Buy Garmin GPS in Thailand or Canada?

[Garet]

I apologise if this question is too basic, but I couldn't find the answer.

I plan on buying a GPS soon. I will go to Canada next month where I can buy any Garmin GPS unit for 20% to 40% cheaper than I can buy it in Thailand. If I buy it in at the GPSforyou shop in Fortunetown on Rama 9, they will load the Thailand maps there (I'm not sure of the cost).

1) Will the GPS work in any country, as long as you load the necessary maps?

2) Can you load the Thailand maps in (Thai and English) on the device after buying the GPS in another country (such as Canada)?

3) Where do you buy the maps? On the Garmin website?

4) does the GPS connect connect to the satellites without any wireless service? Thailand still doesn't have 3g, so I've given up trying to use the gps on my Android phone.

 

[Ian Bungy]

Hello Garet,
You can Buy GPS Maps from Various Places, Eagle GPS see here: http://www.eaglegps.co.th/ Sell GPS Units and Maps. Good Luck.

 

[Fatlad]

Garet;267117 wrote: I apologise if this question is too basic, but I couldn't find the answer.

I plan on buying a GPS soon. I will go to Canada next month where I can buy any Garmin GPS unit for 20% to 40% cheaper than I can buy it in Thailand. If I buy it in at the GPSforyou shop in Fortunetown on Rama 9, they will load the Thailand maps there (I'm not sure of the cost).

1) Will the GPS work in any country, as long as you load the necessary maps?

2) Can you load the Thailand maps in (Thai and English) on the device after buying the GPS in another country (such as Canada)?

3) Where do you buy the maps? On the Garmin website?

4) does the GPS connect connect to the satellites without any wireless service? Thailand still doesn't have 3g, so I've given up trying to use the gps on my Android phone.

Hi
I just purchased a Garmin 62S from the UK for use in Thailand, this was already preloaded with Garmins worldwide Auto route Base Map which is basically all major towns and roads for the world, I then purchased from Esri garmin Thailand the Micro SD Thai map showing all routes even dirt tracks and all POIs in Thailand, having tried various copies of both the V11 and V10 maps these would not load, the map from ESRI cost 2300 baht, they wanted serial, Model and ID number for the 62S, tried the map in the other Garmin i have and will not load presume its locked to the specific GPS.
So if you buy one make sure it has the external Micro or Sd slot and you can basically buy the maps for any country.
My other garmin came preloaded with the whole of europe and the Worldwide Auto Route and an ext sd slot so no problem, for some reason this would work with a hacked Thai map but the new 62s will not.
Yes the Garmins i use only use satalite signals not telephone transmitters

Eric

 

[Garet]

Are the ESRI Thai maps dual language, with Roman alphabet and Thai script? Sometimes transliterations of Thai names aren't accurate. Having the Thai script is important when you need help from a local.

It doesn't make sense why the maps would work on some Garmin devices but not others. I'm considering the Garmin NUVI 4.3", which i can buy for $70 less in Canada. This is a recent model, so it should work with those ESRI maps, right?

By the way, where did you buy those ESRI maps?

Fatlad;267122 wrote: Hi
I just purchased a Garmin 62S from the UK for use in Thailand, this was already preloaded with Garmins worldwide Auto route Base Map which is basically all major towns and roads for the world, I then purchased from Esri garmin Thailand the Micro SD Thai map showing all routes even dirt tracks and all POIs in Thailand, having tried various copies of both the V11 and V10 maps these would not load, the map from ESRI cost 2300 baht, they wanted serial, Model and ID number for the 62S, tried the map in the other Garmin i have and will not load presume its locked to the specific GPS.
So if you buy one make sure it has the external Micro or Sd slot and you can basically buy the maps for any country.
My other garmin came preloaded with the whole of europe and the Worldwide Auto Route and an ext sd slot so no problem, for some reason this would work with a hacked Thai map but the new 62s will not.
Yes the Garmins i use only use satalite signals not telephone transmitters

Eric

 

[Fatlad]

I would stick personally with the garmin and the EsRI maps, as they are easy to read and in goog English, my other one uses Power Map X1 and i must say its crap, can leave Mukdahan to go BKK has one route for going down and another coming back, even on the same settings, put both on the shortest route and the Garmin is over 50km less???

 

[LivinLOS]

While its not really important for bike / trail GPS be aware that the current garmin maps have the (nice to have when navigating cities in crs) junction view locked so it only works on Thai OS / Firmware devices. So if you buy a GPS outside of Thailand you dont get junction view.

The base maps are compatible.

 

[Fatlad]

Garet;267127 wrote: Are the ESRI Thai maps dual language, with Roman alphabet and Thai script? Sometimes transliterations of Thai names aren't accurate. Having the Thai script is important when you need help from a local.

It doesn't make sense why the maps would work on some Garmin devices but not others. I'm considering the Garmin NUVI 4.3", which i can buy for $70 less in Canada. This is a recent model, so it should work with those ESRI maps, right?

By the way, where did you buy those ESRI maps?

Nope mine just in English, i bought the GPS so i wouldnt need help from the locals !
Not being able to read Thai to me is pointless having it, and the screen to small for to much crap.
These maps where copies not oridginal, but yes seems crazy works on the Nuvi 610 but not on the 62S
Even V11 maps will not work on the 62s so Garmin gave me V10.2
yes the 62s is a new model raplacement for the 60csx
ESRI Thailand 026780707
Have Garmin Nuvi 610 with V10 map installed for sale no car holder.

Eric

 

[Garet]

Yes, the woman at the GPS4You shop in Bangkok said only one Garmin model was able to read Thai script. I can read Thai, which comes in handy when some of the transliterations are the English maps are not quite accurate.

I don't understand why the map wouldn't show any language font on any Garmin device.

LivinLOS;267160 wrote: While its not really important for bike / trail GPS be aware that the current garmin maps have the (nice to have when navigating cities in crs) junction view locked so it only works on Thai OS / Firmware devices. So if you buy a GPS outside of Thailand you dont get junction view.

The base maps are compatible.

 

[Garet]

Fatlad;267162 wrote: Nope mine just in English, i bought the GPS so i wouldnt need help from the locals !
Not being able to read Thai to me is pointless having it, and the screen to small for to much crap.
These maps where copies not oridginal, but yes seems crazy works on the Nuvi 610 but not on the 62S
Even V11 maps will not work on the 62s so Garmin gave me V10.2
yes the 62s is a new model raplacement for the 60csx
ESRI Thailand 026780707
Have Garmin Nuvi 610 with V10 map installed for sale no car holder.

I understand, but sometimes the transliterations of names from Thai into English really aren't accurate. Also, many of the roadsigns are only in Thai script anyway.

 

[beddhist]

1 & 4: GPS works anywhere, even without a map. It's just not that useful if you can't display a map. Early GPS devices only displayed your current coordinates, which you then located on a paper map. You can still buy those... The Android seems to use software that download map tiles of your current location and for that it needs an internet connection. You could check to see if you can download map tiles via computer and store them in the Android.

2: As far as I understand it ESRI publish a Thai and an English map. You may have to buy two different versions if you want both. Switching between them won't be quick... If you read Thai well you will probably be better off with the Thai language map, but, as pointed out above, you have to buy the GPS in Thailand, as models sold elsewhere don't have Thai character sets installed.

Cheers,
Peter.

 

[Garet]

Have Garmin Nuvi 610 with V10 map installed for sale no car holder.

Are you still selling this? How much? I will be in Thailand again around 19 May