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

[webfact]

Opening Over 20,000 Free WiFi Hotspots in Bangkok

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has recently introduced 20,000 free public WiFi hotspots around Bangkok.

MICT aims to enhance opportunities for people to access the Internet and to narrow the digital divide.

MICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said that the ministry had launched a free WiFi project on 28 December 2011 in accordance with the Government’s policy on information and communication technology. An additional 20,000 WiFi hotspots are expected by October in 2012, and up to 250,000 nationwide are planned by 2015.

Group Captain Anudith also added that the free WiFi project was a result of cooperation between TOT Public Company, CAT Telecom, and Thailand’s mobile network providers. This project was also a New Year’s present for all people from the Thai government.

WiFi users will need to register on the MICT’s website: http://www.mict.go.th. Name, surname, and ID card number are required. They are allowed to access the Internet for two hours at a time at an average speed of 2 Mbps. They should look for the logo SMART-WiFi@TH in the free WiFi areas.

The Free WiFi project, part of the MICT’s Smart Thailand scheme, has a budget of 30 billion baht, from 2012 to 2015. The Smart Thailand project expects to expand high-speed broadband Internet connectivity, both wired and wireless, to cover 80% of districts nationwide. The scheme also alleviates pressure on the country’s telecom infrastructure.

Apart from the free WiFi project, the setting up of TOT’s 3G wireless broadband network will be completed in May 2012. A 4G network will be developed in the near future, as well

Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department

-- 2012-01-06

[laurentbkk]

Thats really cool .....

[julesdick]

"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

[laurentbkk]

Too bad the web site is only in Thai , hard for foreigner to register if you dont read thai .... but anyway that's good !

[Zanby]

How else they are going to keeping the masses from demonstrating?

[supaprik]

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

Edited January 6, 2012 by metisdead
Vulgar comment removed.

[geovalin]

Even if the web site is in Thai, What is your feed back?

Any foreigner allowed? Passport # or Thai driving license #?

[Gers1873]

Register to use wi-fi --- id required. As Myamaar heads towards democracy it waves to Thailand headed in the opposite direction.

When I saw the headline I thought this is positive - they want to turn BKK into a true WIFI city.......... but this is Thailand so there had to be a catch.... pity.

[cigar7]

Even if the web site is in Thai, What is your feed back?

Any foreigner allowed? Passport # or Thai driving license #?

Only Thai Nationals can register. You need a Thai ID card.

[huahinjoe]

It's only for Thai people... Unless you use your TGF's ID card

It's gonna be the same as other previous projects where the free wifi was flooded by the high amount of torrents and illegal downloads which make it impossible to use for normal usage. However this free public wifi will have a 2h usage limit which will make it less slow... And less attractive too.

Also the article didn't mentioned the coverage, probably it will be only in malls and parks, not in residental areas. Even they install in residental areas we hardly can call it as an alternative for a proper internet connection as the hotspots usually cover a 2-300m2 usable area which means this not gonna be bigger than a 6km area. Just imagine bkk is around 1600km2 big, hardly can call it anything just another useless money spending.

Anyway, for checking email, facebook, etc will be fine...

[tinom]

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!)

[HerbalEd]

"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.

[bkkjames]

"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

exactly - selling mailing lists are they? I'll pass.

[happysanook]

Only Thai Nationals can register. You need a Thai ID card.

ahhhhahaha... how could it be any other way...of course it's not okay for foreigner to get free internet

Edited January 6, 2012 by happysanook

[mowgus]

I do believe that all Internet traffic in Thailand is logged or at least monitored to some degree. If not be a central government agency, it is by the ISP you use. 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?

Incidentally...if you have ever used google, gmail, hotmail or any other US provider service.... the US government has full access to it all.

I think the registration and limit is necessary or it will be flooded and useless. It's a step in the right direction. I don't see many North American cities with this kind of service so thumbs up for Thailand at least making an effort. I hope it works though...

[bkkjames]

Do you get a free tablet if you register?

[Gers1873]

Do you get a free tablet if you register?

Absolutely ---- one yaba ice per person.

[moto77]

Anyway it's a good idea, as actual mobile internet in Bangkok is the worst I ever see anywhere in the world.

No.. I have both AT&T in the US and TRUE in Thailand. AT&T in the US is much worse.

[blundaman]

Do you get a free tablet if you register?

aspirin probably

[ReeBkk]

"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.

[tragickingdom]

The government should change the conditions for the use of the hotspots quickly. Now people need to register and leave their ID card details. A great tool for MICT to follow the Thai citizens and prosecute them under article 112.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Maestro
Deleted off-topic part of the post.

[eagleflyinghigh]

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.

True, but we can minimize our exposure. In Thailand I only uses VPN or proxy and I think the people preparing the change are clever enough to do the same. China will fall and Thailand too and this thanks to the internet.

[softgeorge]

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

Don't they do the same in China and they can watch/ do watch everything you do and say (type) I wouldn't be using your wife's details to log in.

Edited January 6, 2012 by softgeorge

[sulasno]

trying to hunt for the registration page and going to try a name with an incorrect ID number

[woodyleonhard]

I do believe that all Internet traffic in Thailand is logged or at least monitored to some degree. If not be a central government agency, it is by the ISP you use. 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?

Incidentally...if you have ever used google, gmail, hotmail or any other US provider service.... the US government has full access to it all.

I think the registration and limit is necessary or it will be flooded and useless. It's a step in the right direction. I don't see many North American cities with this kind of service so thumbs up for Thailand at least making an effort. I hope it works though...

@Mowgus - you're quite correct. All internet traffic in EVERY country is logged and snoopable by the authorities. Nothing different here. Free universal WiFi is an amazing gift to the people of Thailand. Few cities in the world offer it. The registration's necessary for many reasons, including the one you mention. Now I just have to figure out how to navigate the MICT site in Thai...

[Lannig]

trying to hunt for the registration page and going to try a name with an incorrect ID number

I have doubts that they managed to link their on-line subscription page to the (presumably huge) national ID registry database, but I might be proven wrong.

Please share the result of your attempt. That's interesting.

[Yme]

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!)

Agree. In the past three weeks I've used dtac, True and AISs' supposed 3G networks and the average speed is less than 10kbps u/l and about 35 kbps d/l. Absolutely appalling and very patchy. I had more reliable and faster data transfers in 1986 than Thailand in 2012.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Yme

[Boghead]

Taiwan is ripping out wireless networks and Thailand is putting them in.

No one seems to care about the health issues.

http://thearrowsoftruth.com/electromagnetic-radiation-%E2%80%93-the-invisible-assault-on-humanity/

[Asianrider]

Do you get a free tablet if you register?

lol

[RichardinBKK]

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.