Commitments and contingencies (Parenthetical) (Details) $ in Thousands |
12 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
| ||||
| Other Commitments [Line Items] | ||||
| Capital contributions payment due in less than 1 year | $ 0 | [1] | ||
| SGOCO International [Member] | ||||
| Other Commitments [Line Items] | ||||
| Capital contributions payment due in 3 months | 1,000 | |||
| Capital contributions payment due in less than 1 year | 4,000 | |||
| SGOCO Shenzhen [Member] | ||||
| Other Commitments [Line Items] | ||||
| Registered capital | 5,000 | |||
| Payments Made for Meet Other Commitments | $ 2,200 | |||
| ||||