build6

useful info, thanks. looks like unfortunately my initial impressions were not wrong ... don't know if that's a :-) or a :-(

I've been in IT since close to the beginning (first computer was an Apple ][) and I personally am not fixated on getting my own kids into computers too early. They need to be able to count and they need to be able to read, and neither of these are essentially linked to computing. About the only concrete way the tablet program could help Thai kids is if it improved their English in ways that the preexisting classroom methods could not (I can actually envision this happening), but from what I've seen so far, the whole tablet program seems to be (for the people who aren't into it for corrupt purposes) another example of "technology fetishisation" by people who don't understand computers -

1) "Technology good!!!"

2) "This is technology!!!"

===================

therefore:

3) " This is good!!!"

The second biggest problem is that the tablets because Thaksin. The press in the past six months or year have reported that students, teachers and even bosses at schools were generally very satisfied and impressed.

If this is true, I am happy to stand corrected.

However I do have some "industry experience" (not in Thailand admittedly) and (1) a lot of the times, positive reports are inflated for "face" reasons ("face" is not just a Thai phenomenon) and (2) the per unit pricing for every one of these programs I've seen has been unfeasible.

The bidders (Chinese factories especially) operate on the basis that they can either blackmail the system for more money later ("I'm so sorry, we just can't deliver unless you vary the contract and give us more money") or simply just drop out ("I'm so sorry, we just can't do it").

India is another example of this. Their own tablet program (not national) has also failed to deliver. I think there's a NYT feature on this from several months back.

The Latin American experience with the OLPC has also not been that successful (the OLPC ended up much higher cost than initially planned). There's a lot of hand-wavey "economies of scale will make it cheap enough!" but offhand I can't think of any case where it has.

I think it's a very good sign when no reputable manufacturer attaches itself to the program and the tablets come from entities nobody has heard of.

Going to have a search for them tomorrow in Surat...

Not sure where I might find one though ?

Be interested also to hear from anyone who has bought one.

Maybe the phone stores in Central?

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I suspect many of the teachers of the students with tablets don't know how to effectively teach using the tablets.

The well to do kids shouldn't be given a head start because their parents can afford. The poor should be given a level learning field. That's the purpose of the free tablets.

The well-to-do kids aren't getting cut-price questionable-build-quality tablets as are being distributed under this program. They're not handing out ipads. There is such a thing as simply not having enough money to do something right. This is one of them.

The principle that the poor should be given a level learning field is sound, but on the spectrum of "things that can be done", it's not like every other thing that the kids could need money for has already been done.

Computers and iPhones etc are the future and the young generation need to be taught how to get every advantage from this technology and not just using for games or social networking .

If they are taught right from a young age then they have a chance of taking full advantage of the devices they are using!

There is no device in use nowadays that will be current/applicable/meaningful when any of these kids enter the workforce. Parents tend to go crazy on buying computers etc. for their kids, but as far as I can tell all it does is introduce them to porn at a younger and younger age.

The only thing that will help kids is a solid grounding in mathematics and, yes, English (the unquestionable language of technology development. I run into many Chinese engineers who are completely unintelligible in terms of communication in English, but their code is fine). This involves improving their education and that is not exactly the same thing as "spending money".

As far as I can see, in every country, "IT purchase programs" are boondoggles that are desirable only to administrations that are corrupt, foolish, or both. Improving teacher training/funding etc. involves sending money to other people. Using the education budget on hardware provides plenty of opportunities for kickbacks, overt or otherwise, which is why they are so popular, worldwide.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/731411-curfew-lifted-in-pattaya-samui-phuket/

Its OK, I get irritated by a lot of people on the internet too

And its true, my post didn't really add anything to the conversation heh

Vendor lock-in - sigh, yeah. I'm surprised a mass market marque like Toyota would do this, though. I guess nobody really cares about repeat customers anymore

... ?

that it's really old.

Suvarnabhumi launched in 2006.

I'd thought it was pretty universal throughout the English-speaking world.

To this day, my navigation unit is years old, still missing Suvarnabhumi Airport.

wow

that's really saying something

what is it saying?

your one liner fails to enlighten me.

There's DTAC SIMs geared towards visitors:

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/products/touristsim.html

To this day, my navigation unit is years old, still missing Suvarnabhumi Airport.

wow

that's really saying something

Needed would be GPS info with below 0.5m, ideally below 0,2m resolution and ideally matched to high resolution Arial photos which when bought are very expensive.

(1) I don't think GPS per se can give you this kind of accuracy. (even without that level of accuracy I think it should still be better than "unreliable hand-drawn maps"?)

(2) I think you need to find a land-surveyor professional for an opinion on this. (or maybe there's some NGO out there that can help? )

(splitting this into it's own question and heading in hopes it will attract answers; apologies if wrong forum)

Hi,

does anyone know if any of the automotive GPSes are aware of the time-sensitive lane and direction restrictions when driving in Bangkok and route accordingly? Which brands/models are these?

(And is this map dependent? ESRI/Navteq?)

Thank you

You will only get VAT back at the airport if you have a Tourist visa or 30 day visa exempt and then only if the shop where you purchased the GPS participates in the VAT Back scheme.

yes I am aware. Does anyone know if the department stores in, say, Siam Paragon offer the Garmin? I know the main department store there can do the VAT refund paperwork, I just don't know if they have the product. Don't really want to make a trip there just to be disappointed...

Am thinking of getting a Garmin nuvi 3560LM, which I'm seeing is listed for close to 13,000 baht. Can anyone tell me where it's possible to get one that can do the paperwork for VAT claims at the airport? In Phuket/Surat if possible, though I'm also headed to Bangkok. Many thanks.

Speaking of Bangkok - does anyone know if any of the automotive GPSes are aware of the time-sensitive lane restrictions when driving in Bangkok and will route accordingly? (is this map dependent? ESRI/Navteq?)

Dario - you can top up at 7-11, where they will either give you scratch cards or print out vouchers with codes you can enter for credit. There are also machines that will take your money and apply it to your account/number.

You can top up multiple times with smaller denominations if you don't want to have too much credit "overhang" in your account. Four 200 baht scratch cards/vouchers will give you a 50-baht-ish remainder after the 699 baht (plus vat) package, for example. Or you can use 16 fifty-baht cards/vouchers. The only limit is your patience.

(I think the machines allow for a wider range of denominations you should check those out. There're machines at every true store I've seen)

so what do you need here to get a contract? Thanks in advance.

before you jump into a contract you might want to dip your toes with prepay for the three main carriers... less of a hassle to test out whether the network is good where you live/work/travel.

btw in your original post I think you said something about the prepay data costs not making sense - you're probably talking about the "default" prices, I believe everybody who actually plans on using data on prepay signs up (done directly on the phone) for packages for either time or volume. there's a couple other threads about this here you can take a look at them.

My wife bought me an S5. Having never had a smartphone before I think it is brilliant.

has she made you install Line on it yet?

Asus Zenfone 4? Its only slightly higher than his stated budget (2,990 baht) *and* its dual-SIM. So he can have both his UK and Thai SIM in the same phone?

I see. Well they have lost on average $1 billion (that's with a "b") per year for the last ten years so they might not be around for much longer.

I don't buy Sony products (as they wanted to sue me a long time ago)

... this is a story I'd like to hear, if you're ok to tell it

Everything is closing- even 7/ 11

In Thailand?!?!

I spent some time looking at the comparison videos on Youtube because i want to move from Iphone, all 3 have different pro and cons but i wittled it down to the Z2, process of elimination was a: the HTC only have 4mp camera and isnt waterproof, samsung s5 back is flimsey, its waterproof ike the Z2 but there is a flap you need to keeping opening/closing to charger phone, Z2 looks cooler and well made.

Winner Z2

be aware the Z2 also has flaps for the USB ports etc. - it's just that it also has charging ports that you can use if you buy the charging dock as well. One issue with Thailand is that the Sony stores don't seem to stock the charging docks for some models (e.g. they will sell you the ZR but don't have the ZR's charging dock). I don't know about whether they have the Z2 dock. If you don't get that you'll need to keep opening/closing flaps to charge as well.

no it's ok. The 3G/WCDMA-mode switching interface in Android is pretty bad so there are people whose phones CAN switch between them in software but never realise it (and they're sadly physically swapping SIMs when they don't have to). So a lot of the time when people say their phones can't do it, they're actually wrong, and it can be switched in software. but there are also phones where (I assume for cost reasons) the hardware really can't do it. in my experience this includes a lot of the Chinese phones.

No, that's precisely it - you will have to physically swap the SIM cards. That's what's wrong with it. (Same for the Alcatel idol X+ too). Only one of the SIM slots is *physically* capable of 3G/WCDMA networking. If you get ahold of the redmi you can see the SIM slots clearly labelled with one 3G and one 2G-only

That was the same on my I-mobile Q6 BUT you could change Sims via the software .. done it.. it's normal on mediatek chips. Just not sure on this one.. check some forums


Just checked myself .. you are absolutely correct ..sorry if I sounded argumentative.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Got it, thanks guys. I'll be back in Bangkok early June, I'll try out a monthly package then!

No, that's precisely it - you will have to physically swap the SIM cards. That's what's wrong with it. (Same for the Alcatel idol X+ too). Only one of the SIM slots is *physically* capable of 3G/WCDMA networking. If you get ahold of the redmi you can see the SIM slots clearly labelled with one 3G and one 2G-only