Internet In Issan

[tlock]

I searched the forums, I assume there is an existing topic somewhere, but I couldn't find it. What are you guys doing for internet access in the countryside? I like visiting my girlfriend's village outside of Surin, but the main thing preventing me from spending more time there is I don't like going into town every time I need to use the internet. As far as I can tell, my options are to get a satellite service, which seems pretty expensive or an EDGE modem (not sure if there is an EDGE network available there). Anyone found a reliable, reasonably priced internet solution that works out in the boonies?

thanks

[kamalabob2]

I have a suggestion. If you go with your girlfriend to the TT & T office in Surin with a copy of her "House book" that shows the true address of her home AND a hand drawn map in Thai for the TT & T staff there is a good possibility they will send a crew out to see if Max Net is possible to be installed in the home you would like Internet. Just because no one else in the village has a phone to her knowledge, does not necessarily mean that TT & T does not have the proper telephone lines running near her place. It is "worth a shot" and costs nothing for TT & T to check your location.

In our case eighteen months ago, no homes on our soi had Internet from TT & T but it was possible and affordable. In our new home with over 300 meters of new telephone wire mounted on privately owned concrete utility poles the total fee for installation of new TOT telephone land line service AND TT & T Maxnet service was less than 800 baht. This was for a long wire run and seven staff on one day and two "Internet staff" the next day. I now have the Max Net Premier service (1536/512) that is not cheap, 1990 a month plus VAT (before pre-pay discount) but the connections to web sites OUTSIDE of the Kingdom seem much faster than the previous Max Net Indy package of a higher speed (claimed 2048/512) that cost 1070 baht a month prior to pre-pay discounts. You Tube loads very quick on the Premier package and was very slow on the Indy package. A land line telephone connection from TOT (easily gotten from the TT & T office) is only 100 baht a month plus VAT and "long distance". It was explained to me that we had to have the telephone land line in order to have the Internet connection, but I might be wrong.

I was able to get written price quotes and most (not all) questions answered via e-mail in English from the TT &T office in Buriram. [email protected] The visit in person to Surin TT & T office with copies of the proper address is crucial to this possible option to get decent Internet access without paying a large amount of money for Satellite or other methods. The Router is included free with all TT & T packages, but this being Thailand they might "be out, not know when get more stock" of 4 port routers for the Premier Package.

[tlock]

I have a suggestion. If you go with your girlfriend to the TT & T office in Surin with a copy of her "House book" that shows the true address of her home AND a hand drawn map in Thai for the TT & T staff there is a good possibility they will send a crew out to see if Max Net is possible to be installed in the home you would like Internet. Just because no one else in the village has a phone to her knowledge, does not necessarily mean that TT & T does not have the proper telephone lines running near her place. It is "worth a shot" and costs nothing for TT & T to check your location.

In our case eighteen months ago, no homes on our soi had Internet from TT & T but it was possible and affordable. In our new home with over 300 meters of new telephone wire mounted on privately owned concrete utility poles the total fee for installation of new TOT telephone land line service AND TT & T Maxnet service was less than 800 baht. This was for a long wire run and seven staff on one day and two "Internet staff" the next day. I now have the Max Net Premier service (1536/512) that is not cheap, 1990 a month plus VAT (before pre-pay discount) but the connections to web sites OUTSIDE of the Kingdom seem much faster than the previous Max Net Indy package of a higher speed (claimed 2048/512) that cost 1070 baht a month prior to pre-pay discounts. You Tube loads very quick on the Premier package and was very slow on the Indy package. A land line telephone connection from TOT (easily gotten from the TT & T office) is only 100 baht a month plus VAT and "long distance". It was explained to me that we had to have the telephone land line in order to have the Internet connection, but I might be wrong.

I was able to get written price quotes and most (not all) questions answered via e-mail in English from the TT &T office in Buriram. [email protected] The visit in person to Surin TT & T office with copies of the proper address is crucial to this possible option to get decent Internet access without paying a large amount of money for Satellite or other methods. The Router is included free with all TT & T packages, but this being Thailand they might "be out, not know when get more stock" of 4 port routers for the Premier Package.

thanks for the info. i have the same package as you with tt&t in pattaya but my gf said noone had a phone in her soi and i needed a satellite. It's worth the trip to surin if i can get this sorted properly.

[Gary A]

You can buy an EDGE capable Nokia 3110 Classic phone for less than 4,000 baht. It will hook to your computer via Bluetooth or a USB cable. I have been all over Issan and between AIS and Dtac, have had no problems finding EDGE coverage. The phone will show a little "E" icon when it sees EDGE coverage. You don't have to be connected to a computer to use EDGE.

I live in the boonies of Issan and that's all I have. No landline here. EDGE is much better than the expensive satellite dish I suffered with for nearly four years. Both AIS and Dtac have prepaid packages available. I think both offer 100 hours for about 350 baht.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Gary A

[nikster]

Satellite doesn't work so forget about that (*)

Best would be to first make sure DSL could be provided to your home if you had a phone line. Then procure a phone line, either from the company or second hand from the neighbors.

I'd also call CAT and see if they provide DSL and / or CAT CDMA in your area. Where I live, CAT will actually run a cable from their DSLAM to your house, though you might have to pay if it's very far away. Meaning you don't need a phone line. TOT and TTT might also be able to just run a phone line to your house for DSL, depends.

DSL would be your first choice, CDMA second EDGE third.

(*) I don't mean the technology, I mean the offerings in Thailand. Sat works very well in other countries, just not here.

Edited May 28, 2008 by nikster

[jckei]

Wait, so if there is a phoneline in the village it's likely one can get DSL?

My girlfriends village is in the middle of Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom provinces and there is a phoneline in her house. Alot of the houses have one. The closest town is about 18km away(Na Wa) and it´s possible to get DSL there.

What would you guys say my chances are?

[croftrobin]

Slim to impossible

DSL here in Thailand tends to be limited to a maximum range of about 6km from the exchange

Wait, so if there is a phoneline in the village it's likely one can get DSL?

My girlfriends village is in the middle of Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom provinces and there is a phoneline in her house. Alot of the houses have one. The closest town is about 18km away(Na Wa) and it´s possible to get DSL there.

What would you guys say my chances are?

[tlock]

just wanted to update. i ended up just getting the 1-2-Call "internet sim". paid 500 baht for it which my gf couldn't believe, but it is far cheaper than my Happy sim. The internet sim is 30 hours for 100 baht. i think i'm paying 1 baht/min on my normal DTAC sim. Anyhow, i'm in Sangkha about 8k from town and I can get an EDGE signal here. It's not super reliable, sometimes takes 10 tries to get registered on the network. But once I'm on I've been getting a quite reasonable 20kB/sec dl speed. 3g would be preferable, but it's a reasonable compromise. I get to chill in my katom and live the sabai sabai life but can still get the access I need. If i need to do any major downloads I wait until i go to town to the internet cafe, but this is great for using a linux terminal or light web surfing.

thanks for all the replies.

[AA1]

just wanted to update. i ended up just getting the 1-2-Call "internet sim". paid 500 baht for it which my gf couldn't believe, but it is far cheaper than my Happy sim. The internet sim is 30 hours for 100 baht. i think i'm paying 1 baht/min on my normal DTAC sim. Anyhow, i'm in Sangkha about 8k from town and I can get an EDGE signal here. It's not super reliable, sometimes takes 10 tries to get registered on the network. But once I'm on I've been getting a quite reasonable 20kB/sec dl speed. 3g would be preferable, but it's a reasonable compromise. I get to chill in my katom and live the sabai sabai life but can still get the access I need. If i need to do any major downloads I wait until i go to town to the internet cafe, but this is great for using a linux terminal or light web surfing.

thanks for all the replies.

Hi tlock,

Very interested to read you are near Sangkha.

I too have a house about 5Km. from Sangha to the North East which at present we use as a holiday house but will be moving into fulltime early next year (about March). I have been wondering what to organise for get an internet connetion when we go there - whether we can get a landline otherwise I assumed that it would be a satellite dish. I have been waiting to see if any improved service would be 'invented". Maybe I can get EDGE too.

You talk about EDGE via a mobile.

a). What is EDGE ( I could look it up on the internet)

but

. I use Skype quite a lot keeping in touch which various of my family in England and my son who is now living in the US. Can one use Skype from a computer through a True mobile using EDGE?

I am pretty computer illiterate so please excuce my ignorance!!!!

Many thanks.

[jackliveswhere]

Guys,

Do any of your know the coverage around the ban thaen area about an hour from khon kaen? My wife is coming to live with me in Australia and I wanted to hook up the family with skype so they can talk for free with a web cam for as long as they want.

[AA1]

???????????????????????

[joncl]

It will hook to your computer via Bluetooth or a USB cable. I have been all over Issan and between AIS and Dtac, have had no problems finding EDGE coverage.

Agreed I use the Moto L6 (el cheapo phone) with a USB to my notebook (as my notebook does not have bluetooth) so it also charges the phone and is great all over Thailand, and great in the car, to keep the kids quite for hours. I was using it in Chong Mek over the weekend, and you can not get more Issan than Chong Mek unless you fall over the border to Laos or Cambodia

[billd766]

I live in the central region 65km southwest of Khampaeng Phet and I have a Nokia 3110 with bluetooth to my laptop. Using EDGE is not so bad and I get 250 hours internet connection for 500 baht a month.

I have been waiting 5 years for a phone line and I am not holding my breath for one either.

I can use my mobile and laptop anywhere in Thailand and with a different sim card it will work in most countries.

[Andrew Hicks]

I have a suggestion. If you go with your girlfriend to the TT & T office in Surin with a copy of her "House book" that shows the true address of her home AND a hand drawn map in Thai for the TT & T staff there is a good possibility they will send a crew out to see if Max Net is possible to be installed in the home you would like Internet. Just because no one else in the village has a phone to her knowledge, does not necessarily mean that TT & T does not have the proper telephone lines running near her place. It is "worth a shot" and costs nothing for TT & T to check your location.

In our case eighteen months ago, no homes on our soi had Internet from TT & T but it was possible and affordable. In our new home with over 300 meters of new telephone wire mounted on privately owned concrete utility poles the total fee for installation of new TOT telephone land line service AND TT & T Maxnet service was less than 800 baht. This was for a long wire run and seven staff on one day and two "Internet staff" the next day. I now have the Max Net Premier service (1536/512) that is not cheap, 1990 a month plus VAT (before pre-pay discount) but the connections to web sites OUTSIDE of the Kingdom seem much faster than the previous Max Net Indy package of a higher speed (claimed 2048/512) that cost 1070 baht a month prior to pre-pay discounts. You Tube loads very quick on the Premier package and was very slow on the Indy package. A land line telephone connection from TOT (easily gotten from the TT & T office) is only 100 baht a month plus VAT and "long distance". It was explained to me that we had to have the telephone land line in order to have the Internet connection, but I might be wrong.

I was able to get written price quotes and most (not all) questions answered via e-mail in English from the TT &T office in Buriram. [email protected] The visit in person to Surin TT & T office with copies of the proper address is crucial to this possible option to get decent Internet access without paying a large amount of money for Satellite or other methods. The Router is included free with all TT & T packages, but this being Thailand they might "be out, not know when get more stock" of 4 port routers for the Premier Package.

thanks for the info. i have the same package as you with tt&t in pattaya but my gf said noone had a phone in her soi and i needed a satellite. It's worth the trip to surin if i can get this sorted properly.

What's TT&T. I thought it was TOT?

I know TOT in Surin well. Been in many times complaining about their expensive IP Star satellite system which gives about a sixth of the speed I'm paying for.

Infidelity's nothing. If any stress breaks up my marriage, It'll be this.

I owe TOT 5,000 baht for thier satellite thing and I'm sending this from an internet cafe because mine doesn't work.

I can't tell them that how slow it is because currently it cannot load the Thaivisa speed check!

TOT... TIT!

Andrew

[Andrew Hicks]

just wanted to update. i ended up just getting the 1-2-Call "internet sim". paid 500 baht for it which my gf couldn't believe, but it is far cheaper than my Happy sim. The internet sim is 30 hours for 100 baht. i think i'm paying 1 baht/min on my normal DTAC sim. Anyhow, i'm in Sangkha about 8k from town and I can get an EDGE signal here. It's not super reliable, sometimes takes 10 tries to get registered on the network. But once I'm on I've been getting a quite reasonable 20kB/sec dl speed. 3g would be preferable, but it's a reasonable compromise. I get to chill in my katom and live the sabai sabai life but can still get the access I need. If i need to do any major downloads I wait until i go to town to the internet cafe, but this is great for using a linux terminal or light web surfing.

thanks for all the replies.

Hi tlock,

Very interested to read you are near Sangkha.

I too have a house about 5Km. from Sangha to the North East which at present we use as a holiday house but will be moving into fulltime early next year (about March). I have been wondering what to organise for get an internet connetion when we go there - whether we can get a landline otherwise I assumed that it would be a satellite dish. I have been waiting to see if any improved service would be 'invented". Maybe I can get EDGE too.

You talk about EDGE via a mobile.

a). What is EDGE ( I could look it up on the internet)

but

. I use Skype quite a lot keeping in touch which various of my family in England and my son who is now living in the US. Can one use Skype from a computer through a True mobile using EDGE?

I am pretty computer illiterate so please excuce my ignorance!!!!

Many thanks.

Hey guys,

I too live just north of Sangkha and currently tensions over my TOT IP Star internet are threatening my marriage. (You can read about it in a book I wrote if you really want!)

I'm posting this from an internet cafe in sangkha because my satellite is useless at the moment.

Let's get together and chew the fat. Come on round and admire my dish too. (The satellite one I mean!)

Send us a Thaivisa personal message or find me on google.

Serious!

Andrew

[Dave the Dude]

just wanted to update. i ended up just getting the 1-2-Call "internet sim". paid 500 baht for it which my gf couldn't believe, but it is far cheaper than my Happy sim. The internet sim is 30 hours for 100 baht. i think i'm paying 1 baht/min on my normal DTAC sim. Anyhow, i'm in Sangkha about 8k from town and I can get an EDGE signal here. It's not super reliable, sometimes takes 10 tries to get registered on the network. But once I'm on I've been getting a quite reasonable 20kB/sec dl speed. 3g would be preferable, but it's a reasonable compromise. I get to chill in my katom and live the sabai sabai life but can still get the access I need. If i need to do any major downloads I wait until i go to town to the internet cafe, but this is great for using a linux terminal or light web surfing.

thanks for all the replies.

Just installed 4 WiFi 'building to building' Antenna's (Antenni??) in the large junior school in Sangkha with a techy Friend. I would think if you parked up anywhere nearby, you would get a strong signal (WiFi & not from the kids!!).

You didnt hear this from me though!

Dave (was using CAT-CDMA in our little village near Surin.Now TOT 2Meg Cidergold package)

[Andrew Hicks]

just wanted to update. i ended up just getting the 1-2-Call "internet sim". paid 500 baht for it which my gf couldn't believe, but it is far cheaper than my Happy sim. The internet sim is 30 hours for 100 baht. i think i'm paying 1 baht/min on my normal DTAC sim. Anyhow, i'm in Sangkha about 8k from town and I can get an EDGE signal here. It's not super reliable, sometimes takes 10 tries to get registered on the network. But once I'm on I've been getting a quite reasonable 20kB/sec dl speed. 3g would be preferable, but it's a reasonable compromise. I get to chill in my katom and live the sabai sabai life but can still get the access I need. If i need to do any major downloads I wait until i go to town to the internet cafe, but this is great for using a linux terminal or light web surfing.

thanks for all the replies.

Just installed 4 WiFi 'building to building' Antenna's (Antenni??) in the large junior school in Sangkha with a techy Friend. I would think if you parked up anywhere nearby, you would get a strong signal (WiFi & not from the kids!!).

You didnt hear this from me though!

Dave (was using CAT-CDMA in our little village near Surin.Now TOT 2Meg Cidergold package)

Wots TOT Meg Cidergold? Sounds tasty!

Which school where?

And where are you? Come round for a beer. Ban Mahachai on the right just past the school 7 km down the road to Sikoraphum.

How do you communicate with TOT as nobody in the Surin office speaks English. I'm just going there to try again this morning.

Andrew

[Gary A]

Canceling my Shitstar Internet was a happy day in my life. That day in the TOT office turned out to be fun. I told them that this was the last request to improve my service. They immediately told me that if I was not happy with the service that they would disconnect it. I told them to put their service where the sun doesn't shine. I know that went over their heads but it did make me feel better. Of course my wife was tugging on my arm to get me out of there.

They waited until the end of the month to turn off the service. Several weeks after they turned off the service, I called them and told them to come and pick up their junk. I told them that the satellite dish was going to make a good bird bath and that I would try to sell the box and cable. Two days after that, they came and picked up their junk.

My Dtac Edge today;

Download Speed: 222 kbps (27.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 43 kbps (5.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

AIS has gone down hill to the point that I no longer use their GPRS service. Dtac has changed their plan too. It now costs me 399 baht plus VAT for 140 hours. It renews monthly automatically.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Gary A

[Andrew Hicks]

I have a suggestion. If you go with your girlfriend to the TT & T office in Surin with a copy of her "House book" that shows the true address of her home AND a hand drawn map in Thai for the TT & T staff there is a good possibility they will send a crew out to see if Max Net is possible to be installed in the home you would like Internet. Just because no one else in the village has a phone to her knowledge, does not necessarily mean that TT & T does not have the proper telephone lines running near her place. It is "worth a shot" and costs nothing for TT & T to check your location.

In our case eighteen months ago, no homes on our soi had Internet from TT & T but it was possible and affordable. In our new home with over 300 meters of new telephone wire mounted on privately owned concrete utility poles the total fee for installation of new TOT telephone land line service AND TT & T Maxnet service was less than 800 baht. This was for a long wire run and seven staff on one day and two "Internet staff" the next day. I now have the Max Net Premier service (1536/512) that is not cheap, 1990 a month plus VAT (before pre-pay discount) but the connections to web sites OUTSIDE of the Kingdom seem much faster than the previous Max Net Indy package of a higher speed (claimed 2048/512) that cost 1070 baht a month prior to pre-pay discounts. You Tube loads very quick on the Premier package and was very slow on the Indy package. A land line telephone connection from TOT (easily gotten from the TT & T office) is only 100 baht a month plus VAT and "long distance". It was explained to me that we had to have the telephone land line in order to have the Internet connection, but I might be wrong.

I was able to get written price quotes and most (not all) questions answered via e-mail in English from the TT &T office in Buriram. [email protected] The visit in person to Surin TT & T office with copies of the proper address is crucial to this possible option to get decent Internet access without paying a large amount of money for Satellite or other methods. The Router is included free with all TT & T packages, but this being Thailand they might "be out, not know when get more stock" of 4 port routers for the Premier Package.

Well, I went to TT&T today as advised and the lady smiled and simply said they do not do Max Net in Sinarong where I live, just north of Sangkha. I had that funny feeling she just wanted to get rid of me. I have no land line but am only a hundred yards from the main road where it runs by. Am I out of their franchised area or what?

I then went to TOT, suppliers of my IPStar internet (2200pcm plus tax) which yields a speed of about 80/60, if it's fast enough actually to carry the speed test. They were all out to lunch. That nice lady phoned the chang (elephant?) but the elephant was lunching too.

Then I went to CAT where the nice man was very keen not to sell me anything. He insisted he had no brochures and hunted around for half an hour until I spotted them on the shelf. Then a farang came in and told me that all the guy had been trying to tell me was nonsense.

So I came home and got out the Sang Som.

I'd like to take Cat in to help me on this but I can't as she's too busy.

She's in full time education... studying computers!

CAT, TT&T, TOT... TIT!

[jawdoe]

i'm in sanghka also near Sangkha Industrial And Community Education College (Ban Chop)...i can walk to the internet cafe i'd say about 2kms they have a 4mb connect it looks like when i do an speed test online. I see TOT phone boxes outside too, so i am assuming that at there is good internet around...anyone know more??

[SantiSuk]

Forget online lawyers and online pool doctors, why doesn't some enterprising Thai with strong connections in the telecomms industry set up some kind of consultancy on getting the best internet connection, sold on a one on one basis. He or she would have far more willing customers than the average (khrap) law firm

[jawdoe]

i just noticed outside my house there is TOT cables on the powerlines so its looking good...