Are power plugs all over the world the same?


Who has ever traveled abroad for the first time and encountered the problem that the plugs you prepared could not be used with the sockets abroad? Because each country has different types of plugs and sockets that can be used. If you do not study and prepare well, it may ruin the fun of the trip.

Do you know how many types of power plugs and sockets there are abroad? Lekise would like to tell you the differences of each type of socket to make traveling abroad smooth. Let's see.


Type A
 


 

  • Flat plug, two pins (no ground). Note that the size of the plug on each side is flat and not the same size. And there is no pin for the ground wire. American power plug: One pin is wider than the other. When plugging in, you can only plug it in one way. You cannot switch sides. Japanese power plug: Both pins are the same size. When plugging a Japanese plug into America, you can plug it in.
  • Countries used: North America, Central America, Japan, Caribbean countries, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Columbia, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela (Power plugs in Thailand can be used)



Type B
 


 

  • A two-prong flat plug, similar to Type A power plugs, but with an additional round pin (ground pin) or what is known as a 'ground pin'. The ground pin is longer than the other two pins to increase safety when using electrical appliances.
  • Countries used: North America, Central America, Japan, Caribbean countries, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Columbia, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, Venezuela (Power plugs in Thailand can be used)


​Type C


 

  • A two-prong round plug (no ground). In many standards, this type of plug is called a Europlug, but it has now been replaced by Type E, F, J, K, or N plug sockets (but Type C can still be used with all of the above plugs). It supports higher voltages than Type C and is more widely used. However, the plugs used by many electrical appliances still use Type C plugs, and it is still the most popular type of plug worldwide today. Generally limited to appliances that require no more than 2.5 amps.
  • Countries of use: Europe, such as France, Austria, Finland, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines / except the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta (power plugs in Thailand can be used)


Type D


 

  • A 3-prong round plug with a double round head, with the middle pin being a large ground pin, arranged in an equilateral triangle. It is similar to Type M, which is similar. It can be used with Type M power plug sockets without the need for an extension cord or adapter because they are similar but support more power.
  • Countries of use: India, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo, Dominica, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Macau, Madagascar, Monaco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe (power plugs in Thailand are not available (Must have a converter)



Type E

 


 

  • It has 2 round pins and 1 ground clip. If you look closely, you will see that there is 1 plug pin inside the socket. For the ground wire, it is similar to the European Type F plug.
  • Countries used: France, Belgium, Slovakia, Tunisia, Central Africa, Congo, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Greenland, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Poland, Syria (Power plugs in Thailand cannot be used. Must have a converter)



Type F
 


 

  • The Schuko plug has a pair of round pins with ground clips on both sides. The socket is a recess to extend the plug for safety. It is found in some electrical appliances in Thailand, such as kitchen appliances. Computer equipment, etc.
  • Countries of use: Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Egypt, Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Macau, Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia (Power plugs in Thailand can be used)



Type G

 


 

  • It has three flat, square pins arranged in a row and has a triangle at the end. It cannot be used with Type G plugs. According to the standard, Type G plugs have a fuse built into them. It is one of the safest types of plugs.
  • Countries used: England, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Dominica, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Maldives, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe



Type H

 


 

  • It has three flat pins arranged in a triangle, leaning towards each other. In addition to its appearance being different from other types, no country except Israel uses it. This type of plug is becoming less and less used because Israel is changing to use Type C and Type M, which have round heads instead. You can see from the plug holes that both flat and round heads can be used. Which supports all 3 standards
  • Countries used: Israel



Type I

 


 

  • It has a flat head with 3 prongs, with the 2 prongs on the same plane twisted together in an inverted V shape with a grounding pin. Some models may have only 2 flat prongs. The standard power plug system has a rating of 10 amps, similar to the Type H plug, making it compatible with power outlets in China.
  • Countries used: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Argentina, Fiji, Panama, and China.



Type J

 


 

  • It has a hexagonal socket frame and 3 round prongs, but the grounding pins are not far apart. The 2 round plugs in Type C can be inserted into the Type J plug without the need for an adapter. Therefore, electrical appliances in Thailand that are Type C can be used without a power adapter.
  • Countries used: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Rwanda, Jordan, Madagascar, Maldives



Type K


 

  • This is a European plug that is very similar to Type F. It has 3 prongs, 2 round prongs, and a grounding pin. Note that the face of the socket looks like a smiling face. This Type K plug supports Type C (double round head) electrical appliances, which can be plugged in directly without using a power adapter. It has 3 pins in total, with 2 round pins. The grounding pin looks like a semicircle that has been plastered on the cross-section.
  • Countries used: Denmark, Greenland, Bangladesh, Senegal, Tunisia, Madagascar, Maldives



Type L

 


 

  • It has 3 round pins, arranged in a straight line, all on the same plane. The pin in the middle is the ground pin. The Type L plug can be used with double round plugs such as Type C and Type F without using a power adapter.
  • Countries used: Italy, Chile, Ethiopia, Maldives, Uruguay (Power plugs in Thailand cannot be used, an adapter is required)



Type M
 


 

  • A 3-pin round head, with 2 pins on the same plane smaller than the ground pin. Many Type D electrical appliances can be used with Type M plugs without using a power adapter.
  • Countries used: Mainly used in South Africa and neighboring countries (Power plugs in Thailand cannot be used (Must have a converter)


Type N
 


 

  • It has a hexagonal socket frame and 3 round pins, but the ground pin of Type N is slightly closer to the main pin, almost on the same plane, similar to Type J. It is designed to work with Type C power plugs without a power adapter.
  • Countries of use: Brazil, South Africa (Power plugs in Thailand are not available, a converter is required)
  • A caution for Brazil is that it is one of the few countries in the world that has a 2-voltage power supply system, meaning some areas supply 127V while others supply 220V.


Type O
 

  • The characteristics of the Type O power plug are 3-pin plugs, consisting of 2 normal round pins and 1 ground pin, 4.8 mm in diameter, 19 mm long plug, 10 mm insulating sleeve, 19 mm spacing.
  • Countries of use: Thailand, designed in 2006


In Thailand, the socket must be certified to TIS 166-2549 standards, with 3 pins or grounded sockets. We often call it "3-prong socket". There are round-prong type "round-prong socket" and bent-prong type "flat-prong socket". However, if it is a power strip socket or extension cord, there must be a safety shutter to increase safety. Before buying a power strip or plug, don't forget! Choose quality products with standards from LeKise. Knowing this, before we travel abroad, we should study and find information first. So that we can have fun throughout the trip without worry.