The Answer Might Surprise You

1.0 Introduction: The Great Thai Internet Debate

Choosing the internet in Thailand can be a frustrating puzzle for expats, digital nomads, and even long-time residents. The market is dominated by giants like AIS and True, both claiming superior performance, leaving many to wonder: who is truly the best?

If you’re just looking at the advertised speeds, you’re missing half the story. The answer isn’t that simple. I’ve learned from experience that recent performance data reveals some surprising truths that go beyond the headline numbers. This guide distils the most impactful takeaways from the latest reports and real-world user experiences to help you make a smarter choice.

2.0 Takeaway 1: The “Fastest” Provider Isn’t Always the Best for Your Experience

Speed isn’t everything; responsiveness is key.

It’s a counterintuitive finding, but the provider with the highest raw speed may not deliver the best day-to-day online experience.

According to a comprehensive 2024 report from nPerf, True Online clocked the best overall average fixed internet speeds, with a download speed of 348.26 Mb/s and an upload speed of 276.11 Mb/s.

However, the same report showed that AIS delivered a better user experience in critical experience metrics like latency and web browsing performance. AIS had the best (lowest) latency at just 10.77 ms and the best web browsing performance, scoring 70.74%.

This matters because for activities that demand responsiveness—like video calls, online gaming, and snappy web browsing—low latency and consistent performance are often more important than raw download power. While True is the champion for large file downloads, AIS wins on the metrics that make your connection feel fast and stable, even tying with True for the best video streaming experience.

3.0 Takeaway 2: There’s a New Champion for Fibre and WiFi Connections

For the most modern connections, a different winner emerges.

Digging deeper into the data reveals that the overall winner for “fixed internet” doesn’t tell the whole story, especially if you have access to the latest connection technology like Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) or rely on modern WiFi. While True Online won for overall performance, the 2024 nPerf report crowns a different provider when you isolate these advanced connection types.

The report states clearly that AIS subscribers enjoyed the best overall performance for both FTTH and WiFi connections in 2024.

Here’s where it gets really interesting and perfectly proves our central theme. Even within the “gold standard” of FTTH, True Online actually had slightly faster download and upload speeds (488.36 Mb/s and 393.35 Mb/s) compared to AIS (480.77 Mb/s and 357.82 Mb/s). So how did AIS win? They delivered a superior experience, with lower latency (8.42 ms vs. 8.90 ms) and better web browsing performance (75.59% vs. 73.95%). It’s definitive proof that a better experience trumps headline speed.

The nPerf analysis summarises this dynamic shift in the market perfectly:

True Online confirms again his leadership in the market again. However, competition is very active, and AIS has emerged as a strong contender by taking the lead in the WiFi and FTTH segments.

However, even with AIS’s award-winning WiFi performance, your real-world experience can be crippled by a factor no ISP can control: the construction of your home.

4.0 Takeaway 3: Your Building Might Choose Your ISP For You

Your dream ISP may not be available in your dream condo.

After all the research, you may be surprised to find that your choice of ISP is ultimately limited by your building’s existing infrastructure. This is a frustrating reality I, and many other expats, have run into when renting in Thailand.

In many condos and apartment buildings, you are restricted to using whichever company is already wired into the building. You don’t have the freedom to simply pick the provider with the best performance metrics; you can only choose from the ones that have a pre-existing connection.

The practical takeaway here is critical: Before you sign a lease, you must ask the landlord or the building’s juristic person which internet providers are available for your specific unit. This simple question can save you from the major disappointment of being stuck with a subpar connection for the duration of your contract.

5.0 Takeaway 4: Your Home’s Walls Are a Bigger WiFi Killer Than Your ISP

That gigabit plan won’t help if the signal can’t get through.

You’re paying for a 1Gbps plan, but can’t get a decent signal in your bedroom. Before you spend an hour on the phone with customer support, check your walls. The thick concrete walls common in many Thai condos and houses are often the primary culprit for weak and unreliable WiFi signals.

Fortunately, this is a solvable problem. Based on user experiences and expert advice, here are the most effective solutions:

• Invest in a Mesh WiFi System: Unlike simple extenders that can slow down your connection, a mesh system creates a single, seamless network with strong coverage throughout your home. Both AIS and True offer mesh systems as add-ons to their plans.
• Optimise Router Placement: Your router’s location matters immensely. Place it in a central spot in your home, out in the open. Don’t hide it in a cabinet—line of sight is everything. Avoid placing it near metal objects, refrigerators, or microwaves, which can interfere with the signal.
• Consider Upgrading the Router: The basic routers supplied by ISPs can be a performance bottleneck. Upgrading to a modern WiFi 6 router can provide better speeds, stability, and capacity for handling multiple devices at once.

6.0 Takeaway 5: The “Evening Slowdown” is Real, and It’s Not Just You

If your streaming quality tanks after 7 PM, there’s a reason—and a surprising fix.

If you find your nightly Netflix stream from back home or your evening video call with family is constantly buffering, you’re experiencing a classic issue. Many users report a drastic drop in internet performance during peak evening hours, especially when streaming video from international sources. While your speed test might still show fantastic results, your 4K movie stream buffers endlessly.

This phenomenon is often not “throttling” in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s typically caused by something called a high “contention rate for international routes.” In simple terms, the shared international bandwidth that all users on an ISP connect through becomes congested when everyone logs on after work. Your connection within Thailand remains fast, but the pipe leading out to the rest of the world gets clogged.

Remarkably, users have discovered an effective workaround: using a VPN often restores full streaming speeds. By routing your traffic through a VPN server (for instance, in a nearby country like Singapore), you can often bypass the specific congested routes your ISP is using, leading to a much smoother experience.

7.0 Conclusion: Choosing Your Connection Wisely

The battle for the “best” internet in Thailand is more complex than a simple speed test. As we’ve seen, the provider with the fastest downloads isn’t necessarily the one with the most responsive connection. The clear winner for modern FTTH and WiFi connections is now AIS, yet your choice might be predetermined by the wiring in your condo. And once you’re connected, your home’s concrete walls and peak-hour network congestion present their own unique challenges.

Ultimately, choosing wisely means looking beyond the marketing and understanding the factors that truly impact your daily experience. Given that speed isn’t the only factor, what does the ‘best’ internet experience truly mean for you?

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