Cell Phone Use Thailand/Cambo

[philobert]

Folks

 

Just a quick question. I have a cell phone I use in thailand. It has a 1-2-call sim card..

 

Going to be in Cambo (PP) later in the year.

 

I was wondering if the phone will work in Cambo (PP) or if I need to get a new sim card or phone/sim card combo while in PP?

 

thanks

 

bert

[ganui]

as far as i know will not work in pp

stay normaly in surin (east thailand)

when i make border run in chong chom it works

PP will not

need cambodian sim

[Edge]

Has been known to work, It used to just eat money even receiving SMS.

It also used to be a little difficult getting SIM cards.

 

I don't know if it's still the same cost wise, but it's no problem buying a Cambo' SIM now - cheap as chips.

.

[frankstain]

are 7/11's everywhere in cambodia like thailand, will pick one up from there if so, or the equivalent

[Edge]

are 7/11's everywhere in cambodia like thailand, will pick one up from there if so, or the equivalent

 

Not exactly 7-Elevens but equivalent plus masses of phone shops plus some hotels can sort you out.

.

[rddpp]

There are numerous carriers now in Cambodia, I have a dual SIM phone and use a Mobitel (the original carrier) and Smart SIMS.

 

The Cambodians have caught on that tourists are buying SIM cards, I was trying to buy a SMART SIM for someone late at night around the old market and despite signs saying $2 was being quoted $5. A SMART SIM can be bought for $1 and has 80 cents credit on it at my photo/phone shop.. Ponleu Sakal Sudio that is on the crn of st 154 and 19. From the Nana/Circuit/Bollina this is around a 5 min walk. I did an email to friends a while ago and I'll post it here.

 

"Smart is one of the telephone providers here and have some nice features...

 

They have 2 plans that may interest you... and you can swap plans at any time.

 

Their WOW plan.. it's the default plan when you first buy the card.. which by the way costs $1.50 and comes with $1 of credit (now incorrect). MOST IMPORTANT.. the card needs to be activated by making 1 phone call.. get the shop to do this and don't walk out with an unactivated card. To buy a SIM card here you basically need to present your passport, thats all.

 

The WOW plan gives you 20 free minutes SMART to SMART a day if you top up with $2 or more and 30 free minutes if you top up with $5 or more. Nice, if a group of your friends.. be they male or female.. have the same network. After the 20 or 30 free minutes then calls are 5 cents a minute within SMART and 2 cents for 15 seconds across networks, charged in 15 second blocks. SMS's are 1 cent each SMART to SMART and 5 cents each across networks.

 

The Xtralong Plan needs to be activated and costs 50 cents to activate. You must have at least $2 balance to do the activation. Basically there is no call advantage to this plan BUT your SIM card remains active for 1 year. So if you are here this month and planning to come back in January.. your card will still be active but I suspect you will need to do a top up of say $1 at the airport when you arrive and it should then give you the $1 plus what was ever left on the balance when the time ran out. (incorrect, the time balance changes to 1 year from activation so no need to top up if back within a year) I say should as thats how we have found it but I'm not 100% sure. So buy a $1 scratch card before you leave and bingo, you're in business when you land.

 

Now the VERY big advantage with SMART is that international calls are cheap. To the US, Thailand and 17 countries it is 7 cents a minute (effectively cheaper than phoning Mobitel for 1 min), to Australia it's 13 cents a minute. International SMS's are 10 cents each. International calls are made as normal.. to the US +1 xxx xxxxxxx, Australia +61 xxxxxxx, Thailand +66 xxxxxxx dropping the initial 0. Much easier than sitting in internet cafes sweating away to make a call as I remember Tom doing for a couple of years.

 

To change to the Xtralong Tariff before you leave.. you dial *201*0#

 

To go back to the WOW tariff when you arrive, you dial *201*1#. To change back is free of charge BUT you need to have a minimum balance of 50 cents.

 

You can also transfer remaining balances between SMART numbers.

 

Ok, not a lot more, just thought I'd pass this on as it's been a real money saver to me."

[whitespider - RIP]

I think it depends if you have "roaming" activated. Some SIMS have the function, some do not. On those that have it you need to activate it.

 

It is very expensive to use roaming from my experience. I used a Thai SIM to send some SMS from Abu Dhabi airport with roaming activated. Cost around $27 for 3 or 4 sms messages.

[philobert]

_{Thanks folks, some really good info. Especially rddpp!}

 

_{I really just wanted to have it for emergencies at a minimum.}

 

_{looks like I'll be able to set it up ok.}

 

_cheers

 

_bert

Edited August 10, 2012 by philobert