lomatopo

All 3 major service providers here offer international roaming on pre-paid SIMs.

IR must be enabled by the customer; this can be done via: IVR, USSD, Web, call center, mobile app, smoke signals.

Validity/expiry is a challenging issue to address as there are many, many, many, many, many schemes; old ones are retained and new ones introduced.

Very generally speaking, for new SIMs validities are capped at 60 days. DTAC offers a method to buy extra validity:

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/services/freeday.html

Note the requirements.

And TrueMove H just introduced a rolling, cumulative top=up/validity scheme which allows 30 days per top-up (as little as 10/12 baht, so 120/144 baht yields 306 days), up to a maximum of 365 days.

I don't fully understand the OPs' requirements, especially roaming (is that needed for voice/data in other countries, or just to manage the SIM?).

Visiting two times per year vs. six times per year would yield different recommendations; if the former just buy a new SIM, if the latter keep one SIM and "manage" it.

We also need to know exactly what make and model phone you have.

Assuming the phone supports 850 MHz 3G I would recommend TrueMove H; add 12 top-ups to get the maximum 360 day validity, then subscribe to the unlimited/volume-based mobile data plan that meets your requirements:

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/3g/toppings/iplay/entry/654

Maybe Net 249 (1 GB/7 days) or one of the the other Net 399/599/899 - 30 day packages.

In a word, no, you cannot use your phone as a WiFi adapter. Not sure if your DTAC WiFi plan can be used in stand-alone format on your PC (username and password). I suspect not, maybe it is linked to your MAC/IMEI.

But you can use your phone as a mobile data modem (tethering) or as a Mobile AP, either can allow you to use your mobile data connection.

Do you have a mobile data plan with DTAC?

There have been many, many, many threads/posts/links here on ThaiVisa to videos over the years which illustrate questionable Police activities.

Hard to figure how the OP's video, or at least a link to it, could be any more troublesome?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/661541-bribespot-will-it-work/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/583352-thailand-police-bribe-caught-on-video/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/520370-what-on-earth-is-going-on-with-the-police-in-bkk/#entry4925844

"Free Beer Tomorrow".

But the "wheels of justice" do turn slowly so it takes a little while longer than it used when the Military could overthrow a democratically-elected government in the wee hours.

Thailand's entire legal system should be revamped as its corruption problems have links to international crime networks and the laws limit the ability to eradicate graft, National Anti-Corruption Commission member Vicha Mahakun said yesterday.

Reforms like this just don't seem to make it onto the PDRC's radar. I wonder why not?

People seem to be confusing receiving unsolicited, annoying SMSes - either from their operator or from third-parties, with the accidental subscription - possibly through an active response to an unsolicited SMS - to monthly recurring "services", which are billed to your account, or deducted from your pre-paid balance.

You can contact your operator to request that your number be removed from any unsolicited SMSes; I've had AIS for ~ 11 years, DTAC for ~ 4 years and TrueMove H for 3 years, and have not received a single unsolicited SMS, after having requested that I be removed from any/all lists.

You should be careful about who you give your number to: there are many, many, many reasons for giving your number, often to get an OTP for an application (say like WhatsApp!), so your number is "out there". It was also easy to accidentally to enroll in various social media "notification" services, which can incur steep pre-paid fees.

I inferred that the OP had accidentally enrolled in some sort of value-added/entertainment services independent of TrueMove. In most cases you need to contact the content provider to cancel the service, and/or get some sort of refund or credit.

Call True, they'll likely re-instate your SIM/number/account for a small fee deducted from your existing pre-paid balance - problem solved.

Or just ask someone in Thailand to go to a top-up machine, deposit 12 baht, problem solved.

Or ask someone in Thailand to go to a 7/11 or a True Shop and add value to your account.

I suspect it will be "recoverable" for at least 30 days, maybe longer?

You should port out to TrueMove H as TrueMove's service will hard-stop on 15 Sep. 2014.

The sign was on viber and said " Viber is being actively blocked"

Sounds like a Viber issue? Or a problem with your phone? Maybe review the Viber forums, or forums for your phone.

If you think it is a DTAC issue then contact them - I know people think operators want to block VoIP but in all honesty they do not. They prefer you pay more for data as they get all that revenue, whereas if you call using a calling card or make international calls, they get very little revenue,

I think you need, at a minimum a 3G connection. Can you confirm that you have a 3G connection, have subscribed to a 3G data plan, are not currently capped?

I suspect you may not have the requisite bandwidth and thus are "blocked".

I asked my doctor here about the vaccine ~ 6 months ago and he said it was still not available in Thailand.

I return to the U.S. every 60 days or so and plan to get it there once I reach the minimum age of 60 years; you can get this vaccine in a lot of chain pharmacies including CVS and COSTCO; I think it costs ~ $80 - $100.

My doctor (here) recommended keeping Virogon (aciclovir) 200 mg on hand, and to start taking it as soon as shingles presents. Virogon is available here OTC; 120 baht for 25 tablets (200 mg) at SouthEast Pharmacy (Sukhumvit Soi 15).

FYI, "The Rocket" is an Australian film; this may be one reason why you enjoyed it so much, and/or dislike Thai films?

That said, it is easy enough to search for "award winning films from southeast Asia" to start your list. You could even review the annual country submissions to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Best_Foreign_Language_Film_Academy_Award_submissions_by_country

There have been a fair number of threads here on interesting Thai and SE Asian films, but I'm too lazy to search now.

The Samsung covers are really nice, are of a very high quality, may offer additional features like auto-turn off, etc. Not sure what the point is, or what the question is, but if the cost/value does not meet your requirements, move on to some of the Non-OEM versions (MoKo, Belkin) or junk from the market. You may be able to find some options at the wholesale market on Sue Pa Road?

I bought a cheap cover for my Tab 10.1 here and it lasted a few months, and was crap. I ended up getting a nice MoKo case (~ 450 baht, but purchased on eBay in the U.S.).

Probably just an IP address conflict in the router - some routers do not handle dynamic IP addressing very well, the Android devices still have an IP which has been handed out subsequently. On some customer installs we have applied fixed-IP addresses to mobile devices based on their MAC address - most routers can do this - and this has resolved these sorts of problems.

Delete this AP on any Android device (Settings, Wi-Fi, long press on network, press "Forget network"), restart all Android devices, restart the router, then re-attach to the AP.

Maybe try to contact TrueMove to see if you can recover your number?

Call +66 8 9 100 1331

Do you have a TrueMove SIM? Or a TrueMove H SIM?

TrueMove's service was due to end Sep. 2013, but they got a lifeline until Sep. 2014, not sure if this somehow impacted your service. You may want to port out to TrueMove H?

TrueMove H recently modified their validity/expiry allowing up to 365 days, with any top-up of as little as 10 baht adding 30 days each time.

You may have to contact the provider of the content to cancel any subscription(s). Or change your number, and be very, very careful about accidently subscribing to mobile services (this can happen in a variety of ways which can be confusing).

TrueMove have these codes on their web-site:

I am on DTAC, and know many, many others on DTAC. Viber works fine.

Can you share any details re: your "blockage"? There may be some minimum bandwidth required for a Viber VoIP call, typically this might run to 200 Kbps (100 Kbps in each direction for G.711 + overhead), and you may not be getting this bandwidth with DTAC if you are on 2G, or have hit any sort of 64 - 128 Kbps cap. VoIP calling over 2G/3G may ultimately be more expensive than say a calling card (free local access, 1 baht/min).

TrueMove H may be a better option as they have 850 MHz/3G via CAT nearly everywhere in Thailand.

You can accumulate up to 365 days validity now with TrueMove H, basically each top-up of as little as 10 baht adds 30 days days, so 120 baht gives you 360 days.

You can port out of DTAC and into TrueMove H.

Yes, posting a link to the video would greatly enhance the OP's "warning" and experience. Can't see any reason not to share it?

For the "gas cap" scam, who exactly puts the drugs in the gas-cap compartment? The gas-station attendant? Is the attendant in the employ of the Police? Seems way too complicated, couldn't the Police simply palm contraband into the compartment, after asking you to open it from inside the car?

I don't see a "Balance Transfer" option here: http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/selfservice/prepaid

Maybe best to contact them from the wife's SIM, have the other TrueMove H number handy.

It might help if you could share any details, especially site(s).

Some major Thai torrent trackers were shut down a few years ago when they hosted the topless Songkhran dancers video(s), but the Thai tracker I use remains up and available.

TrueMove H has LTE on 1,200 base-stations, in metro Bangkok and many other provincial capitals.

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/coverage4g

They do have a published premium for LTE of 99 baht/month but they have been waiving that fee.

Make sure you do not negatively impact your current plan - just in case you've got one of the original 3 GB/384 bundles - by adding LTE.

Finally, you may need a new SIM, based on the age/revision of your current SIM.

Lastly, I assume you have an LTE Band-1 compatible device? (I'd say yes, as TrueMove knows this based on your IMEI and they wouldn't market the service to you if you didn't.)

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/truemoveh4g#pane05

In the U.S. there are many, many pre-paid (no contract) GSM (SIM) options; T-Mobile, AT&T, Simple (a T-Mo MVNO), StraightTalk (MVNO for both AT&T and T-Mo).

I use T-Mo, the $3/day plan as I am usually back for frequent, but brief (3 - 6 days), visits. You can turn this plan on/off, and are not billed if you are not using it, or in the country. But there are also $30 - $50 unlimited plans.

I get pretty good 3G on T-Mo (old AT&T 1900 Mhz spectrum) in SFO, ORD, IAD, EWR, BOS: ~ 20 Mbps/2 Mbps; I too have a GNEX 4.

The GNEX 4 does have an LTE 1700/2100 (AWS) radio and can be hacked to work on T-Mo's LTE network.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612173-what-movies-or-tv-shows-are-you-watching-now/

I don't think either the OP or myself have had any voting card for decades and certainly don't care about tea parties other than those hosted by my little girl with her dolls and stuffed animals.

Just saw this. Actually, I do vote in the US. And as per the new voting rules, I register back in my home county every year now. (Not a Tea Party member though.)

I vote. I visit the US a couple times or so a year. I renew my passport regularly at the embassy in Bangkok. I don't do anything to hide.

This opens up another potential set of issues re: state tax filing. States can be much more demanding/unforgiving than the IRS. (I'm assuming your address of record in the U.S. does not have any city taxes.)

Additionally, some states use voter registration records for jury duty pools, missing a jury duty summons can result in legal complications.

They generally don't bother going after A peanuts B people that are ignorant/lazy without bad intent.

While this may be accurate - I have no way of knowing - but if the OP is facing a significant event in the future, which may be prompting his return to the U.S., and if this future event encompasses income/estate issues, then past lack of filing might incur additional scrutiny resulting in a potentially bigger tax bite?

Could also be a result of swollen lymph nodes owing to TB, sometimes these pop/drain on their own, or are drained by a medical professional.