This really is a matter of personal preference and comfort level. I personally wouldn’t think of using the Internet in Thailand, and other countries, without one.

The greatest benefit in using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the added layer of security it provides, particularly in a wireless environment. In many parts of Thailand, and other countries, the only way to access the internet is from an unsecured wireless connection, such as a coffee shop, or guest house. The VPN creates a secure encrypted connection, so no one can sniff your passwords or credit card information. Thus, you can safely make on-line credit card purchases, access your on-line banking, and transmit confidential messages. It’s a small price to pay for worry free use of the Internet.

Another advantage is you avoid problems with credit card transaction approvals. On-line credit card processors look at the country your ISP is from. I have run into situations where without the VPN turned on, I could not make the transaction, as the processor was not accepting credit cards from an Internet connection in Thailand.

One additional advantage is it circumvents any filtering the country you are in is doing. Most people immediately think about porn filtering, but that’s only part of what Thailand and other countries filter. One example would be when the government places a complete news black out on something. With the VPN you would still have access to news services outside the country, even though the government is filtering them. In the early hours of the 2006 Coup D’etat, in Thailand, the Internet was our best source for information on what was going happening.

I’m sure there are many different companies out there offering a VPN service. The one I used is Solid VPN. The company is owned and operated by a farang, based in the Philippines, and the VPN servers are located in California. This means their normal business hours are similar to those in Thailand. While they offer 24/7 support, I’ve always preferred dealing with someone on the “day crew”.

In my opinion, those that travel, for business or pleasure, should invest in a VPN service to secure their Internet connections while away from home.  For those living in Thailand, read this article from the Bangkok Post and decide for yourself if a VPN service is a good idea.