Thai Sim

[blue1878]

I've had the same Thai number for years and I don't want to lose it.  During every holiday I always top up (refill) the number a few times. Each time I top up I get a new expire date.  And the last time I top up before I fly home I know the number wont expire till after the start of my next holiday.  So I know my number is always good.  Anyway I was supposed to be in Pattaya in December for a month.  And my number was due to expire on the 3rd January 2021.  I've had to cancel the trip because of the virus.

So I cannot top up my Thai number in Pattaya so I risked losing it.  So for the last couple of days I've been trying to top it up from England but my Credit Card wouldn't let me.  So a short while ago I had to phone my Credit card company and get them to let me top up my number. 

Anyway the good news is that I've now topped up my Thai number and it is now good till the 30th November 2021. If I cannot get to Thailand before the 30th November I know I can top up again

[davidge]

5 minutes ago, blue1878 said:

I've had the same Thai number for years and I don't want to lose it.  During every holiday I always top up (refill) the number a few times. Each time I top up I get a new expire date.  And the last time I top up before I fly home I know the number wont expire till after the start of my next holiday.  So I know my number is always good.  Anyway I was supposed to be in Pattaya in December for a month.  And my number was due to expire on the 3rd January 2021.  I've had to cancel the trip because of the virus.

So I cannot top up my Thai number in Pattaya so I risked losing it.  So for the last couple of days I've been trying to top it up from England but my Credit Card wouldn't let me.  So a short while ago I had to phone my Credit card company and get them to let me top up my number. 

Anyway the good news is that I've now topped up my Thai number and it is now good till the 30th November 2021. If I cannot get to Thailand before the 30th November I know I can top up again

I contacted True using their online help page and they extended my SIM by using some of my balance. Only a few baht - though it took an hour to get through!

[blue1878]

6 minutes ago, davidge said:

I contacted True using their online help page and they extended my SIM by using some of my balance. Only a few baht - though it took an hour to get through!

That's another good way of extending the SIM expire date

[Barhop]

20 hours ago, davidge said:

I contacted True using their online help page and they extended my SIM by using some of my balance. Only a few baht - though it took an hour to get through!

Another option is to use  https://mobiletopup.com/  Thai company.

There's a minimal commission tacked on but it used to work for me very well.  Thing is to make sure not to select a single large topup as that only gives one extra month VALIDITY.  Always picked the minimum (from memory 50B) and repeated for how many months I needed.  No longer use them now as AIS is now set up on my Bangkok Bank account and can top up at 20B a time, fee free - each one gives an extra month .  Even more convenient than those orange machines on the ground.

Did contact AIS after my very first trip some years ago, once I realized that my SIM would die and they also topped up using some of of my balance.  Used emails, but what a PIA!!!

Anyway, thought this might help some BMs with Covid cancelled trips and SIM VALIDITY problems coming up.

 

 

 

 

[kimternet]

All good suggestions.

I often top of the phone of a few friends when they are out of the country for extrended periods. If you know anyone here you could ask them to do the same. They hsould be able to do it with ease if they have a Thai bank (eg on Kasikorn app or site), or via most ATM machines.

[Arnie85]

What’s the big deal just getting a new number?  One imagines most of your contacts are on Line anyway so that’s independent of a phone number. 

[Barhop]

1 minute ago, Arnie85 said:

What’s the big deal just getting a new number?  One imagines most of your contacts are on Line anyway so that’s independent of a phone number. 

It's a deal for me anyway - 2SIM phone.  As I'm about to land at Swampy, SIM2 gets activated et voila.  If you're happy to stand on ANOTHER queue for a new SIM every time you land - well go for it - I'll be in my cab on the way to Pattaya while you are still fooking around...

[Arnie85]

I’ve never “fooked around” at BKK airport in my life. I get out of there as soon as possible and buy a SIM at Central Festival the next day when I happen to be walking past the phone shop on the way for something to eat. 

[blue1878]

On 01/12/2020 at 06:32, Arnie85 said:

I’ve never “fooked around” at BKK airport in my life. I get out of there as soon as possible and buy a SIM at Central Festival the next day when I happen to be walking past the phone shop on the way for something to eat. 

The trouble with getting a new SIM in Central Festival at the beginning of each holiday is that you have to get the SIM registed to one self. And that means amongst other things you have to show them your passport.  No passport number equals no SIM

[tt2008]

The SIM booths are extremely quick these days at swampy in my experience. In the last couple of years the whole process has usually been done in 5 mins. I use True, the counter is super efficient. It may be a tad more expensive than going to a shop in Pattaya but it saves all the hassle and I don't like taking my passport out with me.

The other benifit is that i can use the phone immediately in the taxi. I do try to extend validity of my SIM, but inevitably I forget and it expires. I never use the actual number anyway so changing it isn't a problem.

[petehoax]

+1 , it takes ~2 min to get a new sim at the airport, i always do it while i wait for my lugagge, so zero additional time. 
i normally still log into wifi when i'm off the plane, just to check some mails in case i need to wait in a queue at immigraton.

this time, with quarantine, there was of course no option to buy a sim card. so i'll see what i buy this time around, i'll just stroll into central and see what my options are.

[Touchagrey]

A speedbump for iPhone owners. You need your Apple ID password to finish activating your new Thai SIM. Dazed and confused after 24 hours of travel, buying a SIM outside of customs at Swampy, things were going swimmingly till the last step... enter my Apple password. For the life of me, I could not remember and couldn’t find working WiFi to allow WiFi to retrieve it from LastPass. Got sorted at T21 Asoke the next day after lunch. Another knock against Apple.

[tt2008]

1 hour ago, Touchagrey said:

A speedbump for iPhone owners. You need your Apple ID password to finish activating your new Thai SIM. Dazed and confused after 24 hours of travel, buying a SIM outside of customs at Swampy, things were going swimmingly till the last step... enter my Apple password. For the life of me, I could not remember and couldn’t find working WiFi to allow WiFi to retrieve it from LastPass. Got sorted at T21 Asoke the next day after lunch. Another knock against Apple.

This must be something very new as I have bought sim cards all over the world and never had to put in my Apple ID password.

[ronthebrummie]

I use AIS and top up min 50bt a month from UK, also top up internet week before I land, whenever that is?

[ElDiablo]

you can use https://www.recharge.com/en/thailand it work like a charm.

Edited December 6, 2020 by ElDiablo

[blue1878]

I've got a DTAC SIM and Ive always topped up whilst in Thailand. There's a 7/11 shop directly oppisate my hotel.  So it's always been easy just leaving the hotel and top up and then get on with the rest of my day.  And the last time I top up before I fly home the expire date is always a few days after the start of my next holiday.  I never expected a virus to come along and stop me from visiting Thailand.  So topping up with my CC for the first time was a bit of a hassle but if I need to top up again before my next trip I won't have a problem.

A few years ago my flight into Suvarnabhumi airport was over an hour late.  So after going through immigration and getting my luggage I went looking for my taxi driver at the Meeting up by Gate 3.  I couldnt find him so as my Thai Sim was already in my phone and was up and running I was able to phone the taxi firms office in Pattaya and find out where the driver was

[gaz1889]

On 01/12/2020 at 06:13, Barhop said:

Another option is to use  https://mobiletopup.com/  Thai company

I've used these lately to add 2x20thb top ups. 

 I won't know for sure if it's worked until the next time I go to Thailand. 

 

Edit: the commission was 1thb on each 20thb top up. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by gaz1889

[johnlb]

Another top up company I have used is Ding Top Up.

It worked very easily.

Cheers

 

[Barhop]

4 hours ago, gaz1889 said:

I've used these lately to add 2x20thb top ups. 

 I won't know for sure if it's worked until the next time I go to Thailand. 

 

Edit: the commission was 1thb on each 20thb top up. 

Can't you logon to your phone account on the internet?  I logon to MyAis after a topup.  If you get a message like the pic, the phone number is correct and they say it was successful, then you can be sure.

[Soi7]

On 01/12/2020 at 13:30, Barhop said:

It's a deal for me anyway - 2SIM phone.  As I'm about to land at Swampy, SIM2 gets activated et voila.  If you're happy to stand on ANOTHER queue for a new SIM every time you land - well go for it - I'll be in my cab on the way to Pattaya while you are still fooking around...

back in the day True gave away sim cards free at the airport until the started to make you register with your PP number 

[SureShot]

I've been extending up my DTAC sim since my last trip a year ago, by just using the DTAC website to topup, and also using phone codes. Super quick, and has worked flawlessly.

I'm curious though... my DTAC sim is the DTAC Tourist Sim.... when i eventually return, do i have to get a Tourist package, or can i get a regular package? I assume it's a different Sim in order to get a regular package?

 

Edit:  Actually, i just tried and i can actually get other 'regular' packages... but the have to be 'pre-paid packages' (obviously).   I'm not able to get anything under the post-paid, and unfortunately, those seem to be the best bang for your buck.   

The tourist package actually appears to be the best deal for 2 weeks full speed.

Edited December 10, 2020 by SureShot

[gaz1889]

9 hours ago, Barhop said:

Can't you logon to your phone account on the internet?  I logon to MyAis after a topup.  If you get a message like the pic, the phone number is correct and they say it was successful, then you can be sure.

I got this:

 

 

 

I can't log in to my dtac account because it wants to send me a OTP. I tried putting the sim in to receive the OTP but that didn't work. I don't know if that's normal or not? I suppose it only works on a thai network?

Edited December 10, 2020 by gaz1889

[Barhop]

14 hours ago, gaz1889 said:

I can't log in to my dtac account because it wants to send me a OTP. I tried putting the sim in to receive the OTP but that didn't work. I don't know if that's normal or not? I suppose it only works on a thai network?

Where I live, it takes about 5 minutes for a local ISP to pick up my AIS sim after I enable it in sim2 of my mobile.  (It can be Telstra or Vodaphone - no fee or BS).  On the phone, sim1 still shows as 4G and then I see 3G next to it when its picked up.  Only 3G, but more than enough to pick up the OTP sent by DTAC.  Hope this helps...

PS:  suggest you do the sim connection first, then go to DTAC...

Edited December 11, 2020 by Barhop
PS

[SureShot]

14 hours ago, gaz1889 said:

I got this:

 

 

 

I can't log in to my dtac account because it wants to send me a OTP. I tried putting the sim in to receive the OTP but that didn't work. I don't know if that's normal or not? I suppose it only works on a thai network?

 

Should work from your home, as long as your Thai SIM is picked up by a network.  Mine picks it up and says i'm roaming.  Takes about 30 secs or so to get the OTP.

Dial *101*9# to ensure that your Sim hasn't allready expired.  If so, then you'll need to get a new one.

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by SureShot

[gaz1889]

11 hours ago, Barhop said:

Where I live, it takes about 5 minutes for a local ISP to pick up my AIS sim after I enable it in sim2 of my mobile.  (It can be Telstra or Vodaphone - no fee or BS).  On the phone, sim1 still shows as 4G and then I see 3G next to it when its picked up.  Only 3G, but more than enough to pick up the OTP sent by DTAC.  Hope this helps...

PS:  suggest you do the sim connection first, then go to DTAC...

Thanks for the tip.

I loaded the dtac sim again & gave it plenty of time to connect but no joy. Maybe it's dead already. 

 I suppose my top ups will still show on my dtac account & I'll be able to use that to buy a package for a new sim next time I'm over there.