A Tale Of 2 Phone Lines

[Mobi]

Before I moved to Pattaya I was anxious to secure a phone line, mainly for internet connections, but also to operate my fax machine, and do a bit of personal business. My new home is about 15 kms from Pattaya, near Mabprachan reservoir. Despite many promises, no line was forthcoming, so with only a few weeks to go I agreed to buy a line from a local villager for 15,000 Baht. After much delay the TOT engineers arranged to run the cable and install, for an exorbitant fee, of course. Then I was asked if I wanted another line from TOT. This one was only costing around 4,000 Baht. On the basis that if I had 2 lines, one was bound to work, and the monthly rental is only100 odd Baht I agreed to have the second installed at the same time – what could be finer? A fax line and an internet line. Got the numbers and checked the loxinfo web site to make sure I could get broad band in my area. No probs according to the web site. Went to Pattaya, visited, Loxinfo, Tru, TT&T etc etc. No go – 'too far out to get broad band'. So I got an IPstar satellite dish – didn’t need a phone line any more – never mind - I can have 2 fax lines. Moved in; 2 lines up and running – actually used them to call out!! One week later a trailer pulled down the phone pylon in the local market – both lines went out for a week. 2 weeks later a truck had an altercation with a cement lorry and pulled down all the lines for the whole area – my 2 included. Back up and running again – New Year’s Eve : no phone lines. Couldn’t contact anyone until after New Year. A local needed some cash to celebrate, so he stole all the phone cables in the entire area – just cut them down. One week later, phones back on again. Today I received my phone bills. Opened the first – 100 Baht rental, plus… my contribution to the replace the stolen phone cable… 2,100 Baht. The missus thought it was hilarious. Opened the second bill … another 2,100 baht contribution. She wasn’t laughing any more, bless her. Where else in the world would a consumer be obliged to pay directly in his next bill for the mass theft of utility equipment? I must have the most expensive, unwanted land lines in history.

[phuketsiam]

TIT

[patsfangr]

Sorry to hear of your phone nightmare, Mobi. I am anticipating a similar sad story when I move to the area just west of you in a couple of months. I know that there's no phone line there now, and I can't get a straight answer as to when or why not.

How's the IPstar satellite working for you? Are you happy with the internet speed? Can you please share the cost and service information with me, either here or via PM? Thanks!

George

Before I moved to Pattaya I was anxious to secure a phone line, mainly for internet connections, but also to operate my fax machine, and do a bit of personal business. My new home is about 15 kms from Pattaya, near Mabprachan reservoir. Despite many promises, no line was forthcoming, so with only a few weeks to go I agreed to buy a line from a local villager for 15,000 Baht. After much delay the TOT engineers arranged to run the cable and install, for an exorbitant fee, of course. Then I was asked if I wanted another line from TOT. This one was only costing around 4,000 Baht. On the basis that if I had 2 lines, one was bound to work, and the monthly rental is only100 odd Baht I agreed to have the second installed at the same time – what could be finer? A fax line and an internet line. Got the numbers and checked the loxinfo web site to make sure I could get broad band in my area. No probs according to the web site. Went to Pattaya, visited, Loxinfo, Tru, TT&T etc etc. No go – 'too far out to get broad band'. So I got an IPstar satellite dish – didn’t need a phone line any more – never mind - I can have 2 fax lines. Moved in; 2 lines up and running – actually used them to call out!! One week later a trailer pulled down the phone pylon in the local market – both lines went out for a week. 2 weeks later a truck had an altercation with a cement lorry and pulled down all the lines for the whole area – my 2 included. Back up and running again – New Year’s Eve : no phone lines. Couldn’t contact anyone until after New Year. A local needed some cash to celebrate, so he stole all the phone cables in the entire area – just cut them down. One week later, phones back on again. Today I received my phone bills. Opened the first – 100 Baht rental, plus… my contribution to the replace the stolen phone cable… 2,100 Baht. The missus thought it was hilarious. Opened the second bill … another 2,100 baht contribution. She wasn’t laughing any more, bless her. Where else in the world would a consumer be obliged to pay directly in his next bill for the mass theft of utility equipment? I must have the most expensive, unwanted land lines in history.

[monty]

Hi Mobi,

I live pretty close to you I assume (Mabprachan Lake) and share part of your hassles as well.

My lines were out also for about 5 or 6 days, due to the piece of main cable which was cut out and stolen

Depending on where exactly you are, there's a big chance you can get adsl (assuming you got a number starting with either 038733 or 038734).

TT&T is very reluctant to hook people up who are further then 3km away from the phone exchange, eventhough theoretically up to 8km should be possible.

Guess they themselves don't trust the quality of their phonelines/junction boxes!

I'm exactly 7km from the exchange, and after a lot of begging and promising I'd never complain about bad connections, they agreed to hook up my adsl. Has been working just fine ever since

Only risk you take is the 2 months subscribtion you have to pay upfront. No refund if it ends up not working...

[Mobi]

Hi Mobi,

I live pretty close to you I assume (Mabprachan Lake) and share part of your hassles as well.

My lines were out also for about 5 or 6 days, due to the piece of main cable which was cut out and stolen

Depending on where exactly you are, there's a big chance you can get adsl (assuming you got a number starting with either 038733 or 038734).

TT&T is very reluctant to hook people up who are further then 3km away from the phone exchange, eventhough theoretically up to 8km should be possible.

Guess they themselves don't trust the quality of their phonelines/junction boxes!

I'm exactly 7km from the exchange, and after a lot of begging and promising I'd never complain about bad connections, they agreed to hook up my adsl. Has been working just fine ever since

Only risk you take is the 2 months subscribtion you have to pay upfront. No refund if it ends up not working...

Hi Monty,

I'm in Pong, Moo2. I do have a number 038 734, but TT & T, True and Loxinfo all told me I was too far out to connect to adsl. I even put my number i a 'test box' on the loxinfo web site, and was told I could be connected, but when I told them my address they said no can do. Well, what you say is interesting, and maybe when my one year contract is up I'll try again - you were obviously more determined than I was.

Hi George,

the jury is still out on iPSTAR. I Paid 3,000 Baht for set up (includes a dish installation) and I got a special promotion rate of 1500 Baht a month. The promotion is over now and I think the cost 2500 per month. You must go to Loxinfo direct (Just off Pattaya Klang) or you might be quoted a higher price if you go through an internet agent. I used to pay 690 Baht in Bangkok for loxinfo ADSL and i was very happy with it. Very fast and rarely crashed. BY contrast the Ipstar is much slower. It was terrible when they first connnected (last month) - kept crashing and no faster than dial up. Since New year it is much better and rarely crashes - and then only for a couple of minutes. The speed is still a little slow, but I can live with it. I'm not an expert, but it will upload dozens of pics from my pc to a web site within a reasonable time frame now, whereas in December it just didn't want to know. So as I say, the jury is still out - but it's certainly better than nothing - can't live without the internet, what with my good old BBC radio programmmes, emails, banking etc. As far as getting a landline is concerned - it's all a question of back handers - you have to find out who and where to pay it. I went into TT& T and True and they both told me there was a very long waiting list for phones in my area!!! IT's useful to have one, as when and if Ipstar crashes I can still use dial up.

Hope the above helps.

[sierra01]

Telephone companies without telephone numbers....TIT, TIT.