What is the signal strength like when you voice call/video call relatives back in your home country?

[Noisyaircon2020]

I have an excellent internet connection here in Bangkok, as do my relatives back in the UK.

 

However when we voice call/video call using various popular apps (that I won't name due to libel laws) the signal will regularly cut off for about 10 to 20 seconds at a time, and we cannot hear each other at all.

 

When using these apps to call other friends in Bangkok, it hardly ever cuts out.

 

Two questions:

1 . What is your experience of voice/video calling family and friends back home?

2. Can distance affect signal quality/strength?

[KannikaP]

Never any problem with any of the popular contact apps either to UK or UAE or USA. 3BB 100/500 here, Huawei Y9 phone. Doesn't matter if Express VPN is on or off.

The distance between callers should not make much difference. Maybe the time of day is affecting the signal with too many people online at one end or the other.

Very rarely my bro in UK hears an echo on his voice when talking to me on Whats App, but the others, Skype, Teams Zoom are fine.

Edited February 26, 2022 by KannikaP

[MJCM]

My wife regularly (read: Daily) on different times (6am UK time, 11am UK time etc etc) talks to her sister in the UK via Line via 4G and Wifi, and each conversation lasts about 20-30 minutes!

 

To answer your questions

 

1- Great quality all the time

2- No idea

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Used to regularly call back to the U.S. using a variety of wifi-based calling services from here in BKK, using 3BB fiber and wifi to it here at home. Usually very good connections and no dropouts.

 

[Lacessit]

I've found simple voice connection with a dumbphone to my son in Australia is quite adequate. I use that to switch to a video call.

I have DUO and LINE on my smartphone, WiFi only. LINE is OK locally, DUO is better when I talk to my son.

I have ZOOM on my laptop, no lag at all. That's a cable connection.

[scubascuba3]

Using WhatsApp to make voice calls to UK is frequently bad, i often give up after several tries.

 

Skype has been fine.

 

Used Zoom video call the other day and was perfect.

 

So, maybe WhatsApp is the problem, anyone else?

 

 

[Crossy]

I video call every week to my youngest (Line) and parents (Skype) in the UK, both using video, both on my ancient i5 PC.

 

Occasional issues with delay / echo / some other problem, but it's usually fixed with a re-dial.

 

One thing I could never get working reliably on my PC is Facebook Messenger, it always moans about not having access to the mic / camera / both, neither of the other apps (or Zoom or Teams or Google Meet) seem to have this issue.

[KhaoYai]

Often can't even connect (from the UK using wifi) on video when the Thai mobile I'm calling is using mobile data. Swapping over to voice only is usually successful when that happens.

 

Never had a problem when the Thai mobile is on Wifi.

[DaLa]

LINE. Never had a problem. Clear, accurate with photos etc. and cheap (Free).

[1FinickyOne]

no problems

[anchadian]

I often video call (SKYPE) my brother in Cape Town and have never had any problems at all.

[Noisyaircon2020]

On 2/26/2022 at 4:44 PM, KhaoYai said:

Often can't even connect (from the UK using wifi) on video when the Thai mobile I'm calling is using mobile data. Swapping over to voice only is usually successful when that happens.

 

Never had a problem when the Thai mobile is on Wifi.

Interesting @KhaoYai. 

 

If I use mobile data in Thailand to call Thai friends who are also using mobile data, 9 times out of 10 the signal is crystal clear with no issues.

 

However if I use mobile data to call someone using wifi in the UK, the signal will cut off regularly.

[KhaoYai]

3 hours ago, Noisyaircon2020 said:

If I use mobile data in Thailand to call Thai friends who are also using mobile data, 9 times out of 10 the signal is crystal clear with no issues.

I general I would agree - Thailand seems to have better mobile coverage than the UK. However, I think it depends where you are and I'm just reporting my experiences in trying to video call with my wife - most times if she stays on mobile signal, we have problems. 

 

At my own home in Thailand (yes we have different homes for the moment), I have the opposite problem, I often get buffering on wifi but the mobile signal is strong and always 4g.  I think people need to read the small print in their fibre contracts - mine is supposed to be 100/100 - when I called 3BB to complain that at times I was only showing 12mbps I was told the 100mbps claim is actually 'up to' and such speeds are only available to 5g compatible devices.  It was better last time I was over in January though.

 

I'm guessing but I think the better mobile coverage in Thailand overall is down to them 'coming to the table late'.  The UK has had a very well developed landline (normal copper cable) system for many years. Whereas by the time Thailand began to develop at speed it was probably cheaper to develop a mobile network than one using cable.  I think that postion will now change though due to the demand for fibre internet.