Cell Phones/ Thailand

[kittyboy]

I arrive in Thailand on 25 December 2008. I will be staying for about 4 weeks both in Pattaya and BKK. My current cell phone will not work in Thailand. What are my options for cell phone service in Thailand?

I assume that I can buy or rent a cell phone for short term use?

What would I expect to pay for use of a cell phone for 4 weeks?

I am not a big phone talker but would like to be able to call friends who are traveling with me part of the time. I am looking for inexpensive options.



I searched the forum for the tersm "cell phone" but so many threads popped up that is was useless.

Thanks gentlemen.

Mark

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Buy a Thai 'pay as you go' sim card (100 baht with 100 baht calltime) and stick it in your existing mobile phone - though you will have to check your phone is compatible. UK phones seem to work fine. And most modern phones are multi-band (whatever that means). If you have an old phone and you're American, you're probably stuffed.

Buy a Thai 'pay as you go' sim card (100 baht with 100 baht calltime) and stick it in your existing mobile phone - though you will have to check your phone is compatible. UK phones seem to work fine. And most modern phones are multi-band (whatever that means). If you have an old phone and you're American, you're probably stuffed.

If your phone is locked to a single phone company take to one of the trillion phone shops in Thailand and get it unlocked (works on all phones American, British and Outer Mongolian) for about 400baht and buy a thai pay as you go sim card for about 100. Top up cards can be bought at any mini mart (7-11) and phone shops.

P.S. For cheap international calls put 007, 008 or 009 before the country code you are calling

[kittyboy]

Thanks for the quick reply -

I am in the US and use SPRINT - I have been told (by the SPRINT customer service people) that my cell phone does not have a sim card - and that I will have to either buy or rent a phone while in Thailand.

Mark

I am in the US and use SPRINT - I have been told (by the SPRINT customer service people) that my cell phone does not have a sim card - and that I will have to either buy or rent a phone while in Thailand.

Sprint don't use GSM hence there is no SIM card. The least expensive option is to go somewhere like MBK in Bangkok and pick-up a second-hand phone for a few thousand baht, and buy a pre-paid kit at the same time

I am in the US and use SPRINT - I have been told (by the SPRINT customer service people) that my cell phone does not have a sim card - and that I will have to either buy or rent a phone while in Thailand.

Sprint don't use GSM hence there is no SIM card. The least expensive option is to go somewhere like MBK in Bangkok and pick-up a second-hand phone for a few thousand baht, and buy a pre-paid kit at the same time

A few Thousand baht!!! If your just here for a few weeks you can get a second hand nokia 3310/30 for between 500-800 Baht then get 300 back on it when you finish your hols

A few Thousand baht!!! If your just here for a few weeks you can get a second hand nokia 3310/30 for between 500-800 Baht then get 300 back on it when you finish your hols

My musings over the weekend have been about what the poor people are up to these days. I'm constantly coming across examples

[gearguy]

Sprint used CDMA system, not GSM, so you're phone won't work outside of Sprint system.
(I have Sprint as well via my company.)

If you expect to travel back to Thailand, or indeed elsewhere in the world, then indeed go to MBK
and buy an unlocked GSM phone. You can then buy SIM cards just about anywhere in the
world and have a pay as you go plan. You will want to make sure you get a tri-band (900/1800/1900)
or a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) phone. Tri-band are less expensive generally but I think that
there are some US and Japan carriers that use the 850 band.

If you're in the US and you want to have all this ready to go for when you get to Thailand.
you can go to http://www.telestial.com/ You can buy just a SIM card from them or a whole
phone combo. But unlocked GSM phones can be bought cheaper than what telestial sells.
For example. compuUSA has $40 Samsung phones and you can get an unlocked Razr Quad-band
for $120. $40 for the SIM card with a 300 baht top-off and for $160 that's a nice phone and you
are ready to go.

You'll pay a bit more than waiting till you get to Thialand, but you will be set from the moment
you arrive and you'll know your number even before you leave.

Remember, the phone you will get will be able to be used elsewhere. I have an very cheap Siemens
A70 phone I bought years ago for around $20 and have used it in Thailand, China, Taiwan,
Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia. Easy to get SIM cards and easy to top-up.

I like the fact that you end up with a local number; makes it easy for new friends to call you.

Wish we had this system in the US.

Calling to your Thai number FROM the US can still be expensive; so best to call home, rather than have home call you.

A few Thousand baht!!! If your just here for a few weeks you can get a second hand nokia 3310/30 for between 500-800 Baht then get 300 back on it when you finish your hols

My musings over the weekend have been about what the poor people are up to these days. I'm constantly coming across examples

The poor people (like your good self) spend most of thier free time on here breaking verbal wind.... :drunken: :drunken:

[kittyboy]

Thanks guys for the info. I will probably buy a cheapo phone while in Thailand - buy minutes for whatever usage I need then either keep the phone or sell it back.

Again I appreciate the info.

Mark