Mobile Phones and Networks

[Onamission]

Can any of you experienced Pattaya Warriors advise on the best option for mobile/cell phones in Pattaya

Is it best to buy a prepaid phone there for local calls etc and keep topping it up and use my aussie phone for overseas calls and inbound?

Or are there cheap international calls on mobile plans there so then i can just swap sim cards in my iphone 4?

 

Any help would be appreciated - any networks that are better deals for overseas call especially to Australia would be great

 

Thanks in advance

[party]

Dont use your Aussie phone keep it locked away, i had mine out when i got pissed a few times and ran up a 1k phone bill, so now i take it just to tell people home im there then lock it away and then i get a thai sim, last time i had 12call sim, its much cheaper for calling back home and local calls are dirt cheap i think i probably only spent 60 bucks this way.

 

you just let who you want to have your number back home your thai number and they can call you because if they call you on your Aussie phon you pay th international portion of the call they only pay local same as home and if your friends are like mine they want to know what is happening and wont get off the phone

 

if your phone is unlocked you can just slip the thai sim in, if its not unlocked you could either get it unlocked there, or just buy a cheap unlocked phone when you get there or before you go, i got mine befor i went from dick smith for 70 bucks.

 

the thai sim you can get from anywhere like 7/11 or airport and they are just topped up at 7/11etc

 

hope this helps

[Tangoman916]

I bring an old unlocked phone from home and get a sim card on arrival and just top it up. I also have an iPhone so on arrival I turn it to plane mode and then switch the wi fi on. This way I can Skype with my phone and it you have the messenger app you can send and receive texts for free. Appreciate this only works when you have wifi and the person you want to text or call has the same but how often do you need to phone home? Hope it helps

[sydneyguy28]

Thanks for the info Party.

 

I'm taking over a cheapie phone and sticking a Thai sim in for the lady numbers I've collected over past trips.

 

Do you know if you can keep the same Thai number once back home for the next trip, even if it may be 6 or so months? Do you have to top the credit up to keep it active and if so how do you do that from back home??

 

Cheers.

[cuzzy]

Is it possible to get a Telstra phone unlocked in Pattaya?? Any ideas on price please

Edited January 12, 2012 by cuzzy

[Onamission]

Thanks Tangoman916 and party - will take that info and save myself a $1000 phone bill. Bet i can get my phone unlocked over there cheaply too

Cheers for the advice, Have fun in Pattaya and Go Hard!

[party]

i think you can keep your sim around 6 months although not 100% sure. i loose the sim i have from each trip so i just get another each time.

 

i think you can get most carriers unlocked there, but if its an iphone you are wanting to get unlocked just ring telstra and they will unlock it for free as i think they are understanding that people travel now and that it is too expensive to use your home sim when away and most people will want to use a local sim especially in smartphones.

 

i have unlocked my current iphone and my previous iphone(which i will take this time) and i still have 12 months on contract i just told them i wanted to use it overseas with a different sim and it was no problem within 2 days phone unlocked and working with vodaphone sim

you could maybe just try checking with telstra if you are having a different phone because maybe the service is available to all phones.

[sydneyguy28]

Thanks for that mate.

 

Hopefully someone might know. I normally head over every 4-6 months or so, but if longer I'd like to keep the same number so it's easier to keep track of things. ;)

 

I'm guessing you prob have to top up the service but don't know if that's possible from back in Aus or if you can buy a certain amount of credit to keep the number active for 12 months or so. The provider websites aren't so clear on that point.

[catman99]

My 12call thai sim doesn't seem to expire. I didn't go back to Thailand for 8 months last year and credit and sim were fine when I did go back. However when I bought it I think I may have paid extra to get one like that.

 

BTW I always take 2 mobiles with me to Thailand. 1 for my Thai sim and my old mobile for my UK sim. Most smartphones now have Skype so you can start using that for free calls back home too

[overseas516]

I am with 121call and my sim expiry is 12 months. Just before i leave i put another 500 Baht on it and it and have a further 12 months on it.