My laptop charger fried in a Chiang Mai cafe and I had to get creative

I was in the middle of a client call at a coffee shop in Nimman when my screen went black and I smelled that awful burnt plastic smell. The cafe's outlet must have had a power surge and it completely killed my charger. I had 18% battery left and needed to finish the call. I ended up borrowing a universal charger from the barista, who said it happens all the time there. Has anyone found a good surge protector that's actually travel-friendly?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.linda1mo ago

Ugh, I just use a cheap multi-plug adapter now.

chen.casey29d ago

Oh man, I actually read something about this the other day. I guess those cheap multi-plug adapters can be real fire hazards if you plug too many things into them, especially high-wattage stuff like space heaters or hair dryers. It's wild because they look so harmless, but the internal wiring just isn't built to handle a lot of draw at once. I'm guilty of using them too honestly, but that article kind of freaked me out a little.

the_laura1mo ago

Yeah, those cheap adapters can be risky. Maybe look for one with built-in surge protection next time you need to buy one.