We had a Flyertalk Do at the Big Mango back in June. I believe all the attendees found the venue acceptable and they did not require any warnings. :rolleyes:

I guess any insider joke is the use of "555"? Since the number 5 in Thai sounds like "Ha", "555" sounds like a laugh, "Ha Ha Ha".

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Sukhumwit soi 7/1, which is a little dead-end lane lined with bars, many of the bars have free wifi. If you go there in the afternoon when it's quiet, you can use it for the price of a drink. Be prepared to buy a bar-girl a lady drink and politely tell her you won't be needing her company, though.

Landmark Hotel coffee shop has free wifi and the waitresses will even tell you where to sit for the best reception.

In Times Square internet shop at Asoke BTS, I believe you can use the True wifi system for a price. The fastest I've ever had in Thailand. There's also another True centre on Silom.

Personally I wouldn't do any home banking or sensitive emailing on any open wifi system, anywhere.

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In Phuket, I used http://www.tothotspot.th.com/

Well put, ajc1970. 5555 :rolleyes:

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The WiFi guide from Stickman is now back online.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/wifi.htm

- Peter
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Hi, if you have a minute, would you mind explaining this a bit more. I checked out their website but can't find anything about Internet access. Do I basically have to buy a SIM card from them and keep reloading it using their service? and then I call them and they will help me connect it to my laptop? Will I need to speak Thai to be able to figure this out?

Thanks again for your help?

Oh, I see we're back on topic. BTW, The Big Mango is not a brothel, it is a casual bar/restaurant. It is not unusual to see two or three people there with laptops or PDAs working. I would not have recommnded it if I thought there would be any issues whatsoever.

1.) Buy a mobile phone which is unlocked, supports GSM 900/1800, has a GPRS modem, and which can be connected to your notebook PC (via a serial, USB, IR, Bluetooth).

2.) Buy a 1-2-Call SIM (250 baht comes with 50 baht of talk time). Maybe top-up with a 300 or 500 baht top-up card.

3.) Call 1175 from you mobile phone, press 2 to speak with an English-language CSR. Ask about GPRS packages (pay as you go, monthly recurring), enroll, ask for set-up instructions.

4.) Set-up a dial-up connection

There are a lot of issues/variables to sort out; I've had to set-up ~ 6 different computers for friends and each one has been a challenge. But once you get it working it's a great service.


Go to www.mobilelife.co.th , scroll down, on the left-hand side, and choose "GPRS Package".

Thanks very much for explaining this. It all seemes easy enough. I will try and find a 1-2 call sim at a 7-11 I presume? when I get there. How does payment work? will they accept a US credit card when I am calling and need to recharge or pay for the GPRS package etc?

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Well it's anything but easy, but once you have it set-up it is a great service.

All mini-mart retail outlets (7-11, Family Mart, mom & pop) sell top-up cards. You should pay for these in cash. Not all of these outlets sell SIMs. You should plan on visiting mobile phone shop to purchase a SIM. (There are more mobile phone shops than mini-marts so it should be easy.) It used to be that you had to "register" a SIM upon purchase, and for this you would need your passport. I'm not sure if this is still being enforced.

Just to re-cap, you would buy a SIM and top-up cards by paying in cash (Thai Baht). As you make calls, send SMS or subscibe for a GPRS service, your remaining balance decreases. Each month I receive an SMS saying my monthly GPRS package has been renewed, and that 107 baht has been taken from my balance for payment. You can check you balance, and expiration date, by entering *121#. You will get a text message as a response. Alternatively you can dial 900121 to hear the same information.

Telewiz shops are a sort of retail arm for AIS/1-2-Call, so possibly a good all-in-one stop? There is a great Telewiz shop at MBK, ground floor (street level) in the left-front (near) corner if facing the complex from the BTS Skytrain platform. They helped me set up my GPRS service.

If you have the phone already practice setting up connectivity between it and your PC. Also make sure that Windows recognizes it as a modem. If using a Nokia handset I recommend Nokia PC Suite.

If I am around when you arrive I will help you.

Thanks do much for the offer of help. This does sound a bit complex.

Why is it necessary to pay in cash for the SIM and topup cards?

It is not necessary, just recommended. For the most part this is a cash-oriented society, although that is changing.

As your departure date approaches I can buy a SIM for you, that way you'll have the number in hand before you depart.

Do you have a mobile phone?

Thanks. I thought maybe there was some other reason why I shouldn't use a credit card.

Thank you also for the offer to buy me a SIM. I can certainly immediately paypal you the money if you did. I don't have a phone yet, but I am bidding on one on eBay as we speak (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...005&rd=1&rd=1).

So, hopefully I will have it soon.