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

Movie Showtimes for Bangkok Cinemas

This free app called "Thai Showtimes" helps you to check the times of movies in Thailand for both SF and Major cinema chains. Unlike the dedicated apps for SF and Major you don't get any pictures or synopsis of the movie. What you do get is a fast and simple app that lets you find out the showtimes of any movies. There is also a button to call the cinema if you want to reserve a seat.

Download for free from iTunes >>>

ThaiVisa Forum App for your iPhone & iPad

With the new ThaiVisa Connect app for the iPhone and iPad you can now keep up with the popular expat forum while on the go. You can browse the different forums either by name or category. If you are a member you can also log in to reply or post your own comments. As it is free it is a pretty basic app which is supported by advertising at the bottom of each screen. Would be nice to have a search button. Maybe they will add that in a future update.

Download Thai Visa Connect for free on iTunes >>>

4 iPhone apps about the Thai Flood

The following are three iPhone apps that have come out this week to do with the flooding in Thailand. All of them are free to download from iTunes. Unfortunately, although they are all very good, they are only in Thai.

This first one is called #ThaiFlood Reporter. As the name suggests, you can use this app to report flooding in your area. On the first page your present location is marked on the map. Then you can choose one of a dozen or so messages. On the next page you have the option to send as a tweet or SMS. There is also the option to take a picture and also edit the text that you will tweet.

This second app is called Thai Flood Map & Updates. This one is also made by Code App and works hand-in-hand with their other app. On the first screen you are given a list of all of the latest reports sent in by people using the previous app. Click on one of these it then takes you to the map which shows the location of that report. It is actually quit good as there are updates nearly every minute. I just checked again and people are reporting heavy rain. Some said flooding has started while others said no floods yet. I like this one, but if you cannot read Thai then you won't be able to use it.

This next app is called ThaiFlood Help List. Again it is produced by the people at Code App. This one has a handy list of all of the call centers in Thailand to do with the flooding. Click on the name and it will start dialling for you. On the next screen you can see details about how to donate by sending an SMS message. The next screen gives you a long list of organizations that accept donations for flood victims. Bank details are given for each one to make it easier for you to donate. The final screen shows organisations which are helping flood victims if you want to volunteer your time.

The final app is called FloodFeed and basically gives you the latest tweets with the hashtag #ThaiFlood. I guess it is useful for people  who don't have a Twitter account as you can read without signing up. According to their website: "Even though you don't have Twitter account, you can forward and share the news right away through Social network both Twitter and FaceBook." That is a bit of a contradiction of course. Personally I won't use it as I can do this kind of search in the Twitter app already. Secondly, as you can see from above, most of the tweets are re-tweets. It is easier enough for us to do our own search ""#thaiflood -RT" which will only show you the original tweets.  But some people might find it useful.

Check Status Reports of Thai Dams on your iPhone

Dam and Water reservoir status report using official status data from EGAT (Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand).

With all of the heavy rain that we have been having lately, some people are understandably nervous about the dams bursting. So, if you are in the path of one of Thailand's 17 major dams, such as Bhumibol Dam, Sirikit Dam, Srinakarind Dam, among the others, you might want to consider getting this free iPhone app. You will be able to see current water level, in-flow amount, release amount, maximum capacity, among other things. There is also a graph of 1-year data for each dam. This iPhone app is unfortunately only in Thai language at the moment.

Download from iTunes >>>

New iPhone Apps Promoting Thailand but in Thai only

Over recent months there have been an increasing number of iPhone apps that have been released in the Thai language. Which is obviously great for local people. Some of the apps are even bilingual which opens them up to a wider market. However, a pet peeve of mine at the moment are the companies producing two different apps; one in Thai and then another in English. They then market these at different prices. The Thai version is either free or a nominal price of 99 Cents. The English language version is then priced at something like $2.99. I don't mind helping them pay off their big budget needed to hire a translator, but sometimes the English (or should we say Google translation) is so bad that it is unreadable. I won't name any at this time, but I do want to point out that the True Move app Thailand Guide (Thai Version) is FREE but the Thailand Guide (English Version) is a whopping $9.99. I haven't bought it so I cannot tell you if the translation is good or not.

Recently there have been a few interesting looking iPhone apps that should prove of interest to foreign tourists coming to Thailand for a holiday or expats who live here. The two that I downloaded this week are M-Culture produced by the Ministry of Culture and iTourist Police Thailand released by Sub-Division 5 of Tourist Police Division. I have been playing with the first one for a few days now and it is quite interesting as it gives a lot of information about Thai culture and relevant tourist sites. There is even a map (though inaccurate at times) which helps you pinpoint these cultural sites if you want to go and visit. A great idea for not only promoting Thai culture but also tourism at the same time. The second app that I downloaded today was iTourist Police Thailand which is supposed to help both local and foreign tourists. This again uses GPS and maps to tell you where your nearest police stations are as well as hospitals. In addition it tries to list, maybe a bit too ambitiously, local hotels, restaurants and gas stations. Obviously not very comprehensive at the moment. Fair enough, you might say, as they are both new apps. But, the thing is, it is such a wasted opportunity as both of these apps have only been released in the Thai language. How many foreign tourists, or even expats, can read Thai?

Guide to Thailand’s Floating Markets on your iPhone

Complete Information of 41 most famous Floating Markets and Old Markets in Thailand.

One of my big projects at the moment is exploring floating markets and riverside markets in Thailand. So, I was very excited to learn about this new iPhone app called Floating Markets. The launch price for this version was $3.99 and the Thai version called ตลาดน้ำ was 99 Cents. The two versions are much the same though the English app also has a handy English-Thai Glossary with useful phrases that you might need. I have been testing this app out for a couple of weeks and I have found it to be very useful as it has given me some great ideas of where to visit next. The app has been very well put together but it is let down a number of times by its poor English. Hopefully these mistakes can be corrected in future editions.

There are 41 floating markets and old markets listed on this iPhone app. On the main screen they are listed by province. Click on one that looks interesting and you are brought to a new screen with further information. Here you are told the days that the market is open (many are only weekend markets). It also tells you about highlights for that market and you can scroll through two or three photos giving you an impression of what it is like. Another button shows you where the market is on a map. There is also a blue pin to show your present location. Useful if you are lost. Another useful button allows you to add this market to your favourites which makes it easier to find later.

In the navigation buttons along the bottom, you can click on "nearby" to get a long list of all the floating markets, with the nearest to your location at the top. As you can see, the nearest market to where I am writing this is Bang Nampheung Floating Market. You can also click on a map version of this list which has red pins for all the floating markets. Your present location is marked in blue. The green pins is a new addition that shows 200 tourist attractions around Thailand. Useful if you want to see what else is nearby worth visiting. Another new addition is the "Panoramio" button that places photos on the map.

The price of the English version has been going up and down recently. It is presently $1.99 which I think is excellent value for money and I would suggest that you buy it if you like going on day trips at the weekend.

Download Floating Markets at iTunes >>>

Thai Baht Exchange Rates

Thai FX Rates allows you to check foreign exchanges realtime with commercial banks in Thailand.

If you need to know the exchange rates for banks in Thailand then you might find this free app useful. At present there are seven banks listed and you can find the exchange rate for a number of different currencies. As you might know, the exact exchange rate does vary between banks so this app might save you money if you are exchanging a lot of money. Personally I am not sure if I will use it much but I will keep it on my iPhone just in case. The exchange rate app that I use the most is XE Currency which I find very useful. This is also free.

Download Thai FX Rates for free on iTunes >>>

Bangkok International Motor Show 2011

Two new apps have been released for the 32nd Bangkok International Motor Show. One for the iPhone and the other for the iPad. Both are free. The show is taking place now, 25 March to 5 April 2011 at the Challenger, Impact Muang Thong Thani. The apps give you an introduction and history of the show including posters from the past 32 years. There are also photographs of the cars with a promise of more being uploaded during the ten day show. You will also find instructions and maps on how to reach the venue. Most of the information is in Thai but there is also some English as well.