Those who want to watch Dutch TV in Thailand have a decent choice. Although I am satisfied with NLZIET, Canal digital is a better option for me because I can also watch all ESPN football channels.
Although I already had a subscription to NLZIET in the Netherlands and was satisfied with it, Thailand still encounters some limitations. In Thailand I use Apple TV and the Apps that are on it make it very easier for me. Some will swear by Android or Google's Chromecast, believe me I've tried everything, and Apple always wins. Costs something, but then you also have something.
The problem is mainly the region blocking at NLZIET. The app on Apple TV therefore does not work in Thailand. Now I can get around that by using my VPN on my iPhone, iPad or iMac and then stream to the SmartTV with Airplay. Another option is to buy a modem with VPN, but all that is too much hassle for me.
I have had Canal digital for some time now and I like it. Especially because you have all the football channels.
NLZIET: € 7,95 or € 9,95 per month
NLZIET gives you access to 37 channels, including NPO, SBS, Talpa, RTL and regional broadcasters. You can watch live TV, but also look back and ahead of programs. Full HD is available with most channels, only RTL can be seen in 720p. Please note that the image quality depends on your internet connection.
Since November last year you can also opt for NLZIET Extra for € 2 per month more, you will then receive 10 channels: BBC First, BBC One, BBC Two, BBC World News, BBC Entertainment, History Channel, Crime + Investigation , Curiosity, E! Entertainment and Euronews.
Are you going to use NLZIET for the first time? Then you can watch NLZIET (Extra) for free for the first 14 days. During the trial period you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with NLZIET without any obligation for 14 days. You can cancel at any time. If you cancel during the trial period, the subscription will end at the end of that free period and you will therefore not pay for a NLZIET subscription.
What is also pleasant for some is the possibility to receive regional broadcasters such as: RTV Noord, Omrop Fryslân, NH Nieuws, RTV Drenthe, RTV Oost, Omroep GLD, Omroep Flevoland, RTV Utrecht, West, Rijnmond, Omroep Zeeland, Omroep Brabant, L1 and AT5
The biggest advantage of NLZIET is that previously broadcasted programs from most channels can be viewed ad-free for at least 365 days. The image quality of NLZIET with Full HD 1080p streams, delivered with a higher bandwidth, is very good.
A disadvantage of NLZIET is therefore the region blocking (cannot be received in Thailand without a VPN) and you cannot record programs. NLZIET is also not completely complete, so you cannot watch the German channels and popular channels such as Discovery and National Geographic, MTV, etc. are also missing.
Alternative: Canal digital for € 14,95 per month
Canal Digital is best known as a satellite TV provider, but they also have a subscription for watching TV via the internet through an app. You can use this app on all your devices. The offer is wide, more than 60 channels, many of which are in HD format. You can watch live TV on all major channels, including all ESPN channels (football and other sports). Unlimited and free CANAL+ Movies & Series on demand. Watch live or up to 7 days ago. And the subscription can be canceled monthly. See the channel list here: https://www.canaldigitaal.nl/zenderlijsten/zenderlijst-canal-digitaal-tv-app/
In the Canal digital offer you will find standard series and films from, for example, Canal+, BBC and Lionsgate+. You never get bored, because they are constantly adding to the range.
The interactive functions for TV via the internet from Canal Digital TV are: Pause live TV, record, Begin Missed (restart your program) and TV Missed up to 7 days ago. These options differ per channel. You also have access to Films & Series, the video-on-demand service.
Another advantage of the TV App is that you can use it on up to five devices and watch on two at the same time. Including on your TV via the Chromecast and via the smart TV app, which is available for many smart TVs. You can check whether the TV App is available for your television in the app store of your smart TV. Handy if your partner wants to watch something different from you.
The subscription is contract-free. You can cancel your package at any time within the first week. After this week, take into account a one-month notice period. The first week you have Canal Digital completely free. You can cancel your subscription at any time during that week. After your free week you pay by direct debit.
If you install the app on your Smart TV or on Apple TV, it will work without region restrictions, so you can also watch without a VPN in Thailand.
Streaming with a VPN, is that allowed?
In the Netherlands and most other countries it is perfectly legal to use a VPN while streaming. This protects your internet connection and your privacy. However, there are a few caveats:
- Illegal downloading/streaming is also not allowed with a VPN (illegal downloading is, for example, watching HBO Max without a subscription or without a shared subscription).
- You are not allowed to use illegal streaming sites such as IPTV.
- Some streaming services, such as Netflix, block VPN use due to abuse.
So when you pay for NLZIET you can use a VPN to watch it in Thailand. If you do not pay for a subscription, watching with or without a VPN is always illegal. As long as you keep this in mind and follow the rules of your VPN and streaming service, you can stream all you want.
Warning for IPTV
Many readers probably prefer IPTV because of the large selection of channels (including pay channels such as Netflix, Videoland, Disney Plus, etc.), but that is completely illegal. Be careful with a paid subscription for an IPTV package! Sooner or later you may run into the lamp, they will tackle it one day, with the risk of high fines (if you do, use a VPN and pay with bitcoins otherwise you will be easy to trace or buy such an Android TV box via AliExpress/Lazada with VPN, which is quite secure). There are countless examples of providers of illegal boxes who, instead of just transmitting your TV signal, also carry out criminal activities on your internet connection. Do you want that?
If you pay for an IPTV subscription with your Dutch bank account, you are easy to trace and you may get into trouble with the BREIN foundation. The moment you are caught, the costs incurred and damage suffered will be charged to you. These costs and damages can be very substantial and can lead to personal liability. The organization can also prosecute you criminally. In the worst case, this can result in a fine of €82.000 and four years in prison.
Again, I'm not saying this to scare you, but you should be aware of the risks you run, as IPTV is illegal.
Are you claiming something different from what is described in the post? Then a source reference is mandatory, otherwise your comment will not be posted!
Interesting story about watching TV in Thailand.
But…. at the beginning of the article it says that the content is “limited to legal viewing”, and I think that means legal viewing of Dutch channels in Thailand.
In short: It is ILLEGAL to watch Dutch channels in countries outside the EU in any way.
That's why it says in the text of Canal Digital: Wherever and whenever you want. Canal Digital customers (with a Dutch address) can watch television in all EU countries with our TV App!
In fact, satisfaction with Canal Digital is now being discussed while it is being used illegally to, at least I assume, watch TV in Thailand and at the same time serious warnings are being made about the risks of subscribing to IPTV.
I think that as a resident of Thailand, you do not run any risk if you take an IPTV subscription from an IPTV provider. I really can't imagine BREIN taking measures against a Dutchman who lives in Thailand and pays an illegal service with his Dutch bank.
From the moment satellite TV became available, I think about 40 years ago?, I have been involved in this hobby as a hobby and have followed the whole development of the "illegal viewing" phenomenon, from the sharing of smart card codes for SatTV via the internet up to and including IPTV.
And I have not yet come across someone who uses the illegal services of an iptv provider being dealt with by BREIN, but IPTV Providers are being dealt with.
I myself, in addition to NLZiet, have a subscription to IPTV via Amazon as a kind of backup and paid with my NL credit card, and the service works excellently.
NLZiet runs on a recently released Android box from Nokia, the Nokia 8010 streaming box, unfortunately not available in Thailand and had to have it sent from the Netherlands.
The advantage is that you can easily choose the NLZiet channels with the number buttons on the remote control, which makes operating the app much easier.
In addition, many apps such as Netflix, etc. are already pre-installed, convenience serves man.
In short, thanks for the interesting article and I see the benefits; no VPN needed and many (sports) channels, but I think there are better alternatives and cheaper too.
On the other hand, you must have the skill to install a few things and then the CanalDigitaal app may be very easy.
It's pretty simple, you're legally watching if you pay the operator for it. You pay for the copyrights. You probably made it up yourself (or else give a source) that Canal Digital or Dutch channels outside Europe are illegal. If Canal digital does not want to watch outside Europe, they would have set up a regional blockade.
I have a subscription to Prime and I pay for it, I can also watch it in Thailand. So not illegal.
Personally, I am against copyright infringement. Watching via IPTV may be cheap, but in the end it is just theft. And I'm against stealing other people's property.
Exactly, you pay for the copyrights and they apply to providers for all EU countries and explicitly not for countries outside it, which is why there is that geographical block that you bypass with a VPN. I have absolutely no problems with it. But why the geographical blockade if it would be free after all? And why not at CanalDigitaal?
Who knows may say.
I pay for NLZiet and use a VPN, I don't think that's theft.
NPO Start is free, can be seen worldwide with VPN and then it is not theft because it is free?
Why do streaming services have a different offer per country, because of those copyrights.
That is why the agreement with the TV providers states, probably in very small print, that the customer may not use the service outside the EU, but within it and the TV provider is even obliged to make the signals available in all countries within the EU , “Brussels” has taken care of that.(EU REGULATION (EU) 2017/1128)
The fact that CanalDigital even requires a Dutch address when registering has to do with the fact that CanalDigital is a satellite provider and those signals can of course also be received outside the EU, nevertheless copyright agreements also apply here. .
But all in all, technology is advancing and now you can easily see everything you want to see on TV everywhere.
I don't have a source about those copyrights, but if I turn off my VPN then I can't receive NPO, I get a black screen saying that I can't receive NPO in Thailand due to copyrights, I never approached them for further explanation and legal basis.
If you have a subscription it's not illegal, with or without a VPN, it doesn't matter. NLZIET will be a sausage where and how you look, as long as you pay.
Perhaps also consider this topic that Thailand blog also has many Belgian readers …
What about Belgian channels?
What are the options here?
Thanks in advance.
Yes, but I'm not Belgian so I don't know the situation in Belgium. And if you google a bit yourself, you can already gather a lot of information.
Perhaps a Belgian reader would like to write something about this subject?
Most providers are only allowed to deliver their offer in a predetermined region.
NLZiet can actually only be used in Europe.
From the website:
Can I also use NLZIET abroad?
Yes, with a NLZIET subscription you can watch TV abroad, throughout the EU.
You can of course bypass this with a VPN.
https://www.nlziet.nl/nl/online-tv-kijken/buitenland/
For Canal Digital, smarttv app, open the website from Thailand, when registering, address details, the country is fixed at "Netherlands", you cannot change this to Thailand or another country.
As a result, you can deduce that for registration you must live in the Netherlands, living in Thailand is not an option.
If you live in the Netherlands, you can use Canal DIgitaal on holiday. But a holiday is a temporary absence, not a permanent residence.
If you are in Thailand, you can use a login and password that has been created for a customer with a permanent address in the Netherlands.
If you move from the Netherlands to Thailand, you must inform Canal Digital.
https://www.canaldigitaal.nl/actie/smarttv-app/registratie/
In my opinion, if you don't want to do anything illegal, there are problems for both applications.
Circumventing Geoblocking by using a VPN at NLZiet is open to discussion.
Why make things difficult when you can do it easily: I asked Canal Digital if you can use Canal Digital in Thailand.
This is the reply via email:
start copy:
Good morning, thank you for your message.
Canal Digital can only be used within Europe
end copy:
Sender is Mandy.
I can always ask if they want to come and respond here themselves.
Just works in Thailand without VPN.
Peter,
no one here is more Catholic than the pope. I appreciate your point of view, but I am responsible for where and how I want to watch TV and most importantly:
which TV channels are important to me.
So there is really no NL sees there.
I follow the news, the real news rather via channels outside the Netherlands.
The only NL channel I occasionally follow is Nos1 for skating.
I don't have an iPhone, but I always have top quality images, which I pay for. An android tv box.
Ever had canal digital in the past, man what a problem.
And now there's your word to Mandy.
Division trumps.
I contacted Canal Digital and said that I live in Thailand and if I can stream them. this is what they say:
Dear sir ….
You may watch Canal digitally in Thailand, but we do not provide service and support outside Europe.
With kind regards,
Harold
Support employee