Struggling to get Broadband in my condo and the lost engineer

[JoeyMac]

Guys would love some more valuable assistance, and if this is completely normal. 

 

Moved into our condo last week. I was told getting broadband in Thailand was very easy by agents and other randoms. I mean it's easy getting a sim card and getting online in Thailand, so you just assume broadband would be just as easy (as opposed to some other countries where getting a sim card can be soul destroying). 

 

Tuesday - go to the True store in Silom. All well and good. Sign a contract. Was told an engineer would call that afternoon to arrange and installation. Splendid news ! 

 

Wednesday - hear nothing. 

 

Thursday - No engineer calls. I pop back into True store. Explain i really need broadband for work and would appreciate a time so i can make plans. They say engineer says he is busy (do they only have one?) and he will call tomorrow. 

 

Friday - No engineer calls. Go back to True store. They ring engineer and he says he will call for 100% sure this afternoon. Note it was not 99% but 100%. No one calls. 

 

Weekend - i assume closed so don't bother. 

 

Monday - They promise me the engineer will call me. I tell them i am sick of promises. I assume maybe this is what happens in Thailand. But nope they insist the engineer is just busy and will call me today for sure to arrange an appointment. You guessed it, no one calls. 

 

Tuesday - Still no broadband. 

 

Now do we just put this down to normal behaviour? I mean they are just constantly just going to say 'yes it's coming, call today' type nonsense to please me for a short period. Why not just say 'bloody hell we are over worked, the engineer is useless, we have no idea when he will call, good luck' ?

 

Back to the broadband anyone else have any problems? I am tempted to move to another company, but i have a signed agreement, so am a tad worried now moving away. 

[Crossy]

 

Some condos limit access only to their favoured providers, it might be an idea to talk to the condo office to see if they have an agreement with a specific service provider.

 

That said, I have a friend who had a similar experience with True earlier this year when getting fibre installed to replace his existing True ADSL.

 

Related anecdote.

 

Some years back we had only dial-up in our area. A provider announced that ADSL was now available (I did say it was a while back). I downloaded the form, filled it in and faxed it back from our office one morning.

 

I intended to tell Madam that I'd ordered internet when I got home. Just after lunch she called me that "a man was there to install internet, did I know about it?". It cannot have been more than a couple of hours after I faxed the form.

 

The provider wasn't True!

 

[bamnutsak]

Did you pay any money when you signed the contract? How much?

 

What service and term did you agree to?

 

What prompted you to seek out True?

 

 

Talk to neighbors, see what they use and what is available.

 

Most places still only allow one provider.

 

Note that AIS Fibre and 3BB are/have merged so that should make things easier.

 

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, JoeyMac said:

Moved into our condo last week.

Man, I commiserate. I had the same issue quite a few years back when they upgraded the service available at my apartment. 

 

But getting upset after just a week is going to make Thailand a difficult place to live. 

 

That doesn't excuse it.  But my life got a whole lot less stressful when I decided that local time is just different, and a price I pay for all the offsetting benefits.

 

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, JoeyMac said:

Back to the broadband anyone else have any problems? I am tempted to move to another company, but i have a signed agreement, so am a tad worried now moving away. 

I've had zero problems with 3bb, always fast to come and repair my cables when the rabbits bite them, moved house 2x and they always fitted my cable in less than 3 days. True were horrible when I used them.

[LS24]

As others have mentioned, contact Justristic Person at the condo and ask for preferred supplier. In the meantime, you may like to get an unlimited data for 7 days holiday SIM or set it up on your main SIM.

I'd cancel with True if they are not the preferred supplier. Just do it with a smile explain that you can't wait any more and all should be good.

[JoeyMac]

2 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

Did you pay any money when you signed the contract? How much?

 

What service and term did you agree to?

 

What prompted you to seek out True?

 

 

Talk to neighbors, see what they use and what is available.

 

Most places still only allow one provider.

 

Note that AIS Fibre and 3BB are/have merged so that should make things easier.

 

 

 No paid nothing. But agreed a contract and signed. I was told to pay the engineer once installed, and i would then get a monthly bill. 

 

I will ask the condo now, and then go to True to attempt to cancel.

[hereforgood]

5 hours ago, JoeyMac said:

Guys would love some more valuable assistance, and if this is completely normal. 

 

Moved into our condo last week. I was told getting broadband in Thailand was very easy by agents and other randoms. I mean it's easy getting a sim card and getting online in Thailand, so you just assume broadband would be just as easy (as opposed to some other countries where getting a sim card can be soul destroying). 

 

Tuesday - go to the True store in Silom. All well and good. Sign a contract. Was told an engineer would call that afternoon to arrange and installation. Splendid news ! 

 

Wednesday - hear nothing. 

 

Thursday - No engineer calls. I pop back into True store. Explain i really need broadband for work and would appreciate a time so i can make plans. They say engineer says he is busy (do they only have one?) and he will call tomorrow. 

 

Friday - No engineer calls. Go back to True store. They ring engineer and he says he will call for 100% sure this afternoon. Note it was not 99% but 100%. No one calls. 

 

Weekend - i assume closed so don't bother. 

 

Monday - They promise me the engineer will call me. I tell them i am sick of promises. I assume maybe this is what happens in Thailand. But nope they insist the engineer is just busy and will call me today for sure to arrange an appointment. You guessed it, no one calls. 

 

Tuesday - Still no broadband. 

 

Now do we just put this down to normal behaviour? I mean they are just constantly just going to say 'yes it's coming, call today' type nonsense to please me for a short period. Why not just say 'bloody hell we are over worked, the engineer is useless, we have no idea when he will call, good luck' ?

 

Back to the broadband anyone else have any problems? I am tempted to move to another company, but i have a signed agreement, so am a tad worried now moving away. 

I am really surprised to hear this especially with true. I live in Pattaya I have had true for 5 years since I've had it there have been a couple of times when it's went down for more than a day but I've been contacted given an appointment given the number of the technician that will service it and they've always came when they said they would. When I call I just press the button for English and within a minute I'm talking to somebody  helping me. Maybe it's different in Bangkok but here true has been very good

[klauskunkel]

I had service call problems with True, where I was promised service and call-backs over several days, which did not materialize. Finally fed up after uselessly waiting around for technician never showing up, I googled company president's name and sent him a letter detailing my experience with his "service", One week later True call center was virtually making backflips with follow-ups and confirmations.

[topt]

4 hours ago, JoeyMac said:

But agreed a contract and signed. I was told to pay the engineer once installed,

Sounds like you are paying extra for installation which surprises me? 

Try calling the call centre. In my experience with True (all be it not in Bangkok) the store staff didn't seem to have any pull with the engineers whereas via the call centre very few issues.

Very unusual for them to agree a call and then not happen for a week.

[wpcoe]

Last week I went to the Thipmanee (TMN) cable office to sign up for fibre optic internet service at around 1130am.  The "technicians" were at my condo by 200pm the same day.  By 230pm I had working TMN internet service.

 

[edited to add:] After I posted, I realized I was in the Bangkok sub-forum.  My TMN experience was in the Pattaya area.

[mrwebb8825]

TT&T and TOT own most of the high speed rights in BKK. The True store people probably just sell service w/o ever checking if it's possible. Many condos don't want dishes planted on their property as it detracts from the look.

As stated many times, just check with the condo before ordering anything. We ordered TT&T and had service the same day.

[JoeyMac]

9 hours ago, topt said:

Sounds like you are paying extra for installation which surprises me? 

Try calling the call centre. In my experience with True (all be it not in Bangkok) the store staff didn't seem to have any pull with the engineers whereas via the call centre very few issues.

Very unusual for them to agree a call and then not happen for a week.

 

Yeah they said i have to pay for installation. They said pay the engineer when he turns up. 

 

Nothing on the bill about this. 

 

This legit ?

[JoeyMac]

5 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

TT&T and TOT own most of the high speed rights in BKK. The True store people probably just sell service w/o ever checking if it's possible. Many condos don't want dishes planted on their property as it detracts from the look.

As stated many times, just check with the condo before ordering anything. We ordered TT&T and had service the same day.

 

I certaintly hope he doesn;t intend to put no dish on the balcony or something like that.

 

My agent said just go to the True store to get Broadband. We had no idea what we were doing, so just popped in 

[BenStark]

9 minutes ago, JoeyMac said:

 

I certaintly hope he doesn;t intend to put no dish on the balcony or something like that.

 

My agent said just go to the True store to get Broadband. We had no idea what we were doing, so just popped in 

Don't pay attention to that post, he has a wealth of no idea what he's talking about.

 

True,  doesn't use dishes for internet.

 

 

Go to 3BB shop and ask if they have fibre available in your area,

[soi3eddie]

Never dealt with True but have had TOT, AIS and now 3BB at my condo. After ditching TOT, both AIS and susequently 3BB were connected within 2 days. Very easy. They both had equipment boxes in comms room in basement. Advise asking your juristic person manager "what is best internet provider at this condo" so you can make an informed choice. They will know.

 

[bamnutsak]

7 hours ago, JoeyMac said:

My agent said just go to the True store to get Broadband. We had no idea what we were doing, so just popped in 

When you say "agent" you mean a real estate agent? When you say "we", is your partner Thai? Did they enter into this contract by providing their Thai National ID?

 

Entering into a contract for many services here, ranging from post-paid mobile phone service to internet service is usually challenging for a foreigner, and requires a Work Permit.

 

Can you share any details on the Contract you signed? Which service? Monthly price.

 

You experience sounds unusual, so without more detail my guess is that maybe you're not really a potential customer of True Internet, yet?

 

Have you now cancelled the contract?