW YOUR GOING TO RUN IT?????? I have a Sony Vaio also....and I hate it. Windows BLOWWWSSS. I only have to keep up to date on where windows is going..... Most I know here in Thailand their computers are loaded with Pirated Software....Go to the States, and get caught and can be 5-10-15-20 K fine...... meanwhile my Mac is humming along, no cash out of the pocket for ohhhhh...THE NEW WINDOWS...... http://www.pc-vs-mac-test.com For 3D applications and gaming PC is the standard (Q1). On the other hand, people in the creative industry use Macs (Q2). Although taste differs over a topic like design and usability, in general Apple is considered to be the winner (Q3, 1 point). The market for PC’s and services is a little bit more free when it comes to who can do maintenance, Apple owners are more dependent on special service centers (Q4). Depending on the type of smartphone you have, we reason that it will partly determine your preference (Q5, 1 point). Although iPhone users can run iTunes on their PC too. When money plays an important role in the buying decision, you’ll find that you have more choice with PC’s (Q6). We have presented a tradeoff between ‘freedom’ and ‘safety’: Apple software seems to be a bit safer and less attacked by viruses and hackers, but software developers have less freedom when developing new software compared to other systems like Windows or Linux (Q7). A similar one is the possibility to customize your PC vs. the plug and play factor that most Macs have: A Mac is operated from the start without much hassle. But if you’re a tweaker you might prefer a PC, because more options to change software and hardware parts (Q8, 1 point). Edited June 17, 2016 by thailandsgreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozyjon Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) I have bought many laptops at Pantip Plaza, i'm on one right now i bought 5 years ago still works fine, has Windows 7, no upgrade, not in Thai, the keyboard has Thai / English on it but not a problem. My tip for what it's worth only PAY WITH CASH, was that loud enough. Edited June 17, 2016 by ozyjon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 I have bought many laptops at Pantip Plaza, i'm on one right now i bought 5 years ago still works fine, has Windows 7, no upgrade, not in Thai, the keyboard has Thai / English on it but not a problem. My tip for what it's worth only PAY WITH CASH, was that loud enough. Sorry. I didn't get it. Why not pay with card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulic Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Just make sure you get a real copy of Windows OS. It cost a couple thousand baht extra but well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlQaholic Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Big C have good laps, they are 20 years old but still working.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeptic7 Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) Get a Lenovo (formerly IBM) @ any PowerBuy. Legit place, sells genuine items with warranty, returns and decent prices...especially if they have some discounted "on sale" models. Usually do... Edited June 17, 2016 by Skeptic7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterw42 Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Get a Lenovo (formerly IBM) @ any PowerBuy. Legit place, sells genuine items with warranty, returns and decent prices...especially if they have some discounted "on sale" models. Usually do... Yes, I would recommend Lenovo, Toshiba or Dell from Powerbuy. for the reasons above. They usually put lots of goodies on as well, MS Office, Photoshop etc. The thing to remember with Laptops is, they run Hot. A lot of heat producing components jammed into a very tight space. All the components are often running at the upper end of the temp the components are made to run at. Badly designed laptops often have a short life as they literally cook themselves. I would avoid sleak designer laptops , the ones that are 5 mill thick etc, for this reason. Also, avoid the people who don't actually make laptops, Sony, LG etc. yes it says sony on the outside but usually a rebadged and repacked generic brand. There are levels of buying in Thailand, A good brand laptop, factory installed windows and drivers, recovery partition etc, A good brand Laptop were the shop has installed windows, sometimes not legit, usually generic drivers etc and recovery partition missing. Or laptops with no op system, DIY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bredbury Blue Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Just make sure you get a real copy of Windows OS. It cost a couple thousand baht extra but well worth it. Still think the best way is to buy without Windows installed. Buy the Windows package. Get them to put it on for you. Take away both computer and Windows package box home. You then have Windows disc to reinstall should you ever need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 (edited) Just make sure you get a real copy of Windows OS. It cost a couple thousand baht extra but well worth it. Still think the best way is to buy without Windows installed. Buy the Windows package. Get them to put it on for you. Take away both computer and Windows package box home. You then have Windows disc to reinstall should you ever need it.Back home, that would be more expensive, but you get support from Microsoft if you buy Windows separately. With the pre-installed OEM Windows you were usually asked burn recovery discs for backup, yourself. But I haven't bought a new Windows for quite a while so it may have changed. Maybe some laptops are also sold without DVD-burner these days. Do you put the recovery disc content on USB then? Edited June 18, 2016 by thailandsgreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aronp1 Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Buy a Mac..........<deleted> are you wondering about HOW YOUR GOING TO RUN IT?????? I have a Sony Vaio also....and I hate it. Windows BLOWWWSSS. I only have to keep up to date on where windows is going..... Most I know here in Thailand their computers are loaded with Pirated Software....Go to the States, and get caught and can be 5-10-15-20 K fine...... meanwhile my Mac is humming along, no cash out of the pocket for ohhhhh...THE NEW WINDOWS...... Wow! How misleading is that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailandsgreat Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 (edited) This is a good description of what has happened in the market. (But mostly positive comments in this kind of reviews. I guess they get paid to write that way ) http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369981,00.asp The market has really changed. Top end Lenovo Carbon comes with only 256G storage (SSD), less than its predecessor. They should all be slim these days. This one weighs only 2.5 pounds with a 14" screen! http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408289,00.asp That storage isn't really enough for Windows+Linux. Considering the price, I would probably be better off buying much cheaper and only use Linux. What I would miss from Windows is mostly Photoshop (GIMP isn't really the same IMHO), I am no gamer. But if I buy expensive I don't want to leave Windows out, sometimes you just need it for some function. Edited June 19, 2016 by thailandsgreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theguyfromanotherforum Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I bought a dual core AMD more than 3 years ago in Canada with Windows 8, 500gb HD and 8GB of RAM. The laptop was on sale and it was $199 + tax (15%) Runs great to this day and has made me a lot of money. I have factory reinstalled it about 10 times so far, as the installation is always kept in a separate partition. Tried Win 8.1 and Window 10 which were upgraded for free. Always go back to 8.1 The only thing I would buy in Thailand would be apple (if I was a fan, which I am not) or microsoft surface. The rest is either overpriced or junk. I keep looking at sales for the past 3 years, but there is nothing even close to what I would get in Canada. So, I think my next lappy will be a Surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I think you are right. I used Ubuntu several years, but like many, I never liked the Unity interface when it came. It still runs on a server where interfaces don't matter.It will be Linux Mint next time. You can also select Kubuntu instead of Ubuntu. Kubuntu comes which KDE environment. Or if you have already installed Ubuntu, changing the desktop is easy: # apt-get install kubuntu-desktop I personally ended up purchasing MacBook Air after trying to find a decent hardware with decent price for Linux laptop few years back. At the time X1 carbon was twice the price of MBA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seancbk Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I think you are right. I used Ubuntu several years, but like many, I never liked the Unity interface when it came. It still runs on a server where interfaces don't matter.It will be Linux Mint next time. You can also select Kubuntu instead of Ubuntu. Kubuntu comes which KDE environment. Or if you have already installed Ubuntu, changing the desktop is easy: # apt-get install kubuntu-desktop I personally ended up purchasing MacBook Air after trying to find a decent hardware with decent price for Linux laptop few years back. At the time X1 carbon was twice the price of MBA. I bought a Macbook Air as I wanted something smaller to travel with (I already had a Sony Vaio with a 17.3" screen). The first thing I did when I got my new Macbook Air home was reformat the drive to wipe the Mac OS off completely and replace it with Linux Mint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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