Thailand was an early participant in bringing the Internet to Asia, and it has a fascinating, but little-known, networking history. The grassroots efforts by a few dedicated and visionary university professors have resulted in a fully functional national network, despite the limited infrastructure and numerous technical obstacles of the early days.

In fact, networking in Thailand began when virtually nothing existed in the country to establish a viable computer network. Telephone density was low, technical knowledge was scarce, and computers were expensive. However, some Thai engineers managed to create the academic network with a small budget and some technical assistance from Australia.

Beginning with a UUCP connection and X.25 in 1987, the Thai academic network gradually transitioned to full TCP/IP in 1992. Boosted by the strong economic growth of the early ’90s, collaboration occurred with the private sector and was augmented by international financial support. The use of the Internet in Thailand is now highly valued, especially by the younger generation. Currently, the Internet is not only a significant tool for information sharing among academics and students, but also an alternative media and a new business opportunity for Thais.

The state of academic networking in Thailand has grown significantly, reaching almost every university and research institution in the country. Many Thai schools and universities are using the Internet and its applications in their curricula. The government is planning to invest more in Information Technology (IT) and human resources by improving the telecommunications infrastructure and providing more education. As of this writing, Thailand has 16 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating nationwide with a combined leased line capacity above 30Mbps. (see Diagram 3, page 16).

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The History of the Internet in Thailand by Sirin Palasri, Steven Huter, and Zita Wenzel

Cover Design: Boonsak Tangkamcharoen

Published by University of Oregon Books.
International Standard Book Number: 0-87114-288-0
Printed in the United States of America.

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Introduction:

The development of the Internet in Thailand began in mid-1987 when two faculty members at the Asian Institute of Technology's (AIT) computer science department made some test UUCP connections to the University of Melbourne, University of Tokyo, and UUNET via X.25. A year later, the Australian International Development Plan (IDP) assisted Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) in the south of Thailand in setting up dial-up email connectivity to the University of Melbourne. In 1991, a UUCP network was established to five universities in Thailand. In 1992, when Chulalongkorn University acquired the first 9.6Kbps leased line to UUNET, the network was transformed to TCP/IP. By 1995, the usage had grown extensively, the Internet commercialized and expanded outside the academic realm to the general population. Currently, the Internet is available in almost every big city in Thailand, especially where universities are located. Anyone who can afford it can utilize the commercial Internet Services that are available and growing throughout t.he country.

This case study portrays the work of local engineers who created the building blocks for Thailand’s national network with minimal funds and limited resources of technology and people. However, with the collaboration of the private sector and pro bono support from a few key volunteers, those engineers created the academic network, and now have made the Internet another form of media available for the general population in Thailand.

This case study covers five major topics of the development of the Internet in Thailand: technology, human factors, the economic model, regulations and telecommunications infrastructure, and the current state of the network.

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