Pick up SIM cart at Futian / Lok Ma Chau
Oct 4, 2016, 3:53 am
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2013
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Pick up SIM cart at Futian / Lok Ma Chau
My Chinese mobile does not work in HK.
When I cross from Shenzhen at Futian / Lok Ma Chau is it possible to pick up a cheap or free? SIM for use in HK?
- I am only staying two days and will only need make one or two calls to arrange a meeting
When I cross from Shenzhen at Futian / Lok Ma Chau is it possible to pick up a cheap or free? SIM for use in HK?
- I am only staying two days and will only need make one or two calls to arrange a meeting
Oct 4, 2016, 8:58 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
Sheung Shui is the first stop on the MTR after the border, and outside the station on the street there's usually a gaggle of vendors selling various flavours of SIM cards. I don't vouch for what they're selling, just telling you they're usually there. If you're coming from the Mainland, this will be the street exit on the opposite side of the tracks.
(If you've got Skype or the equivalent, it's pretty easy to find free WIFI in HK for making just a few calls. Of course if you're expecting a call-back that's not too convenient.)
(If you've got Skype or the equivalent, it's pretty easy to find free WIFI in HK for making just a few calls. Of course if you're expecting a call-back that's not too convenient.)
Oct 4, 2016, 2:09 pm
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
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It might be easier to simply activate roaming on your Chinese sim. For both Mobile and Unicom, only a two minute phone phone call is required. Note that if you are not in your sim's home city/province, you might need to prepend with a city code in order to reach the right customer service center. And, assuming your sim is pre paid, you may need to top it up to around ~200. Customer service will give you specific instructions on this. Roaming in HK/Macau is honestly pretty cheap if you don't go crazy with calls or data usage.
Oct 4, 2016, 2:28 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
I thought we had a discussion earlier about the need -- at least with some companies in some places -- to make about a 500RMB pre-payment before they'd open up roaming outside the Mainland on a prepaid SIM. That was certainly what I was told I had to pay.
Oct 4, 2016, 3:20 pm
#5
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Unicom (Shanghai) only requests y200 these days, and seems pretty willing to waive this requirement for established customers IME.
Oct 4, 2016, 11:16 pm
#7
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Oct 5, 2016, 3:51 am
#8
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You can buy SIMs in Sheung Shui (as suggested upthread) but rather than a random street vendor just go to a 7-Eleven or even a phone store. However I presume you can last an hour without a phone connection while you travel to wherever you are staying. So if roaming isn't what you want, then make any essential calls before leaving the mainland and get a SIM when you arrive at your accommodation.
However if you really only need to make one or two calls then just call from your hotel. Local calls between landlines are free and lots of hotels have phones in the lobbies, or at least they used to, and they shouldn't charge for calls from the front desk usually.
However if you really only need to make one or two calls then just call from your hotel. Local calls between landlines are free and lots of hotels have phones in the lobbies, or at least they used to, and they shouldn't charge for calls from the front desk usually.
Oct 5, 2016, 6:33 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
Note that the mobile operators offer a confusing variety of SIM packages, and the convenience stores often don't seem to stock all of them. It's also difficult there in the store to browse through the fine print on all the packs to see what each offers. Actually, same on the street. So best to look at the Prepaid SIM section of the operators' websites first and decide what packs work best for you.
Oct 6, 2016, 2:27 am
#10
Original Poster
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Location: MAN
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Posts: 291
Thanks for all the helpful replies 
Summary:
## Try activate roaming on your Chinese SIM and ask them to waive the fixed fee for this
## Get off MTR at Sheung Shui station - the next stop from the border : street vendors are waiting onthe street outside that station
## Buy a SIM from a 7-11 store
I have bought a SIM from HK 7-11 stores in the past - and yes its very random and difficult to know what you are buying, but you do get some service.
Summary:
## Try activate roaming on your Chinese SIM and ask them to waive the fixed fee for this
## Get off MTR at Sheung Shui station - the next stop from the border : street vendors are waiting onthe street outside that station
## Buy a SIM from a 7-11 store
I have bought a SIM from HK 7-11 stores in the past - and yes its very random and difficult to know what you are buying, but you do get some service.