Opening Over 20,000 Free Wi-Fi Hotspots In Bangkok

[thanchart]

Ha ha ha...

Yesterday's article "Internet is bad for morality" - Today the government give free internet to the people

Anyway it's a good idea, as actual mobile internet in Bangkok is the worst I ever see anywhere in the world. In fact there is no mobile internet in Bangkok, just an H sign on my mobile but no access (or as slow as GSM data was 20 years ago!)

worst I ever see anywhere in the world?? Really? Which part of the world have you used yr mobile internet? What technology are u using? Would be nice to know

Edited January 6, 2012 by Maestro
Undid modification of text formatting in quoted text.

[Maestro]

I deleted some off-topic stuff.

[ALFREDO]

I will register with a Thai ID, that is not a big problem to be allowed to use one for that reason.

[Maestro]

the admin post is a report from the foreign pr office i assume.....

Also I found that interesting. The MICT puts the information on their website, in Thai language. Then, judging from the byline "Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department" at the end of the text posted in the first post in this topic, apparently a department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made an announcement about in English, I guess for the benefit of the foreign press.

...it begins by stating 'recently introduced 20,000 hotspots...' then '..a project launched on 28/12/22011'......then goes on to state ' 20,000 wifi spots EXPECTED BY OCT 2012.

another example of nation state 'double speak' to keep the masses on the edge of reality and not in it.

my question simply is have the hotspots been introduced (in place) or is there a hope they will be by October????

I read the OP differently. The project was launched on 28 December 2011 starting with 20'000 hotspots in Bangkok, and plans are to add 20,000 more hotspots by October 2012 (not clear if also in Bangkok), and by the end of the year 2015 there should be a total of 250,000 hotspots nationwide.

[micman]

Some of you guys are just amazing. No matter what the Thai govt. does, even something as forward thinking as providing free internet (OMG! you have to register?) and all you can do is piss and moan and belittle.

Such superior beings you all are; give yourselves a round of applause

Thanks! You nailed it! Could not agree more! If Thailand announced "Free Soup on Tuesday" there would be a s***storm here about "Why Tuesday? Why only Thai soup? I want a cheeseburger" Too funny, you really summed it up nicely.

OMG someone finally figured out that the only people who post here are a bunch of expat frangs (some in Thailand and many who wish they were) with nothing else to do but piss and moan.

[Jawnie]

In India, you must show an id to buy a sim card for your mobile phone.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Ya...I was recalling the same thing by that Green Bangkok name... And I remember True having a web site for that...and a log-on page that required an ID and password... But back then, I was never quite sure how to access that service or whom it was for... And then later, it seemed to disappear altogether...

So I'm wondering if this latest pronouncement from the government is just recycling another crack at that same effort from before. I don't know... but I am wondering....

AHAA... Found a True website on "Green Bangkok," and funny enough, it seems to be talking about the same 20,000 Hot Spots...

http://www.truewifi....een_bangkok.htm

Thanks to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and True Corporation for the opening of the wireless cyber world through the launch of Green Bangkok Wi-Fi initiative that allows more than three million people in the city to surf with 64 Kbps or 1 Mbps speed via more than 20,000 hotspots Bangkokwide free of charge until June 24, 2011.

But then you read down to the small print details for the latest Aug. 2010 to June 2011 period:

• 64 Kbps for unlimited usage 70,000 accounts per quarter. Quarterly renew after expire. Service start from August 2, 2010 to June 24, 2011. Total of 280,000 accounts
  
• 1 Mbps for one hour per month 30,000 accounts per quarter. Quarterly renew after expire. Service start from August 2, 2010 to June 24, 2011. Total of 120,000 accounts.
  

Wonder how the details of this latest promised wifi initiative differ from the above....

Edited January 6, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Jawnie]

Ha ha ha...

Yesterday's article "Internet is bad for morality" - Today the government give free internet to the people

Anyway it's a good idea, as actual mobile internet in Bangkok is the worst I ever see anywhere in the world. In fact there is no mobile internet in Bangkok, just an H sign on my mobile but no access (or as slow as GSM data was 20 years ago!)

worst I ever see anywhere in the world?? Really? Which part of the world have you used yr mobile internet? What technology are u using? Would be nice to know

Yeah, the internet on my smart phone is pretty mobile.....

But, wireless is definitely slower and unstable compared to fiber optic cable. If a person has only used wireless internet their entire life, they don't know any different. Like, watching streamed programs without stops, starts, or getting dropped; or very long upload, download times. Still, slow internet is infinitely better than no internet.

[Macx]

Super simple to set up. Never mind that it will clog the current lousy infrastructure worse than BK traffic. Would love to see WHO got these lucrative contracts. Certainly can make good guesses though. Woohoo! Money tree.

[RogueLeader]

In India, you must show an id to buy a sim card for your mobile phone.

In some states, you also need a letter of recommendation from your landlord and if female, from your husband or father.

[parmo1]

Now, that being said, unless you're doing illegal activities, no one is going to care or even request to look at those logs. So, what have you got to hide?

I worked for national telecom company in Europe, there was a rogue police officer who was selling X directory numbers and addresses to private investigators and the press. These numbers were only available on the emergency number database.

The problem is , is the abuse by the people who have access to this data.

I guess it boils down to whether you think that the state always acts in the citizens' interest, or not.

Personally, i think that the state acts for itself, and will always abuse it's citizens and use it's enforcers

[theanimaster]

Only Thais won't be able to see the big catch here. The MICT will sell them drugs and they'll take the bait. Unfortunately there is little to NO education in this country regarding the importance of one's personal information.

[jshorts]

"WiFi users will need to register on the MICT’s website: http://www.mict.go.th. Name, surname, and ID card number are required."

I've always wanted a big brother

You're not required to use it.

BTW, big brother is also watching every time you use an ATM, credit & debit cards, make a phone call, reserve a flight ticket and fly, etc., etc.

If you're really worried about 'Big Brother' you'd better forget about the Internet altogether, stop traveling by any means of transport, stop banking, shopping.

You could go live in the wild, hunt for your lively hood and bed down in a cave, but even then you'll show up on Google earth at some point.

Are you talking about searching for Robin and his merry men? Or, are you looking for active petty gangsters?

[jshorts]

One of the freedoms often overlooked, is the freedom to not participate. You have the freedom to not use a service whose rules make you uncomfortable.

In terms of Big Brother looking over your shoulder, that ship sailed long ago, and if most gave it 60 seconds of thought, would be amazed how easy it is to figure out your every move. Have a passport? Have a visa? Use a telephone? Have an ATM card or Credit card? Have a Facebook page? Twitter? Ever use the internet to check e mail? Internet shopping? Been on a plane lately? Been to a city laced with cameras e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e? Post opinions on Thai Visa?

You see, I am American, and we know that there are no secrets from the government, and as of last week, we can now be detained for ever, without a trial and any due process. Sort of frightening, yes? We know that by simply turning on our phones, Presto! Can you say "triangulate" ? If you are in America and would like a visit from some "special agents" pick up your phone, call a foreign country and use some special key phrases over and over. You may have a chance to meet Big Brother, face to face. Every call is run through gigantic computer systems searching for key word patterns and languages.

That is why so often "Thai Lovers" like me rush in and say, "Buy a freaking mirror before your throw Thailand under the bus." Americans have much less freedom than the average Thai.

So, one thing overlooked here is that the Thai effort has a two hour rule. Could it be as simple as recognizing that Bandwidth Matters and everyone loses when a few data hogs suck it all up???(for example, non tax paying, non contributing foreigners who do use much higher data programs, and much more often) So, Thais are saying, here, use our free internet, but please share it with everyone...and to monitor who is a "hog" we will watch it. Sure, they will collect lots of other data, perhaps...but why duplicate the effort? To believe that until now, internet traffic is some "secure' universe is beyond naive.

To me, "cloud computing" is a nice way of saying, "Hey, could you all please save all your data in one place with one architecture in a shapeless "cloud" controlled by people you do not know, and never will?"

Yep, that is a "cloud' that can be seeded anytime to make it "rain" ....

Get over it 007..not everything is an evil conspiracy. You see, if a government wanted people to recklessly "talk out of school" they would offer a "free service" - and monitor it. Not announce, "We are watching you."

Because of certain laws in Thailand, it is actually "fair warning" that should be headed.

*I almost completely agree with you.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "non-contributing foreigners." Don't we contribute more than many Thai citizens via foreign currency transfers spent on everyday Thai family expenses, VAT, and other expenditures not normally incurred by the majority of Thais?

[jshorts]

It is a nice thing from the goverment - we do not have to break them down all the time

And only for the Thais? Dont forget it is thailand and we are the visitors.

nobody is forbidden anybody to learn thai

have fun on the net

Are you saying that if you learned Thai that the wifi would then be free?

[KKK]

So Bangkokians have now got free Wi-Fi; something that most of them can afford to pay for. When is the rest of Thailand, most of whom can't afford to pay for it, going to get it? Isn't 11 million tablet computers supposed to be issued to all Thai students by May this year. How are all the non-bangkok ones supposed to connect?

I'm interested to learn how a small provincial school is going to get internet for its tablets. Just because most of the students could up being farmers rather than company directors is no excuse to give them less of an education.....

Edited January 7, 2012 by KKK

[retell]

yes great if you want MICT to monitor everything you do, smacks of Stalin-ism to me!! <Snip>!!

last time i checked all internet traffic in th gets monitored by mict

sad bud true

[retell]

It is a nice thing from the goverment - we do not have to break them down all the time

And only for the Thais? Dont forget it is thailand and we are the visitors.

nobody is forbidden anybody to learn thai

have fun on the net

Are you saying that if you learned Thai that the wifi would then be free?

only problem is my thai id card which i do not have ,,,,,,can do with my dutch passport or my thai drivinglicence number?

[swisstouristpattaya]

If interested,I buy your id info for 300bats.

I need 12 id to cover 24h of free wifi, please pm me.

sent from tapatalk :-)

[whybother]

Do you get a free tablet if you register?

An additional 20,000 WiFi hotspots are expected by October in 2012, and up to 250,000 nationwide are planned by 2015.

Aren't the free tablets supposed to be used on this free wifi system, and aren't they supposed to be giving out the free tablets to children at the start of the next school year?

[NanLaew]

If the Thai govt gave free barfines at soi cowboy and Nana plaza there would be a zillion expats that would find something to bitch about the program....

Good for the Thai govt for doing something that might help a lot of people...if you don't like it you don't have to use it...if you do like it maybe you can figure a way around the registration process if you are not thai....

I guess the point is why the need to register? just turn it on for all no? We could become the hub of wifi - think about it...

It's for Thai people in Thailand. Not for visa-running/overstaying, TEFL'er/sexpat, illegal/work permitted tossers who would end up logging on and torrenting the latest episode of Top Gear for free then wandering down NEP or SC for some balloon chasing before going home for a w^nk over Jeremy.

If the Thai government wants to watch what their own people are watching... what's the big deal? Not your bloody country is it now?

[NanLaew]

I almost completely agree with you.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "non-contributing foreigners." Don't we contribute more than many Thai citizens via foreign currency transfers spent on everyday Thai family expenses, VAT, and other expenditures not normally incurred by the majority of Thais?

Yes, but there's only two of you actually doing this. The rest are already freeloading on the Thai system.

[jshorts]

I almost completely agree with you.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "non-contributing foreigners." Don't we contribute more than many Thai citizens via foreign currency transfers spent on everyday Thai family expenses, VAT, and other expenditures not normally incurred by the majority of Thais?

Yes, but there's only two of you actually doing this. The rest are already freeloading on the Thai system.

I would like to understand how any foreigner can freeload on the Thai system. Please give a couple of examples.

[jasnx]

This project was also a New Year’s present for all people from the Thai government - This is not a New Year's present from the Govt, it is taxpayer money that is being used. It is a govt project, nothing more. The only way the Thai Govt could give a 'present' to the people is if the ministers/cabinet chipped in all the money to pay for the project themselves. To call a 'project' a 'present' is very dishonest, the people own these funds already.

Edited January 9, 2012 by jasnx