Laptop/tech in Thailand

[hapy2rtire]

Hi All,

I had such great success on the visa forum that I would like to ask some questions of a technical computer nature. I am American moving to Thailand next month and just bought a fancy dancy new laptop. I am trying to figure out if I need to purchase antivirus and VPN services for Thailand. My laptop is Windows 10 with Windows Defender built in. I have been reading that Windows Defender is good enough and there is no need to buy additional antivirus/antiphishing/ransomware protection etc.  But that is here in the US. My gut tells me I need extra in Asia. I am looking at purchasing Bitdefender Antivirus Plus at $24/yr. Any comments or advice will be appreciated for example: Do I need extra protection? Is it better to buy it here or buy it over there (ie, cheap purchasing with baht)? Do I need to know how to read Thai in order to purchase over there, so wouldn't be able to do it for months (maybe years, with my old brain)?

Then on to VPN. I'm a computer noob so just learning about VPN. Seems like a good idea to me. What I read is it is necessary in Thailand because the government monitors everything and you can be jailed for simple misunderstanding comments, but with VPN, the government cannot monitor you. Is this true? Seems like the government would outlaw VPN and anyone with VPN might be considered illegal just in the fact they have VPN? ...or am I paranoid?

So thoughts on antivirus software? Which works best in Thailand, other Asian countries? Purchase here or there? VPN yes/no? Recommendations for which one works best over there? Purchase here or there?

Thank you in advance.

[Nyezhov]

11 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

I am trying to figure out if I need to purchase antivirus and VPN services for Thailand.

No. Unless you are screwing with Netflix or need to spoof an entertainment/shopping supplier dont waste your money. Windows Defender is fine as long as you stay off the porn sites ????

 

I have never had a problem here. Dont overthink it dude

[Pilotman]

I am no computer expert.  I bought my high end laptop in the UK and downloaded standard anti virus software.  I see no reason to add anything more than you would in the States. I downloaded my Express VPN here in Thailand.  All of my friends, bar none, have all got VPN.  They, like me, don't use it all the time, I use it to expand my range of movies that I can watch on Netflix, but for little else. Yes, the Thais don't like it.  Not sure if its actually illegal, but they do nothing to enforce it if it is.  On that point, you don't need to worry. It works well.

Unless you are going to live in Bangkok, where it may be different, finding a good computer tech expert to help here is hard.  Most Thai computer geeks approach computers (and mobiles) like they do everything else here and bodge their way through the issues with illegal software, or just blunder around. If you do find one, you need to hang on to them.  

Edited March 17, 2019 by Pilotman

[hapy2rtire]

3 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

No. Unless you are screwing with Netflix or need to spoof an entertainment/shopping supplier dont waste your money. Windows Defender is fine as long as you stay off the porn sites ????

 

I have never had a problem here. Dont overthink it dude

Thank you Nyezhov. Great advice. I am a "dudette" BTW, hehe

[lopburi3]

It is the same internet here as in USA or anywhere else - no special anti virus required.

 

VPN can be useful to avoid some regional blocking issues but it is not going to save you if you plan to make public statements that may be offensive.  You can obtain anytime so nothing you need to do now.

 

What you may want to do is set up your banking and allow sending money transfers overseas without being in bank - this may require signing an electronic funds agreement paper in person.

[watcharacters]

7 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

No. Unless you are screwing with Netflix or need to spoof an entertainment/shopping supplier dont waste your money. Windows Defender is fine as long as you stay off the porn sites ????

 

I have never had a problem here. Dont overthink it dude

 

You got me there.    What do you consider " Unless you are screwing with Netflix" to be?   Are you simply referring to someone subscribing to Netflix?

 

[hapy2rtire]

8 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I am no computer expert.  I bought my high end laptop in the UK and downloaded standard anti virus software.  I see no reason to add anything more than you would in the States. I downloaded my Express VPN here in Thailand.  All of my friends, bar none, have all got VPN.  They, like me, don't use it all the time, I use it to expand my range of movies that I can watch on Netflix, but for little else. Yes, the Thais don't like it.  Not sure if its actually illegal, but they do nothing to enforce it if it is.  On that point, you don't need to worry. It works well.

Unless you are going to live in Bangkok, where it may be different, finding a good computer tech expert to help here is hard.  Most Thai computer geeks approach computers (and mobiles) like they do everything else here and bodge their way through the issues with illegal software, or just blunder around. If you do find one, you need to hang on to them.  

Hi Pilotman,

Thank you for the input.

Your comment: Not sure if its actually illegal

 

...I was lurking around this website and found another thread on VPNs. very informative. It is entitled:

Proxies, VPN And Other Information

 

It states VPNs are not illegal in and of themselves, but if you use them to obtain illegal material, then it is illegal.

[hapy2rtire]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

It is the same internet here as in USA or anywhere else - no special anti virus required.

 

VPN can be useful to avoid some regional blocking issues but it is not going to save you if you plan to make public statements that may be offensive.  You can obtain anytime so nothing you need to do now.

 

What you may want to do is set up your banking and allow sending money transfers overseas without being in bank - this may require signing an electronic funds agreement paper in person.

Hi Lopburi3,

Thank you thank you. That is exactly what I needed to hear regarding antivirus and VPN... that its Ok to purchase after I get there if I feel I need it.

As for banking... Yep, got my Schwab account also reading about Transferwise. Sounds like cheap, secure alternative to transferring money.

Any other advice? ????

 

[Pilotman]

Perhaps, as we are talking about it, a little of my experience getting an internet connection into the house. WE had a new build, so we were starting from scratch.  We first bought a D LInk, with a SIM from the AIS provider.  We still have it and it works really well for us, its very mobile of course, so you can take it anywhere with you.  We then got a fibre service from ToT, again very good and a better and faster product than I had in the UK, very happy with that too.  The D Link is useful as a backup for when the Tot system goes off line, maybe during heavy storms. 

 

Back to your laptop, I would recommend that you do get surge protection for your mains power lead.  Power fluctuates around her and can go off at a moments notice, especially in the rainy season.   

[Nyezhov]

18 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

Thank you Nyezhov. Great advice. I am a "dudette" BTW, hehe

Everybody is "dude" until, if they are hot enough, they get promoted to sweetie, babe, baby or darling. And guys never get that. They remain dude.

 

Folks use VPN to spoof Netflix into giving them more movies. Or because they think it hides them from snooping. Since I know that every ephemeral bit or byte is sucked up and analyzed by a Supercomputer in Ft Meade, I dont worry about snooping and just dont say stupid stuff on the net ????

 

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Everybody is "dude" until, if they are hot enough, they get promoted to sweetie, babe, baby or darling. And guys never get that. They remain dude.

 

Folks use VPN to spoof Netflix into giving them more movies. Or because they think it hides them from snooping. Since I know that every ephemeral bit or byte is sucked up and analyzed by a Supercomputer in Ft Meade, I dont worry about snooping and just dont say stupid stuff on the net ????

 

There is a service that tells you which Netflix movies are playing in which country = so= you set the VPN to that country and play the movie. 

[Nyezhov]

8 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

Any other advice?

Dont cut your ties to the USA. The weather is simply nasty in the summer. 

 

Good move coming in the nastytime though. Get a taste of it right from the get go. I did that when I moved to Alaska. Pulled up to the border at -50 F.

[hapy2rtire]

43 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Perhaps, as we are talking about it, a little of my experience getting an internet connection into the house. WE had a new build, so we were starting from scratch.  We first bought a D LInk, with a SIM from the AIS provider.  We still have it and it works really well for us, its very mobile of course, so you can take it anywhere with you.  We then got a fibre service from ToT, again very good and a better and faster product than I had in the UK, very happy with that too.  The D Link is useful as a backup for when the Tot system goes off line, maybe during heavy storms. 

 

Back to your laptop, I would recommend that you do get surge protection for your mains power lead.  Power fluctuates around her and can go off at a moments notice, especially in the rainy season.   

Thanks. I need that info too. Very much thank you. I was planning on surge protector. I heard lots of lightning that can surge through a building's power system not to mention fluctuations from power source. Thank you

[hapy2rtire]

41 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Everybody is "dude" until, if they are hot enough, they get promoted to sweetie, babe, baby or darling. And guys never get that. They remain dude.

 

Folks use VPN to spoof Netflix into giving them more movies. Or because they think it hides them from snooping. Since I know that every ephemeral bit or byte is sucked up and analyzed by a Supercomputer in Ft Meade, I dont worry about snooping and just dont say stupid stuff on the net ????

 

agreed. My philosphy too.

[hapy2rtire]

40 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

There is a service that tells you which Netflix movies are playing in which country = so= you set the VPN to that country and play the movie. 

Yea my daughter does that... gets movies on Netflix from Australia, etc. She's a millennial... I'm not. I'm playing catch-up, haha. I was impressed with myself that I knew what a VPN is ????

[hapy2rtire]

42 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Dont cut your ties to the USA. The weather is simply nasty in the summer. 

 

Good move coming in the nastytime though. Get a taste of it right from the get go. I did that when I moved to Alaska. Pulled up to the border at -50 F.

ow, that sounds tough!!  Then -50 F to 90's F. You do like extremes, haha. 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, hapy2rtire said:

So thoughts on antivirus software?

With windows 10 I'm told it has protection already, I only have windows 7 and use Avast free antivirus. 

[marcusarelus]

4 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

With windows 10 I'm told it has protection already, I only have windows 7 and use Avast free antivirus. 

I thought all the windows had Windows Defender?  I use Bitdefender because it has the most up to date anti virus stuff.  Bitdefender Wins 2018 Awards from World’s Top 2 Independent Testing Firms.   https://www.bitdefender.com/news/bitdefender-wins-2018-awards-from-worlds-top-2-independent-testing-firms-3639.html

[Kwasaki]

16 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I thought all the windows had Windows Defender? 

Maybe !! ...OP bought his US so legit but my windows 7 came with my laptop I bought in Thailand which is a copy by all account and one of the top/best whatever free antivirus is Avast which my friend put on for me he knows about computers I have little knowledge of computers.

I have no problems at all.

[chrisinth]

5 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

...OP bought his US so legit but my windows 7 came with my laptop I bought in Thailand

That IMO is a huge misconception. If it doesn't actually state that the computer comes with OEM Windows installed, then any installed operating systems would need proof of purchase regardless of where you are in the world. To me anyway.

 

As someone mentioned earlier, the internet is the internet, it is a global entity. Operating systems are available everywhere, both legal and not-so-legal, activation software (freely) available if you know where to look for it. One should never assume that because you purchased the computer in a so called 1st world country that everything is legit unless it has been proven that 100% of computer techs in 100% of computer shops are above board.