Seeking recommendations/advice on ISP Packages and/or Modem/Router upgrades

[Pib]

As far as I know most Youtube.com videos are mirrored on Google Data Center servers around the world...and the closest Data Centers in this part of the world are Singapore and Taiwan.

 

Google Link to Their Current Data Centers

https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/index.html

 

A kinda old post talking google data centers

https://www.quora.com/Where-does-Google-keep-its-Youtube-servers-and-how-does-it-store-60-hours-of-video-on-YouTube-every-minute

 

And good luck on getting an reliable info from 3BB regarding throttling, user contention ratios by type of network, etc.   But it doesn't hurt to ask.   Now if you got to talk to some 3BB enginner in their network center who you could trust/maybe had as a friend, then maybe you could get some reliable info.

 

 

 

 

[gdhm]

22 hours ago, Pib said:

As far as I know most Youtube.com videos are mirrored on Google Data Center servers around the world...and the closest Data Centers in this part of the world are Singapore and Taiwan.

 

Google Link to Their Current Data Centers

https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/index.html

 

A kinda old post talking google data centers

https://www.quora.com/Where-does-Google-keep-its-Youtube-servers-and-how-does-it-store-60-hours-of-video-on-YouTube-every-minute

 

And good luck on getting an reliable info from 3BB regarding throttling, user contention ratios by type of network, etc.   But it doesn't hurt to ask.   Now if you got to talk to some 3BB enginner in their network center who you could trust/maybe had as a friend, then maybe you could get some reliable info.

 

Thanks Pib,

 

So all Thais who stream are streaming form International sites.

 

Your last para was prophetic Pib unfortunately. We drove to Khon Kaen Head Office and only 4 staff there.

My wife told them we wished to upgrade and we were recommended VDSL 50Mb/10mb ฿963. I asked why ฿963 and not ฿700 as advertised in Promo. My wife was told because you said you want International use. Via my wife I said it make no mention of that in the Promo literature of on Web and that I felt it deceptive. I then said anyway I want the Fibre option.  She tried steering me to VDSL again telling me3 everybody uses that. I told her that was not the future and was already almost on its maximum capability  and 4 times slower than Fibre 200Mb/50Mb. She then said it was intended fore International use. I pointed out it could be 75% slower for international sites and still match the absolute Maximum of the VDSL package and was future proofed. She then searched her database and announced I could not have Fibre where I live.  I told her I did not understand, as the engineers who visited my home to sort out an issue 1-2 years ago told us 3BB were installing Fibre and even suggested I stopped sharing the TOT telephone line to the house and allow them to run a new cable instead.  I pointed out our cables are underground and I was not willing to disconnect the house phone.  I accept we may have been talking at cross purposes and my wife misinterpreted but for 3BB to look on their countrywide database and tell me I cannot have it makes me VERY suspicious on accuracy because:

 

1) there are placards at the end of our road form both AIS and True advertising Fibre packages. (I accept these could be fishing to see if enough users interested to be worthwhile to lay fibre cable - BUT MAYBE NOT). There is also a 3BB poster which I admit only mentions VDSL but its not new and package prices are well out of date.

 

2) We do not live in the sticks but Nai Muang Khon Kaen city 4th or 5th largest in Thailand (my home is only 1 km form the large (Lake) Bung Kaen Nakhon. If they have only set up in parts of Muang, then what on Earth have 3BB been doing since they announced Fibre.

 

3) How often do websites in keep their databases up to date in this part of the World. If 3BB entries on Google are visited there are  even 2 different offers for VDSL to 31 Dec 2016 so why should I be confident that a central database is up to date/accurate (and none mention an extra cost for international access.

 

I asked where I could speak to a Techie or engineer. I was advised to phone the Bangkok Helpdesk 1530.  Regretfully whilst they are more knowledgable I have never felt the the Help-desk staff are very knowledgable.

 

I told my wife to tell them I will have to check out AIS and True to see if they have Fibre  in my road or can and will install before I decide.  I did say I felt I had not got decent advice in recent years on better options I could have had than my current package.

They looked blank (or just did not know when I asked about restriction levels on International sites with Fibre package. I asked because the staffer did not seem certain to me if not suitable for International or not. She did not seem to have any idea (or maybe any idea what I was asking).

 

Coming back to the posters at end of our road. My wife took the agents phone number off the 3BB VDSL poster and phoned her. She told K she was sure there is no problem with Fibre with my road. My wife explained to her what we had been told by 3BB Khon Kaen Head Office. She said she will speak to engineers and sources she knows to recheck but she still considered Fibre is OK where we are. I will not hold my hopes too high because an agent may always be positive sounding when approached by a potential customer. On the other hand she may have more accurate local knowledge on 3BB Fibre cabling Network in Khon Kaen

 

I must also bear in mind not to cut my nose to spite my face.  MY 3BB consistency of service over the years has been extremely good. Even a ฿963 international VDSL 50Mb/10Mb package would be ฿200 cheaper than my Premier 3Mb/1Mb package and IF the speeds are even 50% of the quoted maximums I would have   25Mb/5Mb speeds which should be more than adequate for me and still a major speed upgrade.

 

The downside might be that the speeds are pie in the sky and I may not be allowed to switch to Fibre for a year if it does arrive before then. I feel almost certain 3BB will not confirm MINIMUM international speeds I will get BEFORE I commit and find out for myself and if poor will blame cables, distance (and whatever) rather than unrealistic advertising. I also feel if I elect to pay the extra form International use that 3BB should tell me what difference I have paid an extra 20% for in case it is minimal and not worth it. 

 

C'est la vie.  Getting salient information from knowledgable staff/workers  in LOS can often be like "pulling teeth"  - its depressing having to take "Leaps of Faith" at times here, when I'd never do so in UK".

Edited December 22, 2016 by gdhm

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, gdhm said:

1) there are placards at the end of our road form both AIS and True advertising Fibre packages. (I accept these could be fishing to see if enough users interested to be worthwhile to lay fibre cable - BUT MAYBE NOT). There is also a 3BB poster which I admit only mentions VDSL but its not new and package prices are well out of date.

 

Just because AIS and True advertise fibre in your area does not mean that other providers also offer it there. As far as I know providers do not share fibre infrastructure here.

[Pib]

3 hours ago, gdhm said:

Your last para was prophetic Pib unfortunately. We drove to Khon Kaen Head Office and only 4 staff there.

My wife told them we wished to upgrade and we were recommended VDSL 50Mb/10mb ฿963. I asked why ฿963 and not ฿700 as advertised in Promo. My wife was told because you said you want International use. Via my wife I said it make no mention of that in the Promo literature of on Web and that I felt it deceptive. I then said anyway I want the Fibre option.

 

 

 

Something sounds really fishy about the conversation....my gut is telling me there was some miscommunication.  The thing about paying an extra Bt200 for international use is BS and just tells me some miscommunication happened.  I did some googling and I found an older 3BB promotion where the VDSL 30/5 plan was Bt900...add 7% VAT and you get Bt963.    See below.  But none of the "current" VDSL plans on the 3BB show any VDSL plan costing Bt963 with VAT added on.

 

 

Me thinks you better research some more regarding what the  Khon Kaen 3BB office told you.

 

And definitely check out if AIS and True have fibre in your area, especially AIS.   Heck, when I got AIS Fibre back in early July the main AIS Call Center had been telling me for months fibre was not available in my area/moobaan....I had even called them again in mid June to get the same answer.  Then the last week of June I looked on their website, used their page which showed where they had coverage and it indicated coverage for my address/moobaan.  I called the AIS Call Center again....the rep said yes, he "thinks" AIS does now has coverage in my area after researching his computer for 5 minutes.   Next day I went to a AIS Service Center to sign up, but it took two reps approx 15 minutes of researching in the computer as to whether there was coverage in my area...they finally concluded there was coverage.  I signed up.  3 days later the install team came out and hooked me up.  I asked them if anyone else in my moobaan had AIS Fibre....they said yes as they stated hooking people up in my moobaan two months earlier....back in early May.  At that point it just reinforced my belief that Thai ISPs have a long way to go in being able to accurately tell a customer if they can service your address when you call them up asking.  

 

And by the way, AIS has never put up a flyer in my large western Bangkok moobaan of around 750 homes advertising their product.  I asked the install team why AIS didn't put up in flyers/posters like True did when True installed Cable in the moobaan...heck, True even had a signup booth in the moobaan for two weekends after they went operational with the Cable TV/internet.  The AIS install team just said they don't know....they just install.   

 

 

Edited December 22, 2016 by Pib

[Pib]

If you want to know if there is fiber optics running through your area, just look on the power poles for a fiber optics junction box like shown below.  It will be a hard plastic box about the size of a shoebox with loops of fiber optics on both sides.  This is where they connect the fiber line that runs to your residence....and the fiber run to  your residence can be many hundreds of meters long.    Highly unlikely the box will say 3BB, AIS, True, TOT, etc., anywhere on it....it may just have some letters and numbers like a vehicle license plate.  But if you can find boxes like this in your area, you have fiber optics in your area.  Now you just need to find out what ISP is providing the service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bureaucrat]

30 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Something sounds really fishy about the conversation....my gut is telling me there was some miscommunication.  The thing about paying an extra Bt200 for international use is BS and just tells me some miscommunication happened.  I did some googling and I found an older 3BB promotion where the VDSL 30/5 plan was Bt900...add 7% VAT and you get Bt963.    See below.  But none of the "current" VDSL plans on the 3BB show any VDSL plan costing Bt963 with VAT added on.

 

 

Me thinks you better research some more regarding what the  Khon Kaen 3BB office told you.

 

And definitely check out if AIS and True have fibre in your area, especially AIS.   Heck, when I got AIS Fibre back in early July the main AIS Call Center had been telling me for months fibre was not available in my area/moobaan....I had even called them again in mid June to get the same answer.  Then the last week of June I looked on their website, used their page which showed where they had coverage and it indicated coverage for my address/moobaan.  I called the AIS Call Center again....the rep said yes, he "thinks" AIS does now has coverage in my area after researching his computer for 5 minutes.   Next day I went to a AIS Service Center to sign up, but it took two reps approx 15 minutes of researching in the computer as to whether there was coverage in my area...they finally concluded there was coverage.  I signed up.  3 days later the install team came out and hooked me up.  I asked them if anyone else in my moobaan had AIS Fibre....they said yes as they stated hooking people up in my moobaan two months earlier....back in early May.  At that point it just reinforced my belief that Thai ISPs have a long way to go in being able to accurately tell a customer if they can service your address when you call them up asking.  

 

And by the way, AIS has never put up a flyer in my large western Bangkok moobaan of around 750 homes advertising their product.  I asked the install team why AIS didn't put up in flyers/posters like True did when True installed Cable in the moobaan...heck, True even had a signup booth in the moobaan for two weekends after they went operational with the Cable TV/internet.  The AIS install team just said they don't know....they just install.   

 

 

This information is out of date and incorrect.

http://www.3bb.co.th/3bb/promotion

Edited December 22, 2016 by Bureaucrat

[Pib]

3 minutes ago, Bureaucrat said:

This information is out of date and incorrect.

http://www.3bb.co.th/3bb/promotion

Yeap, like I said in my post.

[Bureaucrat]

3 minutes ago, Pib said:

Yeap, like I said in my post.

So what is the point of posting it. Your text is so dense it's unreadable.

 

[Pib]

Sounds like you are using a smarphone or maybe a small tablet...that is, a little screen to read TV posts.    Sorry for writing more than a few words.  But my first paragraph...not a long paragraph...said the pricing info in the image was an old promotion (an old promotion the 3BB folks maybe have been quoting the OP) and didn't match any of the current promotions which the OP had already reviewed on the 3BB website.  Just need to read the whole post.

[Bureaucrat]

15 minutes ago, Pib said:

Sounds like you are using a smarphone or maybe a small tablet...that is, a little screen to read TV posts.    Sorry for writing more than a few words.  But my first paragraph...not a long paragraph...said the pricing info in the image was an old promotion (an old promotion the 3BB folks maybe have been quoting the OP) and didn't match any of the current promotions which the OP had already reviewed on the 3BB website.  Just need to read the whole post.

To read the whole post would take me too long please try to be more concise and don't take up so much space. I am sure 90% of members don't understand a word. The guy wants advice. You could just send him one line   http://www.3bb.co.th/3bb/promotion .

[Pib]

Dude, if you had read the OP's posts he had already reviewed the 3BB current promotions (your link above)...he was well aware of the current promotion prices as he talked about them in his posts to include his latest post.  That's why he was saying something was amiss.  But I expect you didn't read his posts either since they were also longer than a few lines.

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, Pib said:

 The thing about paying an extra Bt200 for international use is BS and just tells me some miscommunication happened.  I did some googling and I found an older 3BB promotion where the VDSL 30/5 plan was Bt900...add 7% VAT and you get Bt963.    See below.  But none of the "current" VDSL plans on the 3BB show any VDSL plan costing Bt963 with VAT added on.

 

My current 18/1 3BB ADSL package costs 963B including VAT (but not including the discount for yearly prepayment). This package has frequently been recommended to me by various 3BB staff as being better for international connections than VDSL. Whilst they may be mistaken - how much worse in practice could a 50/10 VDSL connection be than a 18/1 ADSL connection? - I do believe that they are sincere. I would really like to test VDSL compared to my ADSL but I have been repeatedly told that changing is a one-way process that cannot be undone (though I see no reason why this should be so). So I stick with the devil I know which works well enough, whilst I wait for the miracle of fibre to descend from the sky onto my Jomtien condo.

 

Maybe he was offered this ADSL package?

[gdhm]

11 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

My current 18/1 3BB ADSL package costs 963B including VAT (but not including the discount for yearly prepayment). This package has frequently been recommended to me by various 3BB staff as being better for international connections than VDSL. Whilst they may be mistaken - how much worse in practice could a 50/10 VDSL connection be than a 18/1 ADSL connection? - I do believe that they are sincere. I would really like to test VDSL compared to my ADSL but I have been repeatedly told that changing is a one-way process that cannot be undone (though I see no reason why this should be so). So I stick with the devil I know which works well enough, whilst I wait for the miracle of fibre to descend from the sky onto my Jomtien condo.

 

Maybe he was offered this ADSL package?

 

Hi KittenKong,

 

Seems hard to believe VDSL would not be better especially IF VDSL 50Mb/10Mb is not throttled (or to a lesser degree) if one pays the extra for the International option, but I fully understand your concerns of jumping out of the frying pan inot the fire when 3BB seme so relunctant to allow you to reverse if not the case. I get this uncomfortable feeling that 3BB like people not realizing they could improve their packages and speeds. Maybe they have a limited amount they can sell so people like me paying them ฿1186 for 3mB/1Mb  Premier are their favourites.

 

I wish you well for the Fibre hopefully coming soon to your Condo KittenKong.

 

MY SITUATION UPDATE

Two 3BB Sales & Marketing ladies turned up today 10 minutes early for our appointment in a 3BB official vehicle. 

1) They confirmed Fibre for me no problem. Confirmed package considered suitable for International Sites.

 

2) Engineers will install a Fibre cable from box (exchange) that is next to local Temple (about 0.6Km from our house).

 

3) Expect to do work in about 3 days time BUT asked me to forgive them, if slightly slower due to New Year being so close and engineers not wishing to work very close to New Year. I said no problem.

 

4) They seemed very sure no throttling for international sites.  I think they are mistaken (but maybe I am) I will have to wait and see. As far as I am concerned, provided a major improvement in International speeds over my current package 3Mb then I win for only ฿98 a month.

 

5) Showed me a photo of equipment on mobile. It was not the Huawei HG8245H which is white and squarer shaped, The one they showed me was Black and more curved from left to right. I showed them a photo of the Huawei HG8245H which someone had posted on YouTube as the equipment supplied by 3BB for Fibre and they said the black was newer, better and had replaced the other. Not worried provided it has the same or better features/performance with 4 Ethernet ports as I plan to use 2 or  3 of them immediately it is installed

 

6) When I said their local HO should be told their database in incorrect and people where I live can have Fibre they said they cannot now I am having it, because 3BB lacks Pots from the Box (exchange) they connect the fibre cable too and my installation will use the last currently available one. Until pots are expanded I will be the the last one in my road and in between. I asked how I was so lucky to get the last one. I think its down to whether the local engineer sometimes knows more up to date/accurate info than the Central database. I also think me being a 9 year customer helped (who knows)

 

7) I was told to deal with the new package and the cancelling the old separately because if try to co-ordinate a transfer from one to other method, then the whole process will take longer. Seems logical to me so I agreed. Once the Fibre is installed and working as expected I will have two systems for a few days. The ladies told me I could compare the speeds of the two. I told them to trust me that I already know exactly what speeds my current package is capable of producing for both Thailand, UK and West and East coast US and a few more via various speed test sites and that within 10 minutes I will know whether my new Fibre package produces close to the quoted max speeds for Thailand and whether they are correct that International sites in UK and US achieve similar or are throttled to a small/large degree. To be fair to the ladies that did not worry them at all. I am in all honesty not expecting similar speeds for International sites but IF I get 20Mb plus download speeds I will be satisfied as that would be already 7+ times faster than I get now on international and Thai sites with my current package.

 

8) The ladies advised it best that the new Contract with 3BB was with my wife, because if it was with me I will have to pay 6 months in advance. I said disappointing as I am a customer of 9 years but I was completely OK with that.  I paid the ฿3000 Deposit and ฿1284 first month fee to them. They gave us completed and signed carbonized contract and installation contact papers. (amuses me that in Thailand how many companies/retailers I have dealt with usually keep the top copies and give customers the (often not easy to read) carbonized copies. I was used to the other way around in UK)

 

9)I  have already paid for January 2017 on my current package and was told if I am able to cancel before 1st Jan 2017 I will be able to ask for a refund. All depends on when the Fibre is up and running. Not a major issue although saving ฿1186 if I can would be very  nice.

 

Finally, KittenKong you and others, especially Pib, have been really understanding and helpful to me in this Topic and I have learnt a lot as well.  I PROMISE that I will give a final update when installed (or not ) and I am able to report on speeds attained in tests, installation and equipment supplied.

 

Many thanks to all.

 

[gdhm]

14 hours ago, Bureaucrat said:

To read the whole post would take me too long please try to be more concise and don't take up so much space. I am sure 90% of members don't understand a word. The guy wants advice. You could just send him one line   http://www.3bb.co.th/3bb/promotion .

 

I regret you negatively used up space to criticize Pib, who has been very helpful to me and I have really enjoyed reading his detailed information, as I have with other posters advice and information.

 

To clarify, from my OP I had explained (in depth ) that I was not very knowledgable on the whole issues of VDSL/Fibre etc. and actually finished off the OP with:

IF, you are still with me, thanks for your time reading and for any helpful advice/clarity of understanding on salient factors you may be able to offer me. I have given so much details because I did not wish to ask members for help and advice having supplied inadequate information. 

 

"Helpful advice/clarity of understanding on salient factors you may be able to offer me" is exactly what Pib and others have kindly given me and I greatly appreciate their knowledge and time to help me achieve that goal. 

 

One final thought. Whilst these kind posters have answered my questions, I am sure the information will be extremely helpful for others who visit ThaiVisa seeking seeking similar advice and understanding will still be salient in the future and for some time to come. 

 

 

 

[Bureaucrat]

2 hours ago, gdhm said:

 

I regret you negatively used up space to criticize Pib, who has been very helpful to me and I have really enjoyed reading his detailed information, as I have with other posters advice and information.

 

To clarify, from my OP I had explained (in depth ) that I was not very knowledgable on the whole issues of VDSL/Fibre etc. and actually finished off the OP with:

IF, you are still with me, thanks for your time reading and for any helpful advice/clarity of understanding on salient factors you may be able to offer me. I have given so much details because I did not wish to ask members for help and advice having supplied inadequate information. 

 

"Helpful advice/clarity of understanding on salient factors you may be able to offer me" is exactly what Pib and others have kindly given me and I greatly appreciate their knowledge and time to help me achieve that goal. 

 

One final thought. Whilst these kind posters have answered my questions, I am sure the information will be extremely helpful for others who visit ThaiVisa seeking seeking similar advice and understanding will still be salient in the future and for some time to come. 

 

 

 

Yes but you can find all this information on google instead  of writing bulk posts that nobody reads. I doubt very much that it is useful to any other member. If you want to blow off to show how clever you are why don't use LINE app. Instead of boring everybody to death but then again you won't have an audience there to see how clever you are at waffling.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Bureaucrat

[Pib]

15 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

My current 18/1 3BB ADSL package costs 963B including VAT (but not including the discount for yearly prepayment). This package has frequently been recommended to me by various 3BB staff as being better for international connections than VDSL. Whilst they may be mistaken - how much worse in practice could a 50/10 VDSL connection be than a 18/1 ADSL connection? - I do believe that they are sincere. I would really like to test VDSL compared to my ADSL but I have been repeatedly told that changing is a one-way process that cannot be undone (though I see no reason why this should be so). So I stick with the devil I know which works well enough, whilst I wait for the miracle of fibre to descend from the sky onto my Jomtien condo.

 

Maybe he was offered this ADSL package?

 

 Yea, the 3BB rep could have been talking an ADSL package vs a VDSL package.

 

Believe it or not I was going to make a follow-on post today saying "maybe" the OP was really being offered an ADSL package that happened to come out to that Bt963 price (I've been gone most of today to central Bangkok taking care of some business and couldn't post earlier)  but you beat me to it.  

 

I thought to myself late last night that maybe the 3BB just wasn't talking a VDSL package but ADSL....but the OP & wife thought the rep was talking a VDSL package.  Just one of those miscommunication things.     Plus a Bt963 was generally in the ballpark for ADSL plans at around 20Mb in speed.  

 

3BB don't seem to list their ADSL plans/prices on their website (or I didn't see them); just their fiber and VDSL plans.   To find out what ADSL plans/prices are you have to talk to an agent or call them.   I think True is the same way with their ADSL plans....plenty of info on their website regarding their Fiber/Cable plans but little on ADSL.  Then again, maybe the info is on their websites and I just can't find it.

 

 

 

[wpcoe]

19 minutes ago, Bureaucrat said:

Yes but you can find all this information on google instead  of writing bulk posts that nobody reads. I doubt very much that it is useful to any other member. If you want to blow off to show how clever you are why don't use LINE app. Instead of boring everybody to death but then again you won't have an audience there to see how clever you are at waffling.

 

I'm another forum user who does read the longer posts (especially @Pib's) in threads like this and have learned lots about the internet providers in Thailand.   Apparently your world view does not include folks like me and @gdhm?

[KittenKong]

Just now, Pib said:

3BB don't seem to list their ADSL plans/prices on their website (or I didn't see them); just their fiber and VDSL plans.   To find out what ADSL plans/prices are you have to talk to an agent or call them.   I think True is the same way with their ADSL plans....plenty of info on their website regarding their Fiber/Cable plans but little on ADSL.  Then again, maybe the info is on their websites and I just can't find it.

 

No, I dont think 3BB publicise ADSL online at all any more. But it definitely still exists.

[Pib]

yeap, ADSL still rules in Thailand.  In a 15 Dec 16 Bangkok Post article talking the increasing competition between AIS/3BB/True fiber plans that 70% of Thailand internet users on fixed broadband are still on ADSL.   

[gdhm]

5 hours ago, Bureaucrat said:

Yes but you can find all this information on google instead  of writing bulk posts that nobody reads. I doubt very much that it is useful to any other member. If you want to blow off to show how clever you are why don't use LINE app. Instead of boring everybody to death but then again you won't have an audience there to see how clever you are at waffling.

 

If you are trying to instigate a flame war I am sorry but it isn't going to happen.

I do not use Social Media apps like Line, Facebook etc.

I do not into use smart phones multiple options.  All I want from a mobile is a phone and text messaging. My PC suffices for all the rest.

I admit I find it difficult to be as concise as I would like. No I do not consider waffling clever.  

This site is not Twitter and I do not understand why you are still reading and posting in my Topic if offended by the content and level of detail.

[gdhm]

2 hours ago, Pib said:

yeap, ADSL still rules in Thailand.  In a 15 Dec 16 Bangkok Post article talking the increasing competition between AIS/3BB/True fiber plans that 70% of Thailand internet users on fixed broadband are still on ADSL.   

 

I am sure a lot of Thais are still on 3BBs Max or Indy ADSL packages (I think max was forerunner of Indy). Those were the options around the time premier was available.

One reason I think many are still on these 3BB ADSL packages is that 3BB reasonably frequently increased the download speeds for Free.

In the case of My Premier Package it started life at 2Mb/1Mb and was upgraded for free about a year later.  Regretfully that was the last free increase made.

Although now obsolete one 3BB Mall sales kiosk only a few months ago did seem to suggest I could move up to a Premier 5Mb/1MB for ฿2,500 +VAT package as I was already on Premier. I not surprisingly declined.

 

For those who are interested in some of 3BBs package history:

I have 3 older 3BB leaflets and the oldest shows ADSL around 6-7  years ago was offering 2MB/0,5Mb for ฿590 Premier 2Mb/1MB for ฿1090

 

The next leaflet I have shows 4MB/0.5Mb for  ฿590, 5Mb/0.5Mb for ฿790 and 6Mb/0.5Mb for ฿1,000.

Premier was still being offered with download speeds of 3Mb up to 8Mb all 1Mb upload. prices ranging between ฿1,090 up to ฿5,200 +VAT  (this was when I got my only free upgrade to 3MB/1MB 6 years ago)

 

A newer leaflet (maybe around 3 years old) had ceased offering all Premier except a 5Mb/1Mb ฿2,500 option. 

Only one ADSL package was being offered 5MB/0.5Mb for ฿590. The same leaflet was now quoting 4 VDLS options ranging from 8MB/1Mb for ฿888 to 20Mb/4Mb for ฿2,990

 

As it can be seen the 2Mb/0.5Mb ADSL package evolved to 5Mb/0.5Mb for same price.  I feel sure ADSL speeds evolved further since that leaflet.

 

E.& O.E.

 

 

[RedCardinal]

Just to add, I just upgraded my AIS Fiber 50/10 to 100/10 and I'm getting 50-60/10Mb up to Singapore.  Singapore is always going to be a special case for speed tests since there is a peering agreement between Singapore and Thailand.  

 

I also requested that True upgrade my 30/3Mb plan to the newer 100/30Mb plan.  Sadly this upgrade is not going so well, and after they dropped by a new Docsis 3 router I found that they had in fact moved me to 15/1.5Mb plan.  Apparently they have to talk to the shop where I ordered for some reason to confirm things, and all I can say is that True are a nightmare to deal with.  Will take at least 3 working days to.  No idea what my Trtuew bills will look like this month, and expecting to have an absolute PITA to sort out.

 

If AIS are promoting fiber in your area then I can highly recommend the 100/10Mb plan at 999 THB for current customers.

[gdhm]

3 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

Just to add, I just upgraded my AIS Fiber 50/10 to 100/10 and I'm getting 50-60/10Mb up to Singapore.  Singapore is always going to be a special case for speed tests since there is a peering agreement between Singapore and Thailand.  

 

I also requested that True upgrade my 30/3Mb plan to the newer 100/30Mb plan.  Sadly this upgrade is not going so well, and after they dropped by a new Docsis 3 router I found that they had in fact moved me to 15/1.5Mb plan.  Apparently they have to talk to the shop where I ordered for some reason to confirm things, and all I can say is that True are a nightmare to deal with.  Will take at least 3 working days to.  No idea what my True bills will look like this month, and expecting to have an absolute PITA to sort out.

 

If AIS are promoting fiber in your area then I can highly recommend the 100/10Mb plan at 999 THB for current customers.

 

Sorry to hear you are having issues dealing with True. When we had True Visions some 7 years ago we were very happy with the Service (not cost) but Admin between HO and their Agent's Shop was a problem. (e.g. we paid a year up front at True Agent's Shop but HO did not know that, and we were billed. We had to sort it out, and not them sorting it out between themselves (essentially Agent had been very slow sending the money through to the True Account and recording the contract we had paid for).

 

Delighted to learn you are happy with the your AIS Fiber 100/10 upgrade. Do you get near the maximum quoted speeds of 100Mb/10Mb to Thai Sites?

Just curious Red Cardinal, do you know what speeds and Ping/Latency you  get with a UK NY or LA server. Is there a massive drop from your Singapore Speeds?

 

I did not know Thailand had a peering agreement Singapore  - that's good. I notice my pings tests to Singapore are around 55% quicker than to Vietnam or Phillipines. I assume that is part of the reason. Any idea if this means if using say Opera Browser's built in VPN via its Singapore Server (nearest to Thailand) that any ISP throttling if accessing UK/US websites would be limited compared to non VPN direct access?  I ask because Pib (I think it was) suggested some international access may be faster via VPN.  I am guessing that the VPN Server would need to be close to Thailand as possible and not located say in US.

[Pib]

9 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

Just to add, I just upgraded my AIS Fiber 50/10 to 100/10 and I'm getting 50-60/10Mb up to Singapore.  Singapore is always going to be a special case for speed tests since there is a peering agreement between Singapore and Thailand.  

 

I also requested that True upgrade my 30/3Mb plan to the newer 100/30Mb plan.  Sadly this upgrade is not going so well, and after they dropped by a new Docsis 3 router I found that they had in fact moved me to 15/1.5Mb plan.  Apparently they have to talk to the shop where I ordered for some reason to confirm things, and all I can say is that True are a nightmare to deal with.  Will take at least 3 working days to.  No idea what my Trtuew bills will look like this month, and expecting to have an absolute PITA to sort out.

 

If AIS are promoting fiber in your area then I can highly recommend the 100/10Mb plan at 999 THB for current customers.

 

I'm on AIS Fibre 50/10 PowerHome and will be upgraded to 100/10 PowerHome o/a 4 Jan 17 when my new billing cycle occurs.  Called in my upgrade order a few weeks ago.

 

I don't know what speed you got to Singapore when still on the 50/10 plan but I get around  50Mb down/11Mb up 24/7 here in Bangkok.  Like just now at 8:35pm on this Saturday night (should be peak time), I got over 50Mb on the multithread tester Speedtest.net and just a little under 50Mb on testmy.net a singlethread tester.   See below.  

 

I was hoping when going to the 100Mb plan I would get pretty close to 100Mb to Singapore....I guess I'll find out in early Jan.  

 

Do you run your tests with a router-to-computer/device "ethernet/hardwire" connection to ensure a funky Wifi connection is not causing a speed reduction?  

 

Now below tests were on my home Wifi connection but I know my home Wifi 5GHz router-to-computer setup can handle up to around 275Mb speed (I've done max speed tests with my home server being the signal source vs my AIS internet connection).  So my 50Mb plan nor my soon to be 100Mb plan will overwhelm my devices.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2016 by Pib

[RedCardinal]

19 hours ago, gdhm said:

Do you get near the maximum quoted speeds of 100Mb/10Mb to Thai Sites?

So far with AIS yes.  With True 100MB the fastest I've seen is ~80Mb.

19 hours ago, gdhm said:

do you know what speeds and Ping/Latency you  get with a UK NY or LA server. Is there a massive drop from your Singapore Speeds?

 

I'll try to run some tests and post results, but I know the answer to this is yes. I think you can expect ~20-30Mb to US west coast, and quite a bit less to EU.

19 hours ago, gdhm said:

I assume that is part of the reason. Any idea if this means if using say Opera Browser's built in VPN via its Singapore Server (nearest to Thailand) that any ISP throttling if accessing UK/US websites would be limited compared to non VPN direct access?

Interesting idea. Assuming that Opera have good infrastructure there you could potentially get very good international speeds.  I might have to check that out.

13 hours ago, Pib said:

I was hoping when going to the 100Mb plan I would get pretty close to 100Mb to Singapore....I guess I'll find out in early Jan.

I think you will be quite happy with AIS in this regard. 

[Pib]

But I hope it's more than 50-60Mb to Singapore as you mentioned in your earlier post.  Because with my current AIS 50Mb plan I already get 50Mb to Singapore...I was hoping I would get close to 100Mb.

[RedCardinal]

So here's some results testing the True 100/30 connection.  This really goes to show how these tests vary, and how they can be potentially manipulated.

 

http://speedtest.adslthailand.com/

 

 

 

http://speedtest.trueinternet.co.th/

 

 

 

And finally TestMy.net:

 

 

I'll post the same tests from AIS 100/10 shortly.

[gdhm]

Thanks guys. Three of us posting on Christmas Day  (hope that doesn't give the impression  we are "sad" people )

Update: My wife  was told yesterday that 3BB plan to fit my new Fibre Package tomorrow.

 

I  am taking this importunity to wish you both, the other helpful posters on this Topic and your families ,

A Very Merry Christmas and Enjoyable New Year. 

 

Edited December 25, 2016 by gdhm

[Pib]

Naw....Santa Claus was catching a short nap at my house and was also using my computer to check his email before he heads to the farang lands to drop of presents.  He even responded to some twitter posts Donald Trump made....Santa told Donald he had been very naughty.      If Santa uses a computer on Christmas Day I figure its OK for everyone.

[Pib]

2 hours ago, RedCardinal said:

So here's some results testing the True 100/30 connection.  This really goes to show how these tests vary, and how they can be potentially manipulated.

 

http://speedtest.adslthailand.com/

 

 

 

http://speedtest.trueinternet.co.th/

 

 

 

And finally TestMy.net:

 

 

I'll post the same tests from AIS 100/10 shortly.

 

The adslthailand and Trueonline testers are multithread testers (multiple internet pipes being used during the test), but the test.my tester is a single-thread tester.   Multithread testers will almost always reflect much higher speeds than a single-thread tester....just the nature of the different testing methods.  Both methods have their pros and cons depending on how you use the internet.  But in the ideal internet world you want one thread/pipe to give you the full speed of your internet plan vs needing to open multiple threads, because depending on what you are doing on the internet/what kind of interneting you are doing, multithreading may not be supported.

 

I am a little surprised the adslthailand and true testers differed so much on download speed to Singapore with the tests run so close in time.

 

I took at look in the Testmy.net database of the other testing your did to Singapore and a few to LA on the True 100/30 plan based on the User number in your above result and the speeds were low to Singapore considering you are on a 100Mb plan...looks like the fastest speed you got to Singapore was 17.25Mb at around 10am this morning.....or at least low in comparison to my AIS 50/10 plan which will pull in the 45 to 50Mb ballpark pretty much 24/7 in testmy.net testing to Singapore.

 

I use to be on the True Cable/DOCSIS 15Mb plan up until July and my international speeds were not that good....but they were still just as good (or better) as a few people I compared speedtests with who were on the True 30Mb Cable/DOCSIS plan.   That was just more confirmation to me that just because you get a higher speed  with the same ISP,  say three times faster just for example,  although your domestic/in-Thailand speed will triple your international speed may stay the same or only increase a little to the US/Europe but you speed to Singapore "should" go up significantly....but we all know what the "should" word means.  I never upgraded my speed with them since I figured  upgrading to a 30Mb would be a waste of money and at that time any of True's plans "faster" than 30Mb were just too durn pricey....I think the 50Mb plan was around Bt2,500/mo....compared to Bt900/mo since they did a big price reduction of a lot of their plans a few months ago due to AIS and 3BB competition.  

 

When I was on the True Cable 15Mb plan for aorund 5 years I sure couldn't complain about the reliability/uptime as it was close to 100%....but the international speed never was too good.  And at the time my only other ISP choice in my moobaan was TOT ADSL up to 20Mb....I had been on their ADSL 6Mb plan for a year or so before switching to True....the TOT ADSL plan was really slow for international sites and had too much downtime for my tastes.   I was so happy when AIS Fibre arrived my moobaan the middle of this year....so far, I'm still happy with them.