Advice About Dial Up Access

[nokia]

Hi CM folks,

I noticed that TOT sells various prepaid Dial-up cards of various denominations(200-500)baht. Is it a toll-free line or do they still charge an additional 3baht/min for the line usage. i'm a lite user and dont need ADSL/Cable at the moment. Any cost saving advice appreciated. Thanks!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Hi CM folks,

I noticed that TOT sells various prepaid Dial-up cards of various denominations(200-500)baht. Is it a toll-free line or do they still charge an additional 3baht/min for the line usage. i'm a lite user and dont need ADSL/Cable at the moment. Any cost saving advice appreciated. Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use CS-Lox and get 52KBS. When you connect to the internet it's an hourly charge. It's no more than 10 baht per hour.

The dial-up is a lot faster than it used to be in CM. Since all the internet shops all have broadband it frees up the narrow band-width for everyone else.

Just don't do what a friend of mine did and when he set up his internet he put the number in for Chiang Rai, instead of Chiang Mai and got a phone bill for 4000 baht!

[briley]

If you have a TOT line you can dial in to their - is it 1221???? - internet service, you get 2 hours for 1 phone call, ie 3 baht. You have to get a username and password, these can be got on the TOT website or any TOT office for free.

(http://signup.totonline.net/)

When I used to use it the connection was fine.

But I would seriously consider ADSL, TOT charge 500 baht a month and often have free connection periods, otherwise 1000 baht. Plus you need a modem - under 2000 baht.

Dial up, even the free one, is 3baht a call. Do that once a day and you spend 300 baht a month, not much less than ADSL which is always on. And once you've had always on you'll not want to go back.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Dial up, even the free one, is 3baht a call. Do that once a day and you spend 300 baht a month,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How does that maths work?

I agree with what you were saying, but if you move out of the province you have to cancel the contract. If you live somewhere rented you need permission form someone else. This being Thailand there will undoubtedly be some other hassle.

I would love broadband, but I have to say I get a great service from CS Lox, and if I go to my house in Issan for a few weeks, I can plug in my computer and use it there too. Okay, I can't download specialist movies, but that's illegal in Thailand and if Thaksin has his way there will be no more specialist sites on the internet after december!

[briley]

Everyone has different needs - I live long enough each year in CM to make ADSL well worth while, especially compared to prices in other countries. Otherwise the TOT 1222 number (just checked the number with my always on ADSL :-) ) is cheaper than Loxinfo.

I agree Loxinfo are a good service but if I can find someone giving equivalent service cheaper then I change. If you have a TOT phone and a bill you can give them a try - for 3baht for 2 hours!

The cheapest way for occasional use has to be the internet cafe at 12 baht an hour, think that beats loxinfo and you don't have to buy a computer!

[nokia]

Yes the internet cafe, usually at 15b-20b is definitely the cheapest for those living near the CM city. But it is not so worthwhile for those living 10km from CM city after factoring in the oil cost & the traffic jams/parking.

Yes, ADSL is cost effective for daily internet users. At 1000 baht/mth,it's only 33 baht/day for unlimited hours.

But for occasional users like myself, who checks email perhaps once a week, and living outside the city, the dial up access seems to be a more feasible option at the moment.

So how is the charges like for an hour of usage? 10-20 baht deduction from the prepaid Dial up card and 3b for the line usage?

Thanks folks!

[Dustoff]

~

My needs are also not enough to warrent ADSL as yet.

I sign up for Inet Thailand and just pay for a block of time. It works out to 10 baht/hour and the account is good for a year. They also have local numbers almost all over Thailand, even out in Isaan and on Phuket.

I am with TOT and had a constant 52kbs connection until I moved almost three months ago. In the new house in Ban Wang Tan, everyone around me gets 52 and I am lucky to get 32kbs. A major nuisance and TOT has sent someone out here FIVE times so far and they shug their shoulders and drive off after about 10 minutes of fumbling at the nearest pole.

Any suggestions? I am thinking of pitching a complaint to Inet and see if they will coordinate with TOT for me. Maybe if I tell them I am thinking of switching to a satellite?

[The Dan Sai Kid]

~

My needs are also not enough to warrent ADSL as yet.

I sign up for Inet Thailand and just pay for a block of time. It works out to 10 baht/hour and the account is good for a year. They also have local numbers almost all over Thailand, even out in Isaan and on Phuket.

I am with TOT and had a constant 52kbs connection until I moved almost three months ago.  In the new house in Ban Wang Tan, everyone around me gets 52 and I am lucky to get 32kbs. A major nuisance and TOT has sent someone out here FIVE times so far and they shug their shoulders and drive off after about 10 minutes of fumbling at the nearest pole. 

Any suggestions? I am thinking of pitching a complaint to Inet and see if they will coordinate with TOT for me. Maybe if I tell them I am thinking of switching to a satellite?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish you luck, but I can't see them busting a gut for the sake of a 10 baht reduction in profit every hour...

[nokia]

~

My needs are also not enough to warrent ADSL as yet.

I sign up for Inet Thailand and just pay for a block of time. It works out to 10 baht/hour and the account is good for a year. They also have local numbers almost all over Thailand, even out in Isaan and on Phuket.

I am with TOT and had a constant 52kbs connection until I moved almost three months ago.  In the new house in Ban Wang Tan, everyone around me gets 52 and I am lucky to get 32kbs. A major nuisance and TOT has sent someone out here FIVE times so far and they shug their shoulders and drive off after about 10 minutes of fumbling at the nearest pole. 

Any suggestions? I am thinking of pitching a complaint to Inet and see if they will coordinate with TOT for me. Maybe if I tell them I am thinking of switching to a satellite?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's certainly strange that your neighbours get 52k (are they using Inet too?), and you get a terribly slow 32k. Is your phone line subscribed to call waiting or other value added features? I think the problem lies in your new phone line rather than Inet, assuming your neighbours use Inet. btw, where's Inet's office in CM located?

Anyone tried using the prepaid Dial up cards being sold at TOT office(Airport Plaza) ?

[p1p]

Have a friend who uses Pacific Internet pre paid cards. Think he says he pays about 350 Baht for unlimited over a month. Recently had to swap to Inet pre-paid because the shop was out of P-I. Complained his speed dropped to next to nothing and he had 6 disconnects in under an hour. He binned the remainder of his Inet time as soon as he could get a new P-I connect.