Internet connection all over SEA

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dreamseeker
dreamseeker

Firstly just a shriek of joy as it's been years since I have been on thorntree to comment or ask anything. And finally I have some travel plans again that warrant a visit back - yay!
Right, back to the topic....

So this topic has been partially covered in bits and pieces throughout the forums but I can't quite find all the info I need.
Having built up my business to be semi-reliable I am now in a position to do what I have dreamed of for years and head with my laptop to live on some beach and be a proper gypsy.
My question is around internet. I love all of SEA and all I need is somewhere cheap, with a beach and, of crucial importance, good internet access. This last one is the deal-breaker.

A lot of my work is via skype so although the odd cutout is ok (it happens to me here in London sometimes) I would need to have decent speed and fairly reliable internet most of the time. I would love info on which countries offer this more readily. And cheaply (if they don't have unlimited it's probably no good for me as lots of skype usage could cost a fortune).
The countries I'm thinking of in particular are Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Phillipines.
I would plan to move around - probably to fit with visa restrictions - so being in apartments with my own wifi won't be an option. I also won't be living in more expensive hotels - where I'm sure it's easier to get internet access.
I've seen a lot of info about various countries having great mobile internet. Do they all and does it tend to be right throughout the country? And is it really good enough for what I require? Do they have data limits? Can it get expensive?

I have an iphone (which will need unlocking) and a sony eriksson phone - I'm assuming this means I can just buy a sim card easily and prepay for mobile internet that I can connect to my laptop.

Any info around internet use in any of SEA would be much appreciated! (I thought of posting on this forum rather than the individual countries - can obviously repost if that would've been a better idea).

Thanks!

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dreamseeker
dreamseeker

Oh I should mention to that due to the nature of my work a degree of silence and privacy is necessary...... Actually that sounds dodgy! I'm a type of coach so when I'm having client skype sessions I can't be sitting in an internet cafe or starbucks, etc. I need to be able to use internet in my room.

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everbrite
everbrite

Consider Kuching, Malaysia. I seem to recall several people with internet based businesses operating for months from a hostel there.

Post on the Thailand branch, the SouthEast Asia Mainland branch and the SEAsia Peninsula branch. That should cover the region.

Ruth

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dreamseeker
dreamseeker

Thanks for that Ruth - I'll check out Kuching. And thanks for the advice re the other branches. I'll do that.

xx

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pratyeka
pratyeka

Many people in SEA do this. It's really easy to find places - and in my recent experience (I actually work and travel in SEA at the moment) I can tell you it's 'known good' in at least in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

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dreamseeker
dreamseeker

Thanks Pratyeka!

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billythefish
billythefish

It sounds excellent, I am envious! lol

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anonymous
anonymous

In my opinion there are three hotbeds of remote internet workers in SE Asia which have all the things you require and a ready made community and social network too.

Chiang Mai, Thailand is the world capital of internet workers, based on the cheap cost of living and excellent short term apartments on offer.

Siem Reap, Cambodia is another up and coming place, you can legally work there on a business visa too.

Seminyak, Bali is another option although trickier with visa runs etc. Google terms like 'digital nomad' which will aid your research and good luck to you.

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jessestarosta
jessestarosta

I can only speak about Thailand.... but if your planning on being in Thailand for a while I would recommend renting your own apartment... I live in a 45 sqm serviced apartment for only ~450 USD per month and then purchasing your own Internet plan (my condo offers free wifi but its not the fastest). You can go to any True or 3BB outlet found in most Big C shopping malls and get your own internet plan. I use 3BB it costs 1200 baht per month and I have 12 MBPS internet which is plenty fast.

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ralphnhatrang
ralphnhatrang

I live in Nha Trang, Vietnam, as good a place as any to live. It's cheap enough and the climate is good for most the year. I have good internet access for $13 a month, download speed up to 500kbps and have good Skype reception. Higher download speeds are available.

There are good facilities in town, beaches, mountain streams, hot springs, and the provincial library even has an excellent English language collection. Friends get one year, multi-entry business visas for around $US120, renewable in Sihanoukville, Cambodia in ten minutes. There are thousands of photos of Nha Trang in the internet for you to check the place out.

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