General Info

[QUOTE=Laylow3]@CS & Puerto - So you all and others who live there must have purchased only condos and not houses with land then?? I only ask because I wonder how you all are so lucky as to not have been plagued by all this evil-doing that is mentioned here....?? eh, there's always risk and where I choose to buy will be key. it's all about location it seems.[/QUOTE]

Was really referring to agricultural land with no pre-built housing on it. I bought my 300 square meter property in Manila fully aware of the potential pitfalls but the price was so good that I reasoned that within a few years I would recoup my investment in saved rental. Also had a local lawyer look over the title prior to purchase and he assured me that their was no problems.

My house is now worth twice what I paid for it, but, of course only the missus could officially recoup my investment.

O.K, be nice, or not, and give me sh*t!!! LOL I have RTTF and haven't found the answer yet.

I am flying into Manila for my first PI trip, and then onto AC for a week, returning to Manila for the final night.

I am assuming that I can buy a Sim, and minutes, at the Manila airport, but where? Also is Smart the best system to go with. My plan is to use it to text 4-5 friends that will be there also. I doubt I will make many calls to ladies. I am more of a ST, one and done kind of guy. I seldom repeat with ladies, especially on the same trip.

Thanks in advance

[QUOTE=Supersteve]O.K, be nice, or not, and give me sh*t!!! LOL I have RTTF and haven't found the answer yet.

I am flying into Manila for my first PI trip, and then onto AC for a week, returning to Manila for the final night.

I am assuming that I can buy a Sim, and minutes, at the Manila airport, but where? Also is Smart the best system to go with. My plan is to use it to text 4-5 friends that will be there also. I doubt I will make many calls to ladies. I am more of a ST, one and done kind of guy. I seldom repeat with ladies, especially on the same trip.

Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]
I don't know if you can buy in the airport, but if you are on the way to AC, have the driver stop at a 7-11 or Mini-stop as soon as you leave the airport. It will be cheaper and you can grab a water/snack for your trip.

Robb

[QUOTE=Supersteve]O.K, be nice, or not, and give me sh*t!!! LOL I have RTTF and haven't found the answer yet.

I am flying into Manila for my first PI trip, and then onto AC for a week, returning to Manila for the final night.

I am assuming that I can buy a Sim, and minutes, at the Manila airport, but where? Also is Smart the best system to go with. My plan is to use it to text 4-5 friends that will be there also. I doubt I will make many calls to ladies. I am more of a ST, one and done kind of guy. I seldom repeat with ladies, especially on the same trip.

Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]

You can buy refill cards for sure at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Terminal 1 is at the local handicraft store, Terminal 2 for international departure is the food snack stand, but those are after check in for departure not at landing / arrival, I know of NO place at landing at either terminal 1 or 2 where you can buy minutes or SIM at landing. You go to immigration, baggage, customs, street....

Thanks for the info on Sims guys, I appreciate it.

[QUOTE=Supersteve]I am assuming that I can buy a Sim, and minutes, at the Manila airport, but where?[/QUOTE]
Yes... no place to buy a SIM card or load at arrivals at T1 but if you stop at the airport hotel just off the airport grounds, the business center sells them and is open 24/7.

[QUOTE=Supersteve]O.K, be nice, or not, and give me sh*t!!! LOL I have RTTF and haven't found the answer yet.

I am flying into Manila for my first PI trip, and then onto AC for a week, returning to Manila for the final night.

I am assuming that I can buy a Sim, and minutes, at the Manila airport, but where? Also is Smart the best system to go with. My plan is to use it to text 4-5 friends that will be there also. I doubt I will make many calls to ladies. I am more of a ST, one and done kind of guy. I seldom repeat with ladies, especially on the same trip.

Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]

Smart/Buddy is the biggest operator so prob the best choice calls/texts within network are half the price of out of network calls so the advantage os smart is more users, Globe/Tm and Sun are cheaper (in tersm of unlimited text delas for example, but have fewer subscribers

[QUOTE=Jack Sheet]Not true. In PAL's arrival terminal there is a machine selling loads of multiple brands. In addition, there is an employee standing there selling SIM cards[/QUOTE]

Clarify please... which terminal. Terminal 2 I assume since you say PAL and they only land at Terminal 2, so what side??? International or Domestic?

International I land it almost every month and the flight and time I land we are herded like cattle from Plane to Immigration to Luggage to the Street. NO vendors no machine no staff.... A secured walkway, stairs and stand in line...

Maybe I do this too many times and my eyes are not always open but in years I've never seen anyone selling sim or time at arrivals...

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Clarify please... which terminal. Terminal 2 I assume since you say PAL and they only land at Terminal 2, so what side??? International or Domestic?

International I land it almost every month and the flight and time I land we are herded like cattle from Plane to Immigration to Luggage to the Street. NO vendors no machine no staff.... A secured walkway, stairs and stand in line...

Maybe I do this too many times and my eyes are not always open but in years I've never seen anyone selling sim or time at arrivals...[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Mattrick]Yes... no place to buy a SIM card or load at arrivals but if you stop at the airport hotel just off the airport grounds, the business center sells them and is open 24/7.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Jack Sheet]Not true. In PAL's arrival terminal there is a machine selling loads of multiple brands. In addition, there is an employee standing there selling SIM cards[/QUOTE]I too have seen the vendors selling SIMs and phone cards off to the left opposite of the ATMs and rental car desks in the arrival area fairly recently.

They were selling SIMs and load for only Smart though as I was inquiring about Globe. A solution to this Bermuda Triangle-esque paradox may be that the vendor or vendors are mobile and are not there daily.

I am shocked and appalled :D PI tourist service/map expert Mattrick missed the mark on this one when his only forte seems to be giving directions.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Clarify please... which terminal. Terminal 2 I assume since you say PAL and they only land at Terminal 2, so what side??? International or Domestic?

International I land it almost every month and the flight and time I land we are herded like cattle from Plane to Immigration to Luggage to the Street. NO vendors no machine no staff.... A secured walkway, stairs and stand in line...

Maybe I do this too many times and my eyes are not always open but in years I've never seen anyone selling sim or time at arrivals...[/QUOTE]
I've used the money changer at the PAL international arrival area; this is near the exit and to the left just before customs. I seem to remember there was a kiosk next to the money changer booth that was selling Smart sims and reloads. Well heck I will be able to see for myself in a couple of days... If you need an ATM there is one outside the international arrival area, and if that one isn't working, there's another one outside the domestic arrival area (the other wing).

[QUOTE=Finrod]I've used the money changer at the PAL international arrival area; this is near the exit and to the left just before customs. I seem to remember there was a kiosk next to the money changer booth that was selling Smart sims and reloads. Well heck I will be able to see for myself in a couple of days... If you need an ATM there is one outside the international arrival area, and if that one isn't working, there's another one outside the domestic arrival area (the other wing).[/QUOTE]

Could be, normally as I said I feel like cattle i do this so much...

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Could be, normally as I said I feel like cattle i do this so much...[/QUOTE]
Or, if you want to get the hell out of Asia's worst airport, just hop in a taxi and tell the driver to take you to an ATM on the way to your hotel. It always works for me.

Yes, I've seen staff standing in front of a broken machine selling cards. I've also just found broken machines.

In the Philippines always have option b or c....

[QUOTE=Jack Sheet]Not true. In PAL's arrival terminal there is a machine selling loads of multiple brands. In addition, there is an employee standing there selling SIM cards[/QUOTE]

Someone suggested there is no comparison between mongering in Philippines and S.America. I have to agree, though for different reasons. South America easily wins hands down! But for untrammelled adventure - the likes of Pinatubo, or trekking through Cambodia, I prefer Asia. Also for cuisine - Hong Kong and Thailand have world class national cuisine (Balinese is also excellent if you can get the real deal, which is not usually served). I find the Asian attitude of servility off-putting - South Americans have
much personal and national pride and with good justification. For mongering, South America generally I have found to be better educated and the rules are clearer. But maybe that's cos I've spent more time in total there. Asia does also offer the 'package tour' type monger' experience with less prior knowledge needed than S.America for the same bucks. I can see why SE Asua will appeal to many North Americans and Australians. But personally I'd make Brasil my second home if I could.

Best wishes to everyone on the Philippines forum in People Power Day. :)

[QUOTE=Mattrick]Yes... no place to buy a SIM card or load at arrivals at T1 but if you stop at the airport hotel just off the airport grounds, the business center sells them and is open 24/7.[/QUOTE]

I arrived last week in Terminal 1 in the afternoon and as I left customs passed the money changers, just outside the door of Customs to the left was a little vending machine for load but there was also a woman selling SIM cards. I've never noticed the machine or anyone there before doing that, but she was actually vocally making it known she had SIM cards to sell there.

For people who come within 6 months of coinciding trips, I've now started to buy Load before I leave to reload when I land. The expiration dates are long enough for this to work and for my Smart Sim card, I've found that 6 months it still work so far where in comparison something like Thai Sim cards, seems to expire really fast like less than 3 months. I loaded with a 500 pesos card the other day and the expiration date of all my load was way into June versus if I load with a 200 pesos card it may be only good without new load for one month.