At the moment, we are using a normal dialup to connect to the Internet. Very slow of course compared to the ADSL connection we have at school. But any connection has been better than no connection. Dialups give you, in theory, 56K connection. You can buy packages in the local 7-Eleven for 300-500 baht. These can either be 20-100 hours of usage or unlimited for a period of time like one month. I prefer the latter.
ADSL packages can vary too. A 1024/512 package is usually around 900 baht these days. True is a very popular package and they advertise everywhere. However, I have seen so many complaints that I think it is best to stay away from them. Anyway, they don’t allow you to share your connection on more than one computer. No good for us as we have a small network in the office.
I next considered ISP Thailand which is apparently owned by TOT (Telephone Organization of Thailand). I was actually warned that the company, which is government run, can be very difficult to deal with. However, I was impressed with their promotion on their web site. They were offering a package called BB Life ADSL 1 Mbps Unlimited for 990 baht per month. Seemed good particularly as they were also offering a free modem router which is what I would need to share the Internet connection. We rang the number and they said we could visit their office which was just around the corner.
So, there we were at the TOT office filling in the forms for about 10 minutes when I decided to check about the free modem router. I asked whether we would get it today. The reply was, “What modem router?” I said, the modem router you are offering for free on your web site. “No we are not”, was their reply. Yes you are, I said. “You are thinking of True”, they said. No I am not, I said. They then showed me their web site which looked very different to the one I had surfed to earlier. Was I going crazy? Remember, this is Thailand so you must always smile and keep your cool. So, I asked them if I could open their web site at www.isp-thailand.com. “What web site?”, they said. Apparently they never heard of that web site.
I then asked if I could open this web site on their computer so I could show them the promotion. I did. And we waited. And waited. And waited. I then asked them if this was an example of an ADSL connection. Of course I was still smiling. “Yes, it is. But we give the best connections to our customers”, they replied. Oh, I replied. About three minutes later the page finally opened and there was the banner about the promotion.
“I don’t think that is us”, they said. Yes it is, I said. The contact number brought me here, I said. So, I clicked on the link for more information. “Oh”, they said. That is our number. But we don’t know anything about that price or the free modem router”, they said. “I have a meeting with the department head tomorrow. I will print this page out and then show him. Can I call you tomorrow?” they asked. Of course, I said, still smiling. “I am very sorry, I have never seen this page before even though I sell the ADSL package every day”, they said. Mai ben rai, I said. I was still smiling as I left. Of course, I wouldn’t be coming back here.
My next option is CS Loxinfo www.csloxinfo.com . I see that they have a similar promotion for about 1000 baht per month. We use an expensive version of this one at school. It is mainly OK though it does slow down a lot at times. I think I will give them a ring tomorrow just to make sure that we are allowed to share the connection. Everything else sounds OK.
