Websites not loading, being blocked

[GalaxyMan]

I've noticed more and more lately that certain websites just won't load, and I'm only talking about news websites; Al Jazeera, for example. I had a brain spasm this morning and decided to try my VPN just for general browsing and not 'other' activities, and voila!, all of the pages are now loading. Don't know why it never occurred to me that the open-minded, forward-thinking Thai government was generally blocking such things. Even though it slows things down a bit, it looks like I'll be using the VPN all the time now.

[KittenKong]

AlJazeera site works fine for me on 3BB without a VPN.

 

Maybe you just need to check your DNS settings, or restart all your devices including your router, or use a different browser.

[GalaxyMan]

51 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

AlJazeera site works fine for me on 3BB without a VPN.

 

Maybe you just need to check your DNS settings, or restart all your devices including your router, or use a different browser.

Everything has been rebooted numerous times. This is a problem that I have steadily noticed over the last year or so, my brain just never thought of my VPN to get around the problem until now. I also have 3BB and never have trouble getting the AlJazeera site to load, but it would never play the video. With the VPN I can now play the videos. It never mattered what browser I used; I tried 4 of them, always with the same or worse results. Also tried with a PC and a Mac. AlJazeera was just a single example, there are/were many others, just can't think of them off the top of my head at the moment.

 

Sometimes a normal website that always works would not allow me to view the video. Maybe the individual videos are being blocked when they don't like the contents? Seems to happen a lot with UK-based websites reporting critically about this and that.

Edited June 7, 2019 by GalaxyMan

[watcharacters]

 

I use  VPN at all times.     As long as there're no speed issues, I figure why not?

 

 

[Briggsy]

I have had the same problem for around 4 or 5 days perhaps.

 

When I switch on my VPN, the problems disappear.

 

I suspect the ISP's have government techs in trialling some imported spy software. Call me suspicious.

[KhunBENQ]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/

 

Lightning fast, no problem.

ToT fiber.

[AGareth2]

have you been posting nasty things against Napoleon?

[KhunBENQ]

30 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

I also have 3BB and never have trouble getting the AlJazeera site to load, but it would never play the video. With the VPN I can now play the videos.

This might be the completely different topic of geoblocking (certain content not allowed in every country by the copyright owner).

I see that often on German websites.

Have to use a VPN to get around.

 

And zero related to Thai censorship or the like.

For more insight, provide example links.

Edited June 7, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[doctormann]

8 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/

 

Lightning fast, no problem.

ToT fiber.

Same here, just tried it.  ToT fibre in Pattaya.

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

I also have 3BB and never have trouble getting the AlJazeera site to load, but it would never play the video. With the VPN I can now play the videos.

I just tried a couple of videos on AlJazeera and they worked on my 3BB connection.

[Maybole]

I had the same  problem back in February with a newspaper site which I had been using for 2 years. At the suggestion of other TV members I switched to a browser with a built in VPN and it all worked. I reported the matter to the newspaper who initially poo-pooed the idea, accusing me of careless typing. A week later their IT specialist EMailed to say that an unsuccessfull hacking attempt had disabled their site in SE Asia.

[GalaxyMan]

Whatever was going on, using the VPN has cleared up all the issues, even though it slows things down.

[Crossy]

People. Please be a little bit careful.

 

Whilst VPN's per-sé are not illegal in Thailand and therefore can be discussed, the use of them to bypass Thai government restrictions IS illegal.

• If the site you are accessing is blocking you because you're in Thailand, no problem. 
• If the Thai government are blocking the site (there's usually, but not always, a message to that effect), problem.

 

[JetsetBkk]

On 6/7/2019 at 10:57 AM, doctormann said:

On 6/7/2019 at 10:47 AM, KhunBENQ said:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/

 

Lightning fast, no problem.

ToT fiber.

Same here, just tried it.  ToT fibre in Pattaya.

Ditto. 3BB fibre Phuket.

[Pib]

Pulls up fine for me here in Bangkok...on AIS Fibre...no VPN needed.

[chrispeddler]

On 6/8/2019 at 7:30 PM, Crossy said:

People. Please be a little bit careful.

 

Whilst VPN's per-sé are not illegal in Thailand and therefore can be discussed, the use of them to bypass Thai government restrictions IS illegal.

• If the site you are accessing is blocking you because you're in Thailand, no problem. 
• If the Thai government are blocking the site (there's usually, but not always, a message to that effect), problem.

 

I totally agree. Thailand's VPN legality. The Computer Crime Act does not ban it, but it is indirectly covered under certain sections, which means that if it is used to bypass public blocks or for illegal operation, the activity is illegal, but the technology is not.

[GalaxyMan]

48 minutes ago, chrispeddler said:

I totally agree. Thailand's VPN legality. The Computer Crime Act does not ban it, but it is indirectly covered under certain sections, which means that if it is used to bypass public blocks or for illegal operation, the activity is illegal, but the technology is not.

Good to know. Thanks, and to Crossy, too, for the head's-up.

[poppysdad]

I’m having the same problems with BBC on my iPhone and iPad wherever I use the businesses free WiFi and yet in my own house I do not have the problem on my computer. 

[Vacuum]

On 6/11/2019 at 6:41 AM, chrispeddler said:

The Computer Crime Act does not ban it

...yet.

[rricaresad33]

what vpn are you using?