to bring or not

[whittler]

Hi guys,

have not posted in awhile. I plan to move to LOS in about 5 months. I have a hobby, carving wood, and I use

a dremel tool which is a power carver and I am trying not to take what I can buy there. Does anyone know if

tis kind of tool is sold there.

Thanks,

whittler

[papaguido]

Dremel isn't carried here or at least I haven't seen one. I have seen a rotary tool with attachments (I think Chinese made) and is similar to the Dremel, but I'm uncertain of the quality or the availability of attachments and accessories. If you'd like I can check a little more into it as I'm usually checking out power tools when I'm after something at Global or HomePro.

Also, something to think about if you bring yours is the power requirements. You should be ok if it's the cordless type. Hooking up the battery charger to a transformer/converter isn't an issue, but it may be with the corded variety.

[BobHelm]

I had a look on the Dremel website. They have a 'drop down' menu for country & Thailand is not on it - in fact the only Far East country was Japan. I would suspect that this means that there are no official distributors here. As Papa says, similar products undoubtedly exist, but are probably lower in price & quality than Dremel.

[Texpat]

In my experience, there are very few exceptions to the list of things you should bring -- if you can.
Higher quality, lower priced items available in Thailand simply do not exist. If a Dremel tool were available here, it would not be surprising in the least for it to be two or three times the price you bought it for at home.

The myth that Thailand is an inexpensive haven with availability to most things you can buy in the west is at least 10 years out of date.

I would bring everything you possibly can. The Chinese "copy" will likely fall to pieces in your hands within a few weeks.

[parrot]

Whittler....my 2 satang:

All the tools and more than you'll need are available here.....there's good quality and bad, just as in the US. My 13 year Makita drill is going strong as is my 11 year old Makita grinder, my Thai 11 year old lawnmower (with Honda engine), an 11 year old Japanese weedwacker, a 5 year old mountain bike (frame from Taiwan), 3 Toyota trucks (120k km, 180k km, and the new one with just 20k km), a locally built computer that's going on 6 years, a 9 year old no name vacuum, and a 12 year old no name blender. All locally purchased for what I consider a fair price. And now, there are even higher quality tools available at places like Global....you'll pay more, but you'll get even better quality. The only appliance I had a problem with was a 250 baht toaster that I bought at Tesco.......I rarely eat toast so I went cheap. First time I pulled down the handle, the circuits fried. I returned it to Tesco and got my money back.

When I came here, I was told the locally made vehicles (which is 95% of what's on the road) were for crap as the steel was second grade and rusted out/fell apart. Quite the contrary......the only rust you'll see on vehicles here are the ones that haul pigs/cattle and allow urine to eat at the bed of the truck. Otherwise, I've never changed a muffler or had a speck of rust on any of my 3 trucks.

I have seen dremel like tools here.......just not the name Dremel. Don't know the price, but a Dremel in the US goes for ??$60?? and I'd bet you can buy as good a tool here for that price.

Now, on the other hand, if you're looking for a good standard style lawnmower, you'll pay quite a bit more here.

Bottom line for me is you get what you pay for, and for the most part, all your standard tools (electric and hand) are available here for a decent price for good quality.

[Texpat]

Whittler -- The local goods are junk that will fall to pieces and the imported goods are twice the price you'd pay at home.

Kind of a no-brainer, isn't it?

I won't bore you with a laundry list of problems when buying junk here. But even buying top-end stuff is not without incident. Just one example -- bought a Kholer kitchen sink from Global House three years ago (hot and cold lines) for 5,000 baht. The hot water feeder line sprung a leak two weeks ago so we went to Global to find a replacement. "No hab!"

The helpful and friendly clerk kindly suggested we buy another entire set (faucet and feeder lines) for another 5K. This is the kind of sh!tty service commonplace around Udon.

Bring your quality stuff from home and also bring extra attachments, spares etc. You won't be sorry.

[jackspratt]

Yep - make sure you bring everything, including the kitchen sink

[UdonExpat]

Like anywhere you can buy crap or you can buy quality. I've bought both here, and brand name doesn't always work. I bought a Black and Decker lawnmower that fell apart before 10 mows. I bought a no name impact drill that's worked fine for 7 years.

I'm not familiar with Dremmel tools, but if they use 110v electricity they won't work here; everything is 220v.

[Texpat]

Step down transformers are available in Central (Bangkok) for several hundred baht.

And yeah, bring everything if you can.

[maaka]

I am a bone and wood carver who has lugged a Dremel all the way to Udon.. never saw any others there, but the jewellers have a similar device by a different name. Best to bring all your own gear with you if you can, and take heed of the other members advice about transformers, and power surge guards...

also wood carving is on the thai immigration list, as a job a farang CANNOT do as a business in thailand, so watch you dont get caught selling your creations...

[Khun Paul]

The only thing I wished I had brought with me was my power lawnmower, I had an Honda which with its 26inch cut was ace, here they are just getting the larger cutters here, it used to be only 12 inch it is going up slowly.
Everything else I have purchased here and with the exception of a Chinese lawnmower( 12 months after that rubbish) everything else has stood the test of time.
Tools are not only available at Global but also at Tool pro Plus and even Home pro, so good quality is easily available , six years ago you struggled.

[deankham]

Step down transformers are available in Central (Bangkok) for several hundred baht.

And yeah, bring everything if you can.

Did you bring your own underpants with you? As your that full of crap I doubt the local ones would be able to cope under the strain.

Did you get home ok the other saturday when I saw you. You want to be careful riding that girls biycle when your drunk as a lord.

Toodle pip

[Texpat]

Surely you've confused me with someone else.
I never ride a girl's bicycle.
I haven't ridden my bicycle drunk for many, many years, and never in Thailand.

It's also been a while since I've pooped myself.
How drunk is a lord?

Speaking of bicycles and getting back on the OPs topic, bicycles are incredibly cheap here, but I can't speak to the quality.

[virginprune]

[quote="]

Speaking of bicycles and getting back on the OPs topic, bicycles are incredibly cheap here, but I can't speak to the quality.[/quote]

I bought a bicycle here, I wouldn't bother with the cheap supermarket ones...there are a couple of decent bike shops, one is on prajak road, at the 5 ways I think? I am happy with my purchase. It cost the same as the equilavent in england. Any other stuff has been household, appliances and such. Not had a problem with any of it...yet!!

[rickfarang]

Simple answer: If you Dremel runs from 220VAc, bring it. You won't find one as good hear, and a step;down transformer to 120VAC would be expensive, and large, and it do did the same as I once did with an electric shaver, you might accidentally plug it into 220VAC and that would be the end of it.

Big C and/or Tesco has something that looks similar, but at a pretty stiff price. And not the quality.

I use a cheap imitation built by a guy who has a small table-top business in an alley in Bangkok's Bahnmo's electronics market area. Not a lot of torque, needs a 24 VAC power supply, and is not concentric (by something of the order of 0.1 mm). I wish I had a dremel.

[parrot]

"bicycles are incredibly cheap here"

A good mountain bike costs 10k and up. As with all things, tools for example, you can buy cheap and you can buy better quality. My 27 speed mountain bike cost 13500 (on sale from 16.5) 5 years ago. I'm still on my original bearings, derailers, frame, rims......10k km. A tuneup on your gears will cost 100 or less baht.

There are high high end bikes available here.......150k+ if you're so inclined.

[rickfarang]

159K is what I would prefer to spend on something with a motor. But we all have different preferences.

Bring your Dremmel tool.

[old-timer]

Bring everything, unless you have a connecting flight with air asia. The excess baggage charge with air asia will be more expensive than having the items delivered to your door in Udon by DHL.

[jackspratt]

Alternatively, read their conditions, anticipate your excess baggage, and pay up front with Air Asia.

That's what a smart person would do.

[JimboPSM]

I have used Thai, Nok or Air Asia according to how well they fit my particular requirements on each occasion – no one airline constantly fits them.

In no particular order this may be according to their respective merits on:

• 1. Flight timing.
  2. Free luggage allowance.
  3. Total price (including all the extras).
  4. The side of Bangkok I want to travel to or from.
  5. Special offers – normally only available with Air Asia & Nok.
  6. Advance booking savings – normally only available with Air Asia & Nok.
  7. Using “Air Miles” – Thai.

A little bit of research before booking is often worth the effort.