Thailand’s leading post operator that provides internal and international postal services is Thailand Post. Bangkok has over 100 post offices, conveniently located throughout the city. Most of them are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (some to 6 p.m.), and on Saturdays – from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thailand Post is one of the cheapest posts in the Southeast Asia. It costs 16 – 24 THB to send a postcard or a letter by airmail anywhere in the world. Exact cost of postal services can be found on the official website of Thailand Post www.thailandpost.com. Letters reach Europe and America generally within 7 days, Russia – within 10 to 12 days.
Many international courier express-services, including DHL, FedEx, UPS, have their branches in Bangkok.
Stationary connection. Card-phones are widely spread in Bangkok: they are installed in shopping malls, near different institutions, on public transport stops. There are two types of public phones: for international connection (as a rule yellow-and-green) and for local calls (mainly red-and-blue). You will need a telephone card in order to make a call. They are sold in round-the-clock 7-Eleven shops.
It is convenient to call abroad from the phones, installed in post offices, which work around the city. Special international telephones are even cheaper. They can be found in many Bangkok internet cafes and in tourist offices (look for a sign “Overseas Call”). The calls are made using IP-telephony technology and therefore are inexpensive. To make an international call from Bangkok’s stationary phone, dial 001 (the access code for international line), then dial country code, city code, and telephone number. To make a local call, it is enough to dial a city telephone number.
You may also use international telephone services in your hotel. However, you’ll need to find out an access code for the call and rates separately. In addition, some hotels charge an additional fee for successful connection.
Mobile connection. As a rule, after arriving in Bangkok, your cell phone will be automatically registered in the network of a local cellular operator. However, considering that roaming is pretty expensive on the territory of Thailand, it is cheaper and more convenient to buy a local SIM-card. You can do so at the airport, in mobile connection shops and virtually in all supermarkets; you don’t need to show any documents when buying a local SIM-card. The cost varies from 50 to 100 THB, and from 200 to 250 THB at the airport.
There are three basic cellular operators in Bangkok: AIS, DTAC and True Mobile. Each of them offers cheap tariff plans for overseas calls.
Consider that SIM-cards have a limited validity period in Thailand. In order to extend it, you have to top up your account after certain period of time.
It is easy to get an Internet access, both wired and wireless, in Bangkok. Most local hotels have Internet access points that give an opportunity to use Internet in their halls, as well as in the rooms. Guests who don’t have laptops and other devices with Internet access can use public computers, installed in some hotels. Many cafes and restaurants, large shopping centers, clubs and bars also provide wireless Internet access, free or for a reasonable price.
You can also access Internet from your cell phone, given that it supports GPRS or one of 3G standards. In order to do so, you need to buy a SIM-card from one of Thailand’s cellular operators: there is a wide selection of tariff plans with unlimited Internet access. The most advantageous tariffs are Happy from DTAC cellular operator and 1-2 Call from AIS.
In addition, numerous internet-cafes, providing wired and wireless Internet access, work around the city. It is recommended to be careful when using public computers, while they are often infected with viruses, may contain spyware and other harmful software. Working on such computers, it is better not to enter confidential data, that is, not to use your user name and password to enter the mailbox, forums, etc.
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