Buying sim with 3G

[llondonboy]

I usually buy a local sim to use in my unlocked phone. On my next trip I will be is LOS for a month and want a sim that will also give me Internet via 3G.
Can anyone give details of which providers will sell a card with 3G for a month a likely cost?

Thanks

[fedssocr]

Thailand was late to the 3G party but I think that all of the companies offer at least some coverage now.

You can check their websites for prepaid and plans for tourists. dtac, ais, truemove ...

[TOQ]

I have found that AIS (12Call ) has the best coverage in Bangkok, Pattaya and CM. You can find them at any phone shop as well as the ones in the airport.

I have found that AIS (12Call ) has the best coverage in Bangkok, Pattaya and CM.Im gob smacked at the research some of our members are prepared to carry out and then report in the Forum. Heres TOQ testing True DTAC and AIS for 3G coverage in Bangkok Pattaya and CM and able report that he has found AIS has the best coverage. Wow. How long and how much did that research take and cost I wonder?

[francois]

Brisbane Guy; rather than criticize others input why not provide the OP with your recommendations based on your experience and research?

[TOQ]

I have found that AIS (12Call ) has the best coverage in Bangkok, Pattaya and CM.Im gob smacked at the research some of our members are prepared to carry out and then report in the Forum. Heres TOQ testing True DTAC and AIS for 3G coverage in Bangkok Pattaya and CM and able report that he has found AIS has the best coverage. Wow. How long and how much did that research take and cost I wonder?

I was fortunate that it did not cost me anything. I have AIS and my coverage is better than the friends I have that use Dtac. However, I am not gob smacked that you are acting like an Ass

[colmx]

Thank you brisbane guy for your usual useful posts... as good as a chocolate toothbrush!
As per TOQs post... AIS DOES have the best coverage... not only in the cities... but most of the provences...
True may have better internet speeds... and DTAC may have better coverage in areas...
But AIS is acknowledged by most people i know as the best network for coverage all over thailand...

[Sooty]

I usually buy a local sim to use in my unlocked phone. On my next trip I will be is LOS for a month and want a sim that will also give me Internet via 3G.
Can anyone give details of which providers will sell a card with 3G for a month a likely cost?As you can see from the responses everyone is making assumptions about where in Thailand you will be since you haven't said, and coverage can vary from place to place. One poster asserts that he knows AIS is the best in three cities but he's basing that on his own experience of a single provider and what a friend told him of one of the two other providers. All three will sell you a 3G card.

I use True and always have but apart from my visit to Thailand when I foolishly went to Pattaya all my trips have been to Bangkok. True is currently experimenting with 4G if you happen to have a 4G enabled phone. Since you'll be buying prepay then you'll spend roughly ten quid for two or three GB of data.

[christianpfc]

I have an AIS sim for internet, I top up 300 MB for 300 Baht and it lasts about 3 weeks. I use it mainly for Grindr, Gayromeo and googlemaps.

The problem is, I can't top up at 7/11 (or I and the staff there don't know how), I have to go to their shop every time I want to top up. Getting an SMS that announces that my balance is running low every 30 minutes is a bit annoying as well.

In addition, they change their promotions regularly, there are many options, not all are available depending on your card. It's confusing!

I have two sim cards: one for calling (that's cheap and easy), and one for data (expensive and a hassle).

[lego]

I have an AIS sim for internet, I top up 300 MB for 300 Baht and it lasts about 3 weeks. I use it mainly for Grindr, Gayromeo and googlemaps.
That seems pretty expensive! I'm using their 399 baht package, that's 1 GB for 30 days. For you it might actually work out about the same, but for someone transferring more data, it would be a good idea to choose a package with a suitable allowance. I usually top up using online banking, but all the other venues (AIS shop, 7/11, etc.) work as well.

For what it's worth, my personal usage history: The first couple of months, when 3G was new and exciting, I blew my 1 GB allowance before the 30 days were up. Then I had the option to either continue with just 2G/GPRS speed (that's "unlimited") or buy another 3G data package. Since things settled down, I've managed to stay below the 1 GB limit.

[llondonboy]

Thanks for the advice I actually went with DTAC as I've always used their call service. I bought unlimited 3G for a month. So far so good I've been in BKK and Pattaya and coverage has Been fine.

[whitemouse]

if you stay only in Bangkok, get pre payed 3G sim from True Move, or AIS, both have pre payed packages cost 599 baht for 30 days of 3G,

you are connected at 3G speed until you have reached the 2Gb download limit, after that your download speed goes down to about 128 kbs, enough to receive and read email etc.
For 799 baht you get 3G up to 5Gb of usage, both True and AIS pretty much mach the prices of their 3G packages.

In Pattaya True H has been not very good at all, past few weeks, some days you are disconnected for maybe 30 minutes or so. But if you restart the phone, it connects with tower, and you are connected again. Or put in Flight mode for few seconds, and then off flight mode.\

AIS is much more stable in Pattaya.

Before BrisbaneGuy asks about research cost, I know about 3G coverage because I use both True and AIS in Bangkok, and in Pattaya.

[JustEric1977]

Hi there, I've been a lurker on this board for several months and after seeing my travel doctor yesterday, my upcoming trip to Thailand is suddenly becoming real.. btw, I've never felt more like a pin-cushion in my life (you need this vaccine, and that, etc)

Back to the topic at hand, I recently received my unlocked Nexus 5 (D820-North America). I know it "may" work outside US/Canada/Mexico, but google provides no information aside from which bands it supports (which may as well be Greek to me). btw, no offense to any Greek readers.

Are there any tech savvy readers here who know which carrier I'm better off with? I'll be visiting Bangkok & Pattaya.

Here's the only information I've obtained from Google regarding my phone:
Network
2G/3G/4G LTE
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10
WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19
LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/4

I *think* TrueMoveH will work, but am unsure about AIS.

Also - you all have provided many hours of enjoyment while I've read through the commentaries. :)

[Sooty]

Here's my experience as of this morning. I have an old Nokia and I buy a SIM card each time as a throwaway to use when a boy wants my phone number. If he's a "keeper" I copy his number to my iPhone for my next visit

I went to the nearest 7-11 this morning and asked for a SIM card. They sold me one which happened to be called Happy Tourist for 49 baht. It seems it's on the DTAC network. They did have others in stock. It is a multi-size SIM, that is it fits both my old Nokia and (say) an iPhone 4 but not an iPhone 5. I also bought 100 baht top up pack

You activate it by sticking the SIM card in your phone and DTAC sends you an SMS advising what your number is. As I also got a message telling me my phone doesn't support Internet connections I assume it could work on DTAC's 3G network but there doesn't seem to be any data pack instructions on the multi-lingual instruction leaflet. It could be topped up from abroad, I guess, since a Web site is given for top ups as well as local retailers. Validity is 45 days and it can only be topped up for a maximum of 90 days. I'm not sure why Thai telcos do this; True prepay has a maximum top up of 60 days

I checked the DTAC web site and it does mention data packs so all in all this seems to be a painless option if you want one. Clearly I can't answer for coverage outside my current area (Suriwong)

[whitemouse]

I have found that AIS (12Call ) has the best coverage in Bangkok, Pattaya and CM.Im gob smacked at the research some of our members are prepared to carry out and then report in the Forum. Heres TOQ testing True DTAC and AIS for 3G coverage in Bangkok Pattaya and CM and able report that he has found AIS has the best coverage. Wow. How long and how much did that research take and cost I wonder?


Whats wrong advising fellow Sawadee members about 3G in Thailand.

If you dont give advise, or you dont know the answer to the question, why do you reply at all! Just to post some lame insult?

[whitemouse]

I have an AIS sim for internet, I top up 300 MB for 300 Baht and it lasts about 3 weeks. I use it mainly for Grindr, Gayromeo and googlemaps.




Dude, you are paying much too much.

For 599 baht both True and AIS give you 2 gigs of download for 1 month.
300Mb is very little.
I know you live in Bangkok, but you have said you visit Pattaya often. In Pattaya AIS has much, much better 3G coverage, it hasnt been down not once, in the past 2 month.

[Sooty]

I have found that AIS (12Call ) has the best coverage in Bangkok, Pattaya and CM.Im gob smacked at the research some of our members are prepared to carry out and then report in the Forum. Heres TOQ testing True DTAC and AIS for 3G coverage in Bangkok Pattaya and CM and able report that he has found AIS has the best coverage. Wow. How long and how much did that research take and cost I wonder?Whats wrong advising fellow Sawadee members about 3G in Thailand.

If you dont give advise, or you dont know the answer to the question, why do you reply at all! Just to post some lame insult?It wasn't advice as BrisbaneGuy sarcastically pointed out. It was one person's experience of a single network, dressed up as advice about "the best network". I've also posted my experience of a single network in a single place but I'm not so taken with self-importance to describe what I've written as "the best network in Thailand in my experience" as my experience - like TOQ - is of a single network although his is a tale of three cities.

[christianpfc]

Currently I am on a package 300 MB for 199 Baht. Last time I went to the shop, staff there changed my promotion and now I get an SMS when I run out and can top up on my own at 7/11.

That 300 MB for 300 Baht was a test, I had no idea how much I would need, and I am lazy and not interested in technical details (promotions that change every every week) so I stayed with it.

[whitemouse]

It wasn't advice as BrisbaneGuy sarcastically pointed out. It was one person's experience of a single network, dressed up as advice about "the best network". I've also posted my experience of a single network in a single place but I'm not so taken with self-importance to describe what I've written as "the best network in Thailand in my experience" as my experience - like TOQ - is of a single network although his is a tale of three cities.

Really? What if he forum member who recommended AIS, had experience with all 3 carriers, and recommends AIS, cos he finds it the best of the three. Didnt read any self importance in his post.

BrisbaneGuy didn't add anything useful, all he did was ridiculing fellow forum membet, who did gave advice to OP.
I use AIS and True in Bangkok and Pattaya. AIS in Pattaya is far better than True.

Imagine if every forum member, in every topic, only insults other members, and posts off topic crap, that is of no use to anybody. How often would you visit that board?

[Sooty]

Imagine if every forum member, in every topic, only insults other members, and posts off topic crap, that is of no use to anybody. How often would you visit that board?Every day. It's what happens now. You don't see the entertainment value of a447/newalaan2's railing against fate, the proprietor, other posters? Or our more pompous members like Trongpai or Patanawet maundering on about "trolls" and tucking in the skirts around their feet like a couple of maiden aunts at a genteel but fading seaside boarding house?

[whitemouse]

I try!

But this is little bit new to me, the nuances of who hates who.. It will take some time before i catch up :)

But at least there is no purple font edits in a middle of some post, half of the post removed, and usually some wise words added by Dear Leader..
Those fun days are over hopefully!

[whitemouse]

members like Trongpai or Patanawet maundering on about "trolls" and tucking in the skirts around their feet like a couple of maiden aunts at a genteel but fading seaside boarding house?


'tucking the skirts around their feet..'

LOL my belly aches now

[davidwilsoon]

AIS (12Call) has a desk on the arrivals level at the airport (Bangkok),

Not sure of the hours open. That is I don't know if open in the early morning hours.

They can set you for a 1GB or 2GB package and you just have to top up enough for the monthly data fee. You will
also get notices via SMS.