anyone use verizon global phone in thailand?

[tahiti_steve]

I have a droid global phone and called verizon and according to them my sim is good to work in thailand and they added the global roaming feature to my account. So they say i am all ready.

 

Just sounds to easy to me. Would hate to get there and not have phone working.

 

All i want is phone and text. No data.

 

So if anyone has used verizon there please let me know if in fact it is that easy

 

Thanks

 

TS

[ricktoronto]

You would be insane to use North American roaming in Thailand. You note they added it and didn't mention the cost per minute which will be obscene. It is US 1.99 a minute to make or receive calls, or 60 Baht. Roughly 20 to 30 times what it should cost, in other words. Dial out rates are as low as 1 1/2 baht/minute.

 

Buy a phone and local SIM, either AIS or DTAC for under $30. There are call out options (you dial a three digit number like 004 or 008 before the US number - the Tukcom girl will tell you) that are very cheap to call back to North America - should be maybe 3-5 baht a minute, and using Skype your family can prepay and call Thailand for a lot less than you receiving or making calls on a US phone. In fact they pay 6 1/2 US cents a minute. Vs. 30 times that on your dime.

 

Go to Tukcom or bring an unlocked 4 band 850/900/1800/1900 GSM phone with you and buy the SIM at the airport for under $10 with time on it. Then e-mail the number home.

 

Of course the smart way to stay in touch is with hotel wifi and your computer (or your droid phone may have wifi and a Skype app for Android) and just do Skype to Skype calls for zero. With video.

 

I guess you've never left the US with a phone in the past? Or you are rich to the point of overpaying dozens of times what things should cost.

 

I have phones or SIMs and phones for Thailand, Hong Kong, several Central American countries for the very reason that the Verizons of the world are ripoff dickheads.