Hi,

Does anyone now a Internet cafe that accept foreigns?

I don't have a laptop, so I just need somewhere with I comfortable computer to stay for a few hours.

I don't know much about the rules, but I have been inside an internet cafe (with a Chinese friend and another foreigner friend) not far from the Yunnan University of Nationalities and it was OK to enter...I would recommend you go with a Chinese friend and see how things go.

Of course the airport internet cafe is also an option and seems like it is OK to use; they even have English signs so it must be OK for foreigners (but do you want to go to the airport everytime you want to use the internet? Maybe, if you have to...) and I was going to say any of the traveller/expat cafes but they only have wifi for those with their own laptops, which you don't have. So try one of those first two options.

I don't know about internet cafes near downtown, but one option would be using one of the computer terminals at the Hump backpackers hostel (buy a drink or something). The business centers at various hotels are also fine to use.

The cafe shop by the NORTH gate of Yunda has a free desktop computer that you can use to QUICKLY check email, do some surfing, etc - it's in front of the cashier's desk. Don't worry about abusing the privilege - if you become annoying or obnoxious - they'll just toss you out a la the French Cafe - so buy something to eat or drink while you're there...

There are 2 computers at the McDonald's next to the International Exhibition Center (adjacent to Chuncheng Road) that are for customers to use. They are on the second floor (one flight up). I don't know about using one for "hours" because there's a sign that indicates a use time limit. But if you go at off meal times, perhaps you can use one for a longer period if no one else is waiting. There may be other McDonald's that have the same setup.

I surmise the Kunming public library branches must also have computers that anyone can use as well.

I also know the Ford Dealership (don't know the exact address) about 8 minutes walking distance from Metro (the supermarket) also has 4 computers in the customers' waiting lounge that are for customers to use. If you live close to Metro, take a walk over to the Ford Dealership and nonchalantly walk in as if you are a waiting customer and no one will probably stop you from using one of the computers.

As at any free computer use setups, you'll have to fight with the kids to gain access to one!

BTW, the airport Internet cafe charges a very hefty fee.

This is really a pain in this city and maybe other cities too .No way to public internet cafe unless they know you and have a good relation with them .I suggest the internet cafe in Jinma feng inside the tourist area they might accept you play and open the net for you using one of the employee Id cared.The rules now is to pass your Chinese id card on a scanner to record your id information they do not accept passports !.

All very Kunming. Six million people, 'the next big international city', 'the next new transport hub for South East Asia'... Foreigners banned from using public internet cafe's. Forward thinking. Very good. Repeat after me... and again... and again...
昆明人文明人.

Sorry, am I missing something? Why are foreigners banned from Internet Cafes?

You have to have a Chinese ID card to use the internet bars. Foreigners don't have them. If you go with some Chinese people, chat to the staff and management and get along with them, they'll let you use theirs so you can log-on a computer.

The ID card requirement is used for security to crack down on the normal things which cause social instability. Internet cafes were famous for gambling, drug trading, prostitution, frauds, etc ad infinitum - not to mention fomenting political dissent.

While the government makes efforts to cater to foreign cultures - sometimes it just doesn't filter down at the interface level - aka internet cafe staff not knowing what to do when confronted with a foreign ID card or passport. Just as in the USA, national security takes precedence over expat convenience.

There's ALWAYS a manual override solution to every automated system - but the staff/management either don't know about it or don't want to do it and the revenue generated from expat internet users is miniscule enough to warrant the lack of interest, definitely killing off any potential for repeat business.

So - it's not that it can't be done - it's just that the staff either don't know how to do it, don't want to do it, or are just lazy.

As expats - we get this kind of crap hurled at us on a regular basis - no ID card, kids can't go to school - which they've been attending for the last two years. No ID card means no social insurance (health insurance) - threatened with ejection yet again - same game played year after year (ostensibly soliciting bribes or "gifts - but I don't play that game) - especially for our kids - using children for extortion is reprehensible and should be a death penalty crime.

If you think this is uncomfortable - try being a remote rural citizen - some of my friends relatives don't have chinese ID cards, never got around to registering, illegitimate children (aka more than the allowable 1-2 children), etc. They can't go to school, can't go to hospital, can't get normal jobs, can't travel, can't get legally married - they're basically non-existent (situation for nationals is somewhat easily resolved - but complicated if you don't know the rules).

There was a time 5-6 years ago(?) when (through negotiation in Chinese) you could actually get a net card registered to your foreign passport, but then the systems changed yet again.