lomatopo

Can you do this from the aircard software

Depends.

Most newer air-card UI's allow for the origination of USSD commands directly. Review the documentation for your model, or look through the UI. There may even be a software update for your air-card's UI which enables USSD. Most allow this now as this is one the only ways to check usage.

If your air-card's UI does not allow for the origination of USSD messages then you'd need to pop the SIM in a phone.

Probably not shocking...

NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

The National Security Agency is gathering nearly 5 billion records a day on the whereabouts of cellphones around the world, according to top-secret documents and interviews with U.S. intelligence officials, enabling the agency to track the movements of individuals — and map their relationships — in ways that would have been previously unimaginable.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tracking-cellphone-locations-worldwide-snowden-documents-show/2013/12/04/5492873a-5cf2-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html

Good graphic: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/how-the-nsa-is-tracking-people-right-now/634/

And case law for collection of meta-data collection is from 1979...

The NSA says it ‘obviously’ can track locations without a warrant. That’s not so obvious.

In conversations with The Washington Post over Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani's recent story on cellphone location tracking, an intelligence agency lawyer told Gellman, "obviously there is no Fourth Amendment expectation in communications metadata.” But some experts say it's far from obvious that the 1979 Supreme Court case on which the administration bases this view gives the government unfettered power to scoop up Americans' cellphone location data.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/04/the-nsa-says-it-obviously-can-track-locations-without-a-warrant-thats-not-so-obvious/

If you use the 500 minutes then it's probably an OK deal, not great but OK. You could probably do better. Assume you ported to AWN (AIS/2100 MHz) already?

You can get 400 min + 2 Gb for 799, or 500 min + 3 GB for 999, so you're getting hosed a bit.

iSmart

http://www.ais.co.th/3g-postpaid/th/package-detail/1/%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9E%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%88iSmart

people feeling the need to become amateur accident reconstructionist

and

coming from the same person, sounds strange? Unless one is a "professional accident reconstructionist (sic)"?

Why not brake failure too? Seems like they had trouble stopping?

Sounds like he was a bit of a daredevil? If we are to believe him in his own words (video-taped interviews), and the words of concern of his father?

Paul Walker's Dad Reveals Eerie Last Conversation With His Son: I Told Him "Promise Me, No More Daredevil Stuff"

"I said, 'Promise me, no more daredevil stuff.' I said, 'If in your heart, you say, I can do this, then by all means, do it. If your mind says, maybe not. Then don't.' I looked at him, I said, 'Will you promise me that?'"

http://www.eonline.com/news/487648/paul-walker-s-dad-reveals-eerie-last-conversation-with-his-son-i-told-him-promise-me-no-more-daredevil-stuff

My so called unlimited plan (AIS) is capped at 2gb per month at 3G speeds. After that I get only EDGE speed. pretty dissapointing considering I pay 999baht/month.

Pre-paid? Post-paid?

If post-paid then maybe you have some bundle which also includes voice minutes?

If pre-paid, I'd be disappointed too - safe to say you're not getting the best deal; easy enough to change - 2 GB 128 Kbps FuP) is 599 baht/month.

http://www.ais.co.th/3g/en/smartphone-package.aspx?package=Extra-Package

Seems weird that such an expensive car designed for racing is such a piece of crap/death trap? I guess if they had been in a Toyota they'd probably be fine, go figure.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/12/04/paul-walker-death-porsche-carrera-gt-lawsuit-accident-racetrack/

Do I need a special type of SIM card for use inside of an aircard

No.

But you do need to subscribe to a 3G-capable mobile data plan.

You can test/experiment with the TrueMove H and DTAC SIMs:

add value

subscribe to a daily/weekly mobile data plan

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

Net 49, for example, 1 day, subscription code is *900*3302# SEND

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/products/Happy-internet-package.html

49 baht Unlimited, subscription code is *104*29*9# SEND

then when you find a service which works for you, subscribe to a monthly plan

You can do the same with the AIS SIM:

http://www.ais.co.th/3g/th/smartphone-package.aspx?package=Extra-Package#tips

49 baht: *777*1# SEND

The first link I provided clearly, and succinctly describes the options for accessing voicemail

http://activities.ais.co.th/Interservice/en/gsm-valueadded-callmanagement.shtml

1. Press +66 81 900 9999

2. Press your AIS GSM mobile number (10 digits)

3. Key in your 4-digit password

Service Rate 3 Baht per minute (excluding VAT) when applying for service / canceling service / changing password. Retrieving voice mail messages will be charged at international roaming rate of call from country you are in to Thailand

Or,

Roaming Tip :You can listen to Voice Mail without entering password by using Call Home Service

Press *131**99#

This latter option passes your 10 digit AIS number for verification - no need for PW, but you will pay higher, roaming prices. The first option can, obviously, be dialed from any phone, via any means.

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/news_events/others/2169?ln=en

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/news_events/others/2434?ln=en

but as far as I can understand you have to register a LINE account to an android account first, and only one account per phone.

<or iPhone, or Winphone.>

You appear to have identified your primary challenge.

Yes, you need a smart-ish phone capable of receiving an SMS to download/install/register many of these chat programs. Once registered it looks like you can use the app/your account for the PC app.

I think you could use your wife's account to install the program on a PC but that might present challenges if you plan to chat with people your wife might find objectionable.

Most mobile operators throughout the world have Fair-Use Policies for obvious reasons, Thailand is not unique in this regard.

"Unlimited" really means two things, and most seem able to comprehend these basic tenets: that you can continue to use mobile data albeit at a lower speed once you reach your cap, and that you do not pay anything extra for usage over your cap.

There are some "limited" plans, for which you pay extra per minute, or MB, once you exceed your cap.

That said, AIS does offer truly uncapped/unrestricted data usage, but this is costly: 2,000 baht/month for post-paid, or 200 baht/day for pre-paid, which are both fees in addition to fee associated with your "base" plan.

http://www.ais.co.th/3g/en/faq.aspx#tips

You can cancel your existing package (*777), add value, then subscribe to a new package or,

http://www.ais.co.th/3g/en/smartphone-package.aspx?package=Extra-Package

pay 200 baht/day to continue with unrestricted speed.

http://www.ais.co.th/3g/en/faq.aspx#tips

You can continue using max speed of data under the conditions that you pay and subscribed to for your continued use of data at max speed. If you are an AIS 3G One-2-Call! customer, you have to pay 200 Baht per day for use. If you are an AIS 3G postpaid customer, you have to pay an additional 2,000 Baht per month for use. If you wish to continue using data at the max speed of 42 Mbps, please subscribe to the add-on data packages by calling *777.

TOT have 5,200 or so base-stations throughout the Kingdom, but they've really never been able to make much headway. Also, most of their base-stations are a bit antiquated, but as your speed is capped at 2 Mbps that might not be an issue for you.

They were talking about expanding to 13,000 - 15,000 base-stations but that plan has been shelved.

http://icoverage.tot3g.net/

Bangkok Bank has had the Be1st "Chipped" card for a while. I think they waive the 100 baht joining fee if you have an existing card? Think the annual fee is 100 baht more than the 'standard

card?

Yes.

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/why/entry/193?ln=en

Pre-paid or post-paid?

I think the only truly uncapped/unlimited plan is one of the "Storm" post-paid plans from TOT 3G (2100 MHz.). However these do have speed limits of 1 and 2 Mbps.

http://www.tot3g.net/PromotionInfo.aspx?pid=23

One or more of TOT's MVNOs (mojo, iec, mojo, 365) did also uncapped/unlimited plans but not sure if those are still available.

OK, it sounds like you have an old TrueMove SIM/plan/service, and these new-fangled plans you see are available from TrueMove H. This might explain why you were unable to purchase them?

Might be a good idea to switch over to TrueMove H, you can keep your same number, maybe have to get a new physical SIM? Then you could get any number of decent mobile data plans, no need to spend 1,000 baht a month.

This assume you have a smart-ish phone capable of 850 MHz 3G. And coverage of course.

I just started using ToT's post-paid 3G service. "Perfect Storm" is the name of the package. It's 990 baht for unlimited usage capped at 2Mbps. Been using it quite heavily today without any issues. I went into ToT's office at Jamjuree square near MBK with my passport and was out 5 minutes later with my SIM. I'm using a Huawei portable hotspot from AIS. Ironically, my upload speed is faster than download. Also, around Jatujak market my download speed was around 14mbps while everywhere else is a near constant 2mbps.

IMO, if you're looking for a SIM that maintains tolerable DL speeds there is no other choice out there... that is unless you don't mind topping up 150 baht for every 1gb over your DL cap.

Can you share any details re: your contract terms, esp. payment? Do they just send you a bill then you use 7/11 or your bank to make the payment each month?

http://www.tot3g.net/PromotionInfo.aspx?pid=23

http://icoverage.tot3g.net/

There used to be a few other TOT/MVNOs which offered similar un-capped plans, but all of those have been discontinued.

TOT/3G operates on 2100 MHz, and has decent coverage and very, very few customers so in many cases performance should be acceptable. In some rural areas back-haul may be the limiting factor.

http://activities.ais.co.th/Interservice/en/gsm-valueadded-callmanagement.shtml

http://www.ais.co.th/interservice/pdf/EN-ALL-IR%20GSM.pdf

I had a similar problem with my PAYG, out of credit in 3 days without making a call or using the internet!

Simply turn off data app.

This is a completely different issue, and not a relevant solution for the OP. If you have not subscribed to a data plan then you will pay 1 baht/min when you are connected to 2G/3G. So one can quickly burn through a pre-paid balance unless you turn data off on the phone, or via a USSD command to the service provider.

As I understand it, the OP has subscribed to a data plan, but appears to be consuming his allotted volume quite quickly for reasons which he has yet to identify.

Try the True iService application.

This application is really good, the new Android version is excellent, but I'm not sure it will help the OP identify much other than how much data he has consumed.

I am fairly certain there are ways, either natively or by the use of an iApp, to identify which applications/services are using data.

In the Android world, at least with 4.4, I can just go to Settings, and tick Data usage; I think there must be something similar in the iWorld?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3767668?start=30&tstart=0

http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Data-Usage-on-an-iPhone

You can cancel an existing pre-paid mobile data package, then re-subsscribe to a new mobile data package.

I think you can use the IVR system to cancel, maybe *9000; or USSD *902*02# SEND

Then add value, if required, and re-subscribe using the appropriate USSD code for the desired plan.

Driver was Roger Rodas. Know this guy from racing. He was a Merrill Lynch advisor and owned Always Evolving sports car company. He was a very capable driver.

Some reports have Mr. Rodas at the wheel, just a short way from the speed shop where there was a charity event that Mr. Rodas and Mr. Walker had just attended, and that he was burning out, doing donuts and figure eights on a public road. Then he lost control. People from the speed shop ran to the accident scene with fire extinguishers but it was too late.

Not much left of the vehicle; looks like a nasty way to go, especially when it is caused by one's own poor judgement.

The dtac plan of 7GB @ 999baht

Yeah, that's a post-paid (contract) plan, and given the temporary nature of the OP's requirements (3 months) this may not be an option.

But yes, you can "power up" a post-paid plan with DTAC: http://www.dtac.co.th/en/postpaid/products/addpack-internet.html

^ I do not know if TrueMove H has LTE in Pattaya? Or if you have to subscribe to an LTE-capable plan to avail yourself of LTE? Or if you require some special configuration? Baseband? Firmware?