Cellphones: Calling-Using-Buying-Importing-Activating-Renting

[Lucky Nuts]

I'll be arriving next week and need to get a SIM card. Probably at Terminal 21 since near my hotel. Which carrier offers the cheapest calls back to the states? Thanks.

Thanks for the info provided guys. But just thought I'd answer my earlier question on calls back to the US. I checked with both TrueMove and DTAC and both companies offer international calling for 2. 5 baht per minute. To call the USA just enter 006 before the 1- (area code). Calls within Thailand are 1. 5 baht per minute.

[RacShack]

VegasCrazyGuy, going to Terminal 21 for a SIM card is a great idea. All of the Thai phone companies have offices up there right next to each other. It's easy to check all of them out. They each have their own promotions which means you should shop around for a SIM. Each company offers multiple SIMs so pick the best for you. Definitely have them install the SIM and have them set up calling and the internet. They do it for free. Last year I paid about 300 baht for a SIM valid for three weeks with 1 GB of high speed internet and a few free minutes of local calling. Local calls were 1 baht per minute. I believe calls to the US were 5 baht per minute. Factors to consider when picking a provider for me include:

1) how long the SIM is valid for (get one that will work for your entire stay in Thailand).

2) the cost of local calls and calls back to the USA.

3) amount of internet GBs you get with the plan. Hopefully you are bringing a smart phone. Google Maps is great in Thailand.

Some other miscellaneous info. You need to bring an unlocked phone. I usually use AIS's 1-2-Call SIM and like it. You can direct dial calls or dial a few extra digits to get an even lower rate for calls to the USA You won't need a transformer but you need to make sure your phone charger will plug into the wall outlet. If you stay in modern hotels you won't need an adaptor to plug your phone into the wall outlet. Adaptors for this are easy to find in Thailand. Best Buy and most hardware stores sell them in the USA.

When landed I got ais 1 2 see traveler sim 2 days ago, 4. 5 gig 30 days 549 baht, hope this helps, was in and out of line in less then 10 min, and so far excellent service, the concierge at hotel just told me this is the best service in Thailand, happy New Years.

[WindAngel]

I'll be arriving next week and need to get a SIM card. Probably at Terminal 21 since near my hotel. Which carrier offers the cheapest calls back to the states? Thanks.

You can buy it at the airport. It is the same price as Terminal 21.

[Allover]

VegasCrazyGuy, going to Terminal 21 for a SIM card is a great idea. All of the Thai phone companies have offices up there right next to each other. It's easy to check all of them out. They each have their own promotions which means you should shop around for a SIM. Each company offers multiple SIMs so pick the best for you. Definitely have them install the SIM and have them set up calling and the internet. They do it for free. Last year I paid about 300 baht for a SIM valid for three weeks with 1 GB of high speed internet and a few free minutes of local calling. Local calls were 1 baht per minute. I believe calls to the US were 5 baht per minute. Factors to consider when picking a provider for me include:

1) how long the SIM is valid for (get one that will work for your entire stay in Thailand).

2) the cost of local calls and calls back to the USA.

3) amount of internet GBs you get with the plan. Hopefully you are bringing a smart phone. Google Maps is great in Thailand.

Some other miscellaneous info. You need to bring an unlocked phone. I usually use AIS's 1-2-Call SIM and like it. You can direct dial calls or dial a few extra digits to get an even lower rate for calls to the USA You won't need a transformer but you need to make sure your phone charger will plug into the wall outlet. If you stay in modern hotels you won't need an adaptor to plug your phone into the wall outlet. Adaptors for this are easy to find in Thailand. Best Buy and most hardware stores sell them in the USA.

[OlderMan4U]

I may be wrong, but I believe most USA Electronics these days are compatible with both 120 v and 240 v, so no need for a transformer. Some hotel / room outlets may only be two pronged however, depending on how old the hotel is. You can buy a three hole to two hole adapter anywhere in Family Mart or 7/11 if that's the case.

As for phones, I always bring my USA Phone (Droid Razor the past few years) and buy a dtac happy tourist sim card that you can replace your USA Sim card. Free 7 days of unlimited internet at 4 G speeds and 100 baht phone calls. Any 7-11 should have them, but you will need to show them your passport and also they'll start up the connection for you. When you go back home, simply put back your US sim card in.

[Geano]

Thanks for explaining that, Josh.

I found a different BLU phone with 3 G coverage 850/1700/1900 or 850/1900/2100. Needed 2100 for Germany so opted for that one instead.

Thanks again.

These are the 3G Thailand bands for easy reference and 4G

Anyone know if most hotels have US style recepticals / voltage in the rooms or will I need an transformer and plug adapter? Also if I'm in Thailand for ten days I was thinking of adding data and calls from my US service or should I bring a old phone and get a sim for it? Its a Verizon Samsung 4's.

Thanks Geano.

[Lucky Nuts]

I'll be arriving next week and need to get a SIM card. Probably at Terminal 21 since near my hotel. Which carrier offers the cheapest calls back to the states? Thanks.

[Lord Farquard]

Anyone shopping at MBK, I need to know if there is someone that can clone a "prepaid" sim card. DTAC sez they will only clone the "monthly" charged phone #'s.

Thanks.

[Banana Boi]

Thanks for explaining that, Josh.

I found a different BLU phone with 3 G coverage 850/1700/1900 or 850/1900/2100. Needed 2100 for Germany so opted for that one instead.

Thanks again.

These are the 3G Thailand bands for easy reference

3G 850 CAT Telecom; 3G 2100 Real Future; 3G 2100 TOT Mobile; 3G 850/2100 True Move; 3G 2100 DTAC TriNet- Planned; 3G 2100 AIS- Planned

and 4G

4G LTE True Move 2100Mhz; 4G LTE DTAC TriNet 2100Mhz; ; AIS + TOT 4G Trail

[Randy Murican]

When I look at the specs it says this for bands. I have no idea what this means. Is this a quad band phone?

Supported 2 G Modes / Bands (EDGE; GSM / GPRS) MHz:850; 900; 1800; 1900.

Supported 3 G Modes / Bands (HSPA+; UMTS / WCDMA) MHz:850; 1700; 1900.

Other Supported Modes / Bands None.

Yes it is a quad band phone (actually 5 band: 850,900, 1800,1900, + 1700) and able to be used in the USA as well as Asia.

Thailand uses Bands 900 and 1800 for 2 G. You should be good to go with both slots for basic phone stuff.

Thailand uses 850 for 3 G but I believe it is only True Move and CAT that uses this band so if you want 3 G speeds you should buy your SIM card from them.

You can see the information yourself at http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html.

As I mentioned previously, generally only one slot will be capable to have phone / data / mms, the other for phone / sms only.

[Banana Boi]

As long as you have an unlocked quad band phone it should work fine.

When I look at the specs it says this for bands. I have no idea what this means. Is this a quad band phone?

Supported 2 G Modes / Bands (EDGE; GSM / GPRS) MHz:850; 900; 1800; 1900.

Supported 3 G Modes / Bands (HSPA+; UMTS / WCDMA) MHz:850; 1700; 1900.

Other Supported Modes / Bands None.

[Syzygies]

I use Galaxy 5 Duo (2 SIMs) with no problems. One SIM can be the Monger SIM. Can have different settings to be silent ring etc. Be careful to ring GF from correct number. Settings for that too. Password protect things like LINE account, naughty pics, etc. Can't survive without Google Maps.

[Randy Murican]

I used an unlocked Blu Advance 4.0 in Bangkok without any problems. It too holds 2 SIM cards. The one thing to be careful about is that the correct SIM is selected before using it, otherwise if the other SIM card has roaming and is based elsewhere you may end up with significant roaming charges (it didn't happen to me, but I did come close only noticing the wrong card was active just before making a call).

No problem with using my BLU Studio 5. 0 HD in Thailand. It's a great entry level smartphone but with only 1 GB RAM and 4 GB of memory, it's limited in the number of apps it can comfortably have and update. While it does have an SD slot that accepts up to 64 GB only some apps can be migrated to use that memory. Also, only one sim slot is suitable for MMS / Data the other is for phone and basic texting so be sure to have your card in the right slot. At the price point I got it at, I have no worries carrying it around in the bars or at the beach so I'm using it only as a monger phone now. I've upgraded to an ASUS ZenPhone 2 with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage for everyday use. Both purchased in the USA. The same SIM card arrangement with one fully functional, the other for phone / txt only. As long as you have an unlocked quad band phone it should work fine.

[LA Guy 5]

Has anyone tried bringing their unlocked BLU Studio android phone to Thailand? Just wondering if there are any compatibility issues. I like this phone since it can hold 2 SIM cards at once, one for work and one for hobbying.

I used an unlocked Blu Advance 4.0 in Bangkok without any problems. It too holds 2 SIM cards. The one thing to be careful about is that the correct SIM is selected before using it, otherwise if the other SIM card has roaming and is based elsewhere you may end up with significant roaming charges (it didn't happen to me, but I did come close only noticing the wrong card was active just before making a call).

[Banana Boi]

Any of the malls will sell unlocked phones but are they worth the price if you can buy them unlocked via ebay? But there is a risk of them not working, you just never know.

ID suggest you show up, look for a place selling cell phones (term 21 etc) and find a place that sells both phones and sims. Just make sure it works, not just for phone and text but for internet. Have them install LINE, Wechat and Skout. Girls use these so they don't have to pay for texts and calls. If it doesn't work, walk away.

Has anyone tried bringing their unlocked BLU Studio android phone to Thailand? Just wondering if there are any compatibility issues. I like this phone since it can hold 2 SIM cards at once, one for work and one for hobbying.