Video HDTV purchase from Bangkok

Gannu said:
Hey how did he end up paying those customs? Calculated properly on the basis of X% or did the customs guys and your friend negotiate and arrive at this number?
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I dont know Gannu, there is this customs lady at Chennai airport, who comes up with the numbers, somehow the duty they charge for a 55' is 14k, my sister brought in a 55' (HX750) a couple months back, and we were charged the exact same amount (cause whichever way you calc the duty it has to be closer to 20k mark), she misplaced the chalaan, but apparently a senior officer came up and said, you have charged less for this TV, the lady responded saying the bill is already made. Also, a gentleman waiting in the customs queue with my sister remarked that his friend had imported a 55' the previous day and got away with a 3k duty/bribe.

So, be prepared for anything while importing a TV from bangkok, the duty / customs is totally upto your luck.
 
Has anybody here recently bought the TV from abroad and has to face the new custom duty of more than 36% on it? Is it still worth getting TV from Thailand/Dubai/Singapore/Malaysia?
 
Hey guys!

A relative of mine will be visiting Bangkok sometime around Jan end or in Feb 2014. I am planning to buy a 40"~42" TV from there.
While this thread already has given some info. regarding which places to visit to buy TV's, I am interested to find out if anyone had been to Bangkok recently or know of new places where we can get the best price on TV's which is not mentioned here already.

Thank you to all the members who took their time to write their detailed experiences of TV shopping in Bangkok. :)

Cheers!
 
Deamon0 said:
Hey guys!

A relative of mine will be visiting Bangkok sometime around Jan end or in Feb 2014. I am planning to buy a 40"~42" TV from there.
While this thread already has given some info. regarding which places to visit to buy TV's, I am interested to find out if anyone had been to Bangkok recently or know of new places where we can get the best price on TV's which is not mentioned here already.

Thank you to all the members who took their time to write their detailed experiences of TV shopping in Bangkok. :)

Cheers!
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I visited bangkok in apr 2014, due to increase of custom duty, many of the Indian retail shops are closed, but you will find few. I bought TV from Pahurat.
 
VENKATCHENNAI said:
Thanks! This forum this helped me to buy a good LED from BANGKOK yesterday(Sunday)

The comments and references in this forum were so useful I was able to make a better judgement when I bought the Samsung ES40 6220 for 24K Baht(got 7% Vat refund 1635Baht, so the price I paid 22,364 Baht ) with 2 more additional 3d glasses (so total 4, 3d glasses). from S.J.M Electronics near 'Indra Square'.. It's run buy a person from PUNJAB. This shop is located exactly opposite to 'Bangkok LED Shop', which was selling this Samsung ES40 6220 for 21.5k(Baht), it was closed yesterday. So got into this shop to buy LED( there's also one more shop adjacent to 'Bangkok LED' but he didn't have this model yesterday). Morning I landed at PANTHP PLAZA(where shops open only at 10AM) and they allow customers only at 10AM. Checked the rates with Sony Showroom inside, he's giving reasonable rade. There is ' Best Buy' iat the ground level which offered Samsung ES40 6220 at 24k( as mentioned by one of the members in this thread, there was Nepali who's working and did the initial talk), I didn't bargain as I had to check 'Indra Square' Shops. As I entered Indra Square I checked 'INDRA SOUND' he said he can give Samsung ES406220 for 25,590 Baht( I think their tag price was '29k something')

I was looking for 'Bangkok LED' (which's also mentioned in this thread), a co-passenger whom I met at Bangkok airport mentioned that right now "bangkok led" is giving 23K, on cash payment he can reduce further, best part is he can deliver it at the airport for you.(About this Co-passenger = he's from Tamilnadu, I looked familiar to him and he's seen me many times at Coimbatore airport( I am a Journalist in Tamilnadu). I was planning to buy a ES32, 6 series as that was falling into my budget, when this 'friend of mine' suggested about ES40 for 23K, I decided to go for it. Even yesterday I called him from Bangkok to his India number as I couldn't locate this Area, he even called me back, by the time he returned my call I found that place.

The person in S.J.M Electronics had told me that they started this shop 3months back(it' at the entrance of 'Citin Loft' hotel), he's a very friendly and matured young fellow for his age(22year old), but didn't reduce the price from 24k (finally when he said he can reduce 100 Baht I thanked him and asked him not to reduce that money because I am buying for own use and I can't understand how much '100 Baht' discount make big difference to my budget, but for resellers this 100 Baht matters). I decided to buy from him than 'best buy' because, whatever said he's 'apnae Gaun kae hain ;)). They will deliver the sets at the Airport if you are buying more than '10sets', otherwise they can't. I had asked him to give the bill for the amount I pay for as I was clear that I will pay the customs duty charge if 'they find' it necessary. ( I was on a vacation with my family). Though I got it for 24k, he made the bill for 25k, I didn't have time to change this and I knew I will be paying 'a bit' more to our Indian Customs because of this. I asked for extra bill he didn't give, this part is important, get a extra bill or get the xerox copy of the invoice and Vat bill.. The shop informed me that I should enter through gate number 4' at Bangkok airport and before 'checking in' I should show this to their VAT refund office and get it sealed. Please remember, get your VAT refund sealed before you 'check in', otherwise you will not be able to claim the 7% VAT, which's near the 'D'Gate of Bangkok airport. If you don't keep a copy of the bill(even xerox will do) we may find it difficult to convince our Indian Customs officers about the price.

Last night as I reached Chennai airport, they are stopping people with 40 inch above 5 series in Samsung. I came to understand that most of customs guys appeared they are a 'little' clueless about Customs regulations. We can bring 35k worth of good without any duty, above that if we bring we have to pay 36% of the difference(for example if you are bringing in a product which's worth 40k in Indian money, in that 35k is exempted, for the remaining 5k you have to pay 36percent of this 5k ie., around Rs.1800/-) I paid Rs.2,884 at the customs( In my bill it's 25,000 baht with 7 percent Vat, when the Vat is reduced, 25,000 - 1635.51 baht, the total value becomes 23364.49 Baht. Our Customes calculated it to around Rs.2800 Indian rupees). I paid that money in the SBI (I somehow drawn and kept around 5k in Indian money when I left India, that helped), even you can pay foreign currency (I don't know about credit card)

In Bangkok, while Checking in I had met a few 'rich kids', who had bought a 40 inch Samsung for 36k or something, along with that he got a samsung home theatre for free ('Indra Sound', in Indra Square). He never read any forum or researched about the set I guess(may be that's why I thought they are rich) and he was happy that got it for that amount. While I was standing on the line near 'D'gate in Bangkok for VAT refund(after 'immigration), I met a guy who said he and his friends didnt' get VAT refund as they didn't get it sealed before Check in ( here comes the importance of 'INDIANness', in the shop I bought they insisted that you get it sealed and enter only through Gate No.4 ) . Later I came to know that the 'rich kid' also belong to that group, he told me he had lost more than '10 thousand rupees' as he couldn't claim VAT refund because he didn't got it 'sealed' at the 'GATE no.4'.(At gate number 4 of Bangkok airport, they will verify and want to see what you had bought before getting it sealed). I think most of you who are reading this thread by now would have done more research, please remember, as you stock more info, talk to people, forums, use google for location and planing. you will end up with better products at better price. Good Luck. ( I took time to write this because I was benefitted by reading this thread)

Few things to note:

1) This S.J.M. Electronics, The Bangkok LED or the other shop in the same lane is not a big showrooms, they are small shops (may be 40x40 in size on the ground floor, similar to shops we find in Pondy Bazar in Chennai or Chandni Chowk in Delhi).
2) In Thailand it's very difficult for those people to understand our 'Indian English', so when you ask for shop most of them will not understand. Also check about shops working hours.
3) I went looking for this building named 'Siam Khan' adjacent to Indra Square where this Bangkok LED shop was located, but 99% of people don't even understood what I said( I tried all kind of variations, inbetween keep mentioning 'BANGKOK LED').
4) Because I am from India, that SJM asked their shop assistant ' wahan sae ghadi pakadkae dhena saab jaldi jha sakaen', that's around 50 meters away from the shop. I said no to a 200 Baht ''tuk tuk'' which the Nepali attendant suggested, he's amazed by a 'south Indian' looking guy's ''Dilli ishtyle'' bargaining power, and got A/C cab fro 100 Baht.( When I asked his name before tipping him, with a smile he said 'Bijendar' ;))
5)The place was suggested by a person from Tamilnadu, location was guided by a shop attendent who's from Nepal, the LED was sold to me buy a person from 'Punjab', and the 'Thai' Cab driver drove me back in his 'Pink Colour' Toyota Camry for 100 Baht. It was a nice feeling.
6) This SJM Electronics , 88/19 Ratchaprarop Road, ThanonPHAYATHAI, RATCHATHEWI DISTRICT, Bangkok 10400. (If you go there just inform them that 'A journalist' from Chennai mentioned about them in the forum. I had told them though I reached that place looking for 'BANGKOK LED'' I will write about my experience in this forum and readers will decide how should they go about. Hope I covered everything, I may not be able to give any update because I got what I want, may be next week I will unpack my Samsung ES40 6220 ;). In our indian websites they are selling this LCD for Rs.59,900 .
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Hello sir
Can i get the contact for Sjm electronics bangkok?
I really need it. If you have please share it here or on my mobile 9646469165
Thanks
 
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