Wireless in Thailand
 

Does anyone know where I can use wifi (preferably free or cheap) in Bangkok or Khon Kaen?

Thanks :-:

deleted

Most of the Starbucks in Bangkok have WiFi, a prepaid service offered by KSC. You can buy prepaid cards at Starbucks or any number of retail outlets. A twenty (20) hour card goes for 1,500 baht, although I was buying those for ~ 1,350 from a shop in the Fortune IT Mall.

There are open and free WiFi AP's around town, in malls, hotels, bars, office complexes, but finding them and getting AC power can be challenging. ( The Big Mango Bar has free WiFi.)

Khon Kaen will be a bit more challenging. When I do not have broadband or WiFi access, especially in Issan, I use GPRS. I have pre-paid mobile phone service from 1-2-Call, (DTAC and TrueMove also offer GPRS.), and they offer a lot of GPRS packages. I subscribe monthly for 25 hours for 107 baht (the 7 baht is VAT). I get full GPRS data rates (80 kbp/s) throughout Thailand. Essentially you are using your phone as a modem, and 1-2-Call as an ISP. You'll need a GPRS capable phone. If a 1-2-Call pre-paid subscriber just call 1175, press 2, and the CSR can help you set up GPRS. I use a Nokia handset and Nokia PC-Suite which offer One Touch Access (no configuration), but you can set up this type of connection as a dial-up conection. I believe the number is *99#, with no username or password (CPID serves that function).

Thanks for the very helpful info. So GPRS means accessing the Internet using a mobile phone as a dial up connection. I am also looking into getting a cell phone while there; so what would (roughly) the total cost be for 25 hours (or any other increment) of access once you factor in the Internet provider and the per minute phone charges?

Thanks very much :-:

The 107 baht is the total and entire charge for 25 hours of access. So ~ 4 baht per hour. There are no additional per minute phone charges or ISP charges. It is really quite amazing! But it can be challenging to set up, and does require that you have a GPRS-capable phone.

I did forget another option, and that is to bring your notebook PC into an internet cafe, of which there are thousands in Bangkok, and ask to plug in to their ethernet network and pay the hourly charge, as if you were using one of their PC's. Fees generally range from 30 to 90 baht per hour, and not all shops allow you to do this.

There are lots of internet cafes in Khon Kaen too.

Thanks again for this great advice. Are GPRS phones difficult to find? would it be best to look here (in the US) or on eBay or wait until I get there?

Cheers :-:

A phone which supports GPRS is not difficult to find; it's just a feature.

Do some research on the leading brands, then price compare eBay and Jaymart, which is large retailer here. Jaymart's prices can usually be beaten by ~ 10% at other retail outlets.

I think prices are still cheaper here but with the daily strenthening of the baht aganist the USD, that may not remain the case?

A colleague uses a Nokia 6070 here, which support GPRS. It shows as 4,710 baht at Jaymart but he paid 4,550 at a smaller shop.

You can also buy Thai (1-2-Call) pre-paid SIMs on eBay. Handy if you need to know the number before you depart.

It was free and usable in the foyer of the BKK conrad last week!

i also have lots of hours left on the Holiday inn phuket wireless if anyone wants it

I've found a number of free wireless connections in BKK. In the Sukhumvit area, I was close enough to get the JW Marriott's lounge access(At least I think that was the one) from a couple of hundred meters away (5th floor of my hotel).

There's an open wi-fi hot spot nice and speedy up on Lad Prao road in Bangkok. I know about this one, because it's mine! :D

Cool! Where do you keep the spare key to your house? Also, may I have the combination to your safe? ;)

I'll come say hi when I'm there in Feb. And of course try and use the Internet :)

deleted

I don't understand? insider joke? :confused:

For benefit of any newcomers to Bangkok, I'll write the warning.

What ajc1970 is laughing about is simply that The Big Mango is in Nana Plaza, a "shopping center" of bars/brothels where the main attraction is hundreds of young and pretty Thai ladies available for rent by the hour.

Besides the free WiFi, and the Thai ladies, there are other attractions to The Big Mango which may also tempt the OP.
First, they have a happy hour, with reduced beer prices.
Second, that bar is reputed to make the best hamburgers in all of Bangkok.

So there you have it:
Free Wi-Fi, plus happy hour, excellent burgers, and lots of attention from young and pretty ladies.
That would be The Big Mango.
Sukhumvit soi 4, Nana Plaza, go up one floor above ground level, then walk to the right.

- Peter
.

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".

deleted

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.

deleted

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

Well put, ajc1970. 5555 :rolleyes:

.
The WiFi guide from Stickman is now back online.

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

- Peter
.

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?

deleted

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.

Can anyone who is knowledgeable about phones tell me if the one I have http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?...=pp1&pid=10138

will work with the GPRS and the phone system in Thailand?

If it does, I suppose I just get it unlocked when I am over there?

Thanks again

It will work on Thailand's GSM 1800 and 1900 bands (ACT DTAC and True). And it has GPRS on it. So you're good to go. ^

Thanks...so what exactly is involved in getting a phone unlocked?

The Sony Ericsson model has limited GPRS capabilities (56 kbps vs a max. of 80 kbps). You'd need the USB Data Kit DCU-11 to connect this phone to your PC.

Others, on ThaiVisa, have reported success with the Nokia 6310i but that model is no longer available so I can't find the detailed specs. It does support IR and Bluetooth for connectivity.

Sorry, I did not review the specs on the SE handset very carefully. It will not work on the 1-2-Call (AIS) network as it does not support GSM900, so you will be limited to DTAC (Happy) and TrueMove on GSM1800. I doubt there is GSM1800 coverage throughout the country. It would be OK in Bangkok on DTAC. I would strongly recommend a GSM900-capable handset.

Thanks again. I really appreciate you helping me figure this stuff out. How about this one: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=18

Would that work in BKK and Isaan, and other parts of SE Asia and China?

That handset supports GSM900 so would work everywhere in Thailand on many networks, and in other parts of SE Asia. I can't remember if China is GSM900 everywhere, but am pretty sure it is, along with some CDMA networks maybe.

However, it is not clear to me that this phone actually has a GPRS modem. It has basic GPRS connectivity to allow internet access on the phone's tiny screen. As far as I can determine it does not have a GPRS modem, which would allow you to use it for PC/Internet connectivity as we've been discussing.

Thanks for explaining that. I didn't realise it. I have now been way overbid on eBay for that phone I posted earlier...and I don't see any affordable GSM900 and GPRS phones listed, so it might now be a while before I find one. I'll keep looking though. Thanks again.

What is your budget?

A miniscule budget really until I find out whether my project is funded or not. :)

I was hoping to find one on eBay for less than $30 USD. Is that an unreasonable expectation?