Questions About Phone Line

[Doi Thong]

Guys I need info about ordering phone line on my name. Who I need to contact? TOT/TT&T or CAT? Too many organizations and it's confusing. What the requirements? The costs and how long it takes. Please share your information or personal experiences. Thanks in advance.

[Chaz]

When I put my TA (now called True Corp) line in 2 years ago they required a copy of my passport and work permit. It was supposed to be free installation at that time as a promotion but I ended up paying a subcontracted monkey Bt350. The TA boys then turned up at an hour later in their clean, crisp uniforms to check the work, stroked their chins, said OK and then left. It took about a week and a half for the line to be put in after I had signed the papers at the TA office. Forget CAT, they don't do anything apart from send you a bill when you make an overseas call. Your choice is TOT and True Corp. It depends where you live. TOT basically owns all the land lines in Bangkok, but has leased parts of Bangkok to True to operate the lines. E.g. True handles most of the east of the city where I live. Bang Na, Sri Nakarin, Pattanakarn. It has offices in Central City Bang Na and Seacon Square. Check for a True office at the nearest department store. Tell them where you live, your exact address, and they will tell you whether you can have a TOT or True line. You then pay Bt100 per month rental fee for the line.

I see you mentioned TT&T. I belive they handle most of the provincial line installations.

[Doi Thong]

Thank you for the answer Chaz, however I need more updated information. More than this if all the lines belongs to TOT from the beginning why I neet TA/True for?

[Chaz]

Well, the short answer is that Thai firms operate in a very strange and illogical way. In other words they don't really know what they are doing and make things up as they go along.

TOT Corp Plc (as it is known now) used to be the state telecoms monopoly known as the Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT). They owned and operated everything to do with domestic telephones. It was then corporatised in readiness for privatisation, and it's now partially privatised. The govt is still the majority shareholder I believe. So, in order to start making more money they decided to lease large sections of their network of lines to a wholly private operator (True) to operate. Not sure how much True pays TOT in fees. As I said earlier, most of the eastern Bangkok network is run by True. Not sure about other parts of the city though.

Anyway, you don't have a choice. True, or TOT in fact if you can find their office, will tell you which line you can have depending on where you live. Just pay True's local office a visit. You might have a hard time finding a TOT office, I think they only have one HQ in Klong Toey. You can always call them. Their number's in the phone book

[lopburi3]

Well, the short answer is that Thai firms operate in a very strange and illogical way. In other words they don't really know what they are doing and make things up as they go along.

TOT Corp Plc (as it is known now) used to be the state telecoms monopoly known as the Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT). They owned and operated everything to do with domestic telephones. It was then corporatised in readiness for privatisation, and it's now partially privatised. The govt is still the majority shareholder I believe. So, in order to start making more money they decided to lease large sections of their network of lines to a wholly private operator (True) to operate. Not sure how much True pays TOT in fees. As I said earlier, most of the eastern Bangkok network is run by True. Not sure about other parts of the city though.

Anyway, you don't have a choice. True, or TOT in fact if you can find their office, will tell you which line you can have depending on where you live. Just pay True's local office a visit. You might have a hard time finding a TOT office, I think they only have one HQ in Klong Toey. You can always call them. Their number's in the phone book

First there was TOT and only TOT. As the country needed better service and TOT did not have the resource to provide contracts were made for TA to provide and operate several million phone lines in Bangkok and TT&T to do the same upcountry.

Most areas of Bangkok are provided service by both TA and TOT lines. As the TA lines are newer and feed from fiber optics main lines they are normally better. Having a longer history as a private company also keeps their service a step ahead of TOT in most peoples mind.

If you are in Bangkok you can approach either or both for a line. One, or both, or none may be available. I have two TA and one TOT.

[Doi Thong]

Ok I got tha basic info...however what the fees involved? How long it takes? can I move the line with me if I change apartments sometimes?