12Call Sim card: Tips and Info

[anonone]

In the recent Mr T taxi thread, I mentioned that I had found a way to extend the expiry of my 12call sim card. Several posters asked for details, so I am starting a new thread.

*500*9#(call) will extend the expiration of your sim card by 30 days at a cost of 30 baht. This can be done numerous times to keep extending out the date as far as you need.

A pet peeve of mine is not having phone service when I land at BKK...and I was very tired of having a new phone number each visit. Makes it much more difficult for friends to keep in touch, etc. I usually know when I will be back in Thailand again, so now I just use the above service to make sure I keep the number.

BTW: During my experimenting with Sim cards and services, I Gave True Move a try. Really poor internet service in the Pattaya area. BF confirmed as well, seems 12call is the one to choose in the Pattaya area if you plan on using smart phone / internet service.

If anyone has other tips or codes for 12Call/AIS that they find useful, please post them here. It took me several conversations and trips to different stores to get a good answer and info above, so I would really like to have a thread for sharing these types of things.

I thought 300 (not 30) baht will extend you validity for 30 days with ANY mobile service it will for my True 3G service the only problem is True wont let you extend more than 60 days at a time so I just log onto my Thai internet banking every couple of months and top it up and then email them to confirm when the next expiry date is.

[anonone]

Top up will extend expiry as well, but the method I posted will extend expiry well into the future at a fairly reasonable cost.

If I will not be back in Thailand for 3 or 4 months, I can spend the $4 (120 baht) and ensure I keep my phone number.

I do not have a Thai bank account, which prevents easy top ups from home as well.

[newalaan]

Top up will extend expiry as well, but the method I posted will extend expiry well into the future at a fairly reasonable cost. If I will not be back in Thailand for 3 or 4 months, I can spend the $4 (120 baht) and ensure I keep my phone number. I do not have a Thai bank account, which prevents easy top ups from home as well.
Good info 'anonone'. I had to change my Thai SIM number last trip for the first time for years and it was a hassle as a few friends had the old number and I had to give out the new one. But there must have been some kind of change over the last year or so, as it was never an issue before. Is it just 1-2-call? I got a back-up True Move SIM at Phuket airport Feb this year and it has remained 'live' over the 3 month periods I return home with no problems.

This time I will get my bf to top-up my SIM remotely at a 7-11 or whatever and see if that works.

The True Move worked ok all over Thailand but not used for 'smart phone' I only use a Bt900 old samsung when i'm out and about in Thailand as it's of no interest to potential thieves. Would hate to lose all the info on it, it was enough of a hassle having to change the SIM.

[anonone]

I believe the code will only work on 12call to extend expiry...not True Move.

True worked fine with me for phone calls, but I have an old iPhone that I am using in Thailand now so I can have map access, messaging, and so on. True was really bad for anything that required internet access.

[pennyboy]

A 300bt top up for 1tocall at 7/11 gave me 12 months validity.

[Neal]

This was from Krazy4Thai but he had answers to two topics in one post. I broke them apart and tranferred this one under the correct heading but it is not from me.

Regarding the discussions on SIM cards, I wasn't aware they were time limited. I got one in June 2011 and just re-topped it up at the airport on my return in July '12. I assume it's still active as I am regularly receiving txt messages from "happy" .Just in case the terms & conditions have changed before I return next June. Can a friend there top it up at a 711 now just by having my number???

[christianpfc]

Yes I never had a problem in the past with keeping my thai number and leftover baht 'live' until the next trip, usually about 3 months, this last time it expired. Can anyone elaborate as requested by christianpfc?

I had plenty of hazzle trying to keep my number between holidays (6-8 months apart). I wrote about it here:

http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic. ... 80&p=40597 (http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4080&p=40597)

[christianpfc]

Thank you, anonone, for clarifying.

Here is how I transfer balance (up to 100 Baht per operation) and validity (up to 20 days per operation), the cost is 3 Baht:

Balance Transfer Dial*140*1*Destination Number*Balance#
Validity Transfer Dial*140*2*Destination Number *Validity#

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/balance- ... nsfer.html (http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/balance-validity-transfer.html)

Different card types seem to get different validities per balance. My card has 20 days for each 100 Baht I top up. When I ask for 200 Baht at 7-11, I get two paper slips for 100 Baht each, and get 20 days for each. A friend recently got 1000 Baht in one slip, I could not fathom how he did it.

If anyone is interestest in my tale of woe about keeping your card active while you are away, here is the link:
http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic. ... 80&p=40597 (http://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4080&p=40597)

You just say 12Call or Trur or DTAC 1000 baht and the operator takes your money and prints the slip!!!!!!!

[cameroncat]

My True SIM is good for one year, and everytime you use it, the date is extended another year. So as long as you return to Thailand within 1 year, you won't lose your number.

[Jellybean]

IтАЩm probably not the best person to answer technical questions so forgive the lack of detail. About 6 years ago I wanted to know how to get round the problem of time limits on my Thai SIM card. Like everyone else here I didnтАЩt want to change my number every time I returned to Thailand. I was told to go to one of the local mobile phone shops and ask for them to remove the time limit. From memory I think I paid only a small nominal amount for this to be done. So every time I return to Thailand my Thai phone/ SIM card is always active. In my most recent case I was away for approximately 8 months. I hope this is of some help.

[christianpfc]

You just say 12Call or Trur or DTAC 1000 baht and the operator takes your money and prints the slip!!!!!!!

I tried in at least two different 7-eleven with different amounts (200 Baht and 300 Baht) and got 2 or 3 slips with 100 Baht each.

[pennyboy]

I always get one 300bt slip at 7/11 for my 300bt 12call topup. Not sure but I think 100bt topups will not give you 12 months validity that you get with a 300bt topup.

[francois]

I get the same result as Christian; no matter what I ask for they give me multiple 100 Baht slips. These 100 TB only extend the expiration by a few weeks each. Next time will ask the bf to explain to the clerk.

[Shuee]

there is a 12call sim that last for 1 yr, it cost about 350bt, & i went to mbk to buy it, just ask them for 1yr sim & try tukcom also?