Like any good modern city, Chiang Mai is a place where you can satiate your lust for gadgets and your need for technology easily and quickly, and you’ll find fewer places where you can buy a full-fledged, custom-built desktop PC for less: computers Cheap, unlocked mobile phones, peripherals, and accessories like Bluetooth headsets, speakers, keyboards, HDMI or USB cables, and mice are available almost everywhere; in fact, 7-11 has started selling headphones and mini speakers to go with its netbooks, smartphones, or iPods. If you’re just here to visit, it’s also very helpful to buy expensive gadgets in Thailand and claim tax refunds when you leave, which can net you quite a bit of cash. In particular, you can find them gathered in IT sections or digital shopping malls in the following locations:
square pantyhose
Located on Chang Klan Road in the Night Bazaar (also known as Night Market), Panthip Plaza is a miniature version of Bangkok’s famous digital mall of the same name. Although considerably smaller in scale than its predecessor counterpart, it also has the advantage of being much less cramped, less noisy, and having a bit more class: the building includes a dental clinic, a Shabushi restaurant, and the Fuji Japanese restaurant, as well as a food court on the top floor, plus a SE-ED bookstore and several coffee shops. You can find software, games (PC, XBOX 360 and PS3 alike; if you’re a bit retro, you can also buy very cheap PS2), digital cameras and hardware components ranging from RAM memory, external USB drives, graphics cards, power supplies feeding. Power units for large and small LCD monitors. There are also several shops in the building that will let you pick out these components and assemble them at no extra charge – the alternative, if you will, to Newegg if you live in Thailand. This way you can get a very powerful gaming desktop for almost half the price you would have paid in the US, UK or Australia. At the time of writing, there is hardly anything on sale for those looking for a shiny new smartphone. However, an HTC store is opening soon at Panthip Plaza if you’re looking for some Windows Phone 7 or Android goodness in your life.
siamese tv
A dazzling electronics store selling everything from washing machines and ovens to the latest and greatest HDTVs and 3D TVs from Samsung, Sony and LG. Naturally, their catalog includes laptops and netbooks from leading brands, including but not limited to Toshiba, Acer, Asus, Dell, and HP, as well as smartphones, feature phones, and all the peripherals that go with it. They also stock Android tablets and iPads. The second floor houses a True Vision office (if you need to manage your cable subscription) and a small cafeteria offering cold and mixed drinks.
computer square
Located in the Old City area by the canal on Manee Nopparat Street, this digital mall is very similar to Panthip Plaza but has the downside of being quite old and a bit dirty around the edges. However, it offers a very similar range of products to Panthip Plaza, but it is much further from the Night Bazaar and somewhat more inconvenient to reach if your accommodation is not in the immediate vicinity.
computer square
Adjacent to Computer Plaza; offers similar custom computer stores, software, and hardware components.
airport center square
The third floor of Central Airport Plaza is devoted almost entirely to technology – whichever section you find yourself in, you’ll see many, many brands of computers, and in fact, the biggest names have their own stores here, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Sony and Acer for computer manufacturers. For smartphone OEMs, you can expect to find a nice and stylish store showcasing the latest and greatest from HTC (Desire HD, Incredible S, HD7 and Mozart) showcasing their vibrant AMOLED or Super AMOLED screens and the latest version of Android. If you’re after a TV or two, there are Sony and LG stores dedicated just to them, with the latter also offering smartphones like the surprisingly affordable dual-core LG 2X that runs on Nvidia’s Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip. Nokia is also represented in a fairly large store and you can find a Nokia service center just opposite the mall. Off to the side, next to the IT City store, you’ll find many smaller cell phone counters that buy and sell second-hand devices (today not just limited to phones but also iPads, Blackberry Playbook and Samsung Galaxy Tab, as well as a Acer Iconia Tab or two), which is pretty ideal if you’re the kind of gadget lover who needs to switch phones or tablets every few months: sell yours, collect the money, and buy a shiny new one.