My bad. I didn't look and thought you were the op. It does seem strange you can buy elsewhere and have it shipped in for less than you can buy there.I thought things would be cheap in Thailand. Maybe it gets cheaper after it leaves Thailand and ends up on the shores here and sold at walmart:confused3:
:laughing::rotfl: There are many things in Thailand that are less expensive. Most are clothing items because there is indeed a lot of manufacturing of them here. Depending on what you like to eat, 3 solid meals a day could cost you $9.00. That is no Peter Luger Steak House meal but basic rice or noddles, fresh wok'ed veggies and stir fried pork, beef or chicken.
Housing can be cheap but not in metro areas like Bangkok that rival New York for prices.
And not to be racist but there is a definite "skin" tax I pay because I am Caucasian. I must have a plantation of money trees somewhere as most Thai's think that foreigners living here have money coming out of every pore in their body.
Two examples:
My Landice treadmill, I could have bought in Thailand at a cost of US$10,150. That was far too high IMO. I checked with Landice in the USA. They put me on to their international rep in New Jersey who shipped it to me and after purchase price, shipping and customs duties I paid a total of US$4,000. The other $6,150 was all profit (skin tax) that the dealer here was trying to hit me with. Even when I tried to negotiate a more reasonable price with her she refused. Her loss.
The loader. Kubota Thailand were useless. Told me that there was no loader for that model despite me showing them info that there is a loader for that model and it comes as an option in Europe and Africa. They were so willing to help me that they contacted a local engineering fab shop that quoted me in excess of US$6,500 (skin tax) for a loader and installation. The Coldwater FEL after purchase, shipping, customs duties, welder and mechanic help and some parts from Keller Kubota in the USA cost me just over US$2,600.
I could never give up this climate to ever go back to Canada. 41 years of experiencing 8 months of winter, 2 months of spring, 1.5 months of fall and maybe 15 days of summer plus the crap high taxes keep me away.