Does anyone have experience with insecure internet connections either in hotels or cafes?
Thanks,
Andy

Heaps of viruses in those Internet cafes. I always carry a flash drive with clean-up software on it and wipe all my tracks clean away. But all the nasty viruses I've ever had I've brought home on my flash drive from those joints.

Thanks BobMac,
So, I guess you take a laptop with you and that is a good idea.
Andy

I have heard if you do use computers at internet cafes etc, especially for banking to clear the history when you have finished.
(We take our laptop)
Cathy

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Taking your own laptop....

Pros:

1. Probably more secure for online payments

2. You can watch movies on it, write novels, listen to music, keep your photos, play games etc. ...good if you're somewhere where there's not a lot of entertainment.

3. Internet is cheaper... Nowadays there are a lot of hotels, bars and restaurants offering customers free wifi. The phone companies also have cheap dialup options if you have a land line ...about 300B/month for unlimited access. Satellite internet connection via mobile phone is also possible but is more expensive.

Cons:

1. Lugging a laptop around adds to weight and rule #1 about travelling in SEA is to travel as light as possible.

2. Your laptop could get stolen or damaged. The high ambient humidity isn't great for electronics, nor is sand, and there are sometimes electricity surges and brownouts. Also keep an eye out for wee red ants ...they like living in computers and will eventually eat all the electric circuits.

If you're worried about using your credit card online then think about getting get an e credit card...they are supposed to be more secure.

In case you didn't know, there are ways to pay for budget airline tickets in Thailand without using a credit card. Although ordinary travel agents don't usually sell them, you can buy Air Asia tickets in cash at many Tesco Lotus supermarkets. Tickets for Nok Air (another budget airline in Thailand) can be paid for in cash at any 7/11.

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“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I now have wireless internet at my resort but when I used cafes I rarely took my own laptop, just when I needed to do updates, otherwise I used the cafe machines with my flash drive, as I said earlier I brought home some heavy-duty viruses, but I always managed to get a fix downloaded to clean them off. I thinking useing a cleanup program to wipe away your tracks is important. I actually have 2-3 on my flash and really clean up.

I used mobile internet over my mobile phone this trip. AIS One Two Call has cheap plans 100 baht for 20 hours (bargain) you can also get 6 hours for 50 baht. I used it to book air tickets, accomodation, MSN messenger and general websurfing, i had no problems with connection anywhere.