forumpersona999

That would be TrueMove. They are the worst carrier in the country in terms of customer service and regional coverage but based on your specifications, I would suggest TrueMove.

Yes they have a booth at Suvarnabhumi arrivals somewhere near exit Door 5.

Yes they usually stock nano SIM or have a cutting tool to cut you one right there on the spot.

somebol

Thanks for that. Do they do prepaid? as I will only be there in bangkok for 4 days.

dtsm

Yes one week prepaid B299 - voice/data/text....excellent bargain. All providers have kiosks and offer competitive plans. I personally use AIS .....ymmv.

forumpersona999

My order of preference based on 5 years experience with all three of them both prepaid and post-paid is:

1) AIS
2) DTAC
3) TrueMove

But the OP wanted best Bangkok city 4G coverage so I had to put my grudge against TrueMove aside and suggest to go with TrueMove.

AIS are starved of spectrum so their mobile high speed data is over-subscribed and crawls to a halt in congested areas during peak-time. Think Asoke BTS on a weekday at 5pm or Siam Square during lunch time.

TrueMove doesn't have that handicap and has always been aggressive in 3g/4g trials.

In terms of post-pay flexibility, DTAC wins.

In terms of all-round service AIS wins.

I only ever recommend TrueMove when someone has the specific criteria such as the OP here.

Diplomatico

Interesting to read all of the hate for TrueMove. I use TM on a pre-paid SIM - voice and text only - and haven't really had any problems. Granted, I've only used it in Bangkok and Chiang Mai so it may be that coverage in outlying areas is where it's really bad though I have had a couple of calls start to break up here in CM. Huh.

For those of you who know more about such things than I do - can I buy an AIS pre-paid SIM (for example) and swap it into my cheapo $30 Samsung "candy bar" phone that currently has a TrueMoveH prepaid SIM?

dtsm

Yep!

HKtraveller

Which is the cheapest SIM to maintain long term including roaming function for the sole purpose of receiving SMS from the bank. I currently have an old 12call which costs me 300 baht per year recharge requirement.

forumpersona999

DTAC Happy SimpleSIM used to extend 365 days from each top-up. That's not been reduced to 90 days per topup of at least 50 Baht or something. Only marginally better than your 300 baht / year.

They have another product that extends validty to 1000 *hours* each time a charge is incurred so in theory you could send yourself a text while roaming once a month and keep it alive at a cost of about 10 baht / month depending on where you roam.

Overall maybe not worth the hassle of telling the bank your mobile number has changed. For 300 baht a year I would keep the AIS. Many roaming partners and no need to rock the boat @ the bank.

SK AAR

Would the 90 days extented validity be cummulative (however max 365 days) or is it only 90 days from last eligible top-up?

I topped up my Thai ph.No 3 times last month in TH but if only extended 90 days from last top-up I will have lost my No. when visiting TH again in FEB next year.

(I don't care about the small balance on my SIM but I would prefer to keep my Thai phone No.)

ft101

How are you charging it?

When I'm going to be out the country for more than a few months, I do mine at the small yellow machines found outside 7/11s, amongst other places.

12 baht paid gets 10 baht credit and one month extension of time, up to a maximum of one year. As the credit is maintained, the cost to keep it live for a year is 24 baht in theory (I've never had to do it for a full year).

As it's unlikely I'd be down to the last date of any credit it would actually work out cheaper still.

forumpersona999

He/she has a Thai bank account with Internet which is what he/she needs the ability to receive SMS for in the first place. All major banks allow top up of the three major prepaid networks in real-time via online banking.

For everyone else on AIS, the best strategy is to buy old fashioned scratch cards to top up and carry them abroad. For DTAC they have very modern and open credit card topup facility online that works with foreign cards.

^

forumpersona999

It depends on your main promotion. if you switch to the SIMPLE SIM promotion on DTAC the loads seem to stack. Few months ago I found that 3 x 50 baht gave me +270 days. YMMV

ft101

Would that work out cheaper than the method I described?

Wouldn't it load your phone up with credit you'll never be able to use given average usage, making you unable to repeat without getting rid of the credit?

jason8612

I'll be in Bangkok for 4 days then to siem reap for 3 days then off to Koh Samui for a week (Intercontinental).
Which provider has coverage at the IC Koh Samui? I tried to look online for the network maps but all seem to show the same.

Dtac seems to have a good 15 day plan. Truemove has that 7 day 299 offer which I would need to top up again when I fly in from siem reap to get a gb or so. I don't think I'll use more than 2gb.

raekwonse

Anyone have an answer for this? I am going to be in the same boat (rented a car to drive around Koh Samui and was looking for a data plan to help guide me around). Thanks!