Asia - SIM Card Recommendation for Bangkok, Penang, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore

Hello,

I'll be flying into Bangkok and visiting Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a couple of weeks before flying out. Does anyone know a cheap SIM card I can buy in Bangkok that I can use in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore? I'll be traveling with a few friends and we just want to be able to call each other while we're traveling in those 3 countries. Thanks!

To save money you'll need 3 different SIM cards. A Thai card isn't going to be any cheaper to use in Singapore than the one from your home country.

Since you'll be using them for a couple of weeks, as Chris posted, best to get three different cards. They won't be expensive and will be much cheaper. If you do only buy 1 sim card, there is the added problem of refilling when in a different country. Not all the prepaid cards permit international roaming.

For Thailand, suggest 1-2Call
Malaysia - Maxis is good
Singapore - Singtel or StarHub

Pretty sure you'll need your passport when making the purchase, very proforma form to complete.

Good luck.

Agree that for Thailand 1-2 call is quite good with country-wide coverage. Available everywhere although at some Family Marts the price will be inflated. I normally buy mine on the street or at the phone store in the Siam BTS station.
No passport required.

I use Maxi in Malaysia. If you are flying AirAsia they sometimes have a special on a buy-on-board one. Do not recall ever needing a passport to buy.

In Singapore, I would first check with the hotel. Experience says that calls from your room are often so cheap that one does not need a SIM. Also check with your Malaysian carrier and see if they roam into Singapore. Otherwise, there apparently is a Singtel deal that sells a SIM for less than the stored value of the talk time. Should be available at Changi.

Costs from memory.

Thailand: 50 baht to 300 baht depending on talk time loaded. Note 008 gives the cheapest rates to North America and Europe. Normally 6 baht per minute to U.S. or Canada. Buy top up card at any 7-11 or Family Mart. Smile and be nice and they will load it for you since you probably do not read or speak Thai.

Malaysia: 8-10 ringgit. Top up cards available all over. Be nice and the seller will load the top up for you.

Singapore: Last I heard was 8 Sing $ for 10 Sing $ talk-time including the SIM.

I used United Mobile for this particular roaming situation. ONE CARD. My rates were $.06 to $.10 per minute and I didn't have to fool with multiple cards or getting to a store when I arrived to get one. Saved me some time and I still can use the card for other trips and tell people the number in advance.

I went to the United Mobile site as the rates you quoted sounded really, really good. Is there another united mobile other than the one that quotes
in Euros and USD?? http://www.united-mobile.com/?p=home

The SIM with 50 Euro credit costs 59.90 Euro, so an effective cost of 9.90 Euro (about 13.00 USD) and the only numbers available are in the UK or Lichtenstein. Now if it had a U.S. number it might be desirable for someone like me who travels the world. No thank you, this is not cost-effective IMHO.

https://www.united-mobile.com/shop/index.php?p=product&do=starterpack-comfort&lc=en&ac=default

For roaming in Thailand it comes to $1.60/minute for in-country roaming.

Yes, these rates from their web-site are lower than my www.t-mobile.com roaming rates, but why pay these exorbitant rates when SIMs in each country are readily available and cheap which was the question posed by OP?

http://www.united-mobile.com/?p=rates&show=voice&from=468&to=468&c=usd

For in country Singapore it comes to $.60 US which is a ridiculous rate for Singapore.

http://www.united-mobile.com/?p=rates&show=voice&from=451&to=451&c=usd

Please lead me to where the $.06 to $.10 rates are for roaming in the countries mentioned. Malaysia to the U.S. is $.45/min. per the web-site.