I posted before but got no reply, I've got a laptop & was thinking of bringing it to thai on my next trip in july,what r the pitfalls with free internet advertised @ some hotels/rooms, do i get wireless connection local? I admit i'm a novice (laptops) Im even limited on my P.C.

regards songhklasid

The pitfalls are speed, or possible lack of it (this shouldn't be much of an issue if you're here on holiday), and security. I definitely wouldn't trust anything important over a public network, particularly a wireless network.

I posted before but got no reply, I've got a laptop & was thinking of bringing it to thai on my next trip in july,what r the pitfalls with free internet advertised @ some hotels/rooms, do i get wireless connection local? I admit i'm a novice (laptops) Im even limited on my P.C.

regards songhklasid

As long as you have a good insurance for the case that your laptop cannot travel back with you and as long as you have a backup for all your data at home any problems can be managed.

Don't misunderstand me - Thailand is not very dangerous. You might lose it in any hotel room in the world. Just think about this.

Edited May 12, 200917 yr by Johnxxx

The pitfalls are speed, or possible lack of it (this shouldn't be much of an issue if you're here on holiday), and security. I definitely wouldn't trust anything important over a public network, particularly a wireless network.

The only real risk you have is that you get infected by malware, so for example turn off windows autoplay. The last 4 times I have put my USB stick in a Thai PC I got 3 viruses. Of course being on a Mac I see them on the drive and delete them but if you have Windows and autoplay enabled you will get them, often hard to get rid of.

Despite occasional media panic, there has been no reported attack on an open WiFi network. Given that the technology has been around for almost 10 years and has been very wide-spread for at least 6, it's safe to say that no-one will bother to actually listen to the data you send over wireless (*). One reason is probably that any sensitive information such as banking sites or your email program use secure encrypted connections over the unsecured and unencrypted WiFi.

So it's really hard to break into your computer this way, whereas it's really easy to send out 500 million emails with a virus - even if only 1 in a million people falls for it you end up with 500 infected machines, whereas the poor hacker trying to get anything from your WiFi network sits and waits forever and most likely won't get anything and even if they do they have 1 machine.

(*) unless if you are on the FBI top ten most wanted list or a foreign spy.

IMHO if you're coming for a holiday and not for an extended time just leave the laptop at home and enjoy life and disconnect yourself for the holiday. If you really need to keep in touch there are enough cafes around to check and send emails. Its just another bag to carry and worry about and hassle with in the airports and you will only use it a few percent of the time you're here.

IMHO if you're coming for a holiday and not for an extended time just leave the laptop at home and enjoy life and disconnect yourself for the holiday. If you really need to keep in touch there are enough cafes around to check and send emails. Its just another bag to carry and worry about and hassle with in the airports and you will only use it a few percent of the time you're here.

I was thinking the same myself, I dont like lugging & worrying about something that's not neccessary,also the place i am thinking of staying @ in ubon offers free internet connection, could I get stung with download or usage charges, could cost more than the room charge, ah still pondering.

thanks for your help fella's

regards songhklasid.