So, instead of paying Marriott 642 baht for 24 hours of internet access (which you can't log off) - I turned on my iPhone 3GS' 3G and tethering feature - hooked it up on my MacBook Pro and boom! instant unlimited access! The speed is good enough for email correspondence and blog updates, but it does take Youtube and Flash videos a while to load.

-----link deleted-----

Monty

speedtest.net results would be interesting. Mainly, I'd want to know if it's better than CAT CDMA, which is what I use all around Thailand instead of the crap and/or expensive internet connections in hotels.

If True offered a prepaid 3G plan I'd love to get it - with True 3G (BKK and some select other places) and CAT CDMA (everything except BKK and some central provinces) I could have coverage nearly everywhere in Thailand.... but last time I checked the True salesperson insisted that the only prepaid data plans True offers are EDGE only. And they were pretty expensive too.

BTW I am using iPhone tethering just now in BKK, but I am on AIS so it's EDGE only. It's still usable, surprisingly fast in fact. Email checking is OK, so is chat, and even some light websurfing. As you'd expect, the experience is seamless too, a bit of a change from tethering a Nokia via Bluetooth.

Tethering results over Bluetooth. One, the battery is going to last about 2 or three hours this way. Two, I managed to crash the phone using Bluetooth tethering - just like on the "good old" days with the Nokia.

Conclusion: Bluetooth is not ready for prime time, and probably never will be. This technology just sucks. USB tethering works just fine of course.

Up here in the sticks there is NO 3G or CDMA and I use my Nokia 6121 Bluetoothed to my Acer laptop and I can do most things through my DTAC or AIS connection.

To prevent my Nokia from crashing with a flat battery I use a very simple and almost idiot proof method.

I leave the mobile on charge all the time I am using the internet and afterwords so that it is fully charged for the next time.

I assume that by tethered you mean a physical USB to mini USB cable connection between the two units which is a little old fashioned but no matter.

For me using the combination of Bluetooth, laptop, Nokia and EDGE I can get service in 99% or more of Thailand and it works all the time. :D

DTAC charge me 2 baht per hour for whatever I download during a 100 hour promotion or if I really want to go crazy I could pay 999 baht a month on AIS and have 24/7 internet for about 1.4 baht per hour.

:D

I have just done a ThaiVisa broadband speed test.

The results are below

Broadband_speed_test.doc

You can tether using the usb cable also. You can also do this the other way around when you only have a cat cable connection and you need to update your phone.