4K TV in Thailand - Life In A New Country

I needed a new TV for my living room and with the prices of 4K TVs dropping over the last 6 months I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade to the latest technology.

I’m not really a technical guru but I had done a lot of research online and spoke to other people about 4K TVs before I went to the shops. My main worry was that there was a lack of 4K content and it meant that buying a 4K TV would be pointless and 4K TV in Thailand would likely be a few years behind the UK and USA.

However, whilst it is somewhat limited, I have found there to be many options for 4K TV in Thailand. So below, without being too technical, I want to share my experience and tell you what you can do with your 4K TV in Thailand.

Buying a 4K TV in Thailand

When looking for a new TV set I was mainly interested in size. I wanted something 50 inches+ with a good screen and internet connection. I was happy to look at a normal HD TV and in the future look at upgrading to 4K if necessary. However, I saw my local mall was having an electronics sale and when there chanced upon an LG 4K TV which was around 4,000 Baht more than the same model in HD.

The model I bought, a 55 inch LG 4K TV, cost 24,500 Baht. The list price was 32,000 Baht so I got a good discount and even managed to get extra off the sale price when we asked.

As I said buying at the mall was my choice and I think it is the best way to go for anyone wanting to buy a new 4K TV in Thailand. Most shops seem desperate for business and there are always discounts and prices are reduced very often. New Year, Songkran and summer time are the best time to get a highly discounted price.

When it comes to price then there is a huge gulf between the cheapest at around 20,000 Baht for a small screen to well over 100,000 Baht for the largest TVs with advanced technology. I would say on average, outside the big sales, you will be looking at spending over 30,000 Baht to get a good 4K TV and over 80K if you want an OLED screen.

4K Content in Thailand

My major concern about buying a 4K TV in Thailand was that there wouldn’t be any 4K content or just a lack of any decent shows and movies I could enjoy in the clearer picture. I had obviously researched in advance about how to receive 4K content and after trying things out I have found out the following….

Netflix is your best friend when it comes to 4K content. For 480 Baht a month you get access to their premium subscription which includes 4K and HD content and the ability to watch it on up to 4 devices at the same time. There are currently around 25 shows or movies which are available in 4K and the number should increase overtime.

The other source I use is YouTube which has a large number of videos in 4K and obviously they are all free to watch. A lot of these videos look quite similar to the TV shop demo videos and whilst they are good to watch it is also gets a bit boring seeing 6 different “Sydney in 4K” films.

Amazon Prime is another option but be prepared to get a VPN service and be aware that Thailand is not officially supported for video so you might get cut off at anytime. However, they do offer a 30 day free trial so it might be worth registering to give it a try, just remember to use your address from the UK / USA to get access to video content. Hopefully in the future it will be officially launched in Thailand as there seems to be a lot of great 4K and HDR content available already.

One very important point is that you need a very good internet connection to stream 4K content. Netflix recommends a 25MB connection. I actually have an 18MB connection from True Internet and have no problems at all. If you are using a shared connection in your apartment or have a connection below around 15MB then you might not be able to get a full 4K stream.

There are going to be 4K media players which will allow you to play 4K movies and TV series but they are still not cost effective (c $800). In the future I feel the majority of content is going to be via streaming services and through Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services by Google and Sony you should be able to get all the 4K content you need.

Is 4K TV Worth It?

I would say that 4K is definitely the future and although the content is slightly limited right now I would recommend buying a 4K TV in Thailand for anyone who wants to upgrade their viewing experience.

I only have a few movies and TV shows to watch in 4K but I am delighted with their quality and, for the price I paid, I didn’t spend a lot more than a regular HD TV. If you are thinking of buying an OLED 4K TV then maybe you are better off waiting a year or so as prices will come down and there will be even more content available.

If, like myself, you have a budget of 25-30K Baht to buy a new TV then you are certainly going to be able to get a huge 4K screen in Thailand and be ready for the future.

Things to Look For in a 4K TV

There are a few features you should look for when buying a 4K TV as not every 4K TV will work with Netflix and future 4K content.

Make sure the TV has the following:

HDR

HDMI 2.0

Built after 2015 to ensure up to date software

If your TV has these features it should be good to go if it is from one of the major manufacturers. If you aren’t sure then follow this link to see if you TV is compatible with Netflix. It is important to note that most of the big TV companies have now decided to work together to set standards for 4K TVs so most bought in 2015 onward should be future proofed.