Best Internet Options Hua Hin / Cha-Am

[Nisa]

Hi, I am considering renting an apartment or house in the Hua Hin / Cha-am area and wondering what are the best options for Internet in the area. I currently use True DSL and have had no real issues for years here in Bangkok. I make a lot calls and attend virtual meeting with people in the US and need something very reliable. In the past I have heard of people in different areas having issues with True and other providers and wanted to see what the most reliable options are in the area and if they are as dependable as I have experienced in Bangkok. Also, do I need to concern myself with high speed internet being available outside the cities? I am not talking in the mountains or anything like that but possibly on the outskirts of the city.

Thanks for any advice.

[hhfarang]

I use 3BB, a package around 900 baht that is supposed to be faster than the basic package but the speeds are not so good. A streaming video from an international server stops every minute or so for 20 seconds whenever the kids are out of school and on the net so I think its an area or Thailand bandwidth problem. I live south of town around Soi 116.

If your business depends on speed and reliability, you will need to get one of the more expensive packages. I've used both TOT and 3BB and they seem about the same.

[Chaam local]

I live on the outskirts of Cha-am where the only available provider is TOT. It's just ok for basic web browsing but forget about watching TV or virtual meetings. Out here in the sticks you also have to bear with power cuts quite often. If you need a fast (like in "not too slow") connection, you have to live in the center of town and, as hhfarang said, get an expensive package.

[Nisa]

Even though you guys are making me depressed, I appreciate the info. I don't know if I am lucky or what but I hear some people say the same thing about True in Bangkok but I really feel the reliability is equivalent to what I experienced in the US and that is I rarely ever have to worry about it. However, there are some sites in the US, especially streaming video that doesn't work well but I think that is always going to be the case and more about the bottleneck (which may be by design) leaving Thailand.

I think I currently pay 899 for the package and router plus another 100 for the phone line and get 10Mbs/1Mbs.

[Stevepiraq]

I have 3BB 10MBps and it haas been very good since changing from TOT. I use SKYPE regularly for internation calls with video and 90% of the time it is excellent, 10% hang ups, I do not stream video but do download and have no problems. 632baht a month, higher speeds are available

[darrendsd]

I use 3BB and pay around 1100 a month with tax, it's ok, I Skype a lot and 90% of the calls are fine, watch full movies on Youtube with no stoppages most of the time although I do not download much so can't say if that's ok, however page loading speeds are fine

I think it all depends on where you are and how many people share the line, I live in Soi 102 and am happy with my internet

Have heard that True is not so good in HH so I would be wary about having them as my ISP

If you need good reliable internet for your work then TOT are probably a good option but again it depends on where you stay

[darrendsd]

I use 3BB and pay around 1100 a month with tax, it's ok, I Skype a lot and 90% of the calls are fine, watch full movies on Youtube with no stoppages most of the time although I do not download much so can't say if that's ok, however page loading speeds are fine

I think it all depends on where you are and how many people share the line, I live in Soi 102 and am happy with my internet

Have heard that True is not so good in HH so I would be wary about having them as my ISP

If you need good reliable internet for your work then TOT are probably a good option but again it depends on where you stay

The last sentence should say CAT Internet

[PattayaPhom]

3BB everytime!!!......best service there is

[jingjoe8]

i was told 3bb was no good for live streaming using a vpn because of package loss,although the more expensive plan with 3bb was ok for this,anyone experienced this

[Nisa]

Thanks again everyone. I guess I am really going to need to find a way to verify the connection before signing a lease. I wonder if a large problem might be how new the building or possible location is. I am in a complex that has about 8 condo buildings and just got done speaking with somebody in one of the older building and listening to how much his internet connection is horrible ... and he uses True DSL too and has the same package as me.

[hhfarang]

^ Yes, I've had problems with old wiring and connections (corroded terminals), so that could be the problem. Distance to a repeater of sub-station can also be a problem.

I use a lot of international sites and I notice slow downs particularly on weekends and starting around 4 p.m. on weekdays. That's why I think kids (out of school) using the internet cafes ties up bandwidth. I think there is not enough international bandwidth which I think is provided to all companies (TOT, True, and 3BB) by Cat Telecom.

[Aforek]

I have 3BB 10MBps and it haas been very good since changing from TOT. I use SKYPE regularly for internation calls with video and 90% of the time it is excellent, 10% hang ups, I do not stream video but do download and have no problems. 632baht a month, higher speeds are available

I have 3 BB in Cha am, very good for everything ( included Skype ),but for streaming: I solve the problem by dowloading the video you tube or dailymotion ( fast with download helper and firefox ), but I have 8 mbs and I pay 950 bahts a month : how can you pay 632 bahts a month with 10 MBps ?

Edited December 22, 2012 by Aforek

[hhfarang]

^ Yeah, how indeed? I just looked my package up and I also have the 8mb for around 950 per month.

[wpcoe]

I switched from 3BB to True last month, but before that my 3BB package was upgraded from 10Mbps to 13Mbps for the same B900 monthly price. I think I was upgraded once before that from 8Mbps to 10Mbps (still B900)?

The lowest 3BB package is now B590 for 10Mbps. There are flyers/stickers advertising that plan all over town. Their trucks even have it decal'd on them.

Ah, here it is:

source: http://www.3bb.co.th...id=2084〈=en

If you're only getting 8Mbps for $650, I think maybe you missed two automatic upgrades.

[Aforek]

I switched from 3BB to True last month, but before that my 3BB package was upgraded from 10Mbps to 13Mbps for the same B900 monthly price. I think I was upgraded once before that from 8Mbps to 10Mbps (still B900)?

The lowest 3BB package is now B590 for 10Mbps. There are flyers/stickers advertising that plan all over town. Their trucks even have it decal'd on them.

Ah, here it is:

source: http://www.3bb.co.th...id=2084〈=en

If you're only getting 8Mbps for $650, I think maybe you missed two automatic upgrades.

you are right:I just checked my speed with speed test, and I have 13.79 mbps, so every thing is ok: it was 8 mbps 3 months ago, so I have got the automatic upgrade and I didn't notice it

950 bahts are with VAT included

Edited December 24, 2012 by Aforek

[darrendsd]

3BB do different kind of Packages, the 10 MB advertised will only be for websites that you are visiting within Thailand, International sites will be a slower speed and they will not tell you this unless you ask them

[Qauvorka]

3BB do different kind of Packages, the 10 MB advertised will only be for websites that you are visiting within Thailand, International sites will be a slower speed and they will not tell you this unless you ask them

So what speeds do you actually get after school hours and on weekends? As you said they do offer a business plan I got years ago and gaurantees 3mbs for overseas sites but it costs me 1149 per month which is crap. I went in there to get the cheaper faster service but they told me it would be slower than what I have at peak times and for O/S. What is the truth, what speeds do you get overseas at peak times.

[darrendsd]

3BB do different kind of Packages, the 10 MB advertised will only be for websites that you are visiting within Thailand, International sites will be a slower speed and they will not tell you this unless you ask them

So what speeds do you actually get after school hours and on weekends? As you said they do offer a business plan I got years ago and gaurantees 3mbs for overseas sites but it costs me 1149 per month which is crap. I went in there to get the cheaper faster service but they told me it would be slower than what I have at peak times and for O/S. What is the truth, what speeds do you get overseas at peak times.

3BB do different kind of Packages, the 10 MB advertised will only be for websites that you are visiting within Thailand, International sites will be a slower speed and they will not tell you this unless you ask them

So what speeds do you actually get after school hours and on weekends? As you said they do offer a business plan I got years ago and gaurantees 3mbs for overseas sites but it costs me 1149 per month which is crap. I went in there to get the cheaper faster service but they told me it would be slower than what I have at peak times and for O/S. What is the truth, what speeds do you get overseas at peak times.

To be honest I have no idea as I have never done a speed test, I just look at how fast pages load and it is very rare that they slow down even after school hours and at weekends

The speed also depends on how many people share your line, I believe that the maximum on each line is 32, if there are only say 10 people on your line then in theory your speed should be higher, so depending on where you live in HH may affect your page load speed

I am happy with the service I receive from 3BB the page load is fast however I don't download much but live streaming and Youtube are fine

If there is a fault with the service which is rare then I call them up and request that they come to my house at 9am the next morning and they are there

All In all I think their service is fine

[Aforek]

As for me, on week-ends, speed test with 3 BB shows that my connection is 13.87 and 0.96 ; may I ask a question ?:

in my country , adsl works with telephone line ; here, I have just Internet , no telephone with 3 BB, and it works very fine ; how can they do it ?: I juts know that a technician came here and installed wire to my house: does it work with electricity ?

[hhfarang]

It's just like a phone line but installed specifically for internet. For us there are two phone lines coming off the pole out front onto our property. They go to a junction box and one line comes from it to the house carrying both land line telephone signal and 3BB internet. There is a splitter in the wall telephone plug in the house where the line is split again, one to the modem, one to the phone, i.e., they are both carried on the same line inside our property.

Edited January 8, 2013 by hhfarang