'Free' Wifi At Swampy

[QED]

Hi, I have flown out of Suvarnabhumi around 50 times in the last 2 years, almost always using the business lounge and subsequent free wifi.

More recently I have been travelling with staff occassionally, too many to sign in to the lounge. Being the nice guy that I am I have slummed it with them in the concourses and departure lounges, but have failed on each ocassion to work out how to get the free Wifi. From what I understand you need to register somewhere? If so where?

I am travelling tomorrow and have the same dilemma, last time I got them all to sit in the coffee shop near to my regular lounge as I have memorized the password there, but this is silly - there must be an easier way. I can hook up the laptop through my BB, but the speeds are just dire.

Thanks for any help.

[Crossy]

Never seem to be able to make the official WiFi work, however Billion Zone near Concourse C have free Wi-Fi (locked, get the password with your beer)

[SantiSuk]

A man after my own heart. I also steal from the lounge of the airline I used to have a Gold card for. Luckily they haven't changed the password in 3 years!

I'm an even bigger cheap charlie and sometimes prize up the utility covers and sit on the floor to get some power.

Well if Swampy thinks it wants to be a world class airport it is doing a big fat nothing in the communications department. Someone from AOT should go the Middle East to see how the best modern airports have advanced in trying to serve customers, not rip them off.

[smokie36]

A man after my own heart. I also steal from the lounge of the airline I used to have a Gold card for. Luckily they haven't changed the password in 3 years!

I'm an even bigger cheap charlie and sometimes prize up the utility covers and sit on the floor to get some power.

Well if Swampy thinks it wants to be a world class airport it is doing a big fat nothing in the communications department. Someone from AOT should go the Middle East to see how the best modern airports have advanced in trying to serve customers, not rip them off.

Free WiFi in any every airport should be a given nowadays.....just as bad in European airports stil though.

In Suvarnbhumi I use a GSM dongle topped up BEFORE arriving at the airport. Nowhere to buy the airtime in the airport. 100 Baht is more than enough.

[QED]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

[backfromouterspace]

You can always find an open network on the floor where the lounges are. Never had a problem getting a wifi signal there and usually very few people around so easy to get some work done.

[mads]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

3.5 hours flight with no personal screen......try 11 hours flight with Thai airways with no personal screen.

I will never in my life fly with that overpriced/poor standards company again.

[mallyrd]

Whenever I have been in the domestic departure lounges on either concourse "A" or "B" I have never had a problem connecting to the wifi system.

[tombkk]

A man after my own heart. I also steal from the lounge of the airline I used to have a Gold card for. Luckily they haven't changed the password in 3 years!

I'm an even bigger cheap charlie and sometimes prize up the utility covers and sit on the floor to get some power.

Well if Swampy thinks it wants to be a world class airport it is doing a big fat nothing in the communications department. Someone from AOT should go the Middle East to see how the best modern airports have advanced in trying to serve customers, not rip them off.

No need to go to the Middle East. Just go to Kuala Lumpur. Or any of the many airports in our region. It's a shame that AOT does not offer free wifi at any or all of their airports, but that's the way it is.

[tombkk]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

3.5 hours flight with no personal screen......try 11 hours flight with Thai airways with no personal screen.

I will never in my life fly with that overpriced/poor standards company again.

Certainly stuff for another thread, but then. I just went to Shanghai in eco, no personal screen. On the way back, I had a personal screen.

This is the problem with TG: You never know. Unless they standardise their entire fleet to personal screens, it is better to take the safe way and fly an airline on which you know you'll get it. The entertainment system is a *major* issue when deciding which airline to take, as I fly a lot.

[siam2007]

A man after my own heart. I also steal from the lounge of the airline I used to have a Gold card for. Luckily they haven't changed the password in 3 years!

I'm an even bigger cheap charlie and sometimes prize up the utility covers and sit on the floor to get some power.

Well if Swampy thinks it wants to be a world class airport it is doing a big fat nothing in the communications department. Someone from AOT should go the Middle East to see how the best modern airports have advanced in trying to serve customers, not rip them off.

No need to go to the Middle East. Just go to Kuala Lumpur. Or any of the many airports in our region. It's a shame that AOT does not offer free wifi at any or all of their airports, but that's the way it is.

and at KL you have that even at the LCCT Terminal, where departure Tax is just about 250 Baht, compared to the 700 Baht at Swampy.....

unfortunately, I have never been able to catch a free WIFI network at Swampy once inside the departure area (my last experience is just 10 days old, international departures).

[Totster]

and at KL you have that even at the LCCT Terminal, where departure Tax is just about 250 Baht, compared to the 700 Baht at Swampy.....

Umm, yeah.. but you can't really seriously compare the LCCT with Swampy.

totster

[SantiSuk]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

3.5 hours flight with no personal screen......try 11 hours flight with Thai airways with no personal screen.

I will never in my life fly with that overpriced/poor standards company again.

Certainly stuff for another thread, but then. I just went to Shanghai in eco, no personal screen. On the way back, I had a personal screen.

This is the problem with TG: You never know. Unless they standardise their entire fleet to personal screens, it is better to take the safe way and fly an airline on which you know you'll get it. The entertainment system is a *major* issue when deciding which airline to take, as I fly a lot.

You always do know on the London route - you will not get a personal screen. Australian and Far East routes are the priority for Thai and it seems like for TA, London can go to hell in a handcart. <deleted> 'em I say - but I put up with it if they happen to be the cheapest direct carrier when I want to fly.

I've done the trip so many times that I just go on price and put up with old bag flight attendants (BA), crappy IFE (Thai) or sometimes disgusting food (EVA). The one thing that does concern me about Thai is the other thread about safety. The London route jumbos are from the ark.

[siam2007]

and at KL you have that even at the LCCT Terminal, where departure Tax is just about 250 Baht, compared to the 700 Baht at Swampy.....

Umm, yeah.. but you can't really seriously compare the LCCT with Swampy.

totster

certainly not, so even worse that SWAMPY doesn't offer WiFi when even the LCCT does.

and certainly I can compare the main Terminal building at KLIA with Swampy. KLIA is much more pleasant and less noisy and busy. but nothing wrong with SWAMPY as well. used it maybe 70 times and never had problems. just not properly planned, crowds of people and too little spave where it would actually be needed (the cramped arrival & greeting area, for example).

But I appreciate I can have a full meal at swampy for as low as 30 Baht, buy a can of coke at 15 Baht or so, and ride a high-speed Airport train for 15 Baht. no other place in the world has such competitive prices (this of course changes as soon u enter the departure area past the immigration, and as well in the domestic departure lounge)

[siam2007]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

3.5 hours flight with no personal screen......try 11 hours flight with Thai airways with no personal screen.

I will never in my life fly with that overpriced/poor standards company again.

Certainly stuff for another thread, but then. I just went to Shanghai in eco, no personal screen. On the way back, I had a personal screen.

This is the problem with TG: You never know. Unless they standardise their entire fleet to personal screens, it is better to take the safe way and fly an airline on which you know you'll get it. The entertainment system is a *major* issue when deciding which airline to take, as I fly a lot.

You always do know on the London route - you will not get a personal screen. Australian and Far East routes are the priority for Thai and it seems like for TA, London can go to hell in a handcart. <deleted> 'em I say - but I put up with it if they happen to be the cheapest direct carrier when I want to fly.

it is not a question of "priority" for Thai, it is a question which aircraft is being employed. to destinations such as LHR and FRA, they have to use the big 747 due to demand, and those are ancient indeed.

on other European routes they use smaller Aircraft, such as on the route to ZUERICH, where u will have a private screen on your seat in Economy, and an up-to-date business class configuration that is worth the money as well.

THAI does not operate a homogeneous fleet, it is a big mingle-mangle, and that makes them unpredictable.

and while they are on the way to renew their fleet, it will probably take them almost a decade to accomplish that

[SantiSuk]

^^ Fair point maybe - you sound like you have some knowledge of their operations.

Note though they run three A340-600s daily to Sydney and two 747s to London. I believe the total passenger capacity would be about the same. I grant you though that here may well be some other operational reason. It's just that we Brits are peed off with getting the posterior end of Thai Airways (many complaints on TV)

[tombkk]

and at KL you have that even at the LCCT Terminal, where departure Tax is just about 250 Baht, compared to the 700 Baht at Swampy.....

Umm, yeah.. but you can't really seriously compare the LCCT with Swampy.

totster

certainly not, so even worse that SWAMPY doesn't offer WiFi when even the LCCT does.

and certainly I can compare the main Terminal building at KLIA with Swampy. KLIA is much more pleasant and less noisy and busy. but nothing wrong with SWAMPY as well. used it maybe 70 times and never had problems. just not properly planned, crowds of people and too little spave where it would actually be needed (the cramped arrival & greeting area, for example).

But I appreciate I can have a full meal at swampy for as low as 30 Baht, buy a can of coke at 15 Baht or so, and ride a high-speed Airport train for 15 Baht. no other place in the world has such competitive prices (this of course changes as soon u enter the departure area past the immigration, and as well in the domestic departure lounge)

High-Speed Rail by definition travels at 120 km/h and more. The Airport Rail Link in Thailand is not designed to reach that spped.

In Shanghai, I went from the airport into town at 300 km/h, and back from town to the airport at 430 km/h. Now *that's* high-speed.

And yes, Shanghai's Pudong Airport has free wifi (albeit it seemed to be slow last week).

[tombkk]

Thanks guys - seems there is no easy solution then.....

I am there again today and same problem, hooked up through my BB. I was in the Philippines yesterday and there was free wifi everywhere, even in Cebu which is a small regional airport. Thailand really does have a way to go to catch up with the rest of the modern world.

That coupled with a Thai Airways flight of 3.5 hours with no personal screen really made my day - <deleted>? But that is another topic.........

3.5 hours flight with no personal screen......try 11 hours flight with Thai airways with no personal screen.

I will never in my life fly with that overpriced/poor standards company again.

Certainly stuff for another thread, but then. I just went to Shanghai in eco, no personal screen. On the way back, I had a personal screen.

This is the problem with TG: You never know. Unless they standardise their entire fleet to personal screens, it is better to take the safe way and fly an airline on which you know you'll get it. The entertainment system is a *major* issue when deciding which airline to take, as I fly a lot.

You always do know on the London route - you will not get a personal screen. Australian and Far East routes are the priority for Thai and it seems like for TA, London can go to hell in a handcart. <deleted> 'em I say - but I put up with it if they happen to be the cheapest direct carrier when I want to fly.

I've done the trip so many times that I just go on price and put up with old bag flight attendants (BA), crappy IFE (Thai) or sometimes disgusting food (EVA). The one thing that does concern me about Thai is the other thread about safety. The London route jumbos are from the ark.

Funny though, I'm not worried about safety when I fly TG. There are some airlines I wouldn't board even if they offered me a free ticket, but Thai is not among them.

[jay1980]

I got 15 mins free wifi by getting a slip of paper with a password and id from the airport information, no good for surfing but enough to check some e-mails before the flight

[morphious]

You have flown to Bkk 50 times and dont know the free wifi.....................................<deleted>

[PattayaParent]

At the departure gate there are free terminals, at least 1 sometimes 2.

[tombkk]

At the departure gate there are free terminals, at least 1 sometimes 2.

Wow, that many?

Compare that to KUL, where there is free wifi throughout the airport. Or VIE. Or...

Don't kid yourself. BKK isn't up to international standard when it comes to customer service in the department of free internet.