Can the internet be shut down?

[brewsterbudgen]

Does anyone use this?

http://strongvpn.com/packages_thailand.shtml

[keemapoot]

Well, this thread OP has just been rendered obsolete.

Thai authority to build state-owned Internet gateway for more efficeint censorship

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4045

...wonder if they'll bring Chinese government consultants to help with this. They are experts.

[draftvader]

Anybody else not able to get this out of their head when they read this thread.

I actually don't want to think it but it is STUCK! Maybe because they will only drive the information underground and out of their reach. This will make it more dangerous. Time and time again it has been proved the best tech minds DON'T work for the government. I think our new leaders should heed that information. If they can communicate openly the GREAT news is that you can read it. You don't have to take this advice but the internet is a bigger place than 99% of people know. 99% of people have just got a toe in the kiddy pool....

[AyG]

Thai authority to build state-owned Internet gateway for more efficeint censorship

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4045

...wonder if they'll bring Chinese government consultants to help with this. They are experts.

This actually makes a lot of sense (from the point of view of the government - not Internet users).

Internet censorship in Thailand is a mess. Some blocking is done by the Royal Thai Police. Some blocking is done by MICT itself. MICT also sends lists of sites to be blocked to ISPs for the ISPs to implement the blocks (which is why sometimes you can get to a site through one ISP and not by another - the ISPs aren't always very quick or efficient in blocking). And finally there's blocking done by CAT. That's at least four different sets of blockers. Much more sensible and efficient to centralise all blocking.

[draftvader]

Does anyone use this?

http://strongvpn.com/packages_thailand.shtml

I haven't yet but it does get good reviews, it does allow me to set it up on my own router, the top packages allow for many IP changes, they offer numerous countries as options, they have a 7 day money back guarantee (to allow trialing) and you can cancel instantly during a subscription period. It will mean a minor router rebuild as I am using vanilla Tomato but I like the toastman version so I just need to find the time.

I'll let you know once I have done it.....unless you do first. My wife will love it as she'll be able to watch all her favourite UK TV (god forbid!) and my daughter will love it as she'll get CBeebies on the big screen....seems like great value for money!

[Guest]

vaitor

Facebook now blocked by the Army on major Providers

28/05/14 15:50

Let's see if this is a temporary error or something we need to get used to.

I can not access Facebook on TOT at the moment.

[draftvader]

Facebook - 3BB - Accessible at present

On another note I have noticed a MASSIVE increase in page loading or css loading failures that are fine on refresh (more each day). It seems to happen to pages I haven't been to before and might not have been viewed in Thailand yet. The most recent was about "Secondary Drowning" as was a linked article not from a google search (i.e. probably quite obscure).

Anybody else for these not loading or missing style sheets on 1st loading errors?

[draftvader]

OK. Some jiggery pokery going on with Facebook. I have noticed that some images and javascript won't load first time. Refreshing seems to work. I'm guessing that they've got teething problems with their monitoring software!

[draftvader]

Well, wasn't that fun! It never went down for me (3BB Pak Kret). I really think that we are talking about a technical glitch. Some people on 3BB were blocked, some weren't. The real point here is what would happen to Thailand (or anywhere else now) psychologically if they did cut the internet. How long would it be before people started to rebel? Think how people were when they blocked the TV for 24 hours and that is a 1 way communication device. Cutting the internet is the same as cutting the phones. The panic it would cause would actually work against the military. I'm starting to think they are happily collecting data and working their way through the meaty stuff. What they do with the rest of the data once things calm down? hmmmm....VPN time for many of us who don't want a variety of government departments sifting their way through our virtual bins!

[attrayant]

Well, this thread OP has just been rendered obsolete.

Thai authority to build state-owned Internet gateway for more efficeint censorship

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4045

The only thing this will do is hasten the development of upper-atmosphere wifi platforms that will beam wifi (or some other kind of public GPRS access) down into freedom-oppressed countries like China and North Korea. I'd just never thought I'd see Thailand on that list. Google is already working on them. At the moment the prototypes are blimps, balloons and drones. When the technology is mature, people will be able to share ideas and have independent thoughts regardless of what their governments think is best for them.