High Speed Internet on Trips to and From Thailand

[TotallyOz]

I love being able to check email and use the Internet when I get to lounges on stop overs during international flights. I have been saying for years that I just didn't understand why the over the big ocean planes didn't have Internet. I have used the Delta Internet In Flight services when I am in the USA and love it.

 

Now, when traveling overseas, you can also use the Internet on long distance flights. On a recent trip, I opened my laptop and saw a connection for Gogo In Flight. I was a bit surprised and asked the flight attendant if this was an option. She said, "Yes, we are moving this service to all our our long distance flights."

 

I was impressed. The price for the service is per leg. It cost 24.95 from Bangkok to Tokyo. It cost 49.00 from Tokyo to USA. Yes, that is high. But, the speed was great. I was able to access all sites and services. It did go out a few times here and there for a few minutes but quickly returned. I always said that I would be happy to pay for this feature and when I saw it, I did pay for it and the speed was much faster than I expected and the service worked the entire time (minuses a few bumps when it went off and came back on really fast).

 

So, for those of you that love checking email, checking on sites, or posting that trip report on Gay Thailand. You can now do this on those long journeys across the Pacific!

[vinapu]

no doubt price will go down with time, and even at 49 $ it works to 4$ / hour, not cheap but not prohibitive either.

[TotallyOz]

So sorry, it was 39.00 from Tokyo to USA. So, it is already cheaper by almost a buck an hour.

[vinapu]

So sorry, it was 39.00 from Tokyo to USA. So, it is already cheaper by almost a buck an hour.

I told you so !

[NIrishGuy]

I used it on my last trip back and yes it was certainly great for catching up on emails etc but also just for killing the boredom by sitting on Grindr as you went over all the various Countries whilst watching which ones were trying to blocking it ( and failing mainly now it seems ) and then getting the odd "hey, how are you, I'm in the city centre, you closem wanna meet ?") sort of message where it was worth every penny of the sign up fee just to be able to say " ha I would love to but you really wouldn't believe where I am even if I told you" :-)

 

Looking forward to the day ( very soon I'm sure) when it becomes standard practice to have it on all planes - and FOC too hopefully at that !

[TotallyOz]

I told you so !

If you are as good as predicting stocks are you are about this, please please, lets sit down and have coffee!

[TotallyOz]

Looking forward to the day ( very soon I'm sure) when it becomes standard practice to have it on all planes - and FOC too hopefully at that !

I was surprised that both of mine had this. I would not have known had my wifi not been on. I guess they either don't advertise it well or most just think it is only for domestic.

 

Like you, it was well worth it for me.

[vinapu]

If you are as good as predicting stocks are you are about this, please please, lets sit down and have coffee!

Unfortunately I'm not good at stocks but still gladly have a coffee with you

[ChristianPFC]

Good to know it's available, one day it might even be free. Until that day, I call the price "prohibitive" and anyway, I spend too much time on the internet (most of it not urgent or important), so I enjoy some days without internet from time to time. For me, movies on the plane is enough to keep me entertained.

[KhorTose]

Good to know it's available, one day it might even be free. Until that day, I call the price "prohibitive" and anyway, I spend too much time on the internet (most of it not urgent or important), so I enjoy some days without internet from time to time. For me, movies on the plane is enough to keep me entertained.

Me, i put on a mask, fluff up my bucky, install earplugs and sleep all the way to where I am going.

[firecat69]

22 hours of movies or sleep even if possible is a bit much!!!

[vinapu]

unfortunately I can't sleep too much  on the plane and watching movies makes my eyes  tired so I need to resort to old fashioned reading books and magazines and internet would be nice addition.

 

What I find surprising as age progresses I'm taking those long flights better and better but jet lags becoming problem more and more.

[baobao]

The cost of the internet wouldn't be worth it to me, and I'll explain why: my preference travelling to Asia is flying at night.

 

That way I can spend the last day at home running last-minute errands and packing. Assuming I get to the airport with enough time I can kick back in the airline lounge for a while before boarding late in the evening. After boarding and getting off the ground I take a mild sleep aid, pick at what I want from the first meal served as a bed time snack and then allow myself to doze off a short way into the first movie.  

 

Even though I don't sleep extremely well, I can get enough shut-eye time before the breakfast service.  Then I can read or finish the rest of the movie before landing at Narita or Taoyuan to wait for the transfer.  I arrive in my final destination early enough in the day to be active and out in the sun, which helps me re-setting my "body clock".  

 

Coming back home I'm usually so worn out that I could sleep in a tuk tuk.

[firecat69]

Unfortunately all the airlines i fly arrive late at night!

[baobao]

Unfortunately all the airlines i fly arrive late at night!

 

If you really have trouble sleeping on long flights (and some do - a travel partner sometimes stays awake the entire way) you might consider asking your doctor for something to help you sleep. I've also done the "arrive at night" flights, and the same routine works for me.

[bkkguy]

So, for those of you that love checking email, checking on sites, or posting that trip report on Gay Thailand. You can now do this on those long journeys across the Pacific!

 

just don't try doing it on the handful of Thai Airways flights that have this available, currently just A330 and A380 flights to Perth, Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Osaka  - they don't charge by the leg, they charge an arm and a leg by the MB and $15 US will get you the Bangkok Post website main page and a few pages from this site before you have to reach for your credit card again

 

bkkguy

[Guest]

When people have internet they can take Skype calls at 2:00 am when the rest of us want to sleep. So I see advantages and disadvantages. On balance, existing arrangements with in flight entertainment and no Internet or phone calls suits me just fine.

[Guest abang1961]

You could laugh at me...

Age is really catching up on me...

I doze off easily... even on a 2 hr flight to Bangkok.

I would secure my seatbelt and doze off even before the safety demonstration....

 

Back to Internet charges... 

I discovered a tourist SIM card for THB 299 that gives me unlimited 7 day call + internet in 2012.

Don't know whether it still exist?

[vinapu]

You could laugh at me...

 

I doze off easily... even on a 2 hr flight to Bangkok.

I would secure my seatbelt and doze off even before the safety demonstration....

 

 

I don't laugh, I envy you like hell as I generally don't sleep on the plane.

 

But few years ago flying from Casablanca to Frankfurt, at night this happened to me, it was like closing eyes in Casablanca and waking 5 seconds later in Frankfurt , still cherish that memory

[KhorTose]

22 hours of movies or sleep even if possible is a bit much!!!

Not if you do one at a time.  I also have to wake up to eat, see the trays removed,

go to the BR, etc.  To be honest the Alprazolam helps a lot with the sleep..

 

unfortunately I can't sleep too much  on the plane and watching movies makes my eyes  tired so I need to resort to old fashioned reading books and magazines and internet would be nice addition.

 

 

Is a book like a Kindle?

[vinapu]

 

Is a book like a Kindle?

no , I even can't believe how backward I'm and still read  / and own  /  books in paper format.

[ChristianPFC]

The cost of the internet wouldn't be worth it to me, and I'll explain why: my preference travelling to Asia is flying at night.

 

Same for me. This way I don't spend half a day awake on a plane (10-12 hours flight time from Europe). I watch one movie, have a meal, sleep (but have to get up for stopover somewhere in Arabia, flights with one stop are considerably cheaper than direct flight, anyway there are no direct flights from Berlin to Bangkok).

 

Overall, I watch two movies and spend the rest of the time in a slumber.

 

Another note: eating on a plane in economy class is quite an exercise, not much room to move your arms, look like preying mantis. Writing on a laptop would involve similar awkward arm positions (for economy, if you fly business it might be more comfortable).

[vinapu]

those flying from Europe or Australia have it easy,

 

North Americans suffer badly, either you leave mid-day and arrive around mid-night or other way around so not really day /  night choice and depending on departure time one may lose whole day ie. departure at 3 p.m. on Monday, arrive  in BKK 1 a.m. on Wednesday and we are talking fast connections.

 

Going back is the same headache but the same day becomes veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy  long, depart at midnight and after 20 hours in the air plus connection you are home in the morning the same day.

 

Sometimes it becomes fun ie depart Sydney in the morning and after 10 hours flight you are in Honolulu in the evening OF THE PREVIOUS DAY

[Guest anonone]

When people have internet they can take Skype calls at 2:00 am when the rest of us want to sleep. So I see advantages and disadvantages. On balance, existing arrangements with in flight entertainment and no Internet or phone calls suits me just fine.

Just FYI, some ( most ?) airlines block the popular VOIP sites (Skype,etc) and also have rules prohibiting voice calls over the system. Very possible to get around the block (VPN use) though.

 

I am not strongly opposed to having Internet available on planes as I am sure some enjoy it. Personally, I very much enjoy being disconnected from the world for 22 hour flight to Thailand. It helps me adjust to Thai attitude and sense of relaxed time.

 

 

 

  

Not if you do one at a time.  I also have to wake up to eat, see the trays removed,

go to the BR, etc.  To be honest the Alprazolam helps a lot with the sleep..

 :

As long as I am in at least business class, I have no trouble sleeping and actually enjoying the flight. I have my routine very well laid out to allow for late night arrival in Pattaya, a quick shower, and a trip to the bar and then late night club. I have just enough energy to make it to sunrise before collapsing in bed. Perfect start to a short holiday.

[TotallyOz]

When people have internet they can take Skype calls at 2:00 am when the rest of us want to sleep. So I see advantages and disadvantages. On balance, existing arrangements with in flight entertainment and no Internet or phone calls suits me just fine.

I am not really sure if this is possible or not. I know that Satellite calls I have made in the past on Skype were very very poor quality.

 

Plus, the airlines can choose what they wish to block. They may have Skype blocked. I don't know as I didn't try it. But, Netflix and the torrents were all blocked. I imagine the same for Skype. I'll try it next time and see.