Once we already wrote a similar article about that, what are the sockets in Malaysia, but about Thailand, this moment was missed. And in principle, this is understandable, because the plugs we are used to fit seamlessly with Thai sockets. Nevertheless, there are some differences and now I will tell you what.
The content of the article
- one What plugs and sockets in Russia
- 2 What are the plugs in Thailand
- 3 What are the sockets in Thailand
- 4 Should you take an extension cord or surge protector with you?
What plugs and sockets in Russia
To begin with, let me remind you what kind of sockets we have in Russia, or even more correctly, which plugs, this is more important, since they will have to be connected to the bowels of Thai electrical networks. So, we have regular plugs with two pins, and Euro plugs, which also have a third grounding pin in the form of a plate on the side. We also have two types of sockets: ordinary and grounded. Accordingly, all modern sockets can be plugged into both types of plugs..
Left plug with two pins, right Euro plug with grounding
What are the plugs in Thailand
In addition to Europlugs (the same as ours), there are also American-type plugs with flat pins and a plug with three pins.
American plug with two pins
Three-prong plugs, not very common
What are the sockets in Thailand
The voltage in the network in Thailand is 220V, the frequency is 50 Hz, everything is like ours.
And here are the sockets in Thailand «multi-format» and several types of forks are suitable for them at once. The most common ones are: with two holes and with three. The first - without grounding, the second - with it (the third hole for grounding). So, you can safely insert a plug from a device from Russia into any of these sockets and it will work. The only exception is the old shovel plugs, which have thin pins, but such a plug cannot be used in a modern Russian apartment without an adapter. So, if you take such an ancient device with you, then take an adapter to it, in other cases it is not needed. I remember that we had such a hairdryer quite recently, older than me, but it worked!
Double-hole sockets - all our plugs fit
Three-hole sockets - all our plugs fit
The Euro plug and the American plug with flat pins peacefully coexist
There is such a nuance with sockets in Thailand - if we want our device to be grounded, then it is not enough to use our Euro plug. Its side contact will remain unused, as the Thai earthed socket is intended for another plug, there should be a pin instead of a plate. That is, the device will work, but will not be grounded..
What is the risk of lack of grounding, you can read on the Internet. In principle, not everything is so scary, and I just did not think about it during the winter. But due to the fact that the case of the laptop was metal, I constantly felt with my hands how it shocks if I touched the tiles with my bare feet. Therefore, if you suddenly want to have grounding, you will have to redo the outlet or plug. True, I don't know if Thais do grounding at all in their houses, maybe these sockets with grounding are fiction, given what bundles of wires they have on the streets.
Typical Thai tangle of wires
Should you take an extension cord or surge protector with you?
I answered this question for myself: «Yes». There are several reasons for this:
- Often there is only one power outlet in a hotel room, and in addition to my laptop, I also need to charge my phone and batteries for cameras. Or it may be somewhere very uncomfortable in the corner or even under the ceiling, and an extra couple of meters of wire will come in handy. Also, when you live in a cheap guest house, there can only be sockets in the lobby, and there are already several backpacker travelers, then I, with my extension cord, are perceived there as a savior who has come to sinful earth.
- I have not just an extension cord, but a mains noise filter with a fuse. So, if there is something serious with electricity, then the likelihood that the equipment will suffer decreases. Once my laptop's power supply has already burned out, I don't want to anymore. Although, in Thai sockets, most likely there is no grounding, which means that the filter will work like a regular extension cord, but I’m not only in Thailand 🙂
- If suddenly the outlet turns out to be not standard, then one adapter will be enough, or it will be enough to somehow get confused with one plug, and not with all the equipment. And if suddenly I decide to remake the plug for grounding, then again it will be possible to remake it only at the extension cord.
In principle, the first point is enough for me to take an extension cord. Yes, you can buy an extension cord in Thailand, only it will be sharpened for local 3-prong plugs. Well, you still have to carry it with you if the trip is active. If you sit in one place, having come on vacation for a week, then, of course, there is no point in dragging from Russia.
There are such sockets in hotels, an extension cord would save me
Extension cord from Thai store
P.S. To summarize, you don't have to worry about what sockets are in Thailand, especially if everything at home is also without grounding. But now, if you go there to live and use expensive equipment all the time, then I would be confused about this topic 🙂
