Using your iPhone in Pattaya

[ThailandChris]

Hey guys, looking for some advice before I get rid of my old iPhone.

 

I've just got myself the new iPhone 5 and have been offered £90 for the old one from one of those recycle websites. It's still in good nick.

 

Before I take the cash I was wondering if the following was possible and if any of you have done it?

 

Get the phone unlocked and then buy a Thai sim in Pattaya, one that has 3G. It'll save me a bomb as I plan on casting my reel (checking into places on Facebook) and seeing if I get a bite (get a few private mails from some Thai BG Facebook friends).

 

Does the Thai sim work in an unlocked British phone?

 

Cheers

 

TC

[zakooo]

thai sims work fine in any i phone.use all the time in my uk i phone.

[tt2008]

Yes it will, I do the same, but get it unlocked by the network provider and don't jailbreak it.

 

There are plenty of threads on 3G data plans.

[ThailandChris]

Yes it will, I do the same, but get it unlocked by the network provider and don't jailbreak it.There are plenty of threads on 3G data plans.

Thanks dude, why shouldn't I jail break it?

[Billyp]

I have done it for a long time now, so go for it. I am writing this on an iPhone 5 and it is the best invention of the 21st century, in my view. Those android phones are cheap and some of them are ok but you don't get the back up like Apple provide.

[taylor1975]

I have done it for a long time now, so go for it. I am writing this on an iPhone 5 and it is the best invention of the 21st century, in my view. Those android phones are cheap and some of them are ok but you don't get the back up like Apple provide.

 

yes the 'back up' is awesome. When you can't get a signal they give you a free plastic cover to make the phone work. Yes ...free, I said!

Amazing Apple lol

 

I was in a computer games shop at the weekend and the cost to unlock an iphone was £60! (2,900baht) android ones were £15 (730 baht) iirc.

Surprisingly expensive to unlock an iphone, I thought. 

[999Baht]

You will have no problems at all using an unlocked iPhone over in Pattaya. 

I've been using one for the last 2 years and it's really really useful. 

[Woofiee]

Thanks dude, why shouldn't I jail break it?

 

I had a jailbroken 3GS - slower, crashy, easier to hiijack, unstable (freezes) and problems with apps like Skype which refuse to work on Jailbroken phones. Not worth the trouble. 

[Hockeydude]

Who's your service provider? I have AT&T in the US, and they offer some pretty good packages and coverage for Thailand -- I can get 800megs data for $120, and 30min talk time for $60.

 

It's not cheap, but seems like a better option than jailbreaking your phone. My friend works for apple and said this is basically like throwing your phone away.

[ThailandChris]

I had a jailbroken 3GS - slower, crashy, easier to hiijack, unstable (freezes) and problems with apps like Skype which refuse to work on Jailbroken phones. Not worth the trouble.

 

  

Who's your service provider? I have AT&T in the US, and they offer some pretty good packages and coverage for Thailand -- I can get 800megs data for $120, and 30min talk time for $60. It's not cheap, but seems like a better option than jailbreaking your phone. My friend works for apple and said this is basically like throwing your phone away.

I called my service provider and they unlocked it for me for £20.

 

Hockeydude, that's ridiculously expensive.

[Woofiee]

If you've had the contract from AT&T, had it through the contract and paid the term you signed up for (1 or 2 years) then AT&T has to unlock it for free. Period. 

 

If they give you grief, you can go through attiphoneunlocking.com - I had my 3GS phone unlocked through them (I live in Europe now so I'm dead to AT&T…fuckers) and that was like...$25?  It's the phone I travel with in Asia - my iPhone 5 stays safely at home.

 

Don't give AT&T 1 red cent more than they're due. If you're the owner of the contract and the contract is expired, make them unlock it for free. Then you don't have to deal with any jailbreaking bs…

[Luv2Phuket]

Here's a helpful description of jailbreaking vs unlocking:  http://www.idownloadblog.com/2009/07/10/difference-jailbreaking-unlocking/

 

For a phone-illiterate individual like me, I found it to be informative.

 

Verizon will unlock 1 phone every 10 months.  I had my iPhone unlocked in January, but didn't get a Thai SIM card when I went in February.  I WILL get a Thai voice/data SIM card on my next trip, and am really looking forward to greater connectivity and the use of a translation app.

 

 

Hockeydude -- on a prior trip, I changed to an International plan with Verizon and was assured my phone would work in Thailand.  It didn't.  My business partner went to Taiwan around the same time, and they told him the same thing.  Again, his phone didn't work at all while there.

 

You might want to consider having AT&T unlock it and get a Thai SIM card when you land.  You're talking about around 5500 baht for 30 minutes of talk and 800 Megs of data.  I gotta think the Thai SIM cards are MUCH cheaper than that.  IIRC, a couple of hundred baht covered me on my cheap Nokia on prior trips (about a week in length), and I can't believe adding data would run it up THAT much more.

[Woofiee]

You might want to consider having AT&T unlock it and get a Thai SIM card when you land.  You're talking about around 5500 baht for 30 minutes of talk and 800 Megs of data.  I gotta think the Thai SIM cards are MUCH cheaper than that.  IIRC, a couple of hundred baht covered me on my cheap Nokia on prior trips (about a week in length), and I can't believe adding data would run it up THAT much more.

 

Last time I was there I got a true 3g card for my 3GS with maybe 60 minutes of talk (never used) and unlimited internet for the month for around 750 baht or so. 

[maclynx43]

I have been using my old 3GS for the last 3 years and it works pretty good for phone calls, texting & receiving my email.

I had it unlocked in Bangkok at IT CITY for 500 BHT  When I am in Patts I use a Thai voice - data SIM card

 

The difference between JAILBREAKING and UNLOCKING

JAILBREAKING an iPhone means that 3rd party applications can be installed on it  (ie. apps from other developers other than Apple). 

UNLOCKING an iPhone means that any SIM card can be used on it.

 

There are 2 types of iPhone unlocks:

• software unlock: the iPhone is unlocked by a software
  
• hardware unlock: modifications have to be made to the actual hardware to unlock the phone
  

Software unlocks are safer because they do not modify your device and can easily be reverted back. 

[scottbo]

I read that Verizon iPhones are sold unlocked.  Anyone know if it's true.  This is supposed to be in the States anyway.  I would like to get a sim to use as Verizon charges $1.99 a minute.

[thaigirlwatcher]

I did a jail break and Thai software installation in Patong on an iPhone 4 from the States that I was giving to a friend and it was turned into a piece of shit. Terrible software, horrible photos. Original apps gone. I suggested to the receiver that he have better software installed later. I doubt he did. Wanted it for the status factor more than anything else. Hey….up to him. 

[jennings]

I read that Verizon iPhones are sold unlocked.  Anyone know if it's true.  This is supposed to be in the States anyway.  I would like to get a sim to use as Verizon charges $1.99 a minute.

I called Verizon and had them unlock my phone(iphone 4s). No problem at all. Not sure if their other phones are unlocked or not. You can get a Thai sims card(ais,true,dtac) at the airport or at Tukcom.  You can get a monthly unlimited voice/data plan for about 700-800baht ($25us).

 

If you mention to a bg  that you need to go to Tukcom to get a sims card for your phone. They're all eager to go with you. lol

[Touchagrey]

US Verizon - iPhone 4 and earlier are CDMA only, meaning there's no SIM card slot.

 

4S has a SIM slot, but you need to call Verizon and have them unlock it. Uses a micro-SIM card. As long as you've been under contract for at least 60 days they will unlock it.

 

iPhone 5, 5S, and 5C are factory unlocked. Just plug in your Thai nano-SIM and you're good to go.

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5554

[zakooo]

I live in Thailand for 5 months of the year so need thai sim.instead of unlocking or jailbreaking why don't you do as I do and buy a sim free phone direct from apple.i pay a lot less for my service plan in the uk because I own my phone.it works out cheaper in the long run always.

[Luv2Phuket]

US Verizon - iPhone 4 and earlier are CDMA only, meaning there's no SIM card slot.

 

4S has a SIM slot, but you need to call Verizon and have them unlock it. Uses a micro-SIM card. As long as you've been under contract for at least 60 days they will unlock it.

 

iPhone 5, 5S, and 5C are factory unlocked. Just plug in your Thai nano-SIM and you're good to go.

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5554

 

Had my 4S unlocked by Verizon, but couldn't get the Thai SIM card to work due to an Apple password issue.  I still don't know WTF was going on, but my phone wouldn't accept my password (although it later worked when I uploaded an App at a TG's urging).  I'll check with Apple to confirm there are no issues with my password before my next trip (assuming I haven't bailed and bought a Samsung phone by then!)

[Woofiee]

Had my 4S unlocked by Verizon, but couldn't get the Thai SIM card to work due to an Apple password issue.  I still don't know WTF was going on, but my phone wouldn't accept my password (although it later worked when I uploaded an App at a TG's urging).  I'll check with Apple to confirm there are no issues with my password before my next trip (assuming I haven't bailed and bought a Samsung phone by then!)

 

This doesn't make any sense.  There are no apps that can unlock a phone, especially an iPhone. 

 

The use of a SIM is linked to the baseband of the phone, not the OS. The baseband is unlocked or it's not - and then the phone has access to the mobile stack to call out and such. 

 

I call shenanigans.