ICT reaffirms development of nationwide Wi-Fi hotspot project



BANGKOK 16 May 2014 (NNT) — The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has reaffirmed its stance on pushing forward with its plan to provide free Wi-Fi nationwide.

According to Deputy ICT Minister, Surachai Srisankam, the ICT has been in the process of installing a total of 105,000 Wi-Fi hotspots around the country in order to provide free internet usage for the country. The Ministry has reportedly been given a budget of 950 million baht for the project, by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission.

Initially, the plan was to hire the TOT as the sole contractor to install all the free Wi-Fi hotspots. However, due to the company's constraints, the ICT later adjusted its plan, breaking the Wi-Fi project into 77 different smaller ones, one in each province, across the nation.

Local companies in all the provinces will be the ones installing the free Wi-Fi hotspots instead of the TOT. The ministry estimated that the entire project should take no more than 3 years to complete. Every hotspot will be able to offer a 4-5 megabit/second download speed.

Mr. Surchai added that the Wi-Fi will go ahead as planned despite the absence of a working Cabinet, which has affected the ministry's many other projects.


-- NNT 2014-05-16

There are 76 provinces in Thailand

Free Wifi in most countries mean being able to access on the spot without any need for a password. In Thailand even with the free wifi they provide at Bkk airport you would still need to go through the trouble of going to the counter, ask for a password and enter this code on the ISP webpage before youre online. Thais love doing everything the long way instead of short.

Free Wifi in most countries mean being able to access on the spot without any need for a password. In Thailand even with the free wifi they provide at Bkk airport you would still need to go through the trouble of going to the counter, ask for a password and enter this code on the ISP webpage before youre online. Thais love doing everything the long way instead of short.

At least they did not install dummies like the cctv

There are 76 provinces in Thailand

and Bangkok.

Something smells

Wow, I want to know how WiFi can be available in ANY location in Thailand, even in the cities....... actually, especially in the cities.

WiFi is a radio propagated mode and radio waves of the frequencies of WiFi can easily be blocked by buildings, hills, trees, and dissipate over distance, too. This is why there are Hotspots and not just to control who can get to the WiFi.

Someone please inform how that can be done.

Initially, the plan was to hire the TOT as the sole contractor to install all the free Wi-Fi hotspots. However, due to the company's constraints, the ICT later adjusted its plan, breaking the Wi-Fi project into 77 different smaller ones, one in each province, across the nation.

Which will most likely result in a fragmented system....X-amount of the contractors doing a crappy job and/or failing to deliver on the contract....and some contractors doing a good job....but it's sure a good way to spread money around in up to 77 different directions.