In Thailand, we have the choice between six free television channels. Namely Channels 3, 5, 7, ModerNine TV and ITV. Channel 3 is the only one privately owned. Channel 5 is owned and run by the army. Channel 7 is also owned by the army but it uses independent production companies. Channel 9 (now renamed as ModerNine TV) is a national company and Channel 11 is run by the Ministry of Education. when I ask my students which channels they watch the most, they usually say either Channel 3 or Channel 7. To me, Thai TV seems to show much of the same with the over-the-top soap operas and game shows. But, a good way to practise your listening skills.
For expats living in Thailand, there is presently only one (legal) cable operator. That is UBC Television. It is possible to buy yourself a satellite and receive some international programs. However, only the UBC gives you a large number of English language channels. This, of course, comes at a price.
Last week, UBC re-organized their channels and are now offering three packages. These are called Silver, Gold and Platinum. Up to now we have been receiving 32 channels on the Gold Package. This costs us a princely sum of 1,412.97 baht per month (plus a 282.48 baht equipment rental). They have now added 10 new channels which will only be available to Platinum subscribers for an additional 500 baht per month! So, I have to make a decision soon as to whether it is worth spending 2000 baht per month on cable t.v. (actually we have a small satellite dish).
In order to promote the new channels, UBC are letting everyone watch these new channels for free. Clever, get you hooked first and then start charging extra. Of the new channels I am interested in are BBC Prime (classic and contemporary programs from the UK), TCM and MGM (two movie channels of classic movies) and maybe some programs on Star World (a collection of soaps and comedies mainly from the US). To be honest, it has been great catching up on some of the classic comedies from the UK that I haven’t seen for years (i.e. Blackadder and Fawlty Tower). However, they do seem to repeat them often.
So, what can we watch in Thailand for 2000 baht subscription per month? Here are some of the main ones:
* Six sports channels including ESPN and Star Sports
* Seven movie channels including HBO, Star Movies, Cinemax, Hallmark, UBC Film Asia, TCM and MGM
* Five news channels including CNN, BBC World, CNBC, Bloomberg and UBC News
* Four documentary channels including History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Animal Planet
* Four music channels including Channel V (Thailand), MTV, VH1 and STC
* Three cartoon channels including UBC Spark, Cartoon Network and Animax
* Eight entertainment channels including UBC Inside, UBC X-Zyte, AXN, Chic, UBC Series, E!, Star World an A1
* Distance Learning TV – one channel for each grade from Primary to High School. Great for learning Thai though presentation very much on the dull side. But, you can now learn Thai, Social Studies and other subjects along with fellow Primary 1 students!
There are also 30 digital radio stations and in the near future they are talking about pay-per-view t.v. where you can choose what movies you want to watch and when. Not bad, but at 2,000 baht per month, or 64 baht per day, you really need to decide whether it is worth it. Don’t forget, teachers at our school only get 6,000-8,000 baht per month. Only rich Thais and some expats can afford this kind of luxury.
I’ll let you know my decision at the end of the month when they scramble the new 10 channels. Will I go for it?
Dear Richard,
Get a free deal, and makes the UBC your Web sponsor. How about that?
Great selection of channels! Perhaps too many choices… or at least that’s how I felt when I lived at Mae’s. It pretty much brings America into a Thai living room; they have just about the same programs.
Maybe locals and long-time jaded expats would feel otherwise, but for me the real life in Thailand is much more exciting than any fantasy story I could watch on TV. So, even when I did watch it, documentaries and news channels were my programs of choice.
I agree with you that it is quite expensive for the average local wages. On the other hand, fifty bucks a month is not seen as a huge expense in the US – though I don’t remember how much did I pay for cable when I lived there.
Richard, what about Chinese and other Asian channels? When I stayed at a hotel here, they had all sort of weird Chinese, Japanese Malaysian etc. channels too. But it’s not UBC, or at least they were not in the package that we used. Could it be one of those illegal satellites?
Before I bought the original UBC package (1400 baht or so per month) I of course looked into the alternatives. Around the city I saw many adverts for PSI Satellite. They are advertising 200 channels. All you have to do is pay the initial 15,000 baht for the dish. No monthly subscriptions. Too good to be true? Well, yes. There are probably only half a dozen English language channels. Not many of them quality as they are produced locally. However, PSI Satellite is popular with football fans as you can watch football for “free”.
Long Life His Marjesty The King.T.V show now.
im an english guy teaching here in thailand and i married a teacher so my home is here i have been here now three years and my comments about ubc is this its not worth 500 baht a month it as movie channels yes but all the movies keep repeating them selves all the shows repeat them selves i cant stand the stupid hyped up wrestling the americans turn out and when you get a football game comentary is in thai i personally shall end my contract i have now just purchased my 43rd movie as i am sick of the repeats mad max , the inspectors and for the third time this week back to the future and to top that we have to now suffer ooprah again repeating the programme if the ubc cannot get new programmes then they need to lower the cost if i was on pay per view i would pay nothing not worth it i used to think sky was crap but at least i understood the crap
question. about tha psi satellite. wat do you mean by saying: However, PSI Satellite is popular with football fans as you can watch football for “free”. because m a football fan and i find UBC to be way to expensive just as you said. so m wonderin wat you mean by this.
I wrote that blog about two years ago. The situation has changed a lot now. I will try and write a blog later to update this blog.