Photography Thailand Forum

[F-Forward]

Hi,

I will travel to Thailand in about a month and are planning to buy my first dSLR there. I am willing to spend around 50000THB. I have been browsing around for prices and have found that prices are 30-40% lower in BKK than here in Sweden.
So I have some questions..
1. I have found the site www.thaipricerunner.com which seems to list the lowest prices for equipment. Will I be able to find equipment for those prices in shops i Bangkok, or are those prices only for web order or such?
2. I have read about that there is both gray market prices with only in-shop-repair and products with normal warranty. Since I'm thinking about buying canon equipment there is no world wide warranty anyway, so is there any reason not to buy gray market equipment since I can't use the warranty in Sweden anyway?
3. We will go to Samui at first and doing a BKK stop over on the way back home, but it would be nice to use the equipment on samui too. But I guess that there isn't any good place to buy such things on Samui at reasonable prices?
4. We are changing flights in BKK on the way there too, so maybe it could be an idea to take a later flight and just hop into Bangkok to buy the camera and go back to the airport for the trip to samui. When does the good shops open in the day? How long time would it take to go to a good shop, buy the stuff and go back to the airport?
5. Are there shops that offers both gray market items, and that are engaged in the tax free program?
6. I'm thinking about buying the following:

EOS 450D + 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS KIT
Sigma EX 105/2,8 DG Macro 1:1
Canon SpeedLite 430EX II (Hopefully the new model will be available by then)
Extra battery
8GB memory
                                                                                                                                                                           
Do you think that this would be a good starter kit for the price that cover most things? Would I get a better price if I buy everything in one shop, or is it more likely that one shop have much better price on the kit and some other shop that has better prices on the accessories?


Many thanks for your help,
Tommy

[epixx]

If you're making a quick stop on your way down, Fortune City/Fortune Tower at the corner of Ratchada Piesek and Rama 9 is your best bet. One hour each way with taxi, and lots of bargain price photo shops. Capa is the best one in my view. Lots of gray market stuff, so warranty is only valid within 5 meters of the shop, but prices are very good, as is their service, at least in my experience. They do have a website as well: http://www.capa.co.th

[Tango7]

Go to MBK which has more specialist shops than fortune town. Most shops are on 3rd floor for cameras but foto file http://www.fotofile.net is on the ground floor next to Baskin Robbins.

Camera is good but why not look for an 18-200 Lens rather than two different lenses ?

Your list doesn't state a tripod... get on eof those before a speed light ( just my opinion )

Do you have to have a Canon rather than a Nikon ? Ever thought about the D80 with the 18-200 VR lens ?

A good page to read more about cameras is http://www.thebangkokshoppingguide.com/where_to_buy_a_camera_in_bangkok

Good luck..

[sercihan]

hi from turkey! I am not finding equipment for my canon  actually there are alot of parst of canon but here is too expensive I and my friends cant buy them for exp. lenses.I wanna ask to you. how do we get lens or another equ. from Thailand.can you help me?? thanks

[Khun Hans]

Yesterday I called one the cheapest Canon supplier, I-photo. The guy told me they are selling gray market products importing directly from Japan. As of the situation in Japan they don't get any delivery from Japan and run out of all cams and lenses from Canon.
Today I went to MBK, where you can find lot's of Shops. The biggest is Fotofile on the ground floor, 3 floor named Photo Thailand and 5th floor as Canon shop. As I know they are supplied by Canon Thailand and the prices are quite good.( www.fotfile.net ) You get a proper invoice for all goods and a 7% tax return at the airport on your way out of Thailand. This tax return you will not have with gray market stuff.
Even in these shops are running out of some cams (7D, 1DMIV) as the 60D and 600D are available. Lenses are available in small numbers.  
No need to turn to Fortune Tower for cams and lenses.
Hans

[Khun Hans]

hi from turkey! I am not finding equipment for my canon  actually there are alot of parst of canon but here is too expensive I and my friends cant buy them for exp. lenses.I wanna ask to you. how do we get lens or another equ. from Thailand.can you help me?? thanks

Yes, take a plane i.e. Turkish Airways (excellent service) and come to Bangkok.

[Khun Hans]

1. I have found the site www.thaipricerunner.com which seems to list the lowest prices for equipment. Will I be able to find equipment for those prices in shops i Bangkok, or are those prices only for web order or such?
2. I have read about that there is both gray market prices with only in-shop-repair and products with normal warranty. Since I'm thinking about buying canon equipment there is no world wide warranty anyway, so is there any reason not to buy gray market equipment since I can't use the warranty in Sweden anyway?
3. We will go to Samui at first and doing a BKK stop over on the way back home, but it would be nice to use the equipment on samui too. But I guess that there isn't any good place to buy such things on Samui at reasonable prices?
4. We are changing flights in BKK on the way there too, so maybe it could be an idea to take a later flight and just hop into Bangkok to buy the camera and go back to the airport for the trip to samui. When does the good shops open in the day? How long time would it take to go to a good shop, buy the stuff and go back to the airport?
5. Are there shops that offers both gray market items, and that are engaged in the tax free program?
6. I'm thinking about buying the following:

EOS 450D + 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS KIT
Sigma EX 105/2,8 DG Macro 1:1
Canon SpeedLite 430EX II (Hopefully the new model will be available by then)
Extra battery
8GB memory
                                                                                                                                                                            
Do you think that this would be a good starter kit for the price that cover most things? Would I get a better price if I buy everything in one shop, or is it more likely that one shop have much better price on the kit and some other shop that has better prices on the accessories?

Tommy
As of my post above:
1. 2.and 5.: Go to the MBK shopping center and nowhere else. The gray market you will probably find somewhere else in Bangkok  but if you have no time and are not familiar with the dealing here just forget about that.
3. No shops in Koh Samui
4. There is no way to hop from the airport to the city and back in a short time. Take at least a day or more in BKK before you go to Samui. Shops in MBK open at 10 or 11am until 22pm.
6. I saw all that gear in MBK today except the Sigma. Take the 500,550 or 600D instead of 450D.
Hope that helps
Hans

[sercihan]

hi from turkey! I am not finding equipment for my canon  actually there are alot of parst of canon but here is too expensive I and my friends cant buy them for exp. lenses.I wanna ask to you. how do we get lens or another equ. from Thailand.can you help me?? thanks

Yes, take a plane i.e. Turkish Airways (excellent service) and come to Bangkok.

i hope so. i am student now to june after that i will be free.if i adjust,ı go there

[bkkdave]

Be aware that FotoFile ground floor MBK will sneak in additional bank service fees if paying by credit card; even if the sales person says there are none you need to look at the credit card receipt before you sign it.

Ben Stung (aka BkkDave)

[swampy1977]

FotoFile is selling Canon 70-200m f4 IS for 38 800, I guess this is a good price, right?

[Khun Hans]

It is good price, indeed. But the new 70-300L IS is only 45,000. Only 7k more

[swampy1977]

I need to read up on this lens. It's 300 grams heavier though and slower.

[Marc Schultz]

If you are a tourist and you depart Thailand within 60 days from the date of purchase, then you will get a 7% VAT refund. Just bring you passport when you buy the lens and ask for the VAT refund form from the shop and then file the form for refund at the airport when you depart.