rsn

Correct me if I am wrong, but usually Thai-Wifes take care of such issues by making a couple of phone calls. Especially if it concerns their home town / home village.

Assuming Thai-Wife is fluent in Thai-Language, I can only recommend this approach, no matter how revolutionary and unheard-of this may sound.

Cheers.

I'm looking for recommendations from farang who may have stayed in the village within the last few years or so. I didn't think I needed to spell this out, but, here we are.

Thanks for the reply. To answer your question: Udon Thani province, Ban Dung district, and Si Suttho tambon.

My wife, child, and I are planning an extended stay in Thailand starting in late 2015 (possibly about 2 months). We'll be staying in my wife's village for most of the trip. We're looking for comfortable lodging with reliable internet, furniture, satellite TV, and ideally 2 rooms.

Any recommendations?

I'll be staying in Ban Dung (si suttho) late next year for a few months. During this time, I plan to continue my current employment (in the U.S.) by working remotely via the internet. Ideally, I'd plug an aircard into my macbook. I'm looking for something with a minimum of DSL speeds (6+ Mbps) down and 3+ Mbps up. Ideally, something closer to 20 down and 3-6 up though. Of course, reliability is a bit important. I'm interested in price, but that's not super-important, compared to speed and reliability.

Does anyone have direct knowledge/experience with aircard services in and around this area?

To the OP, I've done exactly what you're asking about...with no custom or duty... So I'm only going to address the mailing issues.

The best way to mail is to use U.S. Postal Service either Priority or Express International...

DO NOT use FedEx or DHL or UPS, or you're very likely to get hit with a bunch of costly fees, VAT, duty, handling, etc. etc.

Even though it may be cheaper, for mailing a cell phone, I would NOT use the U.S.P.S. flat rate Priority envelope or small box, even though the phone might fit in them, because they are not trackable.... Regular Priority mail mailings are, but the Priority flat rate envelope and small box are not... Check the U.S.P.S. web site.

If you go U.S.P.S., the package will be delivered in Thailand by the regular mail man.... and more than likely, with no duty or tax at all... especially if it might be a refurbished or already used phone... even if just "used" by you for testing before sending... You're better off if the phone can be considered used by the time you send it.

On the customs form, make sure you classify the package as a gift, not merchandise.

Thank you VERY much! I sincerely appreciate your input, and you have certainly helped me out. Take care.

I agree that it would be easier to mail the SIM and then have the MiL purchase GSM900/1800/1900/2100 phone here. e.g. Nokia 3120 Classic. But if you must send the phone/SIM then I'd use USPS PMI Flat-Rate Box ; under 4 lbs $13.45 and declare the contents and value. Or use shipitto. I don't see any way to avoid duty/taxes, although there are many reports that these are sometimes not collected, or are reasonable.

BTW, you should tell your MiL that she should not use her phone in the Immigration Hall when arriving in the U.S. as this is strictly prohibited and the phone can be confiscated, after Immigration, in the baggage claim area it is acceptable.

Thank you. Finally a relevant post in a sea of nonsense. Some people on here really need a different hobby.

Regarding the phone, I already have a suitable phone, and I'm not sure my MIL would be able to easily locate or pick the right one up. So, I figured I would ship it to her to make things a bit easier. Regarding the immigration hall warning, you are correct. I intended to use it before customs in the baggage claim area only, in addition to her stopovers.

I agree that it would be easier to mail the SIM and then have the MiL purchase GSM900/1800/1900 phone here. But if you must send the phone/SIM then I'd use USPS PMI Flat-Rate Box ; under 4 lbs $13.45 and declare the contents and value. Or use shipitto. I don't see any way to avoid duty/taxes, although there are many reports that these are sometimes not collected, or are reasonable.

A GSM-only phone will not work at stop-over points in Japan or S. Korea.

Why not just buy the SIM card and send it. If she already has a phone she can change the SIM card as one person said.

Please read my response to ballbreakers wonderfully thought out post. This goes for everyone else who decided to answer a question I did not ask without all of the information required. To those who actually answered my question, thanks.

someone MUST have advice based on personal experience regarding shipment of a phone...

Perhaps people prefer not to take such a backward approach.

As someone suggested it is much better to send the SIM and have her buy phone in Thailand if she does not already have one.

Another option for most people traveling from Thailand is just use your Thai phone and SIM. I have used mine roaming to most major countries around the world. Once I get to my destination and plan on staying a while I then buy local SIM.

Your approach is actually quite backwards and you obviously have little to no knowledge of cellular standards and technology. Suppose she is flying through Tokyo and she needs to reach us? Can you tell me what phones will work on a network in Japan? If you answered: "most phones in Thailand" you would be wrong. To transit through Europe without any issues, you are better off with a GSM 900/1800 phone. When in baggage claim or before immigration in the U.S., your phone will need to be 850/1900. In Japan and S. Korea, none of those will work as those countries do not have GSM networks. A phone capable of UMTS on the 2100 MHz band is required.

Now that I've given you some well-needed education, perhaps you can think before you post in the future. Thanks!

If your M-I-L can't speak a word of English how is she going to handle the menus on a phone that are all in English? Wouldn't she be better of getting the phone in Thailand. At least then it would have the option of menus in Thai.

Menus? She isn't going to be checking her email on the phone. If you can hold down a numbered key, you can use a phone.

someone MUST have advice based on personal experience regarding shipment of a phone...

I can assure you that I will need to send a phone to Thailand, in addition to a SIM card. I'll spare everyone the details and say that I'm actually looking for advice regarding shipment of a phone & a SIM card to Thialand. I would like to avoid paying taxes/duties. Can anyone suggest a reliable way to do this?

...from the U.S. The phone is for my mother-in-law to use on her upcoming journey to the U.S. It will be helpful in case she finds herself in a bind (or lost) and needs help from us since she doesn't speak and English whatsoever. The phone is a tri-band w/ 3G/UMTS model from 2007 and was purchased for about $55. The SIM card is, well, a "world" SIM card.

So, how can I ship this to Thailand and still track it (in case it is "lost") without being subjected to taxes/fees by Thai customs? What are my best options?

DTAC's (Happy) calling seems the easiest, +12125551212, for example, and their rates seem the same as One-2-Call. (TRUEmove's roaming rates are indeed absurdly high.) The onesimcard rates seem pretty good, usage is straight-forward and free incoming calls! This would be a no-brainer, she rings your phone, you don't answer then call her back.

Payphones and free local access to AT&T USADirect numbers are ubiquitous in international airports, but usage could be challenging to a non-English speaker (dial local access number, enter PIN, enter phone number, but lots of prompts and options).

Generally I agree with you regading onesimcard. Here are some problems:

1. Your onesimcard.com SIM card number is an Estonian number. Good luck finding a cheap call on any service to Estonia. However, they do offer a toll-free number you can dial from the U.S. to call a onesimcard.com member's phone. Using this toll-free number adds $0.29/minute to incoming calls, so they are no longer free. $0.29/minute is probably cheaper than any direct call to the Estonian # though.
2. Some cards charge you even if no one answers when roaming. I don't know if onesimcard levies such a charge - I'll have to ask them.
3. Calls inside the U.S. are very high - starting at $2.50/minute.
4. The few positive reviews I found for onesimcard.com are suspicious. For example, the same user posted almost identical reviews on Amazon 4 months apart. Another user posted similar reviews also 4 months apart (the same months as the first user).

For FRA/LHR layovers a GSM900/1800 phone and a One-2-Call (pre-paid brand of AIS here in Thailand) SIM would suffice. You have to enable international roaming. Tariffs are high, but she can call you (presumably the sole application) and you an ring her back.

I just reviewed the One-2-Call international roaming tariffs, and usage, and now see that your MiL will have to pay for incoming calls, 55 baht per minute in Germany for example, and 78.54 baht/min for an outbound call. Making a call is a bit challenging as well, you actually send an SMS-like service message (*131*12125551212#) and wait for a call back.

An AT&T calling card might just be the best solution?

That may work if she can find a payphone in the airport. Also, I assume using a phone card will be just as challenging for her as attempting to dial when roaming from her Thai phone service. I think my best bet is to go with something like onesimcard.com and have her use her Thai phone and simply swap out the SIM card. I'll have to mail her the SIM card, but I think her current phone will be sufficient for this trip.

n/m. I have a bad feeling about intl roaming w/ AIS. I might look into True Move again instead.

oh, and does anyone know what the difference is between "GSM advanced" and 1-2-call? They are both listed under AIS w/ different roaming rates.

I just checked out the AIS site (her provider) and, as with many Thai websites, the site is beyond confusing. Does anyone know anything about international roaming with AIS? Does my MIL have to do anything to set this up? How much does it cost/minute for roaming calls (receiving and dialing), etc?

Hmm, you actually made me think about this a bit more. I assumed her phone and/or SIM card wouldn't work in Europe (she has a stopover in Frankfurt on her way to the U.S. and a stop at Heathrow on her return trip) but it certainly is possible. However, this trip is an unusual one, as on subsequent trips I would expect her to transit through Japan or S. Korea. Those two countries do not have any GSM networks so you need a phone that supports 3G-UMTS 2100. My plan was to get her a phone that will work in Europe and Japan/Korea, but perhaps that is not something I need to worry about now if her current phone will work in Europe. I'll look into that some more and hopefully save myself some money. I estimated the total cost to be about $150 to buy a SIM, charge it, buy a phone, and mail it to her. This may be cheaper if her current phone will work in Europe. Thanks again.

I don't have personal experience, so you can stop reading now.

I looked into one of those cards before (not on your list but the name evades me right now) and the specific rates weren't that great.

I would be realistic about needs/usage and find deals that cover those, a mix of skype, local sim, pre-dial numbers. But yes, excludes the convenience of having an always-on number.

I'm with you though. The world needs a truly global carrier. We'll get there eventually, but the incumbents will fight it tooth and nail.

Problem is, people who travel a lot and use mobile are usually on business and will simply have their bill covered by the company.

I wonder what kind of deal structure Amazon has in place for the Kindle...

This will be for my MIL during her journey to the U.S. She doesn't speak English and we wanted her to have an easy way to call us if she has a problem.

Probably too complicated to have your MIL pick up a PAYG sim on arrival, so I would mail/courier her one.

But:

Just ask her to top up plenty before departure. One emergency call at the airport to say she can't find you is surely worth the expense. After that you can just give her a US PAYG sim.

Just check her Thai network roams on a US network.

Yep, I planned on mailing her a phone and a SIM card. She will likely need both. I already checked one network in Thailand, True Move. Their roaming rates are insane. I'm interested in onesimcard.com as their rates are pretty decent, compared to all the other options at least, but I wan't to make sure I'm not signing myself up for a headache as there are not many reviews for this product on the internet. The positive reviews I discovered are suspicious.

I don't have personal experience, so you can stop reading now.

I looked into one of those cards before (not on your list but the name evades me right now) and the specific rates weren't that great.

I would be realistic about needs/usage and find deals that cover those, a mix of skype, local sim, pre-dial numbers. But yes, excludes the convenience of having an always-on number.

I'm with you though. The world needs a truly global carrier. We'll get there eventually, but the incumbents will fight it tooth and nail.

Problem is, people who travel a lot and use mobile are usually on business and will simply have their bill covered by the company.

I wonder what kind of deal structure Amazon has in place for the Kindle...

This will be for my MIL during her journey to the U.S. She doesn't speak English and we wanted her to have an easy way to call us if she has a problem.

Does anyone have anything to say, based on personal experience, about onesimcard, telestial, or any other international//world roaming sim cards?

We already plan on sending her flash cards, letting the airline know that she does not speak English, and perhaps calling CBP as well. It seems like a longshot, but I figured I would check and see if anyone who speaks both Thai and English plans on flying into Chicago from BKK in October of this year. Let me know. Thanks!

Has anyone applied very recently or is in the process of applying now? There don't appear to be any free times on the embassy's schedule for new appointments, ever!

T/Checks normally have better rates versus cash exchange at banks. The current rates will be posted around the teller window

or international exchange counters at banks. Just note that cashing travelers checks will incur a 1% service fee on the transaction

I had read (on this site, in fact) that the service fee was only 23 baht per check.

I think it's gone up to 33 baht.

Yep, just read that and edited my post. Guess I'll want bring large checks. Any idea about my other 2 questions above, by any chance?