There are a number of options when it comes to the internet in Thailand. Hosting in Thailand is costly so most companies tend to host outside of the country. You can search for a hosting company online as the cost of international bandwidth in Thailand is very costly. Even the large Thai forums such as Thai visa tend to host in Singapore as the bandwidth cost is lower.
Internet in Thailand
About 10 years ago in Thailand you could buy a normal internet card at the local cafe for access to the internet but this has all changed to contract accounts now. True is the biggest player in the field and has the largest subscriber base in Thailand. You can get a good internet connection in the price range of 800฿ per month.
This is good enough for web development of watching Youtube. It has improved over the last 3 years as the 800฿ per month package used to give you slow Youtube videos where it spent more time caching that streaming. Today this has changed and the mid-range internet package is very good. True also operates its own international gateway in Thailand like many others.
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International Gateways
| Code | Name | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| ADC-IIG | ADC International Internet Gateway | Advance Datanetwork Communications |
| BBConnect-IIG | BB Connect Internet Gateway | BB Connect |
| CAT-IIG | International Internet Gateway | CAT Telecom |
| CSL-IIG | CS Loxinfo International Gateway | CS Loxinfo |
| JASTEL-IIG | JasTel International Internet Gateway | JasTel |
| Symphony-IIG | Symphony International Internet Gateway | Symphony Communication |
| SBN-IIG | SBN International Internet Gateway | Super Broadband Network |
| TCCT-IIG | TCCT International Internet Gateway | TCC Technology |
| TIG-IIG | True International Internet Gateway | True Internet |
| TOT-IIG | International Internet Gateway | TOT |
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International & Domestic Bandwidth
| Month/Year | International Bandwidth (Mbit/s) | Domestic Bandwidth (Mbit/s) |
|---|---|---|
| 02/2013 | 526,063 | 1,072,055 |
| 08/2012 | 405,860 | 1,006,140 |
| 08/2010 | 158,680 | 721,217 |
| 12/2009 | 104,595 | 619,317 |
| 12/2008 | 55,095 | 251,091 |
| 12/2007 | 22,073 | 157,010 |
| 12/2006 | 9,909 | 53,773 |
| 12/2005 | 6,808 | 28,721 |
| 12/2004 | 3,006 | 21,379 |
| 12/2003 | 1,438 | 10,409 |
| 12/2002 | 1,011 | 2,572 |
| 12/2001 | 642 | 1,089 |
| 12/2000 | 255 | 584 |
ISP’s in Thailand
Jasmine Internet used to be very good years ago especially in Pattaya as TOT was the broadband provider and dominated the area in terms of users. Today its a mixed bag but most expats tend to stick to the monthly contract with True as it is cheap and stable. If you are going to run a business then mixing them is good if you want to use VOIP.
Most companies tend to mix True with TOT or BB Connect. dont mind their web pages as it is all in Thai even the English version but you can read between the lines. This is what is on offer for the consumer. Dont be fooled by the MB/s. This package gives you 100kb/s download and 50kb/s upload. You can push it a bit further after midnight to about 110kb/s download and 60kb/s upload.
See also the Cost of Living in Bangkok Food as well as the Cost of Living in Pattaya Food. There is also an article on Gateway Ekkamai as well as BTS Ekkamai Station itself.
