Laptop shopping: Singapore, UK or Bangkok?

[NanLaew]

I am in the market for a new laptop to replace my 5 year-old i5 machine and my travels will take me to the UK and Singapore. My current laptop was bought in the UK from an online discounter and the purchase experience was as good as the machine has been. I have subsequently cloned the HD a couple of times (now with a 1Tb SSD) but it only has a single (now dodgy) USB3 port so not too handy when using backup storage devices. My preference is for ASUS machines. Not a gamer but a very big macro-enabled spreadsheet and database user.

Singapore used to be the place for the best deals on the latest gear but I haven’t shopped there recently. Apart from the venerable Simlim (is it still there?) and the newer Funan, Is there a recommended, one-stop venue for laptop shopping in the Lion City? How are the prices these days?

The UK retailer I used before has several new i5 machines with Windows 7 Professional Edition 64-bit with Windows 10 Professional 64-bit License & Restore Provided. I like this option as all my clients still use Win7 and being able to try out Win10 upgrade at a future date is very agreeable versus a ‘cold turkey’ upgrade to Win10. Unfortunately, this retailer hasn’t volunteered for the EU tax rebate system for overseas shoppers and kissing around 80 quid goodbye on VAT isn’t as acceptable  as it was a few years ago. The big high street and online shops like Curry’s do offer the tax rebate but their choice is limited and it seems that Win8 and Win10 are the only os choices.

 
Of course if there’s a good place for shopping in Bangkok, that may do if they have the right machine specs I need (not high end). I don’t like having the dual-language keyboard though which I assume is standard here. Also the penchant to sell machines without an installed os seems fraught with risk. I have in the past bought legit os overseas and installed it on home-built PC’s here and that works OK.

On some technical notes, how about touch screens? I see they are one of the options on new laptops. I am a mouse and keyboard guy but do like the touch screen on my android devices. How does it work on a laptop? Can the touch screen be disabled if it is unworkable? I also note that a lot of new machines have a smaller HD, say 256Gb and some offer SSD. Maybe the smaller size is a trend due to the cost of the SSD as well as the growing use of cloud storage? I still need at least 500Gb but I guess I can always clone something larger if/when required.

 

Thanks,

NL
 

[kkerry]

Sim Lim Square is still there, but not so busy these days, after a few rogue mobile shop scams went viral a couple of years back, severely denting the reputation of every shop in the center. Computer shops third floor and up are still good to deal with. There's even an MRT stop right outside now. The Singapore dollar remains strong against the Thai baht so maybe not the savings to be had like in past years. Funan is no more.

 

In Thailand it's mostly the cheaper laptops that don't come with Windows or if they do then it's likely a pirated version. If you go on the local websites for the big brands e.g. Lenovo, you can see the laptops that come with factory installed Windows or you can simply ask the seller. They will tell you if it is fake or not. If you are happy with installing Windows yourself then software from the larger chain stores like J.I.B. JET and IT City is trustworthy. IT City and J.I.B. have shops with good hands on displays at Panthip or you can try Palladium down the road where they don't have a lot of customers so you have a better chance of getting a small discount.

[NanLaew]

Disappointed to hear that Funan has gone. Read an article about it in Straits Times that indicates that the tech gadget appeal of Singapore is being significantly diminished as just about everyone tends to shop online.

 

Looked at the ASUS Thailand website and the top-line Zenbook has a list price of about 27,000 baht. That's way cheaper than the UK. Would that include the Win10 that is mentioned on their website. It doesn't specifically say it is pre-installed. Also, it uses the Pentium M processor versus the i5. Is that a better one for number crunching or a better one for social media hogs?

 

I just checked with a US re-seller I used several times before and the ASUS Win7/10 machine I mentioned in the OP that costs £789 in the UK (around $1025) is only $880. I have a buddy coming over in September so that may be the way to go.

[dddave]

If you decide to shop in Bangkok, "Fortune Tower", immediately above the Rama-9 MRT has all the major tech retailers along with a lot of specialty shops along with a decent shopping environment.

"Power Buy" and "Power Mall" in various malls such as Siam Square have dedicated Asus sections with very competitive pricing.  Do make sure that any dealer you choose is actually an "authorized" Asus dealer.

Very true that the majority of machines on display are dual keyboard and sometimes even mid-range computers lack factory OS.

[NanLaew]

Thanks kkerry and dddave for you input. It's true that pretty much every shop selling laptops in every IT mall has the ASUS hoardings but few are actually licensed ASUS dealers. I may check with ASUS directly to see who the official resellers are if I do a local shopping job.

 

I read up on the M processor and although it's the newest technology, its main selling point is low power, fanless operations. This means smaller batteries that along with no ODD, permits the super slim and light designs. More for light work and social media than anything that needs speed and power. When it comes to processor speed, the i3, i5 and i7 still leads. There's a plan to incorporate the M power-saving technology in upgraded i3, i5 and i7 processors. However, the fact that they will not benefit from the full power saving features of the M, I think battery life will be an issue as they will still be in the slim line case but with the smaller battery feeding a more power hungry processor.

[JHolmesJr]

Id recommend singapore any day for buying computers…qoo10.sg and lazada are a good place to check prices….sometimes they even list the shops name…you can then visit the shop and ask for the online price.

[JB300]

Surely the fall in the GBP makes the UK the most attractive place & if you do have to pay VAT then you can claim it back at the airport (assuming you're a Non-UK resident),

 

Damn, when did Funan go! Used to love going around there though do tend to get my stuff from Lazada, Expansys or Harvey Normans/Challenger in one of the shopping centers nowadays (usually Parkway Parade as they will do a deal with you if you see the same product cheaper online).

 

 

[kkerry]

44 minutes ago, JB300 said:

Damn, when did Funan go!

 

Closed June 30th. The site will be redeveloped over the next three years with offices, shops and apartments.

 

Some of the stores formerly at Funan have now relocated to other malls across Singapore including Sim Lim Square.

[NanLaew]

On 8/11/2016 at 10:15 PM, JB300 said:

Surely the fall in the GBP makes the UK the most attractive place & if you do have to pay VAT then you can claim it back at the airport (assuming you're a Non-UK resident),

 

Damn, when did Funan go! Used to love going around there though do tend to get my stuff from Lazada, Expansys or Harvey Normans/Challenger in one of the shopping centers nowadays (usually Parkway Parade as they will do a deal with you if you see the same product cheaper online).

 

 

 

The problem is that not all UK laptop resellers subscribe to the VAT rebate system, it is voluntary and by all accounts the refund process at the airport is fraught with issues like being closed or unattended when you get there. The online resellers with the best prices don't offer it as I guess that's an overhead that eats into their profit. I would probably need to get my hands on a UK Computer/Laptop magazine and see if any of them do. Searching for them on google isn't very productive.

 

The demise of Funan is more of a pity as they did have an on-site VAT refund service desk (I think on the ground floor) for any purchases that were leaving the country.

 

Taking into consideration the fall of the pound, the US resellers still trump the UK ones. At least on a couple of websites I have checked.

[mtls2005]

I'd first identify the make/model/config, or at least assemble a short-list.

 

Then set a price range for each model/config.

 

Then make sure the warranty/service/repair meets your expectations/requirements.

 

Personally I wouldn't buy here in Thailand, but then I go back to the U.S. often and buy most everything there. Sales tax is still avoidable from some/many on-line retailers, or I can go to a nearby state (~ 30 miles) which has no sales tax.

[NanLaew]

In my comparison shopping, I have exactly the same make/model defined within the limits of slight local market variations. The UK and US models are virtually identical except one has a backlit keyboard whereas the Thai variant has a totally different, newer technology, lower electrical power but less computing power processor. Apples with apples... and a lemon.

 

The US option is certainly getting favored right now. ASUS Thailand easily processed a repair on a US purchased laptop several years ago that I made sure had the international warranty. They just scanned the serial number and it popped up in their system. The mobo was dodgy and since it was a model not available locally, I waited for about a month while they got one in from Taiwan and replaced it.

 

I just need to make sure my buddy has space in his hand carry.

[mtls2005]

We also have people coming and going from/to the U.S. nearly every week so it is relatively easy to transport stuff back and forth, but this requires drop-shipping.

 

I'd recommend subscribing to the target manufacturers and retailers email/twitter; I see amazing deals every day. A lot of back-to-school promos right now.

 

Also check the eBay shops which specialize in notebooks, and/or specific manufacturers.

[bendejo]

I don't know if this means anything to you, but if you buy the laptop in Thailand the keyboard will contain Thai characters as well as Roman.

You might also consider Malaysia, a short day trip from Singapore. There are shopping malls within a few blocks of the border crossing.  You can check prices on sites like lowyat.net to give you an idea.  I was shopping for one a few years back and found the prices in Malaysia were pretty much on par with Thailand (for laptops).  Again, mind the legitimacy of the Windows license as well as the truth of the international guarantee.

 

BTW, I haven't been to Johor in some years, be careful walking around there at night. 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2016 by bendejo

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

What about KL ?

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, bendejo said:

I don't know if this means anything to you, but if you buy the laptop in Thailand the keyboard will contain Thai characters as well as Roman.

You might also consider Malaysia, a short day trip from Singapore. There are shopping malls within a few blocks of the border crossing.  You can check prices on sites like lowyat.net to give you an idea.  I was shopping for one a few years back and found the prices in Malaysia were pretty much on par with Thailand (for laptops).  Again, mind the legitimacy of the Windows license as well as the truth of the international guarantee.

 

BTW, I haven't been to Johor in some years, be careful walking around there at night. 

 

 

 

I mentioned earlier that the Thai keyboard is something I don't need. I can manage with UK and/or UK keyboards but have found that it is easier/faster to use a native UK keyboard for US input than use a native US keyboard for UK input. Currently, I am forced to work with a Norwegian ( Bokmål ) keyboard so please excuse any typo's!!

 

30 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

What about KL ?

 

I was briefly in KL 3 weeks ago and didn't have time to check Low Yat Plaza. Last time I shopped there was about 4 years ago and I bought a modem-router that was recommended on this forum but wasn't available in LOS. I was in Harvey Norman in Pavilion though and it looked like more of the same regional market selection-wise but I didn't cross-check prices or ask if they do a VAT refund for stuff leaving the country.

[masuk]

Sad to read of Funan closing down.   I haunted that place every time I had to go to Singapore from Jakarta 18 years ago.  The Funan had some pretty good prices, before the anti-piracy laws were enforced.  Everything was in English, even the keyboards!!

 

When I bought a new HP PC here in Thailand, it came with a Thai character keyboard and the Windows OS turned out to not be genuine.  An annoying feature was that it included MS Office.   When the whole system closed down after 12 months with a warning notice from Microsoft, I had a heap of word processing material locked up.    

 

Prices here and in Australia were exactly the same, but the Aussie one had genuine Windows installed.    

[bark]

1 hour ago, masuk said:

Sad to read of Funan closing down.   I haunted that place every time I had to go to Singapore from Jakarta 18 years ago.  The Funan had some pretty good prices, before the anti-piracy laws were enforced.  Everything was in English, even the keyboards!!

 

When I bought a new HP PC here in Thailand, it came with a Thai character keyboard and the Windows OS turned out to not be genuine.  An annoying feature was that it included MS Office.   When the whole system closed down after 12 months with a warning notice from Microsoft, I had a heap of word processing material locked up.    

 

Prices here and in Australia were exactly the same, but the Aussie one had genuine Windows installed.    

18 years ago. very old computers back then.

[masuk]

Yes indeed.  Steam powered!   well, not quite.   Actually, I got my dates wrong.  It was more like 26 years ago, on a different project.

 

I bought my first PC in Indonesia,  and the brand was International Borobudur Mesin. (IBM)  !   They made rather good copies in Taiwan in those days.

 

I had a heap of equipment to get into a data base, and I was using  Lotus 1.2.3.   Not even Windows - every instruction had to be typed in.

 

When the computer was switched on, the screen showed C>:    that was all, nothing else.

 

Ah.   Happy days!!

[rapom]

If you are considering buying electronics in the US,  do some research first online. Two websites with some very good prices are Newegg and Tiger Direct. I have made purchases from both and very satisfied. If you sign up on Newegg"s website they have daily deals and weekly special emails.  Shipping your purchases to directly to Thailand is probably out of the question,  but I have made online purchases and had them shipped to a US address other than my home.  This would work if a friend could bring your purchase with them when they visit.  If you buy a laptop locally with dual English-Thai characters it should not be a big deal. All the keyboards I have seen, the English character is bigger in size,than the Thai and does not make typing difficult. The key layout is the same.

[snooky]

Too bad you are not travelling to the US - seems they have the best sales but shipping and import fees here are astronomical.

[Digitalbanana]

I've bought my last few laptops from US and saved a bunch and bought what wasn't available locally. Shipping adds about 120USD to price so YMMV. Usual 7% VAT by the courier agent added to my declared price on the doorstep in Thailand.  Do a search for Shipito on this forum as its been discussed many times before.

[NanLaew]

On 8/16/2016 at 3:55 PM, rapom said:

If you are considering buying electronics in the US,  do some research first online. Two websites with some very good prices are Newegg and Tiger Direct. I have made purchases from both and very satisfied. If you sign up on Newegg"s website they have daily deals and weekly special emails.  Shipping your purchases to directly to Thailand is probably out of the question,  but I have made online purchases and had them shipped to a US address other than my home.  This would work if a friend could bring your purchase with them when they visit.  If you buy a laptop locally with dual English-Thai characters it should not be a big deal. All the keyboards I have seen, the English character is bigger in size,than the Thai and does not make typing difficult. The key layout is the same.

 

I have account with both and they are good. I also used Directron while I lived in Houston with the bonus of buying and paying online... then driving down to their retail warehouse and collecting the latest toys personally the same day.