Majority of condominiums and houses for rent in Bangkok do not come readily with internet connection. Usually, this is done by the tenant in his/her own name and is easily obtainable by submitting your passport and work permit, along with a small installation fee. Not unless it is a serviced apartment which works pretty much like a hotel or you happen to be one of the lucky minority who has a landlord who understands that internet is not option but a necessity in this day and age. Some of us are not so lucky; and what you need to know is that this is the norm in Thailand and not something to fret about. Here’s what you do…

Basically, there are two main telecom companies in Bangkok – TOT and TRUE. The latter is government-owned and definitely the larger of the two, with almost every home in Bangkok installed with a TOT phone line. However, this is not to say that TRUE is in anyway inferior to TOT. In fact, the only way you’re going to get TRUE broadband, is through a TRUE line and TRUE is currently the biggest and most popular ISP in Bangkok.

There are a host of ISPs in Bangkok that use TOT phone lines i.e. CS Loxinfo, Buddy Broadband, KSC internet and yes, TOT which also has their own broadband service but a common problem faced by TOT users in older housing estates (this includes many areas in Bangkok including Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn etc) is that the phone lines in these older estates are on the old analog system which affects the connection speed and there is nothing TOT can do about it. Your only option is to get a new digital phone line installed, preferably by TRUE. However, here’s the other problem….

Bangkok is seriously short of new numbers, and this includes many areas in the CBD. Thus, applying for a new line from TRUE or TOT can mean getting on a long waiting list, and patiently waiting for up 6 months. To avoid this catastrophic situation, make sure you first check that there is existing phone line in the house/condo you are renting. It’s much easier with apartments since they already have lines readily available for every unit, and all it takes is a week to get ADSL connected in your apartment unit.