scubainstructor87

Hi
Just go to seven 11 and buy sim 100 bath and card for Internationale phone calls.
If you have iPhone then you can buy plan with Internet and then you can call free skype to skype no cost.

Enjoy!

Homer15

We got a DTAC/Happy card and 1-2x a day (often at 7 am) I would get a text from them in Thai. Occasionally I would try to run them through google translate and they always came out sounding like zen koans.

olisch

I fond in the internet a website with dataplans for the major mobile providers: 3G Data Plans for 12Call, DTAC and True

The most interesting data plan for me is 1 GB download for a month for 350 THB



Does anyone knows if these data plans are still available right now (I'll head to Thailand next week)?
Can someone please explain what is the Wifi option about? Is it for using my mobile as wifi hot spot for a laptop?

Thx in advance

transpac

AIS/One-2-Call operate 3G on 900 MHz so assuming you want to use mobile broadband make sure you phone/device supports that frequency.

AFAIK, those plans are currently available; the 350 baht plan is hard-capped at 1 GB for one month, once you go over that 1 GB you start to pay by the minute or kB. AIS is generally acknowledged as having the poorest 3G performance here.

Any associated WiFi capability is for use on 3BB WiFI access points - they claim over 50,000 in the country. So you could use your WiFi-enabled device to connect to WiFi services rather than 3G. This is not related to tethering; and there is no extra fee here for tethering.

If you could share any details re: your equipment/devices, length of stay, budget, requirements, etc. I could possibly come up with some recommendations.


http://www.ais.co.th/3g/index_package-en.html#1

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/pro...t-package.html


http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/pack...B8%B4%E0%B8%99

olisch

@ transpac

thx for your input

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note which I'll primarly use for checking emails and a little bit of internet surfing. I don't plan to download music files, games or even films. So 1 GB should be more than enough.

I'll stay in Thailand (Bangkok, Si Sa Ket, Khao Lak, Phuket) for nearly 4 weeks

transpac

Assuming your Note is an N7000 then it would work on any/all 3G networks here.

I might recommend TrueMove H slightly above AIS/One-2-Call as they have better 3G coverage, and AIS’s network gets pretty low marks for 3G. TrueMove H have a similar 350 baht plan. Hard-capped plans are trickey because you can burn through any balance quite quickly once you reach your 1 GB cap.

DTAC/Happy does have a 399 baht plan which does offer unlimited usage, albeit with a 64 Kbps FuP. DTAC does have decent 3G coverage, but in the boonies it may be limited to the Amphur Meuang (provincial capital).

olisch

thx

MegatopLover

Let me ask some basic questions, please. Your help will be appreciated.

I have an old dud Verizon-marketed Blackberry Pearl. I also have an iPhone 4S that's hooked up through Verizon. I would like to have a cellphone that works in Thailand, mostly for making and receiving local calls. I visit Thailand three or four times a year.

For my fellow Americans: Is it possible and what would it cost to have my iPhone set up to receive and place calls when I'm in Thailand?

If I go with a local option, I'm fine with buying a cheap low-tech non-status-symbol phone and paying for service on an as-needed basis. What are my best options for these purposes, and what would it cost me?

Homer15

My understanding is that Verizon will unlock your iphone, in which case you just need to buy a local SIM card and get some pay as you go plan (as discussed in this thread). For example, on DTAC it might cost you 49 baht for a SIM card and 199 for unlimited voice and data for a week.

transpac

AFAIK, Verizon will only issue an unlock code once every 10 months, but my information may be incorrect or out of date, so this may present some challenges for trips three or four times each year?

I am fairly certain the Blackberry Pearl does not even accept a SIM, nor operate on GSM frequencies, so that is likely not an option.

You can purchase a new, basic handphone here for 1,500 baht. A SIM should cost 50 - 100 baht, after that you'll have to add value to it to cover your local calling costs (figure 1.07 baht per minute) and your local texting costs ( also 1.07 baht per SMS). Note that you do not pay for incoming calls here, just outgoing calls.

The only challenge may be keeping the SIM active over the longer periods of time when you are not in Thailand. DTAC/Happy do offer a scheme which allows you to purchase extended validity at the rate of 2 baht/30 days, up to a maximum of 365 days.

Homer15

It's a little confusing the way they say that, but I think each phone only needs to be unlocked once and it is permanently unlocked. I've heard VZ put that in their TOS to avoid a situation where someone cycles through phones, unlocking them and then re-selling them. OP should not have a problem using an unlocked iphone 4s on multiple trips (and if you do upgrade, then try to keep the old phone for your trips at least).

MegatopLover

Thanks, folks. Let me ask another newbie question. When you say "unlock" my iPhone and buy a local SIM card for it, does that (especially the latter) require physically opening the iPhone case and popping in a chip?

I might rather pay 30 bucks for a basic local phone than deal with opening and re-opening my case and potentially losing chips.

Homer15

"Unlocking" your phone is a software issue that is done over the network (it frees, or "unlocks", your phone from being tied to just AT&T service). Putting in a SIM card is very easy, provided you have a paperclip or similar small tool. You could probably find youtube videos easily, but here is a webpage that explains it. If you have a 3rd party case for your phone you probably will need to that off, but you don't need to actually open the iphone's case.

cheltzel

+1 on the ease of switching SIMs in a phone.

You may want to invest a whole $5 into an accessory like this ...

http://www.amazon.com/SIMple-SIM-car...=sim+card+case

billp

I've been using AIS since forever and each time I top up, it extends validity for a year. Currently the validity of the balance on my SIM card is at March 3, 2014. What I do now is visit the AIS stand at the airport upon arrival and put a 500 baht top up on my card, then buy their 1 GB for 30 days for 350 baht data plan. In 3 weeks of frequent use, I usually still have plenty of bandwidth left over, which of course disappears after the 30 day period.
It's easy to get the SIM card out of an iPhone. I use a paper clip.
If Verizon won't cooperate, there are lots of stands on the 4th floor of MBK Center which will jailbreak and unlock your phone for about 500 baht.