Thread: Internet panic in the village

Seems like we will stay 2-3 months in the village, so I'm starting to panic whenever I think about how I can stay connected to the internet.

The village is in the South and there are no phone cables. All communication is done using cell phones.

Any recommendations on how I can connect to the internet while staying there?

I need to be online several hours a day (so I can work...) - and it will of course be nice if the connection speed isn't horrible slow.

check out hutch and CAT CDMA coverage - that is probably the fastest mobile access

if no joy with that you will have to fall back to EDGE , but if your local tower does not support it you will be crawling via GPRS

Does the village have a full 1 2 call signal?

I usually buy a sim from DTAC and plug the mobile into my laptop, I was getting 412kbs. Last time I brought one they were doing really good deals something like 80 hrs for 500bht. It's also pre-pay, just use it and throw it away when you leave.

Hopefully CAT CDMA will work for you. My place upcountry, in Ubon, has no such luck. Too far from the nearest CAT tower, even the AIS and DTAC signal are fairly weak.

The only decent option really was IPStar satellite, which is expensive

Originally Posted by Silent Ninja

Any recommendations on how I can connect to the internet while staying there?

Activate unlimited EDGE/GPRS on your mobile phone, and tether the phone to your laptop -- most phones can tether in this way, and the configuration is pretty easy (even easier on a Mac).

You will be limited to EDGE speeds, which frankly are not so bad -- if you want better, and you are in a region that is covered, you can try a CDMA USB dongle from CAT or HUTCH (they cover mutually exclusive areas), and you can get slightly faster CDMA speeds. Decent, but most providers want you to sign a contract for a year with them.

EDGE isn't so bad - I use it frequently while in Thailand, and it works quite well, and with AIS you have the advantage that you have nearly universal coverage.

^ Gerbil said that for the record, I have never tried Hutch

^Sorted. Bladdy q-quote function does that every now and then.

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like there is still hope, so I don't have to bike to the nearest big city every day, find an internet cafe and try to work surrounded by thai teenagers playing computer games.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Does the village have a full 1 2 call signal?

Yes, 1 2 call works. DTAC doesn't work that fantastic.

We have arrived and brought the best option we could find in Hat Yai - a Super 3G usb modem from AIS for 4000 baht.

... unfortunately there is nothing super about it. Top speed seems to be 250 kbps download and 60 kbps upload

Subscription is 1 2 Call, unlimited transfer for 990 baht a month.

What is the deal w/ the UBS thing u plug in for internet? Any good?

Originally Posted by spliff

What is the deal w/ the UBS thing u plug in for internet? Any good?

Guess it all depends on the subscription and location - as far as I know, super 3G should allow faster access than 200 kbps.

And, what is "super 3G"?

Originally Posted by spliff

And, what is "super 3G"?

if it is AIS it will be EDGE class 32

Originally Posted by Silent Ninja

We have arrived and brought the best option we could find in Hat Yai - a Super 3G usb modem from AIS for 4000 baht.

... unfortunately there is nothing super about it. Top speed seems to be 250 kbps download and 60 kbps upload

Subscription is 1 2 Call, unlimited transfer for 990 baht a month.

There is currently no 3G signal of any sort in Thailand worth talking about -- your Super 3G is good for 'up to' and '3G capable' -- doesn't mean it'll give you the speed without the broadcaster's capabilities.

The bonus is that once 3G becomes available, in about 5-6 years maybe, you can keep the same modem :-)

In the meantime, you picked the right plane (the 990 all you can eat plan), and the right service (1-2-call, because they have a signal nearly everywhere) - so you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by Silent Ninja

Yes, 1 2 call works. DTAC doesn't work that fantastic.

DTAC's only advantage is that you can top up the EDGE plan separately, but they do not have pervasive coverage -- 1-2-call has the all-you-can-eat plan for a reasonable 990 Baht (and also has a 39 baht/day plan), and they don't count by quantity, but by 24 hour period, which is much smarter.

Originally Posted by Silent Ninja

Originally Posted by spliff

What is the deal w/ the UBS thing u plug in for internet? Any good?

Guess it all depends on the subscription and location - as far as I know, super 3G should allow faster access than 200 kbps.

So, this is what cost 4,000:
AIS : 3G

or did u get the wireless router;
AIS : 3G

Originally Posted by spliff

Originally Posted by Silent Ninja

Originally Posted by spliff

What is the deal w/ the UBS thing u plug in for internet? Any good?

Guess it all depends on the subscription and location - as far as I know, super 3G should allow faster access than 200 kbps.

So, this is what cost 4,000:
AIS : 3G

or did u get the wireless router;
AIS : 3G

First one.

Originally Posted by spliff

or did u get the wireless router;
AIS : 3G

the 3G Wireless Router is convenient if you are traveling with friends, or have multiple computers.

How much is one of those? Might be worth it on my next trip when traveling -- making internet connectivity one less concern.

Originally Posted by sabang

Hopefully CAT CDMA will work for you. My place upcountry, in Ubon, has no such luck. Too far from the nearest CAT tower, even the AIS and DTAC signal are fairly weak.

The only decent option really was IPStar satellite, which is expensive

How much is the ipstar connection Sabang and is it quick enough? Heading back out to Ubon at the end of the month could do with sorting the internet thing now really!