Thailand’s average broadband-internet speed ranks eighth in Asia and 52nd worldwide, according to US network diagnostics firm Ookla.
Based on results of voluntary tests done on its Speedtest.net website, Ookla said the rolling-average broadband throughput over the past 30 days in Thailand came in at 19.9 megabits per second, ahead of Vietnam (17.6 mbps), and Cambodia (9 mbps), but far behind world leaders Singapore (121.7 mbps) and Hong Kong (102.6 mbps).
Ookla notes, however, that results are based only tests performed by internet users within 480 kilometres of Ookla servers, meaning rankings are centred on internet speeds in major cities.
Since Ookla began releasing test results in 2010, countries worldwide have criticised the results, saying they are skewed by the fact the tests are not random, are focused on metropolitan areas and do not take into consideration broadband penetration throughout a country.
Myanmar, for example, turns in a respectable 6.6 mpbs score, but large parts of the country still have no internet access or only sketchy dial-up connections.
Still, for many users, the Ookla rankings give a clear comparative picture of the world's haves and have-nots when it comes to broadband speeds.
Outside of Singapore and Hong Kong, which come in 14 megabits faster than third-ranked St. Pierre and Miquelon, the French protectorate islands in the North Atlantic, Japan ranks fourth with an average speed of 82.4 mbps, followed by South Korea (59.5 mbps), Macau (51.1 mbps), Taiwan (50.6 mbps), and China 29.8 mbps)
Elsewhere in Asia, Laos posted an average broadband speed of 7.1 mbps, Indonesia 6.7 mbps and the Philippines 3.7 mbps.
Globally, the United States had an average broadband speed of 36.3 mbps, the United Kingdom 30.1 mbps and Australia 16.7 mbps.
Click on Thailand
Ookla's results show average internet speed in Thailand has increased greatly since January 2014, when they were just 12.4 mbps, but peaked in June last year at 21.3 mbps.
Thailand's fastest cities for high-speed internet access were Mukdahan (32.19 mbps), Sattahip (31.3 mbps), and Hua Hin (25.4 mbps). Pattaya ranked fifth at 22.6 mbps while Bangkok came in at 17th with average throughput of 18.1 mbps, and falling.
Bangkok's average tested throughput has dropped by more than 65% since July last year, according to Ookla data.
Not surprisingly, the top two internet service providers in Thailand were operated by universities: Chulalongkorn and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology. KSC Commercial Internet Co. came in third with average throughput of 31.4 mbps.
Among big consumer ISPs, Maxnet is best at seventh place with throughput of 19.8 mbps, Cat Telecom 10th, 3BB 11th, and True 12th with average speed of 18.7 mbps. TOT was worst at 11 mbps.
