250,000 Free Wi-Fi Spots For Thailand Next Year

[webfact]

250,000 free Wi-Fi spots for Thailand next year

BANGKOK, Oct 4 – Free Wi-Fi service will be accessible at 250,000 sites throughout Thailand next year, with a jump to 400,000 spots in 2015, according to ICT minister Anudit Nakornthap.

He said True Corporation became the latest private company to offer free Wi-Fi service for Internet users at 50,000 locations, in addition to 50,000 spots earlier promised by Advanced Info Service (AIS) and 20,000 sites by the state telecom enterprise TOT.

Internet users wishing to use free Wi-Fi service need to register using their 13-digit ID numbers for a 30-minute to 2-hour service, for a valid period of 3-6 months.

Mr Anudit said the free Wi-Fi service will contribute to human resources and education development as well as promote tourism at major attractions nationwide.

It’s another step towards the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-04

[ITGabs]

Internet users wishing to use free Wi-Fi service need to register using their 13-digit ID numbers for a 30-minute to 2-hour service, for a valid period of 3-6 months.

So in the best case you will get 2 hours per 3 months or 80 seconds per day

[davejones]

Internet users wishing to use free Wi-Fi service need to register using their 13-digit ID numbers for a 30-minute to 2-hour service, for a valid period of 3-6 months.

So in the best case you will get 2 hours per 3 months or 80 seconds per day

You get 30-120 minutes per day.

But how will this promote tourism if tourists can't use it?

[Thaddeus]

Internet users wishing to use free Wi-Fi service need to register using their 13-digit ID numbers for a 30-minute to 2-hour service, for a valid period of 3-6 months.

So in the best case you will get 2 hours per 3 months or 80 seconds per day

You get 30-120 minutes per day.

But how will this promote tourism if tourists can't use it?

It's the ICT Ministry, they haven't thought that far yet, just chuck out some good sounding numbers.

[HAL9000]

How do we get the ID number to access the services? Is it the same whether True, AIS, or TOT?

[MILT]

Well if they don't allow some sort of universal access to the Free Wifi and want people to use their Id card no. for obvious reasons but what about the traveler? Will hotspots have a way to provide a universal pin no.? Possibly a business/s in the area of the hotspot will be provided with a pin no. so that travelers could use their phones or ipads or laptop. I am sure that we will be hearing more on this subject to accommodate the visitors. or maybe not.

[MYKTHEMIN]

Not in 10 years!! have been messing about with 3g for years and still not sorted, Internet in this country is truly in the dark ages. Too many with vested interests.

[davejones]

Not in 10 years!! have been messing about with 3g for years and still not sorted, Internet in this country is truly in the dark ages. Too many with vested interests.

LOL. You can get faster internet in Bangkok than you can in London. Hardly the dark ages.

[Pib]

How do we get the ID number to access the services? Is it the same whether True, AIS, or TOT?

When ever I'm in a place that has TrueMove Wifi on that True Wifi sign-in page there are instructions/menus to sign-up for the Bangkok Wifi.

[Sayonarax]

It seems who ever wrote this failed at English, but apparently still got job as an english journlist.

He means they register with their ID card numbers, which are 13 numbers.

Edited October 4, 2012 by cdnvic
removed photo of identity document

[rubl]

Free Wi-Fi service will be accessible at 250,000 sites throughout Thailand next year, with a jump to 400,000 spots in 2015, according to ICT minister Anudit Nakornthap.

He said True Corporation became the latest private company to offer free Wi-Fi service for Internet users at 50,000 locations, in addition to 50,000 spots earlier promised by Advanced Info Service (AIS) and 20,000 sites by the state telecom enterprise TOT.

So, with 120,000 spots promised by private companies the government will be at 250,000 next year.

On 2011-08-29 the new ICT minister vowed to make good on the government’s promise to provide free public WiFi service within three months, adding "in some government places and schools within thee months". It was also said although there was an initial budget of THB 5 billion to support this public service, more funding would be necessary.

Just like with the 'adopt a canal for cleaning' plan the government seems to out-source the implementation of policies and even allocating budgets. what seems to be missing is a proper review of budget spending and auditing of it

[Pib]

Unless something has changed from a week or so ago when I connected to the logon page of True Wifi, which also has a location on the page to signup for Bangkok Wifi the Thai ID number card or your passport number is needed, which means a non-Thai would just enter their passport number.

[MYKTHEMIN]

Not in 10 years!! have been messing about with 3g for years and still not sorted, Internet in this country is truly in the dark ages. Too many with vested interests.

LOL. You can get faster internet in Bangkok than you can in London. Hardly the dark ages.

This is NOT my experience

[davejones]

Not in 10 years!! have been messing about with 3g for years and still not sorted, Internet in this country is truly in the dark ages. Too many with vested interests.

LOL. You can get faster internet in Bangkok than you can in London. Hardly the dark ages.

This is NOT my experience

What speed could you get in London and what speed can you get here. TRUE offer 100Mb in some condos. I don't know anywhere in London that you can get that speed. Although things may have changed in the last 2-3 years.

[keeniau96]

TRUE may offer up to 100Mb in some condos, but do you seriously think that's what is happening. How about some facts other than True advers to support your assertion? And yes, things in London have changed very much in the last 2-3 years.

[davejones]

TRUE may offer up to 100Mb in some condos, but do you seriously think that's what is happening. How about some facts other than True advers to support your assertion? And yes, things in London have changed very much in the last 2-3 years.

I'm talking from experience. From living here 2.5 years I've had a pretty good internet experience. I'm not saying it's the same all over Thailand, but it's just ridiculous to suggest the internet here is in the dark ages. Things are changing fast. I just don't understand why so many people like you come here, when all you do is complain. If things are so great back home, then maybe you'd be happier there. But I've had a great time here and I don't have any real complains. Sure many things could be better, but it's still a developing country, so if you expect first world services then you are bound to end up disappointed. Just chill a little and go with the flow.

Edited October 5, 2012 by davejones

[ITGabs]

It seems who ever wrote this failed at English, but apparently still got job as an english journlist.

He means they register with their ID card numbers, which are 13 numbers.

BTW posting the ID information is illegal in most of the countries, if it's happens to you "google" have a work around, check at the end of this page

http://support.googl...wer=164133&rd=1

Yahoo, have something similar

Edited October 5, 2012 by ITGabs

[jacnl2000]

I am quite optimistic: it will be much easier for broadband to boost the economy than for free economists (freakonomists) to trigger the economic activity in monkeys.

[davejones]

It seems who ever wrote this failed at English, but apparently still got job as an english journlist.

He means they register with their ID card numbers, which are 13 numbers.

BTW posting the ID information is illegal in most of the countries, if it's happens to you "google" have a work around, check at the end of this page

http://support.googl...wer=164133&rd=1

Yahoo, have something similar

It's not illegal to register your ID info.

[Pib]

Correct...we all have to use our personal info, like a ID card number, social security number, passport number, etc., when registering/signing up for certain services. But such info should not be posted in a public forum/blog because it could lead to lead to identify theft problems....like that image of someone's Thai ID card in the earlier post which has since been removed by a moderator. In Thailand, a person's Thai ID card is a very important personal document although it don't see to get treated that way sometimes in TV news reports when they zoom in on someones Thai ID in order to show the name and face...but at the same time they display all of that person's other key identity info on the card to include the 13 digit number.

[davejones]

Correct...we all have to use our personal info, like a ID card number, social security number, passport number, etc., when registering/signing up for certain services. But such info should not be posted in a public forum/blog because it could lead to lead to identify theft problems....like that image of someone's Thai ID card in the earlier post which has since been removed by a moderator. In Thailand, a person's Thai ID card is a very important personal document although it don't see to get treated that way sometimes in TV news reports when they zoom in on someones Thai ID in order to show the name and face...but at the same time they display all of that person's other key identity info on the card to include the 13 digit number.

But there's nowhere in the article that says that when you register from free wifi that your info will be posted o line. Maybe I've missed something. Maybe the other guy was talking about the ID that you said got posted, but I didn't see that.

[Pib]

Yes, pretty sure he was talking that Thai ID card that got posted for a while. Definitely what I was referring to. And no, if you register for the Bangkok Wifi your info is not going to be posted online anywhere....asking for the Thai ID card number or a passport number is pretty much standard procedure/the law for signing up for cell phone//internet/pay television/etc., service. Of course, I don't think the ID/passport number submitted is verified against any data base...they are just taking your word for it...but in most cases when signing up for cell phone/internet/etc., service in Thailand you have to provide a copy of your Thai ID/passport...then if you don't pay or your phone number is identified in some criminal activity then they pull out the copy of the document you provided But I guess for this Bangkok Wifi service even though they ask for the Thai ID/passport data they aren't verifying it against any databases...they are just taking your word for it.

[ITGabs]

yes, I was talking about the identity document posted by Sayonarax but deleted by a moderator, usually people don't know about and the link to google it's very interesting, actually you can delete your personal information from google or yahoo search if you can't contact the webmaster/administrator of the site, all the time you can do a lawsuit, but since the website probably isn't in your country the google work around it's very useful.

[davejones]

yes, I was talking about the identity document posted by Sayonarax but deleted by a moderator, usually people don't know about and the link to google it's very interesting, actually you can delete your personal information from google or yahoo search if you can't contact the webmaster/administrator of the site, all the time you can do a lawsuit, but since the website probably isn't in your country the google work around it's very useful.

I was confused because I didn't see the document. I read the Google page though - good to know.

[Danielsiam]

The problem, anyone can use other ID card / Passport number of other, and if someone post something against the law with using a fake ID number, the poor innocent he will get arrested by the police and need to prove that he's not the autor of the infraction/crime and sleep into jail !

Edited October 6, 2012 by Danielsiam

[MYKTHEMIN]

Not in 10 years!! have been messing about with 3g for years and still not sorted, Internet in this country is truly in the dark ages. Too many with vested interests.

LOL. You can get faster internet in Bangkok than you can in London. Hardly the dark ages.

This is NOT my experience

What speed could you get in London and what speed can you get here. TRUE offer 100Mb in some condos. I don't know anywhere in London that you can get that speed. Although things may have changed in the last 2-3 years.

I don't live in a box in Bangkok, I live in a mansion in the mountains in north Thailand and here internet is in the dark ages, but very cheap and soooo slow,I lived in the sticks in the UK and the 3g was very good over 5 years ago!! The problem here is that too many people want their nose in the trough for a back hander before any improvements are made, most asian neighbours are now getting 4g and we havn't even got 3g yet!! total joke but everything else makes it far better to live here than anywhere else, so NO I do not want to go back home! this is now home to me.

[davejones]

I don't live in a box in Bangkok, I live in a mansion in the mountains in north Thailand and here internet is in the dark ages, but very cheap and soooo slow,I lived in the sticks in the UK and the 3g was very good over 5 years ago!! The problem here is that too many people want their nose in the trough for a back hander before any improvements are made, most asian neighbours are now getting 4g and we havn't even got 3g yet!! total joke but everything else makes it far better to live here than anywhere else, so NO I do not want to go back home! this is now home to me.

Not sure what living in a box has to do with the internet, as there is fast internet to mansions in Bangkok as well.

Regarding remote parts of the UK, my Mum can't get any mobile phone signal in her street, let alone 3G or 4G. So it's not all great in the UK either. But if you want to live in the mountains then that's your choice. You can pay for a dedicated line and I'm sure they will fit it for you. Other people have done it in remote areas.

Edited October 7, 2012 by davejones

[MYKTHEMIN]

I don't live in a box in Bangkok, I live in a mansion in the mountains in north Thailand and here internet is in the dark ages, but very cheap and soooo slow,I lived in the sticks in the UK and the 3g was very good over 5 years ago!! The problem here is that too many people want their nose in the trough for a back hander before any improvements are made, most asian neighbours are now getting 4g and we havn't even got 3g yet!! total joke but everything else makes it far better to live here than anywhere else, so NO I do not want to go back home! this is now home to me.

Not sure what living in a box has to do with the internet, as there is fast internet to mansions in Bangkok as well.

Regarding remote parts of the UK, my Mum can't get any mobile phone signal in her street, let alone 3G or 4G. So it's not all great in the UK either. But if you want to live in the mountains then that's your choice. You can pay for a dedicated line and I'm sure they will fit it for you. Other people have done it in remote areas.

Direct connection not available here, had excellent internet in my mansion in Bangkok, but hated the traffic and pollution, as far as Thailand is concerned only BK has really fast internet and the rest of the country IS in the dark ages!

[davejones]

I don't live in a box in Bangkok, I live in a mansion in the mountains in north Thailand and here internet is in the dark ages, but very cheap and soooo slow,I lived in the sticks in the UK and the 3g was very good over 5 years ago!! The problem here is that too many people want their nose in the trough for a back hander before any improvements are made, most asian neighbours are now getting 4g and we havn't even got 3g yet!! total joke but everything else makes it far better to live here than anywhere else, so NO I do not want to go back home! this is now home to me.

Not sure what living in a box has to do with the internet, as there is fast internet to mansions in Bangkok as well.

Regarding remote parts of the UK, my Mum can't get any mobile phone signal in her street, let alone 3G or 4G. So it's not all great in the UK either. But if you want to live in the mountains then that's your choice. You can pay for a dedicated line and I'm sure they will fit it for you. Other people have done it in remote areas.

Direct connection not available here, had excellent internet in my mansion in Bangkok, but hated the traffic and pollution, as far as Thailand is concerned only BK has really fast internet and the rest of the country IS in the dark ages!

LOL. I now plenty of people in other towns in Thailand that have very fast internet. Just because you don't have it, don't assume that no-one else does. Maybe the coverage of the country isn't as good as UK, but plenty of people outside Bangkok have very fast internet.

[MYKTHEMIN]

What a load of <deleted> 555555555555555555