Mobile Phone Pattaya

[davidwilsoon]

Where is the best place to purchase a basic mobile phone in Pattaya?

This phone is for my use (English) not a Thai person. I have a Blackberry Storm (Verizon) and while it will function in Thailand the rates are very bad. I would like to be able to text friends in the US.

Anyone have a favorite sales person?

What service provider is the best?

Thanks
David

[ceejay]

TukCom has a a whole floor of mobile phone stalls. Most of them sell second hand ones, for as little as 1500 baht or so for a very basic one. I have a 1-2-Call pay as you go sim. Call rates are 1bht/min in Thailand and 2 bht/min overseas (from memory - haven't got the rates by me). Ask the assistant to set it up for you, and make sure they set it to English.
If you don't know TukCom, its a big shopping centre on South Road, between sois Day Night 2 and Day Night 3. Any motosi driver will know where it is.

Most of them sell second hand ones, for as little as 1500 baht or so for a very basic one. I have a 1-2-Call pay as you go sim. Call rates are 1bht/min in Thailand and 2 bht/min overseas (from memory - haven't got the rates

These days, you can buy a brand new basic Nokia model for well under 1500 baht. I'd recommend a new one over a second-hand one.

[firecat69]

I agree New Wave

Is the wholesaler for most of the other shops. You will get best price and more importantly service for any problems.

[Sen Yai]

Why don't you just buy a Thai SIM card (AIS, 1-2-Call etc) and stick it in your Blackberry in place of your home network SIM?

It's your own service provider that gives you the 'very bad rates' whilst roaming, not Blackberry. But then, how expensive can a few SMS messages be?

These days, you can buy a brand new basic Nokia model for well under 1500 baht.

Currently advertised at 699 baht at TukCom.

[blazer]

All of my calls rang straight through from USA with no problems when I was in Thailand earlier this year. Have regular cell phone with SIM card and AT&T service. For callbacks and calls in country used a True move SIM card at 1 baht per minute introductory rate as recommended by Traveler Jim. Worked great. Would us them again. Maybe someone in Thailand can tell us what the best service is for calling USA now.

[cdnmatt]

Maybe someone in Thailand can tell us what the best service is for calling USA now.

http://www.skype.com/

You can also purchase a US number of incoming calls for cheap from Skype, then redirect the incoming calls to any cell. Works perfect for traveling. You always have a static US number, and just keep changing the cell number it gets forwarded to when you hit a new country.

[Beachlover]

Skype is fantastic like that. The most brilliant piece of telephony since they invented mobile phones.

[dorayme]

Look at DTAC Happy. 12Call needs to be topped up. DTAC had a 49 Baht SIM that when topped up is good for a year before expiring. Rates are 1 B a minute for the first 90 days then 2 B a minute. Ask when you buy the phone.

I was going to try and avoid any shameless plugs on my first time back on the forums in a good long while, but since this might be helpful to many coming over, I thought I would just put it out there. We actually offer rental phones for those on short stays of say a week or so, and we also offer phone sales for name brand phones with cameras, a new 12Call sim card, 200baht of top up cards, at 1,500baht for our pickup customers. As soon as you jump in the car, your phone is already pre-programmed, fully charged and ready to use. I have been buying the phones in bulk, so we are getting very reasonable rates on them. The same model phones have been selling for 1800baht for just the phones themselves that we have seen at Tukcom.

Just something else we are trying to take off the list of concerns upon peoples arrivals. I'm not saying its an incredible deal, but the convenience factor is pretty popular with our customers.

Look at DTAC Happy. 12Call needs to be topped up. DTAC had a 49 Baht SIM that when topped up is good for a year before expiring.

My understanding is that the "DTAC Simple" plan was the only one that would be good for a year. I got a Happy SIM on my last trip but I didn't know to ask for the Simple plan, so I expect to need a new number come April. I understand that you can change plans using their website if you are currently in Thailand (doesn't help me). The Simple plan's per-minute rates are a bit higher than the others but the one-year expiration is worth it to me.

[gra46]

Where is the best place to purchase a basic mobile phone in Pattaya?

This phone is for my use (English) not a Thai person. I have a Blackberry Storm (Verizon) and while it will function in Thailand the rates are very bad. I would like to be able to text friends in the US.

Anyone have a favorite sales person?

What service provider is the best?

Thanks
David
Hello
David you have friends ?
When in thailand Buy a sim from a company called MOVE you can get this topped up anywhere in thailand ,also it lasts for a year for returning trips thats if you keep a little credit on it
Texting in thailand is 3 baht and International texing is 5 baht ,Anyway why would you text friends in the US ?
You on holidays in LOS and you have time for texting them ,just dont tell them how good thailand is there enough of the fuckwits there...

.....just dont tell them how good thailand is there enough of the fuckwits there...

Too late for that, Graham.

I brought my spare phone with me and had it unlocked, (Motorola Krzr). I bought an AIS Sim card for 99 baht off the street and I'm hoping I can buy a few 100 baht Top-Up cards and take them home with me. My plan is to do a top up every month to extend the life of the sim card. I know the phone works fine at home, but I'm not sure if there's a expiry date on the SIM card itself. My last top up takes me to March 2010, a month before I return.

A few Thai boys told me that AIS has the best network. I'm not sure if that's true, but I went with them on their word.

I'm not sure if there's a expiry date on the SIM card itself.

Not once you have started to use it, as long as you keep it topped up. If you top up with AIS at the moment you will get 60 days per 300 baht instead of the normal 30, so if you top up with (say) 900 baht now it will give you 6 months whereas if you do so at 300 baht every month it may only give you 3 months - there is no problem over topping up "in advance". The AIS top up cards have an expiry date (bottom right, on the back of the card) which is usually about two years from purchase for new stock.

My plan is to do a top up every month to extend the life of the sim card. I know the phone works fine at home, but I'm not sure if there's a expiry date on the SIM card itself. My last top up takes me to March 2010, a month before I return.

With DTAC you dial a special network number to do a top-up and I assume they won't work (the * or ** prefixes) if you aren't on their network (in Thailand). Does AIS have the option of dialing a regular phone number? I guess I'd be curious to hear if it works out for you.

With DTAC you dial a special network number to do a top-up and I assume they won't work (the * or ** prefixes) if you aren't on their network (in Thailand). Does AIS have the option of dialing a regular phone number?

Both DTAC and AIS "(* or ** prefixes)" will work as long as you enabled international roaming when in Thailand; in theory they will not work if you enable it from outside Thailand, but in practice some do - don't assume anything!!.

AIS does not "have the option of dialing a regular phone number" to top up from cards.

You could ask a friend in Thailand (if you have one!) to top up your number from his bank account ( payments-> mobile phone -> service (1 2 Call) -> select an amount from the menu -> enter your phone mumber -> confirm),

or you could ask him to go to any Telewiz shop (or some of the kiosks or machines) and top up your number for you.


..... now, have I been abusive, condescending and know-all enough yet ....?

..... now, have I been abusive, condescending and know-all enough yet ....?

Yes, the bold and underlining helps a great deal.

We also weren't talking about using the phone number in roaming mode. The question was whether the SIM card could be topped off to keep it from expiring if you weren't in Thailand (most of the SIMS expire after the 90 days). The second part of your answer suggests that they cannot be. Buying top-off cards and turning the phone on every 3 months in an attempt to top up from the phone isn't going to work from Farangland.

DTAC has the SIMPLE plan that has a 12 month SIM expiration and it sounds like the other providers may offer something similar.

Look at DTAC Happy. 12Call needs to be topped up. DTAC had a 49 Baht SIM that when topped up is good for a year before expiring. Rates are 1 B a minute for the first 90 days then 2 B a minute. Ask when you buy the phone.

Can I just stroll into a 7-11 & buy a 49 baht PAYG SIM card?

[gra46]

With MOVE on my depature from LOS i top up and i have 12 months expiry date on my sim to use the credit,so i keep same number and sim , but i always back in 3 months as now i return 4 times a year,Chiang Mai /Chiang Rai here i come for christmas / New year

..... now, have I been abusive, condescending and know-all enough yet ....?

Yes, the bold and underlining helps a great deal.

Not enough, apparently. The answer was that it depends on whether you "enabled international roaming when in Thailand (when officially you can use the "the * or ** prefixes" so that "the SIM card could be topped off to keep it from expiring if you weren't in Thailand" or whether you did so "outside Thailand" (when officially you can't) - although unofficially it often works in either case.

(I used green for your bits, as I though that would help and be appropriate)

Romania, I suppose I could have made it "You could ask a friend in Thailand (if you have one and if they have a bank account!). I think I've done a bit better with the other two aspects this time, though.

and z909, if you spend 30 baht at 7-11 and ask for it and they have stock you could get a "PAYG SIM card" free
(but with no or only 15 baht credit). Alternatively go to any of the many places selling them in most shopping malls (TukCom, Lotus, Big C, Carrefour, etc) or the main DTAC desk upstairs in Carrefour, but check the promotion on the card or you may have to change it to get the 12 month validity - not difficult (for some people!).

With MOVE on my depature from LOS i top up and i have 12 months expiry date on my sim to use the credit,so i keep same number and sim , but i always back in 3 months as now i return 4 times a year,Chiang Mai /Chiang Rai here i come for christmas / New year

What's the cost of buying a MOVE card & what's the minimum top up?
I only need to use the phone for arranging a few, er, evening appointments. So no need to go for a massive top up.

Also, I want to keep my UK SIM card in the new phone & press an ancient Siemens A50 into use with the Thai SIM card.
No unlock codes on the net for the A50, though.
I presume I could get this unlocked in Bangkok for a fraction of the UK price? If I can read the unlocking signs on the stalls in China town. Maybe this is a bad idea....

I presume I could get this unlocked in Bangkok for a fraction of the UK price?

I would assume the same.

[gra46]

With MOVE on my depature from LOS i top up and i have 12 months expiry date on my sim to use the credit,so i keep same number and sim , but i always back in 3 months as now i return 4 times a year,Chiang Mai /Chiang Rai here i come for christmas / New year

What's the cost of buying a MOVE card & what's the minimum top up?
I only need to use the phone for arranging a few, er, evening appointments. So no need to go for a massive top up.

Also, I want to keep my UK SIM card in the new phone & press an ancient Siemens A50 into use with the Thai SIM card.
No unlock codes on the net for the A50, though.
I presume I could get this unlocked in Bangkok for a fraction of the UK price? If I can read the unlocking signs on the stalls in China town. Maybe this is a bad idea....
well i got the card on a special for 49 Baht but i seen that around many times ,i got my card at a move store in BKK airport ,also the top up is all different prices ,sorry i dont know the minimum but i know i seen 100 baht at a 7/11 store and a friend gets a 90 baht topup at Carrefour, i always get the 300 or 500 as i said it there for 12 months anyway .
I only got the Move sim as i was recommended by a thai friend and from reading other posts in the past ,and i was only travelling to LOS 1/2 times a year then and wanted to keep same number ,with move too you get much less crap texts sent to you as you do from other companies in LOS

[quiet1]

With a DTAC prepaid account, you can extend the validity period before leaving Thailand by buying the time.

Unfortunately I never saved the link to the source, but I copied these instructions from somewhere online, and I've used the process a few times. Call me Mr.Popular, but I make so few mobile phone calls that I often bump up against the expiration date.


- If you've had your prepaid card for more than 3 months:
If you've already had your prepaid card for more than 3 months, you can use any promotion (even the very cheap ones) and extend the validity of up to a year just by typing *100*9# and call, you will get a menu and just use the "Day Give Away Service" (reply with the number 6), it will cost you 12 Baht to extend your validity of 180 days. 12 more baht and you'll get your year of validity. I've used it many times and keep on having 360 days left on my card and the very best promotion, could not get cheaper/better than this.

- If you've just got a new prepaid (and cannot wait 3 months), call 1678 and ask them to change your promotion to "SimPLE". You will pay all your calls to all network 2 Baht / min but whenever you recharge your phone (even 20 Baht recharge), the system will extend the validity of your card to 1 year (365 days).

- 2 Baht for 30 days
- 6 Baht for 90 days
- 12 Baht for 180 days (up to 365 Days).

From any Happy Dtac package (even the cheapest ones 25 Satangs/min), do the following:

- Dial *1013, listen to the prompt and dial 9 for English
- Follow the step by step procedure ( press 1 for promotion )
- You will get an SMS confirming the new validity of your SIM card.

I believe AIS has a similar routine, but since I have DTAC, I wasn't interested in saving the procedure for AIS.

- If you've just got a new prepaid (and cannot wait 3 months), call 1678 and ask them to change your promotion to "SimPLE".

SIMPLE is what I'll do next time.

I only received a handful of brief calls from guys "Can I come over now?" but for the very few $ that pay-as-you-go plans cost, a mobile is very much worth the money in Thailand. DTAC did send annoying text messages for the first day or two and then it stopped.