Thailand - Internet

Synopsis

Thailand has started to energetically embrace Internet in its many forms across the marketplace. Over the last eight years, admittedly starting from a very low base, the estimated number of Internet users in Thailand has increased sixfold. ISPs also seem to be recovering from their earlier reputation for unreliable performance and a failure to invest in improved infrastructure. Now that the government has taken the first steps to fix the regulatory regime, with CAT being sidelined from the activities of the ISPs and, most importantly, the international Internet gateway market having been opened up, there should be increased opportunities for the development of the Internet in Thailand. There is still further work to be done on the regulatory front, however. This report looks at the Thai Internet market and some of the major players involved.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Internet market
  
  • 2.1 Overview
    
    • 2.1.1 Internet statistics
      
    • 2.1.2 Analysis: Internet censorship in Thailand – August 2009
      
  • 2.2 ISP market
    
    • 2.2.1 Overview
      
    • 2.2.2 Market restructuring
      
  • 2.3 Major ISPs
    
    • 2.3.1 True Internet (formerly Asia Infonet)
      
    • 2.3.2 CS Loxinfo
      
    • 2.3.3 Jasmine Internet (JINet)
      
    • 2.3.4 Internet Thailand Co
      
    • 2.3.5 KSC Commercial Internet
      
    • 2.3.6 Pacific Internet
      
  • 2.4 Thailand’s Internet gateway exchanges
    
    • 2.4.1 Overview
      
    • 2.4.2 Opening up of gateway market
      
  • 2.5 Regulatory issues
    
  • 2.6 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
    
    • 2.6.1 ‘Grey market’
      
    • 2.6.2 National VoIP services
      
    • 2.6.3 International VoIP services
      
• 3. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Internet users – 1996 - 2009
• Table 2 – Internet subscribers – 1996 - 2009
• Table 3 – International Internet bandwidth – 2000 - 2009
• Table 4 – True’s Internet subscribers – 2003 - 2009

• Exhibit 1 – Licensed ISPs in Thailand – 2009
• Exhibit 2 – ISPs operated by telecom companies
• Exhibit 3 – Singapore’s Temasek acquires Shin Corp - and CS Loxinfo – 2006
• Exhibit 4 – KSC’s shareholder battle
• Exhibit 5 – International Internet gateway operators in Thailand – 2009