Is the earth pin neccesary?

Just moved from the UK to Vietnam.

the uk lug is three pin (type G)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets

Vietnamese sockets fit both type A and Type C plugs

the feed into the brick is a three pin cloverleaf/mickey mouse
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29240

it's currently plugged into a dead simple adaptor.

the charger dosen't seem to be working anymore. could this be to do with not having an earth (ie auto-cut safety feature) ?

Can I make it work without the earth?

I was hoping to chop the uk pin off and just put a standard Vietnamese plug (type c) on so I don't need an adaptor for the next few years. the earth wire would be cut short and ignored.

 

Hope you get a response with more direct international experience.

My North American situation for several years was living in an old house not wired for "ground" and having old two-pin wall sockets. Instead of filing the third plug pin off, I installed a three pin wall socket with, of course, only the two live AC wires to connect to it, so that the ground was unused but the holes were there for three-pin grounded plugs.

I used a surge-protected power bar for the computer and peripherals, which were all three pin - it seems to me you would want this between your computer and an unprotected wall socket. This worked fine as long as I was there. (I have a habit of unplugging sensitive electronics during lightening storms after having a laptop fried by one.)

 

When I first plugged it in, no joy.

last night I tried putting the plug in upside down (two pin remember). This morning I have a fully charged lapt''op.

Presumably something in the brick.

So, plug swap operation will proceed nurse, but labelling 'this way up' may be necessary.