Thai SMTP email and public email spam filters

[SuperTonic]

Do we know if they're blocking traffic sent from local SMTP servers? Ie if you set up an smtp server on your own computer and send mail through that (thus eliminating the need for an outgoing server) will that get blocked?

[lazerlab]

No ports are blocked. You just have to open differnt ports that suits the provider you got.
Hasta manyana baby

[buksida]

Yep - changing the ports will do the trick! Using Google to route all of your SMTP domains also works.

The worst of the lot is smtp.tttmaxnet.com, its the least reliable and is often blocked by international servers for spam.

[lazerlab]

Many ISPs are blocking what is called "Port 25" which is the port used to send e-mail. They are doing this to cut down on the amount of spam that is sent from their networks.

All e-mail sent via the Internet is routed through the port 25, the channel used for communication between an e-mail client and an e-mail server. Even though port 25 blocking will probably become an industry standard, however, the filter can create problems for e-mail servers and block legitimate e-mail as well as spam.

Port 25 blocking allows ISPs to block spam sent out through their networks, but it tends to punish the innocent that have a need to send through e-mail servers other than those belonging to their ISP. The ISPs that block port 25 require their SMTP server to be used instead of the remote SMTP server or a SMTP server running on your computer.

[buksida]

Update: October 30.

Hotmail are blocking Thai ISPs again so do not expect a reply if you are contacting a business or website based in Thailand using a Hotmail account. The replies sent from them are all getting bounced by postmaster.live.com.

[bapak]

Yes, we have several reports of this also from hosting customers in Bangkok.

[Meow]

I have 3BB in Khao Tao and it wont send my emails, I guess they blocking port 25 as well, any way around it besides using VPN? Do they have alternative port for smtp?

[buksida]

smtp.tttmaxnet.com works for 3BB.

[Meow]

smtp.tttmaxnet.com works for 3BB.

Thank you, works like a charm..

[wpcoe]

I have been using the SMTP server with my web site host in the USA for my e-mail accounts. I use 3BB as my ISP, would there be any advantage (or disadvantage) to using the tttmaxnet SMTP server instead? (Or, is the tttmaxnet server only for 3BB e-mail accounts?)

[buksida]

I have been using the SMTP server with my web site host in the USA for my e-mail accounts. I use 3BB as my ISP, would there be any advantage (or disadvantage) to using the tttmaxnet SMTP server instead? (Or, is the tttmaxnet server only for 3BB e-mail accounts?)

The Thai SMTP servers work grand - the problem lies with the public providers, Hotmail and Yahoo being the worst since they often blanket-block IP addresses from entire countries - Thailand being one.

The first recommendation you need to make is that your business clients try to avoid using Hotmail/Yahoo/Aol etc for serious emails - as they're likely to lose a lot of them if they're dealing with Southeast Asian countries.

[wpcoe]

Thanks for that. I will continue to use my US-based web host as my SMTP server.

[buksida]

NP, if you look at Spamhaus.org you'll find that CAT is often blacklisted there also so any ISP that routes their SMTP servers via CAT will have problems. As you've decided the best course of action is to use servers outside of Thailand if you want reliable email communications, you may just have to change the ports on your email client.

PS: the link prevention is part of the forum's anti-spam measures, ten posts and it will be automatically enabled.

[buksida]

Gmail have started blocking now so if you're expecting an email from anyone in Thailand using their own domain check your junk folder often!

[Roel]

Suppose nothing we can do on this side as we are SENDING emails FROM Thailand using our own domain.
Only hoping the customers check their spam box too, instead of keep sending us angry mails asking why we not reply to their inquiries.