Bring Laptop to Thailand?

PrettyBoy

Hey guys just want to know what people think of bringing a laptop to Thailand for 3 months? Main reason for bringing it over would just be to save ourselves going to internet cafes for Skype/Email/etc. I know they dont cost huge money but going in every second day for 3 months would add up. On the fence now but would like to hear other peoples views, any tips/advice appreciated.

Whitehawk

I allways bring my laptop, v handy to have, you can use it to back up photos, update your ipod and all that, even watch a movie if u in mood, internet etc etc i think its a must have.

whatsyourquota

As long as its a netbook Id say yes if its a normal sized laptop then no.
And just be careful about the places ye stay in, one time I was staying with a girl who left her camera on the bed and we didnt realise the window could open from the outside and someone reached in and stole it, so jsut be careful.

Stinicker

whatsyourquota wrote: »

As long as its a netbook Id say yes if its a normal sized laptop then no.
And just be careful about the places ye stay in, one time I was staying with a girl who left her camera on the bed and we didnt realise the window could open from the outside and someone reached in and stole it, so jsut be careful.

If you take a netbook backup everything and leave copies of photos etc. at home before you leave in case its stole. Make sure if you are travelling on buses etc. to never ever leave your bag with valuables out of your sight and never let a bag containing valuables go in the hold underneath the bus.

Get a few large memory USB sticks also to backup your holiday photos out there encase it would be stolen and store them seperately from the netbook.

The internet usage costs are cheap and would be far lower than replacing a stolen laptop or netbook and get good travel insurance if you do go out there with high value gadgets.

I had cash stolen there in March and you need to take precautions.

beagle001

Don't bother it's going to be on your mind a lot looking after it if you hit rain or travelling in case it falls or gets damaged.
You probably won't have time to go to a net cafe every second day as so much to do out there.
It's the same when someone brings a guitar with them they might only use it a handful of times and have to lug it around.
The less expensive gear you bring the less you worry,I always take a cheap phone,no watch and a small camera.
Then you can lock the passport up in a safe and feel at ease leaving your bungalow.

PrettyBoy

Whitehawk wrote: »

back up photos, update your ipod

These two points are also really making me consider bringing it. I'm away for 2 months so there'll be plenty of pictures taken, would like to keep them all. Also updating the iPod is hugely important to me, I would love to be able to update my music while I'm away as there will be a few very long flights/bus/train trips and it will definitely help to have some new music to keep me entertained.

beagle001 wrote: »

Don't bother it's going to be on your mind a lot looking after it if you hit rain or travelling in case it falls or gets damaged.
You probably won't have time to go to a net cafe every second day as so much to do out there.
It's the same when someone brings a guitar with them they might only use it a handful of times and have to lug it around.
The less expensive gear you bring the less you worry,I always take a cheap phone,no watch and a small camera.
Then you can lock the passport up in a safe and feel at ease leaving your bungalow.

These are the points that are making me think twice about it. Having it on me all the time and worrying about it when I leave it in a hotel room or whatever (it's a normal sized laptop so too big for a safe I guess). I'm also the type that really likes to travel light so having a laptop on me all the time isn't really something I'd like.

There are a lot of pros but also a lot of cons..not sure what I should do!

beagle001

You can update the iPod in Bangkok,the islands and Cambodia/Vietnam have boom boom shops that charge you a few dollars for a load of albums from their catalogue.
I have traveled before with expensive gear and it was just a hassle,much prefer a light pack that you don't worry about chucking on the roof of a pickup as this is common.
If you have a laptop you will have to put it on your lap for every journey and many a bus ride is 12 hours or more,every rest stop you have to bring it with you.
Up to you but there are easier ways to keep your photos,make a few CDs and post them home.

dory

It really depends on how much you would use it. I almost always travel with a laptop. But I don't go out at night much so I don't have to worry about it there. Plus I'm a blogger so I need it for the bloggin'.
If you really just want to go and relax and not worry about anything for the time you're there, I'd leave it at home. Also depends on how big the laptop is. Even a light one can get heavy after a while. And I find (with my MacBook) that it's the charger that adds more weight.

heisenburger

when you see them flingin bags from boat to boat or tying them to the top of trucks you will instantly regret bringing anything valuable!!

Whitehawk

heisenburger wrote: »

when you see them flingin bags from boat to boat or tying them to the top of trucks you will instantly regret bringing anything valuable!!

and thats why a smaller bag inside your rucksack is good to have so you keep you laptop and other things you need on you and in the main bag when its on a boat or truck.

While i was travling you aisa a mate of mine was ahead of me, one day in vitnam i think the bus she was on went on fire everyone got off ok but all her stuff was gone as, she did not even have a small bag on here with water or food or anything, she was then stuck in mid. of nowhere with nothing - not a gd time for her on the tip But my point is its a good idia to keep small bag on you! aka if you have a laptop it will be in that too

Vim Fuego

I travelled with a macbook for 6 months around Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, INdonesia etc, no worries. I had two bags - rucksack for clothes, backback for valuable gear - camera, laptop, chargers etc(I also had one with a laptop compartment, very handy). I've had one of these Ogio bags for over 5 years, it's indestructible: http://ogio.com/backpacks/metro.

It was quite good because I would always have my backpack on me for flights/boats/buses/trains and I really didn't care about my rucksack because I could replace my clothes for a pittance out there.

Anyway, I would put the Ogio bag in a locker if I was going out or failing that, I'd lock it up and put it in a wardrobe under some clothes etc.

The Pros:

No internet cafes
Free wifi in many hostels, hotels, restaurants etc, especially in Malaysia
You know your machine hasn't been compromised
Internet speeds are quite fast in Thailand/Malaysia, acceptable in Laos
I was able to download TV/Movies out there for long journeys (and boring nights)
iTunes updating/Photo uploading
You can get a VPN like overplay.net so you can watch matches on RTE.ie/Live or Sky Player
Skype is a bloody godsend

The Cons:

Worry - depends on whether you deem it an acceptable risk or not. The macbook I was using was basically given to us as a result of a redundancy so we weren't too pushed about it.

Weight - they add quite a bit to your pack when you consider chargers and so on.

Damage - it will get cracked/chipped just from lugging it around. That said, I think our macbook had a manufacturing problem with the finish which caused this. We covered over a few cracks in the plastic with sellotape by the end.


In the end, I'm really happy I had the macbook. Something like an iPhone/iPad is great and all but there are too many limitations to rely on them for everything (can't book on many airline websites, no flash, no downloading movies/tv, small screen etc etc.).

Best of luck in your travels

syklops

Id suggest you bring a smartphone like a HTC Hero. Not a brand new one, you will pick up a second hand for less than 100 euro, and with it, you have wifi for the internet, GPS might come in handy, quadband so it will work if you need to make a call, and has a decent camera and you can watch movies if necessary.

The obvious upshot over a laptop/netbook, is it is much smaller. You can carry it about your person with out noticing it, turned off most of the time just use it when you need something.

I wouldnt like to lug even a netbook around with me if I didnt have to.

And seriously, dont be spending all your time in internet cafes.