Should I buy a smartphone?

[Moses]

Pay attention to Xiaomi brand. Hi-end smatphones with prices 1/4 - 1/3 of iPhones. Company became 4th largest smartphone manufacturer in world just in 3 years.

Just check https://mi.com

[joe552]

Honestly, thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I like using slate and chalk. Reminds me of my schooldays. That's a decision made then. So when I go to Pattaya, I just need to buy a new SIM card, is that correct?

[Dalewood]

You can do quite a bit that would otherwise take your bringing a laptop. Yes, get a smartphone.

[christianpfc]

I managed without a smartphone until 2013. Then I bought my first, and never looked back.

But I have a friend who regularly travels to Thailand and uses no phone at all in Thailand. When we meet, he and I have to be punctual because there is no way to inform the other of delays or change of plans, and it works most of the time!

One occasion, I went to see him in his hotel, knocked on the door, no reply. Wait at reception for half an hour, knock again: he fell asleep. A smartphone would not have helped here.

[Nirish guy]

Honestly, thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I like using slate and chalk. Reminds me of my schooldays. That's a decision made then. So when I go to Pattaya, I just need to buy a new SIM card, is that correct?

Correct - well, if you wish to make calls etc and have data 24/7 when in Thailand - BUT - if you really wanted to save omney you COULD do without buying a Thai sim ( fuck it buy one !!) but you can always just turn your data off on the irish phone ( FFS make SURE you remember to do that otherwise you'll get screwed with a large bill!) but if you turn your "roaming" data off you'll still be able to use your phone via (free) wifi anywhere that gives you that ( such as your hotel / most bars and resturants etc). So it IS possible just to keep your irish SIm in your phone WITH YOUR DATA ROAMING TURNED OFF ! and just connect and use the free wifi just whereever you see it.

If I'm only going to a Country for a short trip of a few days or a week I sometimes do that and do without a local SIM and and generally it's fine. Only time it's handy to have the Thai SIM in is if you really feel you might want to have or to make and recieve normal voice phone calls or you want to have mobile "data" when walking about for goggle maps / internet browsing / 24/7 grindr browsing etc :-) As dont forget with many Apps now such as Whatsapp / Messenger etc you can make voice calls there to your contacts for free 24.7 worldwide any.

Not being funny but if you're not "up" on these things grab someone ( gay?) and still in a bar with them for 15 minutes and have them show you all the various Apps and things as there's so many and if you get set up right from the start it'll make things a lot easier for you in the long / short term. ( Oh and the reason I say "gay" is that then they can show you all the various slutty Apps out there that we all use and that will open up a whole new world of options for making contact with guys for you ( both when on your hols and at home !) And be ready for the constant "ping" of your getting incoming messages when you arrive anywhere in Asia - you'll get the love it and start to think your phone is broken if you DONT hear it on arrival ! lol

[joe552]

Thanks NIrish, I think I'll have a young man talk me through it in Sunee and then I'll decide if I need a SIM.

[Nirish guy]

Ok - but just be aware he’ll say “yes need” as the concept of not bothering with a SIM and existing on free WiFi will be alien to him I’m sure ( we’ll until his credit runs out half way through the month no doubt :-). For all it costs it’s little odds anyway - oh but remember if and when YOU are buying one you’ll need to bring and show and allow them to take a copy of your passport at the 7/11 etc ( or get your Thai boy to go to save you the hassle !)

[Daveuk]

I take my IPhone to Thailand but I also use a small old Samsung with a Thai SIM card which I bought 2 years ago for 500 baht.
The former is locked to O2 and I was told that to unlock it to accept a Thai sim would take a few days and be expensive, so I’ve never bothered. When possible I only use it for sending texts but these to home in uk proved to be rather expensive and during one trip I used up all my data so again an unexpected charge.
I wonder where the best place is for unlocking it so as to replace the O2 sim with a Thai one during the time of my Pattaya visits ?
The Samsung I just use for voice calls both Thai and abroad. The calls seem remarkably cheap when I prefix international one with a 9. Ie for a call to the uk 009 44 . I keep numbers on it of Thai boyfriends and of farang friends I’ve met.
I also have a big screen iPad which I use for emails in addition to entertainment.

[gerefan2]

Joe...a tip.
When you want to use you smart phone or tablet in Yensabai do not pay the bitch downstairs 1000 baht for WiFi connection.

Take your smart phone to Tukcom and ask for 1 month internet access (and sim card if needed). You must take your passport. It will cost 700 baht for unlimited use for a month.

You can also ask them to add whatever you want for phone calls, say 100 Bt.

They will do all the necessary for you. A godsend for the likes of me!

2 nd floor on the left as you get off the escalator. AIS .

[goji]

Or tootle off to the True shop just past Tuk Com and they should sort you out with a 1 month package + SIM for about 500.
2 weeks should be less -there were decent packages at about 107 baht per week back in February.

To have a smartphone without a SIM would be like going to Pattaya without offing a boy.

Incidentally, if you are buying a phone in the UK, just make sure it's not locked to any one network. Or make sure it can be unlocked.