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Dial-Up Internet

If you have access to a computer, or if you travel with a notebook/laptop, you can buy a dial-up connection pack from almost any computer or book shop. You simply select the Internet time you want to buy, from 5 hours up to around 100 hours, and buy the pack. Some come complete with CD software, and some are just passwords and user names. You DO NOT need anything else as if you are running Windows 95/98/ME all the software is already on your machine. Just go to Dial Up Networking and click Make New Connection. Then just add the user name and password, go to Properties to add the service providers modem number, and that is it! I used to use KSC Internet as they seemed to have a good user/modem ratio and I rarely got a busy tone. A 30 hour pack can be bought for 450 Baht in Pantip Plaza. My last one had "Not For Resale" stamped on it! This service used to be totally anonymous, but now that an address and phone number etc. is required, the sign-up procedure is too complex.

To be totally anonymous, make sure you buy a REFILL pack. This already has a user name and password in the packet, and is all you need.

Just enter the details in Dial-up Networking, don't forget to add a 9, and a comma after it, for an outside line.
CS Internet is another good service provider, fast links, and always a free modem line. Their Web site is a bit poor though, take a look HERE.

Thai dial up is very slow, especially if you have to connect through a hotel switchboard.

Warning, DO NOT buy BTh@icard by Loxinfo, it will not allow access to any web site outside Thailand! What a waste of space.

Currently, CS Internet and JI-Net (Jasmine) seem to be the best bet for price and ease of use, KSC requires a complex sign-up procedure unless you use a refill pack..

Broadband

Yes, it's here, and available in some top class hotels and a few of the serviced apartments. Not up to the speed of similar services in Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, or even The UK, but it's a vast improvement on Thai-style dial-up.
Expect to pay something like 400 Baht for 24 Hours or around 2500 per month.

Wireless Access Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)

Wi-Fi is very popular, with more & more places offering access to equipped devices. There are several ways to use wireless access, most requiring a pre-paid card. However, there are many unsecured networks operating that it is usually fairly easy to get access to the Internet without paying.

The small number of Hot Spots is rapidly increasing now, so much so that no longer is it viable for me to list them all.

Get an up to date list of Wi-Fi Hotspots in Bangkok by clicking HERE

Strangely enough, all Wi-Fi devices are illegal in Thailand as they have yet to comply with International agreements to allow unlicensed use of the radio frequency.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

Always something different going on in Thailand, this is a semi high speed service using the GPRS enabled cell phone network. I am not sure how this performs, but I would be interested to hear from anyone who has tried it as it sounds quite sensible, apart from billing you on data volume that is!

Here is the company website

For a complete list of Thai ISPs click here

Internet Cafés

Internet Cafés are all over Bangkok, in fact there are so many places to get Net access now that it is hardly important for me to list them any longer. Add to that the fact that most hotels also provide a few computers with Net access, and you are sure to be able to keep in touch easily.

With local phone calls costing 3 Baht with no time limit, an internet café is a profitable business and there are no shortage of Internet access points in major cities and especially tourist destinations. If you are into news groups, you are in for a shock, drastic censorship in Thailand means that only about 11,000 are available.

Many Internet cafés are now using ADSL broadband and also offer scanning and printing services as well as CD copying etc.

Computer Hardware & Software

Bangkok has the best prices in Thailand, as dealers in the provinces add the transportation costs plus a bit extra! Hardware is no real bargain here as there are high import duties, some items may seem cheaper, but this is mainly due to the fact that rapid stock turnover leaves dealers with the most recent goods at the latest prices. Hong Kong is really the place for hardware bargains.

Bangkok has 3 main centres for computers and I.T., they are Pantip Plaza on Petchaburi Road, Seri Centre next to Seacon Square, and a relative new-comer, Fortune Town IT Mall on Ratchadapisek Road next to the Fortune Hotel.

To get some idea of the current hardware prices, take a look at Bangkok Computers website HERE

Pantip Plaza

Pantip is by far the superior IT Mall, with more shops and possibly better prices, but too many people most of the time. For a run down of other IT Malls, go to the Pantip Plaza Page

Seacon Square

Walking distance, and easily seen from Seri Centre, the basement level has a rapidly growing IT Mall, possibly trying to lure some of the former Seri customers in. Not much ground breaking stuff here, but another source of copy software CDs usually for 100 Baht each. Worth a look if you are in the area as any police "crack downs" don't seem to make it this far.

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