Where In Thailand To Live For Good Internet Connectivity ?

[Trevor]

After 27 years of coming and going I'm looking for a base to settle. Speak Thai fluently and eat local food. Dislike high tourist concentrations and the effect they have on the Thai people. Also big-city pollution is a no-no. I want a hard-wired broadband connection rather than satellite.

Perhaps members can say where they live and why, particularly from connectivity and environmental (rather than work) perspectives.

[cathyy]

Korat. The only tourists are men visiting their girlfriend's families.

1024/512 alleged ADSL; before the recent earthquake messed up connectivity for all of SE Asia we usually got a solid actual throughput of 768/350 internationally. Speed is picking back up the past couple days as the repairs continue on those underwater cables. We're satisfied with it. We have TOT, other areas nearby have TT&T which also offers ADSL, but of course you must check availability before you decide where to live.

I live about 15 klicks outside of the city. It's close enough for shopping and eating, but without the city pollution and crowding. I could get food delivery if I lived in town, though, and could get by without a car. Out here you gotta have one. Good hospital, immigration office, good availability of farang foodstuffs. Not as good as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Pattaya for farang goodies, but it's a nicer place to live, too. And BKK is only a 200 baht 3 hour bus ride.

[KuBand]

After 27 years of coming and going I'm looking for a base to settle. Speak Thai fluently and eat local food. Dislike high tourist concentrations and the effect they have on the Thai people. Also big-city pollution is a no-no. I want a hard-wired broadband connection rather than satellite.

Perhaps members can say where they live and why, particularly from connectivity and environmental (rather than work) perspectives.

If this is really the criteria then as close to the ThaiIX (CAT building on the river) as possible. Silom? or within one telphone exchange hop away.

Edited January 14, 2007 by KuBand

[Richard-BKK]

I live at the Rama 2 Road in Bangkok, and I can say I see less white guys then I see downtown Korat. Also I have a True 1024/512 and a Samart WoW 2048/512 which both pull top performance.

The plus is that if I need to get into the white world, t is only 30 minutes away

[aznyron]

I live at the Rama 2 Road in Bangkok, and I can say I see less white guys then I see downtown Korat. Also I have a True 1024/512 and a Samart WoW 2048/512 which both pull top performance.

The plus is that if I need to get into the white world, t is only 30 minutes away

I have a question to ask you Richard can you tell me more about samart wow I am interested in getting a desent ISP here so far I found them to be worse than a dial up in my home country at least my dial up in the usa slow but got me on the WWW here in Thai I can not get outside thai. and I am tired of that so any info you can provide this forum I am sure will be welcomed thank you

[meadish_sweetball]

After 27 years of coming and going I'm looking for a base to settle. Speak Thai fluently and eat local food. Dislike high tourist concentrations and the effect they have on the Thai people. Also big-city pollution is a no-no. I want a hard-wired broadband connection rather than satellite.

Perhaps members can say where they live and why, particularly from connectivity and environmental (rather than work) perspectives.

The problem is broadband internet usually does not show up until there is a fair bit of other development going on - there has to be a large enough customer base for the ISPs to invest. Both Bangkok and Chiang Mai have air pollution problems. Phuket, Pattaya and Samui are the other broadband areas, but they are all swamped with tourists.

Khorat, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani are not overly polluted and ADSL broadband is available - TRUE is also working on providing cable modem and wireless broadband in Khorat, but when they'll be finished is anybody's guess.

These three north eastern cities are attracting increasing numbers of western male retirees, but if you do not find this a problem they may be your best choices at the moment.

Koh Phangan has ADSL but it is rather unreliable. I'd imagine Chiang Rai does, too, but I dont know for sure, nor do I know what the performance is like if they do have it.

[Florin]

How about Muaklek, in Saraburi? There's Thai Cement's big plant nearby, but the air seemed fine and I reckon they should have broadband Internet...can't vouch for that since I was only visiting, but it's pretty close to BKK yet not touristed and quite beautiful.

[simon43]

Phuket, Pattaya and Samui are the other broadband areas, but they are all swamped with tourists.

[\quote]

Bit of a generalisation Here in north Phuket I have fast and reliable broadband and it's a world away from Patong!

Simon

[Richard-BKK]

It has little use to compare any Thai connection to what is available outside Thailand. True/1024 and Wow/2048 work both fine for me. For some True doesn't work well for some others Wow doesn't work.

It seems you need to be lucky to get a good connection, all I will not compare any ADSL connection with a dailup connection within Thailand.

I live at the Rama 2 Road in Bangkok, and I can say I see less white guys then I see downtown Korat. Also I have a True 1024/512 and a Samart WoW 2048/512 which both pull top performance.

The plus is that if I need to get into the white world, t is only 30 minutes away

I have a question to ask you Richard can you tell me more about samart wow I am interested in getting a desent ISP here so far I found them to be worse than a dial up in my home country at least my dial up in the usa slow but got me on the WWW here in Thai I can not get outside thai. and I am tired of that so any info you can provide this forum I am sure will be welcomed thank you

[Trevor]

Thanks for all replies. I'm currently thinking of Nong Khai which I believe has broadband. Remote Thai islands, though idyllic, are out of the picture owing to poor infrastructure. The southern people and the enervating climate are also negatives for me.

[Richard-BKK]

Nong Khai has a lot of "cheap/backpack" tourists, so not easy to wear shorts and walk to the local store without getting a lable.....

[micaw60]

Thanks for all replies. I'm currently thinking of Nong Khai which I believe has broadband. Remote Thai islands, though idyllic, are out of the picture owing to poor infrastructure. The southern people and the enervating climate are also negatives for me.

Ref Muak Lek, I have lived in Muak Lek for over 12 months now and it is a great place, nice people and some good restaurants. There are several vineyards in the area making good red wine and the only tourists I have seen are mainly Thais on public holidays. We have never had any major problems with internet connections but the TOT lines do drop out occasionally. TOT have Broadband available as you prefer.

Good clean air, quiet and no pollution is a plus for me and 'er after living in Rama 4 Road and Don Muang in the past. I am currently working in the Middle East and looking forward like hel_l to getting back home in April for Songkran.