How does this beautiful country work?

[IRON DUKE]

 Today ARRGGHHHHH Frustrated, frustrated, frustrated. Someone please tell me how this outward looking, business friendly, forward planning country along with its fantastically  motivated sales people survive in the 21st Century.
All I want is an Internet connection that works!!!!!
Having sought advice from some friendly
Farangs on what to do about getting an internet connection, I bit the bullet and went for it.
CATT in Buriram
Sorry your area is full all slots are taken, but if you pay now we may be able to give you some internet in about three months, but not guaranteed. However get 10 local people to sign up and maybe we can help you.
Goodbye Mr. Farang.
TOT in Buriram
Ah well, you are to late Mr. Farang your village has taken up its 8 allocated spots.
OK helpful friendly sales lady will anymore slots be coming up shortly.
Well we don’t know, but if you can find 8 more local people in your village then call us!
Goodbye MrFarang.
3BB in Big C Buriram
I really should apologies to the young lady for rudely interrupting her game of candy crush on her mobile. I am deeply ashamed and should have known better, I should have sat there waiting for her to finish her game. After all I was only a potential paying customer.
It was worth the wait because when she decided to speak to me and my Thai lady she was very professional. Immediately NO there is nothing we can do, try somewhere else. That was it short and sweet.
Goodbye Mr. Farang
Conclusion
Someone in the internet business is missing a trick, if my area has used all its allocated slots then surely make some more available and more people will sign up. More people = more money.
I haven’t got a degree in Business but I think it’s a pretty straight forward thinking concept.
How does this fantastic country operate in the business world?

So back to the village where we pay each day and climb on the roof standing on one leg trying to get a connection.
I don’t know what plan B is, ANY IDEAS!
 

[halfaboy]

If you are a not too heavy internet user and don't have connection 'via cable' try using the TRUE Aircard.

I have used this device for some time and usually it works reasonable well. Steaming (utube videos etc.) is too much but checking emails, reading news papers etc. works well.

Proper working may be affected by (amongst others) the time of the day and location of your laptop (although moving this 5 cm in whatever direction may improve results).

I have the TRUE Move H 3G Aircard. Costs of the device is (if I remember correctly) around 1.000 Baht and the monthly data costs (for 6 Gb) is around 750 Baht.

In the end it is better than noting.

[iammike]

Check out this thread, it's about TOT WiNet and TOT in Buriam installed mine.

http://www.buriramexpats.com/forum/index.php/topic,8315.0.html

It's not Internet via Cable but via Wireless technology. I have a 17m high tower in the garden (TOT Installed) which picks up Internet from the Main tower around 3km away.

Installation is expensive, I paid around 17k, but the monthly bill is around 700 THB.

Ps: One thing, this setup isn't good enough to watch iLikeHD, as the Internet speed with this really starts slowing down when the kids go on the Internet and then iLikeHD starts buffering too much (however YMMV)

ThaiExpatTV on the other hand works

3G is an alternative but if you download movies, watch streams etc etc you will PAY a LOT of money for your GB.

To give you an idea, my average usage is around 40 Gb per month (sometimes going up to 70-80 Gb)

With 3G that would cost me ((40GB / 6 GB = 6.6 x 750 THB = 5000 THB)

3G is good for checking your email etc but NOT for streaming Movies, Football Games etc

Good Luck

[IRON DUKE]

Halfaboy & Mike
Thanks very much for the info, very good read.

I will inquiry about a mast as I am about 8km south of Krasang on the 2208.

Lets wait and see..

Taffy

[halfaboy]

Please keep us informed ....

[iammike]

Here is a screenshot of my Router Login (ToT WiNet)

maybe when you go and talk to TOT take a Print Out with you and maybe also a print out of the Tower I posted in that thread I posted earlier.

Good luck and as already said, please keep us informed

[IRON DUKE]

Mike

I will keep you and halfboy informed as to any progress I make.

Taffy

[DeputyDavid]

I will be doing the same in Nang Ra Ngam soon so I will watch here for updates.  Thanks!!!

[dundeemk6]

Welcome to Thailand young newbee ... it will take a few more years and lots of booze to realise that you are ALWAYS on the short end of the stick ... this is not meant to cut down your illusions about the land of smiles - only in your face - but just a fact of life. Been here now since 2002 fulltime and got used to it ... if you can't comply with it, it will eat your guts out my friend foreigner.

[dundeemk6]

BTW, there is a belgian bloke in/around Krasang ... his name is Benny - a biker - and is knows his ways around there. Decent bloke always ready to lend a hand. Just ask around.

[IRON DUKE]

Thanks for the advice, I really believe you when you say I have to get used to this way of living / doing things. I know if I dont then I will go round the bend!

Taffy

[jmcet]

You may want to check to see if TOT has any fiber in the area. I live just outside of Lam Plai Mat and was able to get "fiber to the house". Total cost was just under 12K. Monthly cost 947 baht, 7 up 20 down. Tot IPTV(best package) and home phone. TV buffers on occasion, internet is sometimes slow, but overall acceptable. I often watch netflix without much difficulty. Once again, installation cost would probably be based on if there is any fiber in the area.

[IRON DUKE]

Hi Thanks for your reply.

TOT has already supplied to the village an internet box but says its allocation is now full. My Thai Lady is busy going around the village to try and gather 9 more names to give to TOT. If we can supply 10 new names they will agree to put another box in the village, hopefully sometime in the future.....

Taffy

[Mikeh]

Hi mate   We had a TOT tower installed   Shared cost around 2500bht  Monthly cost 630 bht  Good connection and pretty fast
Mike krasang