Apple iPhone knows not Thai. Shame.
By Gareth Powell
The iPhone 3G (NOT the iPhone 3.0) is making a serious impact on Thailand. There was a four page full color spread around the Bangkok Post this morning and that doesn’t not happen every day of the week. But this was for an American iPhone. What about a Thai iPhone then? Hang in there, kiddo, and all will be revealed.
At the show distributors TrueMove were all over the place and also on the wrap around full color and glossy advertisement. But, as is only right and proper, Apple did not get a mention on the first page. The middle two pages were basically comments by TrueMove as to what decent chaps they were. Typical comment: ‘This was the perfect grand opening for the TrueMove iPhone 3G.” In fairness he mentioned Apple later on.
The prices were there and the outright purchase price — which Thais prefer long term deals — were in the ever-readable black on dark red. Using a special spotlight kept for these occasions the 8GB phone is 24,500 baht (which is US$700) and the 16GB 28,500 baht (which is $815).
We were promised all sorts of free goodies with our iPod. Now we know what they are. Not much. Mostly advertising related nonsense. There was an English-Thai dictionary that has not been tested. It would be fine to know if my first name REALLY means ‘prostitute.’
They sold out at the show — no surprises there — and said, in a statement, they hoped they would take sales from the ‘grey market which is so widely operating.’ Wonder if Apple was able to count those in its sales.
Now to the good stuff.
If you ignore TruePhone and their publicity nonsense you can Jailbreak the phone and get it to work with Thai. Yes, you can.
They need to unlocked, which immediately voids the warranty. Plenty available at the Mahboonkrong Centre’s floor 4 (I checked) and Pan Thip Plaza would be a solid bet.
Of course, there is a way to get Thai on the iPhone. This is Thailand. Anything is possible. First Jailbreak. Next is an appropriate SIM and you can buy one with the phone.
Now the keyboard. This has been solved by the Russians for their Cryllic keyboard at RussianiPhone.ru. Like Thai, the Cyrillic alphabet needs special treatment, and by creating the software for the iPhone to allow a keyboard for Russian use, the doors have been opened for other scripts.
Make a small PayPal donation (not compulsory) and you are in business.
When this is installed, turn off Auto-correction in the Settings. Now go to Thai Phone enhancer. And you have a real Thai iPhone.
The thought arises if it is that easy what is the management of Apple think of. That the world ends in San Francisco? That Russia is not an important enough market? That Thailand is substandard? (One wonders whether Apple executives are guilty of insulting the Thais? A few months in a Thai slammer would take the starch out of their underpants.)
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