 | ¤ Home » Misc. » Staying Connected » Internet Access Internet AccessInternet Access for tourists when they are in Bangkok or any other part of ThailandThailand Internet Facility – an OverviewIf you are intending to stay for a long duration in Thailand, this section will be useful for you. Dial-up access is still the most commonly used mode of internet access in Thailand. However, the main cities do provide Broadband access. If you are staying in Bangkok or any other major city you will not have difficulty in getting a broadband connection. Here is a list of Internet service providers in Thailand. You may visit their websites to review their various plans and tariff and decide which one would suit your requirement. You have the following options while choosing an internet connection: Dial-up connectionIf your daily usage will be low and primarily for accessing emails and doing a few essential tasks, you may opt for a dial-up access account. Dial-up access packs can be purchased from several mobile phone shops or from a convenience store. Broadband ADSL ConnectionBroadband or ADSL is available in the main cities of Thailand. For a broadband connection, you may contact one of the broadband providers. You may be required to present your passport to take a broadband connection. The passport off course must have a valid Visa. If you are in Thailand for a job, you will be required to produce your work permit. Wireless internet accessWi-fi is available in most Thai hotels and bigger restaurants. Prices vary depending on the location, though you will probably be able to connect at most of these places for free. Some restaurants and bars may ask you to buy a drink if you wish to sit and use their internet connection. Generally the more modern the bar or restaurant, the more likely they are to have a free Wi-Fi internet for guests. If Wi-fi internet access is an important criteria for you when you are checking into a hotel, you must discuss the facility at the reception desk before checking in. You must find out if internet access is available in the rooms or only available at certain points such as the lobby. Some hotels may claim that they have wireless internet, but may not have it setup correctly and you may end up wasting valuable time trying to connect or perhaps may fail to connect altogether and may end up going out to Internet cafes. This may be quite inconvenient for people whose work/business require them to be connected most of the time, even when they are on holiday. Also, check if the facility is indeed free or chargeable. If chargeable, ask what are the charges per hour of usage. Further, if possible, check if the connection speed is acceptable. Internet cafés in ThailandFree wireless internet access is usually available in bigger expensive hotels. Smaller and cheaper hotels may not have this facility. So, if you are staying in one of the cheaper hotels, opting to use an internet café would be advisable. There are hordes of internet cafes in Bangkok as well as in other popular tourist places such as Phuket. So most likely you will find one near your hotel where you can walk in whenever you need to. Many of them even allow you to use your own laptop. Internet cafés are quite inexpensive. Charges may be to the tune of 25-50 baht/hour at most cafes. However, if you visit an Internet café that is situated amidst the busier tourist areas, be prepared to shell out as high as 50-150 baht/hour. Connection speeds at internet cafes are tolerable. Some internet cafes charge on a per minute usage basis, which may be quite suitable if you only intend to quickly check your emails. However, they would usually have a minimum charge of 10 minutes usage. Other than Internet Cafes, there are several restaurants, bars and pubs (usually the expensive ones) that offer free wireless internet within their premises. You are allowed to use it as long as you order something to eat or drink. Point of SafetyFollow the rules of safe practices when accessing internet through public networks, no matter whether it is from an Internet café or from a hotel/restaurant’s free wireless network. Be careful when accessing your bank accounts or other sensitive accounts. There is a chance that a cheap internet café may have a keylogger installed on their computers. If you take your own laptop, which is well protected with firewall and anti-virus software, you are pretty safe. However, if you are using one of the café’s computers, avoid accessing sensitive accounts that require logging in. Check these books on safe internet practices: |
Bangkok Information Portal |
Staying Connected
