True Blanket Censorship

We recently spoke about the arbitrariness of Thai censorship in this post. TrueMove now takes the issue to a new height with an in Thailand yet unseen “blanket censorship.” Chances are that if you’re using TrueMove GPRS or 3G with your mobile phone some of your favorite WordPress.com blogs are turned into “The page cannot found/Error 404.” The 404-page has meanwhile been replaced with a referencing “Access Denied (policy_denied)” message. Travel blogs, lonely heart blogs, flower blogs, meditation blogs from all over the world: in Thailand they’re blocked. Nothing to do with content. You could write about the beauty of bananas. And you’re still blocked.

Error messages above are not genuine Apache or other webserver error messages; the actual server response is 200: OK. And note the very Thai syntax. Affected by this arbitrary blocking are all, I repeat, all WordPress.com blogs, not WordPress.org, but – again – only on TrueMove, not True HighSpeed, and I’m not aware of any other ISPs. So don’t try to access ThaiCrisis, Thai Intelligent News, FACT or Political Prisoners with your True iPhone – all you get is “Access Denied” and the disclaimer “Your system policy has denied access to the requested URL. For assistance, contact your network support team.”

Incompetence at True? Yes, in the sense that if you wanted to block a blog like highlyoffensivesite.wordpress.com then to block everything at wordpress.com is either stupidity, laziness or points out some very flawed blocking software or server technique. No, in the sense that the error message has changed once, so it’s not just a simple oversight; it’s obviously deliberate. Let’s not forget the good Doctor Vejjajiva, the father of our dear PM, sits on the board of directors of CP Group, the parent of the the True conglomerate.

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March 24, 2010 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, News & Media | 8 Comments 

Of This Site’s Blocking & Unblocking

The Thai cyber patrol can actually be quite responsive and kudos to LoxInfo. Last week I got messages from readers that this site was blocked by their ISP LoxInfo. Instead of absolutelyBangkok.com a familiar frame showed up: “This URL has been blocked by a court order OR it could have an affect on or be against the security of the kingdom, public order or good morals. CS LoxInfo Plc.” This being mainly a lifestyle and cultural blog.

aB.com respects the kingdom’s laws and is well aware that the illegal content they are looking for is related to terrorism, child pornography, defamatory material and material which is an infringement on individuals. Not really stuff you read on aB.com. Well, a loyal reader contacted LoxInfo. Within 24 hours he was reassured there is no inappropriate content on aB.com and they undid the blocking promptly. Here is what had happened:

A reader complained to LoxInfo via email and an exchange of emails ensued which he was kind enough to forward me. It remains unclear what exactly the “inappropriate content” was that led to the blocking of this site, but it is encouraging to see that the concerned parties responded quickly, professionally and efficiently.

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February 23, 2010 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, News & Media, On Our Own | 27 Comments 

3G’s Here, Why The Rush

You got a shiny new iPhone or any other really smart phone and are pissed off, and rightfully so. The phone allows 3G or 3rd Generation mobile telecommunication for superfast data transfer on the 2100 MHz bandwidth. But as we all know there’s delay upon delay due to technicalities if you know what I mean – showing the whole nation that greed in powerful circles is stronger than any belief in progress, sense of duty, loyalty or moral value for that.

But wait, why bother! We have 3G already! Hey, I’m using it. After being a stubbornly loyal AIS customer since the mid-90s last week me bought my first TrueMove post-paid number. TrueMove’s a newcomer in comparison – and they offer Hi-Speed Mobile Internet. Including 3G at selected locations, such as in Bangkok’s central business district, Hua Hin, Cha Am and Phuket. Offering speeds of a whopping 4 Mbps. That’s what I got tethering the iPhone.

But still, this is a “2G 3G” so to say, or a 2.5G to be exact – clear? TrueMove is currently operating a 3G service on the 850 MHz frequency on a non-commercial trial basis waiting for approval to launch the service on a commercial basis. An auction will also be held by the government in the near future of 3G licenses on the 2.1 GHz frequency … Meaning, during the trial phase you’re charged 2G, EDGE and GPRS rates. I can live with that. This speed at this price. And now AIS jumps on the bandwagon:

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January 21, 2010 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Gadgets & Technology, Politics | 7 Comments 

Top Thai iPhone Apps

An Indian once told me with the cutest of accents: “Women. Who can live with them. Who can live without them.”

Same applies to the iPhone. Who doesn’t have one yet. And if you don’t have one yet, how can you get along without.

The phone’s complex simplicity is astonishing, not to mention the huge resource of applications. Most are trash. There are some jewels out there, some may even facilitate your life in Bangkok. Here are my picks:

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November 25, 2009 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, News & Media, TTT - Top Thai Things, Travel & Tourism | 6 Comments 

Corporate 3G Disobedience & True Hypocrisy

What a welcome sight arriving in Hua Hin. Huge AIS billboards praising AIS Super 3G with whopping speeds of 7.2 Mbps. Welcome to the future in laid-back Hua Hin. But that future is still the past.

Make no mistake. That’s not the 3G on the 2100 MHz band. It’s AIS’ very own virtual super highway on its 900 MHz GSM band, furthermore available in parts of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chonburi.

And the speed doesn’t come for free. 1.5 GB set you back 300 baht, 30 GB 1,500 baht. Still, with a government trying to be milking some 40 billion baht from the sale of 3G licenses and no auction in sight for years, Thai phone companies are forced to go their own way.

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October 18, 2009 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Gadgets & Technology, Property & Investment, The Thai Mind | 8 Comments 

iPhone 3G Bangkok Update: Winner’s The Winner

Just a short iPhone 3G update concerning Bangkok & Thailand. All right, I hear you. By now, you say, everybody has an iPhone and there’s the promising Blackberry Storm to arrive and the Nokia N97. But then again, no other phone offers the possibilities, functionalities and the platform as does the iPhone. Period.

And as you may know as well, there’s still no proper unlock for the 3G iPhones. Except if you buy a factory-unlocked one. They were hard to get. Now Winner Telecom on the 4th floor of Maboonkrong MBK has them. The Hong Kong version. Just did a beautifully simple upgrade from firmware 2.1 to 2.2.

The first Hong Kong iPhone 3G @ 16GB they had sold for 59,000 baht. Now they go for less than 30,000 baht. Just be nice to the beautiful girl at the counter – yes, even her English is perfect. I’d say, that’s a sure go if you hesitated so far … with the phone.

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December 16, 2008 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, Money & Shopping | 14 Comments 

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