Voip Business In Thailand? Legal?

[Dr. Burrito]

Hi: Trying to get a bit of information related to opening a VoIP in Thailand, whether by a Thai or foreign company.

The most obvious version of VoIP is of course Skype, which is marketed I guess 99% over the internet. However, there are also a lot of companies selling cards, and using land line DSN style service to allow people access over 'regular' phones (land-line or mobile) to access these services and still call international at VoIP rates, though paying local access charges.

Is TOT allowing this type of business to set up in Thailand? Example being, you could sign up here, say at a kiosk and even buy VoIP time cards, much like buying your top-up cards from AIS or DTAC. Just curious. Trying to build some knowledge for future opportunities.

Thanks

Dr. B

[Phil Conners]

Nope. VOIP is officially illegal in Thailand.

[poorfarang]

Why?

Im guessing because CAT is upset that they cant take a slice of the pie? Well screw them, my Vonage system is going over a DSL line which is taxed and paid for from them so that is enough of a contribution.

[FlyingDutchman]

Hi: Trying to get a bit of information related to opening a VoIP in Thailand ... Trying to build some knowledge for future opportunities.

Thanks

Dr. B

"NASA spent 8 years and $12 billion developing a pen that could write in space. It needed to be able to work in zero gravity, at a range of temperatures, and be able to write on any surface. The Russians used a pen. - Widely accepted Urban Myth."

I did not know VOIP was illegal ... about this urban myth. The pen was developed by Paul C. Fisher. He invested about $1 million of its own funds. Nasa did not invest any, because they had invested $4,382.50 previous in pens and 'the people' thought that was too much. But approximately 400 pens were purchased from Fisher at $6 per unit for Project Apollo. The Soviet Union also purchased 100 of the Fisher pens, and 1,000 ink cartridges.

Fisher continues to market his space pens as the writing instrument that went to the Moon and has spun off this effort into a separate corporation, the Fisher Space Pen Co. Source

[lordofdelusion]

Help out a computer illiterate here. I have been talking to friends back in Thailand while in the states via Skype or Yahoo. I'm able to call their cell phones. I was hoping to call home using the same services from Thailand to the U.S. Are you saying I can't log onto Skype or Yahoo in Thailand and call home???

[poorfarang]

That is misquoted either way. It should say the Russians used a PENCIL***

[Simmo]

Help out a computer illiterate here. I have been talking to friends back in Thailand while in the states via Skype or Yahoo. I'm able to call their cell phones. I was hoping to call home using the same services from Thailand to the U.S. Are you saying I can't log onto Skype or Yahoo in Thailand and call home???

You can use Skype here no problem , a lot of people do. It's apparently illegal to provide a commercial VoIP service here without a license eg you couldn't start a company selling VoIP services to local business without a license from CAT .

It's not illegal to use an overseas provider like Vonage, Skype etc.

[Dr. Burrito]

That is misquoted either way. It should say the Russians used a PENCIL***

Gotta fix that damned quote. Syntax error.

[Chang_paarp]

Why?

Im guessing because CAT is upset that they cant take a slice of the pie? Well screw them, my Vonage system is going over a DSL line which is taxed and paid for from them so that is enough of a contribution.

Look who misses out on income, it might change, but don't hold your breath.

[steveromagnino]

Nope. VOIP is officially illegal in Thailand.

AFAIK it was legalised late last year and now companies require a license from CAT for it.

This according to someone who sells hardware for SKYPE type service, so who knows, it could be lies!

[rishi]

Nope. VOIP is officially illegal in Thailand.

AFAIK it was legalised late last year and now companies require a license from CAT for it.

This according to someone who sells hardware for SKYPE type service, so who knows, it could be lies!

I'm not familiar with the laws, but that one merely sounds as a cementing of status quo with the addition that now CAT can make a new kind of money on its monopoly.

AFAIK, the "illegality" of VoIP is owed to the circumstance that CAT has an agelong monopoly on international telephony. So - in case there actually actively was made such a "legalisation" last year - well, doesn't it just state that CAT now are allowed to "sell" parts of its monopoly? (I haven't bought a licence, so I'll assume providing myself with Skype-phonecalls still is a breach?)

[palm]

If you use the VOIP software from www.internetcalls.com you can call UK and USA landlines for FREE 24/7. I've no idea wyh/how its free, it just is.

Been using it for months, works great. You need to register something like 10 Euros on it, but now my telephone bills have dropped from 10,000+ a month calling my staff abroad to almost zero.