Using an iPhone & iPad in Thailand

Movie Finder for Thailand

Posted on July 30, 2010

A new app for the iPhone called SF Showtimes in Hand will help you choose what to watch at the cinema.

Before I proceed, I should point out that this app for the iPhone is only for the SF Cinema chain in Thailand. However, it does prove to be useful to let you know what is opening this week, what is out at the moment, and what will be coming soon. For each of the movies you can click through to read a synopsis, in English or Thai, watch a trailer and find out what time the movie is showing either today or tomorrow. You can also choose any SF Cinema around Thailand and see what they are showing. I cannot remember the last time that I went to watch a movie at the cinema, but as I still consider myself a movie buff, this app was certainly worth downloading. The best thing about it, of course, is the price. It is free!

Filed under: Thailand 3 Comments

CNN Launches International News App for iPhone

Posted on July 28, 2010

Following the launch of CNN’s acclaimed app for the iPhone and iPod touch in the United States last year, CNN today announced the availability of the international version of the CNN App on the App Store.

I was very pleased to read that CNN have just released an international version of their popular app for the rest of the world. The CNN App on iPhone is only for people outside of America and unlike the other version, it is free, though supported by ads. When you first enter the app you get to see the headlines which all have links for the full story and also video on demand. You can choose top stories by category. For example for the World or just for Asia. There is also "push notification" so if you want it, you will be notified of breaking news. This is particularly useful when you are following a particular story in My CNN as you will be kept updated as and when the story progresses. You can save them for reading later or post links on your Twitter account. What I really like is the iReport section as it now gives you the ability to upload pictures and video straight from your iPhone to CNN iReport. So, Breaking News is even more so now. I have a feeling that I will be using this new app from CNN a lot. I just wish it was around during the Red Shirt protests a few months ago.

Filed under: News No Comments

Thai Flight Search Engine

Posted on July 27, 2010

A quick way to compare prices for flights inside Thailand using your iPhone.

If you want to be able to quickly compare domestic flights in Thailand then the ThaiFlight app for the iPhone is probably a good choice for you. You could go to each of the websites of the airlines such as thaiair.com, bangkokair.com, fly12go.com, nokair.com and airasia.com. Or you could do it all in once place in this app. Enter the details for the airports you will fly between and the dates of your trip. You will then be given a list of flights which you can sort by price, times and airline. Once you have chosen the flight that you want, you are given the contact details for the airline so that you can go ahead and book. Prices already include taxes and service charges. I am sure that this app will save you both time and money if you fly domestically in Thailand a lot. You can buy ThaiFlight at iTunes for $2.99.

COMPETITION: I liked this app so much that I asked the developers if they could send us some promo codes to use in a competition. They kindly agreed. So, if you would like to win the ThaiFlight app for the iPhone then all you have to do is post a comment below. That is it, very simple! The deadline is Sunday night Thai time when we will be putting all of the names into a randomizer. The three names at the top of the list will win the app. Good luck!

UPDATE: The developers have now released a free version that limits the dates you can check. It is called ThaiFlight Free.

Filed under: Airline, Thailand 17 Comments

Sunlight Tracker for the iPhone

Posted on July 27, 2010

Sunlight Tracker is a must have tool for any outdoor photographer interested in knowing the best times to shoot their subjects outdoors.

This is a handy little app for your iPhone called Sunlight Tracker which is currently free in the iTunes store. Using GPS, it takes your current location and tells you the times of sunrise and sunset. More importantly it gives you the times of twilight and also the total length of day. As you can see from the screenshot above, the length of day in Thailand is 11 hours and 37 minutes at the moment. Scrolling to the left or right you can see the details for the past or present. There is also a calendar where it makes it easier to check the times a month or so down the road. What is even more interesting, is that it will show you your present location on a Google map and a yellow line to show direction of sunrise and a green line to show direction of sunset. The red line shows the current position of the sun. What makes it useful to a photographer, is that you can easily change the time of day so that you will get the exact position of the sun which includes both the sun's azimuth and elevation. This make it useful when you are planning a trip to a new location. Of course, a Google map and built in compass will suffice for most people, but as this app is presently free it won't hurt to download. But, be quick, it might go back up to $1.99 soon.

Filed under: Photography 1 Comment

Menu Chooser for iPhone

Posted on July 23, 2010

Can't decide what to eat? This free app for the iPhone will help you make that decision.

The idea behind "Gin Arai" is simple. Just open the app, shake the iPhone and a pop-up will give a suggestion of what to eat. As you can see from the picture above, the food description is all in Thai. However, you can edit these name to write what you like. In addition, you can also add your own pictures of regular meals that you eat. Not bad for a free app made by a Thai developer.

Filed under: Thailand No Comments

The New iPhone 3GS 8GB in Thailand

Posted on July 21, 2010

True Move have just released the iPhone 3GS 8GB in Thailand this week with attractive prices starting at only 1,235 baht per month. You will also get a free leather case.

The iPhone 3GS 8GB basically replaces the old iPhone 3G with better speeds and camera. Up to this point in Thailand, we only had iPhone 3GS 16GB and 32GB in the True Move shops. The cheaper phone, with less capacity, will make it more attractive to first-time users. This is now how the prices look:

iPhone 3GS 8GB 19,900 baht (handset only) or 18,900 baht (with package)
iPhone 3GS 16GB 24,500 baht (handset only) or 22,900 baht (with package)
iPhone 3GS 32GB 28,500 baht (handset only) or 26,400 baht (with package)

These prices do not include 7% VAT. The iPhone 3GS 8GB can be bought at participating iStudio shops in Thailand.

The DTAC website is not advertising the new iPhone 3GS 8GB handset yet, but interestingly they are still advertising the old iPhone 3G 8GB for the same price! Maybe someone should tell them about the competition.

When I bought my iPhone 3GS I had to make a choice between 16GB and 32GB. When buying for the first time it is always difficult to know the size you will need. I went for the 16GB in the end but after only five months my phone is already half full. This is mainly with apps and about 500 songs. I do subscribe to weekly video podcasts but these are removed once I have watched them. I think 8GB is good enough for most light users, but if you want to use your iPhone to store pictures, videos and download many apps then you will need a bigger size.

Filed under: Latest News 3 Comments

Ask the Octopus iPhone Game

Posted on July 16, 2010

After its success during the World Cup the Octopus has arrived on your iPhone and goes straight to number one in the Thailand iTunes shop.

Cinema or Bowling? Koh Samui or Phuket? Red Shirts or Yellow Shirts? Thai food or Italian? Ask the Octopus! Have doubts about something? Do not know what to choose? Want to know who will win the match? Want a suggestion on who to date today? Ask the Octopus! This is a fun and colourful little app that you can pick up in the iTunes store for 99 Cents.

Filed under: Game No Comments

Bangkok Mass Transit Maps for iPhone

Posted on July 15, 2010

A new app for the iPhone came out this week that will help you navigate the mass transport system for Bangkok. It is called iLink BKK and it is free from the iTunes store. You start with an overview map which shows BTS, MRT, Airport Link and Express Boat. You can zoom into any part of the map and then click on a station name. You then get a second map of that immediate area. This map is also interactive and you can click on buildings around the station to get more information. You can easily switch between Thai and English for this. The quality of the map is not perfect but you cannot argue with the price. The next feature is quite interesting. If you click on the station name you want to start from and then your destination it will tell you the price and how long it will take to travel there. The final feature will tell you where you are on a google map of the mass transport system. I think this is the best mass transport app out there so far. If you know a better one then please let us know in the comments.

Filed under: Thailand No Comments

Play Thai Chess on the iPhone

Posted on July 14, 2010

It is always great to have a free game on your iPhone. If you are in Thailand, then why not try out this game of Thai chess called PocketM. It is basically a game against artificial intelligence. There are 6 levels in order to make it easy for you. You have the ability to undo moves and it will also show a high score table. However, be warned, this is not your normal game of chess as Thai people have their own set of rules. Many of the pieces will look different apart from the Knight, which is called "horse" in Thai, and the pawns which are called "bia". We have produced some instructions for you on our www.ThailandLife.com website to make it easier. As this iPhone app is free, it won't hurt you to download PocketM today.

Filed under: Thailand 1 Comment

iPhone 4 in Apple’s Thailand Store

Posted on July 13, 2010

We noticed yesterday for the first time that the iPhone 4 is being featured on the front page of Apple's Thailand wesbite.

If you visit http://www.apple.com/th which is Apple's homepage for Thailand, you will see that there is now information in the Thai language about the iPhone 4. It is even listed in the Apple Store at http://store.apple.com/th. However, the "Find a Store" link goes to a "page not found" page. So, at the moment we still don't have a confirmed release date or any prices. But, the listing of the iPhone 4 on their website is obviously the first step in the right direction.

In related news, True Move sent out their first email to customers who had registered an interest in the iPhone 4. Apart from the fact that it was all in Thai, it didn't reveal anything new. It just reminded people that the phone isn't called iPhone 4G which many Thai people seem to think. It is also did a comparative chart showing how much the iPhone costs in other countries. You can read it online here.

Filed under: Latest News 5 Comments

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การใช้ไอโฟนในประเทศไทย

On this blog I will be sharing with you tips and methods of using an iPhone and iPad in Thailand. I am not pretending to be an expert, but I hope that from my personal experience of using an iPhone for my work and pleasure you might gain some knowledge. As well as reviewing apps that I use, I will also post about accessories and also the latest news from around the world.

- Richard Barrow

Twitter: @RichardBarrow
Archives: @TwitterArchives
Contact: @Paknamweb.com

Useful Posts & Websites

* Open a US iTunes Account
* Tips for Using an iPhone in Thailand

Amitiae is an excellent website for people interested in Apple, Mac, IT, iOs, Asia and Everywhere else

Over at Women Learning Thai, you will also find some useful blogs about using an iPhone in Thailand.

Using an iPhone & iPad in Thailand Tips, App Reviews and News for the iPhone and iPad by Richard Barrow