If you thought mobile internet speeds in Thailand were slow…this confirms it

[webfact]

If you thought mobile internet speeds in Thailand were slow…this confirms it

BY STAFF WRITER 

 

image: ThaiRath

 

BANGKOK: -- According to a new study, Thailand ranks poorly when it comes to mobile internet speed and availability.

 

The study, carried out by UK based OpenSignal, which claims to collect connectivity data from more than a million smartphones worldwide, said that users in Thailand can expect an average mobile data speed of just 6.09Mbps.

 

This puts Thailand in 70th place overall out of 87 countries surveyed, lagging behind countries such as Kenya, Lebanon and Macedonia.

 

According to OpenSignal’s Global State of Mobile Networks survey, South Korea with an average of 37.54Mbps came out on top, while Norway and Hungary, with 34.77Mbps and 30Mbps were second and third, respectively.

 

Image: OpenSignal

 

Regionally, Thailand was behind Hong Kong with 12.61Mbps and Malaysia with 7.86Mbps, although it was rather better than Myanmar in 78th place [4.81Mbps], Indonesia in 80th place [4.72Mbps] and the Philippines which ranked as the second worst overall coming in at 86th place with an average mobile data speed of 3.33Mbps.

 

OpenSignal said that its stats are based on data from smartphones that had downloaded the OpenSignal app and collected from November 2016 to January 2017.

 

Full story: http://tech.thaivisa.com/if-you-thought-mobile-internet-speeds-in-thailand-were-slow-this-confirms-it/20110/

 

-- © Copyright thaitech 2017-02-28

[ExpatOilWorker]

I think most will be happy to get 6 Mbps, but under the "Fair usage practice", speed is often reduced to 128 Kbps once the monthly data limit is used.

 

That said, I have had speeds up to 156 Mbps when using AIS in Bangkok.

Edited February 28, 2017 by ExpatOilWorker

[fruitman]

So this is what they call Thailand 4.0 ??? (Which stands for 4G i assume)...and Thailand will soon be a technological innovativ country with high salaries? Sure mate!

[maxtwo]

Using True in Bangkok getting 77Mbps and 17 upload

[shady86]

In Bangkok we may be gettting 4G+ speeds but upcountry, I doubt some even get strong 3G signals.

Korea, Japan, Canada are amazing because they have good speeds across their vast country. 

[Eligius]

I'm glad to see my beliefs confirmed. I've been appalled by the ridiculously slow speed of the Internet here for years - and it's getting worse (wonder why? ....). The speed that I have to endure here is honestly slower than when I was using dial-up in the West 20 years ago! And these snail-speeds are from alleged 'Broadband' connections in the year 2017 ! I often find it very frustrating. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this gripe!

[alocacoc]

4g is better than the most free wifi in bars and restaurants. But, I would like to have a real unlimited 4g package. Still not possible.

[NCC1701A]

Immigration slow at airport.

 

Internet slow everywhere.

 

Traffic slow at checkpoint.

 

have to check everything. make slow.

 

 

 

 

 

[DrTuner]

And the international bandwidth is about 120baud .. an old grandma can send morse code faster. Lately the net has been getting slower and unreliable, they really should buy their spyware from a western vendor if they want their single gateway to ever work.

[tukkytuktuk]

Question: How do I check my internet speed out right now? I'm using a mobile phone with Android.

[shady86]

1 minute ago, tukkytuktuk said:

Question: How do I check my internet speed out right now? I'm using a mobile phone with Android.

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest&hl=en

[tukkytuktuk]

9 minutes ago, shady86 said:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest&hl=en

I got a download speed of 28.5 mbps and 8 mbps upload. I'm based not far from Don Mueang Airport area. So that's a similar speed to Singapore. What's the fuss about?

Edited February 28, 2017 by tukkytuktuk

[Brer Fox]

1 hour ago, tukkytuktuk said:

Question: How do I check my internet speed out right now? I'm using a mobile phone with Android.

Ookla.

http://www.speedtest.net/

[Canceraid]

This is HILARIOUS!!!!! And some buffooons want to make Thailand the IT HUB, The HUB of Startups, etc etc......lol!  Start with the basics first clowns!

[darksidedog]

2 hours ago, tukkytuktuk said:

I got a download speed of 28.5 mbps and 8 mbps upload. I'm based not far from Don Mueang Airport area. So that's a similar speed to Singapore. What's the fuss about?

Lucky you. Nationwide it sucks.

When I am between Chonburi and Rayong it moves slower than traffic on Sukhumvit in rush hour.

It is so bad, I generally turn data off and wait until i am somewhere with wifi.

Then I can actually communicate in real time.

[sjaak327]

Actually, from personal experience, internet in Thailand on 4g/3g is fine. I am using AIS and even in Nakhom Phanom I get 4G coverage. For a mobile phone, doing some simple browsing or facebook the speed is fine. And I have 500/500 Mbit fiber at home ... with a 40/4 backup cable connection.

 

For a third world country, I think the infra of AIS is pretty impressive. Compare this to Lao, where LAO GSM helpdesk cannot even tell me I need to use a specific access code to even get 4G/3G working.

 

 

[Allstars]

Praise yourself lucky that you get any internet at all in Thailand with a network like it is.

 

 

 

[Hereinthailand]

Lao 3g and 4g is light years ahead of thailand in terms of quality and speed. Now come on all you bangkok residents living next to a switch or tower tell the rest of the country how good internet is in thailand.

[sjaak327]

21 minutes ago, Hereinthailand said:

Lao 3g and 4g is light years ahead of thailand in terms of quality and speed. Now come on all you bangkok residents living next to a switch or tower tell the rest of the country how good internet is in thailand.

5555 you must be joking !

 

No Lao 3g and 4g cannot compare to Thailand in any meaningful way. I have been using AIS in Thailand and Lao GSM in Lao, and apart from the fact that to activate data on a sim is a downright nightmare in Lao (with even the LAO Telecom helpdesk seemingly unware of the fact that one must use *115*11# for 3G or *115*22# for 4G, failure to do so will make sure not even a single byte will flow to the device !

 

If I am with my inlaws in a village in Kamaounne (near Tha Khaek), my Lao Telecom sim might actually have coverage just long enough so I can post a single picture on Facebook, but often I have to walk the few hundred meters to route 13 or.. wait for another day. In Vientiane it is generally fine, but speeds cannot possibly compare to those I get with AIS in Bangkok.

 

Compare this to Thailand, where I get 4G coverage pretty much everywhere I went the last couple of years. Nakhom Phanom, Sakhon Nakhon, Buriram, Kanchanaburi, Bua yai, Khorat, Udon, Nong Khai, Khon Kaen, and along the route to any of those places. Heck, even right in the sticks in Sakhon Nakhon province, I get 4G coverage. In Bangkok, 4G is essential, as the apartment wifi slows to an absolute crawl after 5 PM.

 

Lao light years ahead of Thailand, nope absolute joke.

Edited February 28, 2017 by sjaak327

[thai006]

 you talk about loa but  check the price  3g or 4g il really cheapper more than thailand , when we gonna have a good package like 1000 or 2000 a month with 20 go of net something like that  because   the 4g is <deleted> slow all time 

[Hereinthailand]

Okay know it all, but from my experience in lao I didnt have to have customer service hold my hand and the 3/4g service is much better than thailand, and once again the bangkok chest beaters dont speak for the other 60 million users in thailand. The joke is actually you.

[gk10002000]

They keep using words like "smartphones".  If people used the devices as phones and just passed voice or text, they would be marvelously happy.  If people want to send and receive all sorts of media, it can be much like the US Postal System.  You can overload it with junk.  And as people insist on passing so much data, the prices will rise to match the demand.

[redwinecheese]

40 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

"smartphones"

Snowden

[sjaak327]

55 minutes ago, Hereinthailand said:

Okay know it all, but from my experience in lao I didnt have to have customer service hold my hand and the 3/4g service is much better than thailand, and once again the bangkok chest beaters dont speak for the other 60 million users in thailand. The joke is actually you.

I am not a know it all, but do have actualy experience in both countries (extensively I might add) the remark that 4/3 G service in Laos is much better than in Thailand, or even light years ahead as you first claimed is absolutely 100% false, end of story.

 

For your information, the customer service didn't hold my hand, as they themselves did NOT know I absolutely need to enter those two codes for any data to start flowing to and from the device. But I guess you didn't actually read my post, you were too busy trying to insult me. Your remark shows positively you have only been to populous areas in Laos, and even in Vientiane, which by far is the most populous area in Lao, 4g/3G is not as good as in Bangkok.

 

Also you must have missed all the places IN Thailand apart from Bangkok that I did mention. That's about 40% of issan right there. From personal experience, the 4G speeds and coverage in Nakhom Phanom are better than those right across the river in Tha Khaek, in fact, when in Tha Khaek, I simply use my Thai sim off the towers across the river.

Edited February 28, 2017 by sjaak327

[Hereinthailand]

Cant even put a sim card in a phone and turn it on, that says it all.

[ExpatOilWorker]

18 minutes ago, Hereinthailand said:

Cant even put a sim card in a phone and turn it on, that says it all.

 

Now that there are 3 different sim card sizes it is also not as simple as it sounds, especially not with the newer waterproof smart phones.

Edited March 1, 2017 by ExpatOilWorker

[Hereinthailand]

And all 3 sim cards are exactly the same cards except for their size, so what is your point  ?

[Xaos]

True 4G

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/2664575024

[cnx101]

I've found all internet in Thailand rubbish, problems with it anywhere here, can't see Vietnam on that list but I found all internet in Vietnam really good everywhere I went. Best I've had in Asia.

[Hereinthailand]

^^ In Bangkok next to a tower Im sure, wow.