best 4G data packages

[hioctane]

I am looking at the data packages from all the various carriers.. Am I correct in believing that AIS has the most full speed 4G at the best prices? 

[jocky king]

The 30 days unlimited for 799 is good , I had that last December for two month .. Just see below .

[Tezla]

i dont quite understand the listing, its unlimited but you can only use a specific amount of data ?

Or what am i missing ? 

 

I am interested as i will be there sunday next week, and will need a local sim with data on it.

[hioctane]

i dont quite understand the listing, its unlimited but you can only use a specific amount of data ?

Or what am i missing ? 

 

I am interested as i will be there sunday next week, and will need a local sim with data on it.

 

It means after using the specified amount of data they throttle your data from 4G to 2G speed. It's a fancy marketing term for capped but not capped. 

[Tezla]

It means after using the specified amount of data they throttle your data from 4G to 2G speed. It's a fancy marketing term for capped but not capped. 

ahh thanks makes more sense then, but good to know

[hioctane]

That was t

 

The 30 days unlimited for 799 is good , I had that last December for two month .. Just see below .

 

Those are the rates I was seeing. Does AIS have the best data prices? Also, how widely available is the AIS wifi?

[Jai Namkeng se-dam]

 DTAC @ tukcom on the mobile phone floor right @ the back

you can also choose the number from a selection of tourist SIM packs

Cute skinny girl there speaks good english and will do all set up for you if you her nicely

960 baht (incl SIM and TAX )for 12GB over 30 days but remember to add a top up for calls as the package is only for DATA or web surfing

they will tell you CANNOT tether to desktop but you can tether by WIFI

after the 12GB is used up it still works but slllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllyy ;-)

[hioctane]

DTAC @ tukcom on the mobile phone floor right @ the back

you can also choose the number from a selection of tourist SIM packs

Cute skinny girl there speaks good english and will do all set up for you if you her nicely

960 baht (incl SIM and TAX )for 12GB over 30 days but remember to add a top up for calls as the package is only for DATA or web surfing

they will tell you CANNOT tether to desktop but you can tether by WIFI

after the 12GB is used up it still works but slllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllyy ;-)

Are they all like that? I was planning to tether to my laptop in case the hotel wifi is flaky.

[Clifford1]

I like the information you guys are putting up. Can you tell me where you can purchase these unlimited SIM cards

I know you can get a regular phone sim at 7 11 , but do they also have the local sim with unlimited data on it?

Thanks

[Harvey707]

It means after using the specified amount of data they throttle your data from 4G to 2G speed. It's a fancy marketing term for capped but not capped. 

 

,,,,,but as I've just posted elsewhere 2g is finishing on July 1st ??

[hioctane]

,,,,,but as I've just posted elsewhere 2g is finishing on July 1st ??

Don't know. I should clarify to be lowest available speed.

 

I like the information you guys are putting up. Can you tell me where you can purchase these unlimited SIM cards

I know you can get a regular phone sim at 7 11 , but do they also have the local sim with unlimited data on it?

Thanks

Aren't there brochures with prices like with these tourist plans?

[Sick Water Buffalo]

,,,,,but as I've just posted elsewhere 2g is finishing on July 1st ??

 

If you reach the cap, you're still on the 4G network but your data is throttled by the mobile provider to the slow speed.

 

I like the information you guys are putting up. Can you tell me where you can purchase these unlimited SIM cards

I know you can get a regular phone sim at 7 11 , but do they also have the local sim with unlimited data on it?

Thanks

 

For a newbie, it's simplest to purchase SIM card & internet package upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi, from one of the provider kiosks in the Arrival Hall. See my other thread which lists the packages currently on offer.

Alternatively, go to one of the provider shops in Pattaya (AIS & DTAC in Central Festival, True next to Tukcom).

 

If you want to fuck around with buying a plain SIM, and then topping it up, and figuring out the right package, up to you.  

Or you can go to Tukcom or practically any phone shop and see if they can set you up.

[JimmyJones]

The Tourist packages offer relatively poor value. Newbie does not equate to stupid. Not everyone requires everything to be 'dumbed down'. Buying a SIM for 49 to 69 baht, topping it up and sending a short code is not beyond anyone's capability.

To call it "fucking around" serves only to push the idea of purchasing a poor value tourist bundle.

If I can obtain 4GB of data over 15 days and 100 baht of call credit for 207 baht, why would an intelligent person pay 599 baht for the same in a Tourist package? 

Would have been more helpful to post good value short codes than to push these poor value packages.for the networks. Just MHO.

[Timetester]

The Tourist packages offer relatively poor value. Newbie does not equate to stupid. Not everyone requires everything to be 'dumbed down'. Buying a SIM for 49 to 69 baht, topping it up and sending a short code is not beyond anyone's capability.

To call it "fucking around" serves only to push the idea of purchasing a poor value tourist bundle.

If I can obtain 4GB of data over 15 days and 100 baht of call credit for 207 baht, why would an intelligent person pay 599 baht for the same in a Tourist package?

Would have been more helpful to post good value short codes than to push these poor value packages.for the networks. Just MHO.

Go on then, tell us..

Which provider, where to get the sim and which short code - you are only stating half the information in your post.

 

Personally I just grab a tourist sim from the booths at suvarnabhumi, quick and very easy - we are only talking about £12 fucking quid after spending £1000 on flight and hotel who gives a shit!

[legalbeagle]

Timester has a very good point.  I always get my SIIM at the Airport just because of the convenience.  I find the codes very confusing and it's nice just handing the phone over to the mobile booth and letting them set it up.  Saving 300-400 baht doesn't cross my mind after travelling for such a long time.  Last time I set my stop watch on my iphone when I left for the airport in my hometown and when I arrived to my hotel in LOS it was around 23 hours.  A shower, shave and shit are much more important than saving a few baht in these circumstances.

[Sick Water Buffalo]

The Tourist packages offer relatively poor value. Newbie does not equate to stupid. Not everyone requires everything to be 'dumbed down'. Buying a SIM for 49 to 69 baht, topping it up and sending a short code is not beyond anyone's capability.

 

 

'Newbie' doesn't necessarily equate to stupid, but... well, after being on the board for awhile, to be honest I have to wonder how some prospective Pattaya visitors manage to leave their front door in farangland without dying.

 

Plenty of posts in the past asking if their phone works in Thailand (having no idea about different types/frequency bands of mobile service), about if they need a SIM card or what kind (not even knowing there are different sizes or the size their current phone uses), unsure what a '3G' or a '4G' is, can't judge how much data they might use, et cetera.  

 

So yeah, I'm going to recommend a first time visitor to Thailand go ahead and get their service set up at Suvarnabhumi... instead of sending someone who may be clueless to a 7-11 or Family Mart in Pattaya that's chaotic with customers trying to check out, and expecting them (with probably no Thai skill) to get a cashier (with little to no English perhaps) to understand which SIM they want to buy, and then go through the process of topping up with baht and entering the package code, and doing the passport/registration thing... or going to a phone shop which may try to rip off or upsell the newbie.

 

If you know what you're doing, by all means get a SIM on your own and top off and pick a code (just did a top up at 7-11 two days ago).

But I still get the initial SIM at the DTAC booth in BKK because I'm walking right by it anyway, it's quick and easy, and I want internet in the taxi for the next ninety minutes to two hours. Which is another thing which might be reassuring to a newbie in a new country for the first time. 

[Jiu-Jitsu]

'Newbie' doesn't necessarily equate to stupid, but... well, after being on the board for awhile, to be honest I have to wonder how some prospective Pattaya visitors manage to leave their front door in farangland without dying.

 

Plenty of posts in the past asking if their phone works in Thailand (having no idea about different types/frequency bands of mobile service), about if they need a SIM card or what kind (not even knowing there are different sizes or the size their current phone uses), unsure what a '3G' or a '4G' is, can't judge how much data they might use, et cetera.  

 

So yeah, I'm going to recommend a first time visitor to Thailand go ahead and get their service set up at Suvarnabhumi... instead of sending someone who may be clueless to a 7-11 or Family Mart in Pattaya that's chaotic with customers trying to check out, and expecting them (with probably no Thai skill) to get a cashier (with little to no English perhaps) to understand which SIM they want to buy, and then go through the process of topping up with baht and entering the package code, and doing the passport/registration thing... or going to a phone shop which may try to rip off or upsell the newbie.

 

If you know what you're doing, by all means get a SIM on your own and top off and pick a code (just did a top up at 7-11 two days ago).

But I still get the initial SIM at the DTAC booth in BKK because I'm walking right by it anyway, it's quick and easy, and I want internet in the taxi for the next ninety minutes to two hours. Which is another thing which might be reassuring to a newbie in a new country for the first time. 

 

 

I'm not going to disagree with you, especially after reading some of the replies here.  

 

But notwithstanding those who leave their brains behind, there is no need to find a Family Mart or similar. You can buy just the SIM at the airport. Just because they are pushing the Tourist SIM does not mean that is all they have. They will also sell you a top up. They like to suggest 300 baht upwards. So now you have a SIM and a top up of 300 baht for 349 baht. They'll do that all for you. Now you can simply tap in the short code of your choice. That's it. If that is too much for someone, then they are probably a useless donkey.

[hioctane]

The Tourist packages offer relatively poor value. Newbie does not equate to stupid. Not everyone requires everything to be 'dumbed down'. Buying a SIM for 49 to 69 baht, topping it up and sending a short code is not beyond anyone's capability.

To call it "fucking around" serves only to push the idea of purchasing a poor value tourist bundle.

If I can obtain 4GB of data over 15 days and 100 baht of call credit for 207 baht, why would an intelligent person pay 599 baht for the same in a Tourist package?

Would have been more helpful to post good value short codes than to push these poor value packages.for the networks. Just MHO.

Good idea.. If you know some, please share a couple and start a thread.

[Timetester]

I'm not going to disagree with you, especially after reading some of the replies here.

 

But notwithstanding those who leave their brains behind, there is no need to find a Family Mart or similar. You can buy just the SIM at the airport. Just because they are pushing the Tourist SIM does not mean that is all they have. They will also sell you a top up. They like to suggest 300 baht upwards. So now you have a SIM and a top up of 300 baht for 349 baht. They'll do that all for you. Now you can simply tap in the short code of your choice. That's it. If that is too much for someone, then they are probably a useless donkey.

Ok. I just went to the Ais website and I take on board your point - it does look extremely easy to be fair.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Go on then, tell us..

Which provider, where to get the sim and which short code - you are only stating half the information in your post.

 

Personally I just grab a tourist sim from the booths at suvarnabhumi, quick and very easy - we are only talking about £12 fucking quid after spending £1000 on flight and hotel who gives a shit!

 

Oh gosh...you are British too. How embarrassing.  By your inane 'logic', the fact that my apartment in London costs £2500 per month means that I shouldn't gives a shit about the cost of my phone bill.

 

It's nothing to do with whether it costs £12, but the fact that you are paying £12 for something that ordinarily costs £5. Normally you would call such a person an idiot, but here you are defending such behaviour...because it is "quick and easy".

It is no more difficult to purchase the SIM and top up at the airport booth and then tap in the short code or to let them tap the short code in. So paying 140% more for a SIM that already has a short code tapped in is the height of stupidity if you already know better. It doesn't save any time at all. If it does, certainly no more than a minute or two. You wouldn't behave that way in the UK....because it would be stupid. I've some news for you, it's stupid in Thailand too.

 

As to packages, I don't share my personal links, but you can take a look at examples here and here

 

Even those are by far not the best value, but they are still much better value than the Tourist SIMs. You can put together a SIM with 3.5GB of full speed data for 30 days and 15 baht of call credit for 157 baht. Compare that to the Tourist SIM offerings and realise that you are being mugged.

Starter SIM here

 

So many examples... A heavy user can stack up 90 GB a month on a single SIM. Example: They do 3GB for 3 days for 85 baht. You can stack those up to get 30 GB over a month for 850 baht. Much better than the 12 GB 'unlimited' oft mooted for 854 baht.

 

Maybe you don't give a shit, but hopefully you don't represent the majority.

[hioctane]

Oh gosh...you are British too. How embarrassing. By your inane 'logic', the fact that my apartment in London costs £2500 per month means that I shouldn't gives a shit about the cost of my phone bill.

 

It's nothing to do with whether it costs £12, but the fact that you are paying £12 for something that ordinarily costs £5. Normally you would call such a person an idiot, but here you are defending such behaviour...because it is "quick and easy".

It is no more difficult to purchase the SIM and top up at the airport booth and then tap in the short code or to let them tap the short code in. So paying 140% more for a SIM that already has a short code tapped in is the height of stupidity if you already know better. It doesn't save any time at all. If it does, certainly no more than a minute or two. You wouldn't behave that way in the UK....because it would be stupid. I've some news for you, it's stupid in Thailand too.

 

As to packages, I don't share my personal links, but you can take a look at examples here

 

Even those are by far not the best value, but they are still much better value than the Tourist SIMs. You can put together a SIM with 3.5GB of full speed data for 30 days and 15 baht of call credit for 157 baht. Compare that to the Tourist SIM offerings and realise that you are being mugged.

Starter SIM here

 

Maybe you don't give a shit, but hopefully you don't represent the majority.

What do you recommend as the best carrier for just data within the main areas ? I don't plan on calling much. I thought it was True but then I heard some bad reviews about connectivity.

[Timetester]

What do you recommend as the best carrier for just data within the main areas ? I don't plan on calling much. I thought it was True but then I heard some bad reviews about connectivity.

Every trip so far I have used Dtac and they have been perfect. Even had a great connection on koh Larn.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

What do you recommend as the best carrier for just data within the main areas ? I don't plan on calling much. I thought it was True but then I heard some bad reviews about connectivity.

I too would recommend DTAC, as their connection was always solid. But lately I've been using AIS as their packages suit me best. Can't argue with 90 GB for under 1600 baht. So I can stream or download Full HD media from my server. No need for compromise.

[Timetester]

Oh gosh...you are British too. How embarrassing. By your inane 'logic', the fact that my apartment in London costs £2500 per month means that I shouldn't gives a shit about the cost of my phone bill.

 

It's nothing to do with whether it costs £12, but the fact that you are paying £12 for something that ordinarily costs £5. Normally you would call such a person an idiot, but here you are defending such behaviour...because it is "quick and easy".

It is no more difficult to purchase the SIM and top up at the airport booth and then tap in the short code or to let them tap the short code in. So paying 140% more for a SIM that already has a short code tapped in is the height of stupidity if you already know better. It doesn't save any time at all. If it does, certainly no more than a minute or two. You wouldn't behave that way in the UK....because it would be stupid. I've some news for you, it's stupid in Thailand too.

 

As to packages, I don't share my personal links, but you can take a look at examples here and here

 

Even those are by far not the best value, but they are still much better value than the Tourist SIMs. You can put together a SIM with 3.5GB of full speed data for 30 days and 15 baht of call credit for 157 baht. Compare that to the Tourist SIM offerings and realise that you are being mugged.

Starter SIM here

 

So many examples... A heavy user can stack up 90 GB a month on a single SIM. Example: They do 3GB for 3 days for 85 baht. You can stack those up to get 30 GB over a month for 850 baht. Much better than the 12 GB 'unlimited' oft mooted for 854 baht.

 

Maybe you don't give a shit, but hopefully you don't represent the majority.

If you dismounted your high horse for a moment you would possibly notice that I conceded your point in post #19

 

However, we are talking about different things. Getting off a plane and having someone set it up for you is well worth a few quid extra considering I've been on an 11.5 hour flight - I'm tired, I'm on holiday, and I don't know any better, I want a quick hassle free way of getting back online as quickly as possible. I personally have no problem with that.

If we are talking about my every-month living expenses here in the uk that's a different matter - your comparison is totally unfair.

 

Since you made the point that there is an easy alternative, I looked into it and I agree , it looks simple - I will give it a go and I thank you. But the point still stands that people are not idiots for choosing a quick hassle free option at the airport for a few quid more and job done.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

If you dismounted your high horse for a moment you would possibly notice that I conceded your point in post #19

 

However, we are talking about different things. Getting off a plane and having someone set it up for you is well worth a few quid extra considering I've been on an 11.5 hour flight - I'm tired, I'm on holiday, and I don't know any better, I want a quick hassle free way of getting back online as quickly as possible. I personally have no problem with that.

If we are talking about my every-month living expenses here in the uk that's a different matter - your comparison is totally unfair.

 

Since you made the point that there is an easy alternative, I looked into it and I agree , it looks simple - I will give it a go and I thank you. But the point still stands that people are not idiots for choosing a quick hassle free option at the airport for a few quid more and job done.

It seems that you missed the point entirely.

Allow me to assist your tired brain once again ;)

What I suggested is to go to the same booth, but instead of buying a Tourist SIM, buying a normal SIM and top up from them....they are still setting it up for you. You can then hand them the short code or tap it in yourself. So they are still doing it for you...the difference is that you are not paying extra for a 'Tourist SIM'. Of course it's completely different if one does not know any better at the time. But once you know, there is no excuse.

Which is the reason why I've posted about the alternatives. Nothing against SWB. His thread is informative. The issue is that the networks have a nice little earner packaging these up for the uninitiated.

The other thing is that Tourist SIM, at least with TRUE, have a maximum validity of three months in advance. So if you wanted to keep that number, you are going to go through extra hassle in order to be able to do so if you are not returning every three months.

 

As for my earlier post, it was being written whilst you were posting earlier, so I had no idea that you had conceded the point, until my post was actually sent.

No hard feelings either way, it's just a debate/banter on an Internet forum. Hardly a serious matter.