I had the engineer round yesterday to install a TT&T new line, they wired it up to the pole outside etc.., installed the terminal box, plugged in the modem/router (preconfigured), switched it all on and I went to test with laptop, engineer says 'ah internet no work today, work tomorrow', I ask what time he say 'morning'. Grrr.. 11.40am next day still no internet..

What are the realistic times for activation?

in my case in samui, one hour from the installation of a brand new line.

When I had Maxnet Indy from TT & T installed in Buriram Province they installed a land telephone line and Internet "box" the same day. In fact on a Sunday morning when I applied on the Saturday afternoon prior. They did the "site inspection" the same day I initially applied. I now have Maxnet Premier for the past 14 months. Service is not perfect, but frankly Comcast or PacBell Internet was not perfect in California. Does you land line work? It is amusing to me to see Triple T office staff turn away customers who walk in to pay them money for bills. They were happy to offer a 10% discount and accept a credit card with no extra fee to pay for one year in advance at the Triple T office. But no matter how troublesome a home Internet line is in Thailand it is far better than accessing the Internet from a "game shop" or "Internet shop" Up Country. Bad keyboards with letters worn off, 60 baht mice, flickering CRT screens, loud Internet games being played during school hours by boys in school uniforms, software glitches, ah the challenges of an internet shop. Did you obtain the mobile phone number of the TT&T office staff and the mobile phone number of the lead installer? Calling the posted Maxnet number for service was like waiting in cue on April 14th at the IRS phone number.

Yes I have just SMSd the install guy (saved his number when he came to install), will call him if no resolution or response within next hour, for good measure also called the service centre who logged the line was dead. Grrr...