Why Does Apple Do This?

[Buadhai]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

 

[SonofSpingo]

By all means Apple can make some strange decisions worth taking them to task over, but making them culpable for your very own crappy wall sockets is taking customer complaints to ridiculous levels. My solution is buy yourself an extention lead.

 

[Buadhai]

The supplied plug is designed to be used in a recessed European-style outlet. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. My wall outlets are not crappy. When they wear I replace them. I have two spares on hand now. Chargers and the like do not fall out of wall sockets unless they are the wrong type as supplied by Apple and some other manufacturers. Blaming me and my wall sockets for Apple’s geographic ignorance is simply unfair.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

The supplied plug is designed to be used in a recessed European-style outlet. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. My wall outlets are not crappy. When they wear I replace them. I have two spares on hand now. Chargers and the like do not fall out of wall sockets unless they are the wrong type as supplied by Apple and some other manufacturers. Blaming me and my wall sockets for Apple’s geographic ignorance is simply unfair.

If Apple provided you with the wrong plug for the wrong country, they should exchange it, they simply made a mistake. Of course if your ordered it in a different country and that supplier only provides European plugs, that is on you and you simply have to buy the correct plug yourself (or a converter).

If your complaint is about plugs falling out off your sockets, Apple won't change plugs. In that case: buy yourself an extension cord for a couple of bucks. Problem solved.

Edit: Changed the text because I misread the issue with the European plug.

 

[leman]

They should send you the plug compatible with your countries sockets. if they did not, there might have been a mistake during packaging or you got sold a model intended for the European market. If you bought directly from Apple or an Apple authorised reseller, they will exchange it for you. If you bought from third-party, well, they likely gave you a foreign market model.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

They should send you the plug compatible with your countries sockets. if they did not, there might have been a mistake during packaging or you got sold a model intended for the European market. If you bought directly from Apple or an Apple authorised reseller, they will exchange it for you. If you bought from third-party, well, they likely gave you a foreign market model.

What I understand is that (some of the?) plugs supplied fit, but simply are to bulky/heavy to stay in place.

 

[mmkerc]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

View attachment 2323439

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

View attachment 2323441

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

Apple has provided you with two plugs that fit type A, and C plugs (non grounded), but will also fit the type B and O plugs (grounded). The outlet in your picture is a hybrid plug intended to fix all type plugs which inherently is a loose fit for all plugs. If you had the standard type O plug you would not have the problem. That said as mentioned getting a short extension cord will also solve your issue.

 

[DaniTheFox]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

View attachment 2323439

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

View attachment 2323441

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

I understand that Thailand used to have both type A and type C sockets. Type A is mostly found in the USA and type C is mostly found in Europe and Asia. So having both as standard in Thailand is a good option. I have learnt that Type A is being phased out. Because having two standard (actually 4 as there is also Type B and O) in one socket is not mechanically a good solution. I think that is the reason why Apple sends you now a Type C adapter, because that is the future in Thailand. And I hope the wall socket with only Type C (and O) will be mechanically superior.

 

[DaniTheFox]

This is the link to my information.

Thailand - Power plug, socket & mains voltage in Thailand

www.worldstandards.eu

Please read to the end of the information. The Type O standard is in TIS 166-2549 defined. (the last four digits refer to the Buddhist year 2549, which corresponds to the year 2006 in the Gregorian calendar).

And unfortunately the pure Type O sockets are not on the market (Why would anyone want to buy this to restrict themselves?). So we have to be patient. And it will not be recessed like in Europe, so heavy adapters are not a good solution anyway.

 

[Reverend Benny]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

View attachment 2323439

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

View attachment 2323441

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

Looking at your plug i'm wondering if its installed correctly or maybe the pic is just flipped?

All plugs in the Nordics and in most of the places I've seen around the world are installed vertically. That way the weight won't be one one pin.
Now, with that said, the times I've been in the US I have encountered wall sockets not being to handle heavy power supplies such as the one you are using, seems like they aren't really designed for that or maybe old and weak.

 

[JustAnExpat]

I live in Thailand as well. There's a VERY good reason why Apple is including those types of prongs in the MacBooks. Legally speaking, the Thailand electrical standard uses a mixture of the Asian two-pin standard and the American version (source: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/plan-your-trip-electricity#). Here's a listing of all the accepted standards in Thailand, but Thailand eventually wants to go to the Type O standard, which is only used in Thailand (https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/thailand/).

Because Thailand's in Asia, they include the Asian standard in the box. I recommend going to PowerBuy/ Mr. DYI and buying a converter. They should be cheap.

 

[Timpetus]

I live in Thailand as well. There's a VERY good reason why Apple is including those types of prongs in the MacBooks. Legally speaking, the Thailand electrical standard uses a mixture of the Asian two-pin standard and the American version (source: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/plan-your-trip-electricity#). Here's a listing of all the accepted standards in Thailand, but Thailand eventually wants to go to the Type O standard, which is only used in Thailand (https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/thailand/).

Because Thailand's in Asia, they include the Asian standard in the box. I recommend going to PowerBuy/ Mr. DYI and buying a converter. They should be cheap.

Even better, get an extension cable that clicks into the same slot so the heavy adapter brick doesn't have to hang on the wall and you can charge your laptop much further away from an outlet. In the USA some of our outlets do the same thing, they aren't all nice and tight enough to hold the brick up so they'll eventually slide out and fall. The longer cord isn't very expensive and has worked with every one of the Apple power bricks I've owned for at least 20 years now, so you'll get your money's worth.

 

[msackey]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

I can't presume to know the electrical plug "habits" of Thailand, but I will hazard some thoughts given that I lived outside of the US (in a European influenced country) for decades.

The look of that socket suggests that either a flat prong or round prong can be used. Does Thailand have a mish-mash of plug standards?

In the country I grew up in, there was definitely a mish-mash of standards from British to continental European (though not North American) depending on who knows what. I'm guessing it depends on the era the building was constructed. You will see sockets that accept the thick/fat British three-pin and then some sockets that use the continental European round two-pin. I think new buildings use BOTH British and continental European standard. (And yes, I recognise there are multiple continental standards.)

In any case, you probably know that you can unhook your MBA plug and place it on the charger for the 15" M1 MBA.

 

[msackey]

I live in Thailand as well. There's a VERY good reason why Apple is including those types of prongs in the MacBooks. Legally speaking, the Thailand electrical standard uses a mixture of the Asian two-pin standard and the American version (source: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/plan-your-trip-electricity#). Here's a listing of all the accepted standards in Thailand, but Thailand eventually wants to go to the Type O standard, which is only used in Thailand (https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/thailand/).

Because Thailand's in Asia, they include the Asian standard in the box. I recommend going to PowerBuy/ Mr. DYI and buying a converter. They should be cheap.

Excellent! I mean, this confirms that Thailand has a mish-mash of pin standards. It's just like the country I grew up in: mish-mash of standards and there isn't a movement to sunset one standard so it's expected that a device you buy in the country could have round pin or British three pin.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

View attachment 2323439

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

View attachment 2323441

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

Note that both power bricks you show have Apple's removable plug. If one is in a situation where using "a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out" then one needs to slide-remove the plug and use the Apple extension cord that plugs into the brick; then let the brick lay on a horizontal surface or hang it.

The reality of different countries having a mish-mash ofdifferent standards is a fact of life to us and to Apple.

 

[FaustsHausUK]

Modern Apple power adapters use USB-C, so it is trivial to replace them with other products on the market. I'd look into GaN options that meet the required output requirements, they're typically much smaller and lighter, so less like to hang and fall. One I really liked was this guy from SnapWireless: https://snapwireless.us/products/powerpack-universal - I bought it as I live in the US but travel to the UK and Norway, so I need three wildly different adapters.

 

[tcatsninfan]

This is the sort of electrical outlets we have in Thailand.

View attachment 2323438

When I got my M1 MBA earlier this year, this is the plug that Apple included.

View attachment 2323439

I opened my new 15” M1 MBA this afternoon and was PO'd to find this plug.

View attachment 2323441

This is OK if you’re using a power strip where gravity holds the plug in place, but if you use a wall socket gravity causes the plug to eventually fall out.

I have half a drawer of the wrong king of plug that I’ve had to replace with the right kind of plug over the past couple of decades.

Why Apple, Why?

Interestingly, when I ordered my 13" M2 Air in Thailand about a year and a half ago, there was an option to get the so-called "Compact" adapter. However, I checked the store now and it's no longer an option. BUT, if you go to the US Apple store website, the Compact adapter is still an option.

I then checked the Accessories page of Apple's Thailand website and the Compact adapter isn't listed there at all.

So, it appears Apple is no longer selling the Compact adapter in Thailand, which is a shame because it's much better than the one that you received. I guess this means I'll be ordering my next laptop when I'm back in the US sometime...

 

[Gregg2]

The supplied plug is designed to be used in a recessed European-style outlet. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. My wall outlets are not crappy. When they wear I replace them. I have two spares on hand now.

I would never consider keeping spare outlets on hand. In 40+ years of renting and owning a home, I've never had to replace one because it wore out.

 

[johnmacward]

That is certainly a European style plug they provided you with - I know, I've lived in France for many years, so absolutely the wrong adapter for your country BUT doesn't it have round holes beside the straight slits for the European style plug a bit like :

Electrical plugs and sockets in Thailand.

What kind of electricity sockets do they use in Thailand ? Answer: A hybrid system of European standard and American standard. That means that a plug from continental Europe (2 pins without groundi…

thailand-travelbase.com

 

[Lab34]

Hello @Buadhai ,
I think you can buy and replace the plug. I don't know what online stores you have in Thailand, but for example, in the USA, I bought something like that, because my powerbrick was the same as yours. It's easy to replace.

Mac AC Power Adapter Plug Duck Head US Wall Charger AC Cord US Standard Duck Head Compatible with Mac Book/Mac iBook/iPhone/iPad/iPod AC Power Adapter Brick

Mac AC Power Adapter Plug Duck Head US Wall Charger AC Cord US Standard Duck Head Compatible with Mac Book/Mac iBook/iPhone/iPad/iPod AC Power Adapter Brick

www.amazon.com

 

[johnmacward]

I would never consider keeping spare outlets on hand. In 40+ years of renting and owning a home, I've never had to replace one because it wore out.

Great point Gregg, or something you didn't need to say at all in fact. The fact that someone keeps spares at home and you having a problem with that is truly bizarre. What did you feel the need to say this ?

 

[johnmacward]

@Buadhai I apologise for the judgemental types here. Your sockets aren't crappy and equally there's nothing wrong with you keeping spare anything at home.

 

[Rychiar]

I've never plugged a computer directly into a wall socket. Always use a UPC or at least a surge protector

 

[Fishrrman]

We see what the outlet looks like in Thailand.

But... what does the PLUG that goes into that outlet look like?
Post a pic.

 

[Gregg2]

Great point Gregg,

Thanks!