By Graham K. Rogers

Years ago, I suggested to a man with good connections to Apple operations here in Thailand, that it might be an idea to open a store on the West side of the Chao Phraya River. When he had stopped laughing, he explained to me - in the way some people do - that there were unlikely to be customers for the products, so the investment would be wasted.

That dam was breached when one of the resellers here, Com7, opened an iBeat booth - which was soon transformed into an iStudio - in Central Pinklao. They have now expanded into a larger store there, while another reseller (Copperwired) has opened an operation in the PowerMall section of the mall.

A number of other iStudio outlets are also open now on the side of the river that is "unlikely to have any customers", including The Mall, Bangkae and The Mall, Tha Phra.

iStudio Seacon Square, Bangkae

Not long after an old Mall between Tha Phra and Bangkae was reopened as Seacon Square, Bangkae, another branch of iStudio (also Com7) was established there. A few months ago I was given permission to take photographs in that store and it was one of the places featured in a Bangkok Post article I wrote at the time for the Life section.

iStudio Seacon Square, Bangkae

I went back to Seacon Square earlier today as adjacent to the iStudio is a large camera shop that sells new and used items. They did not have what I was after, but suggested Floor 3, where there are several other camera store. These all focus on digital cameras, so the specific accessory I was after was an apparent mystery to some of them.

However, while I was up on floor 3, I saw a new shop, clearly marked, iCare, with the Apple logo prominently displayed. I went in and confirmed that it is an official Apple Service Provider, covering warranty repairs as well as offering repairs on devices out of warranty (where this is possible, I presume). The store has been open since October and is also part of the Com 7 group. It is located next to the Banana IT Store on floor 3 (also Com 7).

Seacon Square, is now a fairly busy mall and is likely to become more frequented when the MRTA opens the Blue Line Extension as there is a station under construction right outside. With the number of condos going up in the area and alongside the BTS, there are likely to be plenty of buyers of Apple products.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.