Help, buy Phone is USA or in Thailand?

[BobTH]

I am going to the USA for six weeks in May. I do not own a smart phone or pad but I think it is time to purchase my first. When in the USA I use my parents Ipads to check facebook, this site, news and just general web browsing. I would like to get away from using theirs and purchase my own. I niece's husband works for Verizon and could probably even get me a good used one for a good price. My question is, how do I make sure I will be able you use it once I am back here after my trip or should I just purchase one here before I leave?  I do not use a phone much and would most likely be using it here for internet use, social media and gps mapping. Thanks in advance and any suggestion on what to do are appreciated.

[Langsuan Man]

You will find the market for cell phones is much more limited in the US because of carrier locking.  It has only been in the last several years that you could even buy an unlocked phone in the US, a trend that was primarily jump started by Google when they introduced the Nexus line of smart phones

 

If it were me, I would look here in Thailand for an inexpensive smart phone, much better selection (there are  Chinese or Taiwanese phones here that are not even available in the US) 

 

A lot depends upon where you will use the phone the most, in the US or in Thailand.  And don't forget warranty services;  kind of difficult to get any service for a Verizon, used phone when you are here in Thailand 

[mtls2005]

What is your budget?

 

For the phone?

For mobile usage in the U.S. for 6 weeks?

For mobile usage once back in Thailand? (per month)

 

Assuming you'll use any phone when returning to Thailand I would recommend buying one here, getting familiar with it, and then take it to the U.S. for your trip.

 

The challenge then becomes finding a phone here which will also work in the U.S. Most people tend towards T-Mobile or AT&T for pay-as-you-go services, either directly, or via an MVNO partner like Simple or Straightalk.

 

Or, if you choose to buy a phone in the U.S. then you'll  need to make sure it is unlocked, SIM-capable and supports at least some of local (THL) 3G & 4G frequencies

 

If your niece could set you up with a VZ-compatible loaner, or low-cost phone + service for your stay that might be ideal?

 

And retailers do offer both pre-paid phones and plans: https://www.walmart.com/cp/no-contract-phones-plans/1072335

 

 

[quandow]

I've done both (purchased in US and Thailand) and both were seamless. Compare prices, you have plenty of time if you act now. Check eBay and be sure to put "unlocked" in your search filters. I've used both iPhones and Android Samsungs and find the Androids superior, but that's my personal preference. Generally electronics are more expensive in Thailand due to import taxes. Happy hunting.

[observer90210]

You will soon have the Apple Flagship store in Bangkok....without any hesitation, buy in Thailand...but from a fully reputable seller of course....yes it may cost a few hundred dollars more...but you'll get world class service from the Apple Store and it could avoid warranty issues if needed later on. IMHO

 

I would not buy in the USA,  or by internet definately not,....to many issues with carriers blocking the phone etc. etc. as mentioned here.......enjoy your trip however at Uncle Sam's and be safe !

[Tony125]

My friend just went back to USA last month. He never had a smart phone only a basic one there and really simple basic here. He got a Thai GF now so bought a Samsung (I think 7) about 8,000 baht  in IT Square and now uses it every day to message (text ) her and me as well as doing Line app chats/ calls ,  Video calls , FB messenger ect. His provider is AT+T in US.

[LawrenceN]

I bought an Android phone at Best Buy in Arizona in January. It's got two SIM slots. The brand name on it is BLU, which is a Chinese company. Works seamlessly in Thailand or US. As some have noted, you need to be clear that your new phone needs to be unlocked, but that's quite common. Also make sure it's GSM compatible. In Thailand, I use AIS. In the US, I now use TracFone. You can buy the SIMs at Wal-Mart or even at the service desks at supermarkets. Walmart will even make the phone call to get your TracFone service started. In years past, I have used AT&T with no issues on a phone I bought in Thailand. I switched to TracFone to pay-as-you-go. To be clear, TracFone sells SIMs to go in your own phone; you don't have to buy a phone from them anymore.

 

You'll use up your TracFone minutes pretty quick if you rely on it for data. I tend to leave mobile data disabled unless I need to look at a map or check messages quick. Save your internet browsing for when you've got WiFi available.

 

If a warranty is important to you, I guess you should buy where you spend the most time. I feel I got a lot more for my money in the US: bigger screen, more memory, more features.

[SpokaneAl]

Figure out what phone, memory etc you want and compare prices. You won’t have any problem finding an unlocked phone in the US.  Virtually every company now offers unlocked versions.

 

I would stay away from the used stuff, especially from phone companies such as Verizon. Those phone may be unlocked and may not be.

 

I am an Apple user and bought a couple of unlocked iPhones in the US. We split our time between the US and Thailand and I just swap sims each time we change locations and have had zero problems.

 

It sounds like you also mentioned an iPad. Again, look at the different models/brands and compare prices. Apple has just come out with a much cheaper iPad recently, if that is what you want.

 

We are big iPad users and my wife and I each have one. We buy them with WiFi only, since they never leave the house unless we travel and stay in a hotel where we can use the free WiFi.

 

I much prefer prefer surfing the net with an iPad vs a phone - phone screens are just to small for me.

[kokopelli]

If I were you I would avoid phones from Verizon since they are not compatible with the network in Thailand.

 

I did purchase an unlocked Motorola Moto Smart Phone when in USA for about $200 which is what I use in Thailand.  Works great. 

[bangkoken]

I have been coming back and forth from New York to Bangkok for 15 years. I spend eight months in Thailand and four in the USA. I have never bought a phone in the USA. Go to AIS or one of the Thai phone companies and buy your phone. They will give you a great price and a package deal that is very inexpensive. When you go to the USA you can use your parents Wi-Fi. 

[phkauf]

As others suggested, Verizon is a CDMA network and some of their older models are not compatible with GSM which is what most of the rest of the world uses. 

I just came back with the Hauwei Mate 10 Pro from the US - unlocked with some deals right now for $650. It works just fine over here. But your selection of lower priced models here will probably be better since many are not offered in the US.

[DJ54]

I bought a New IPhone 6 at Apple Store ( a real store ha ha ). It was $300 USD.  

 

I said real one because I’d some Apple folks that where setting up a Apple store in the city I lived. They looked at locations to build stopped bya store appearing to be real. The staff told them was real.....it wasn’t 

 

these guys set up new stores in Asia 

 

 

[cardinalblue]

An unlocked Apple 8 plus or 10 is about $300 Cheaper in usa than thailand....

 

it was an easy decision for me...

[toenail]

4 hours ago, observer90210 said:

You will soon have the Apple Flagship store in Bangkok....without any hesitation, buy in Thailand...but from a fully reputable seller of course....yes it may cost a few hundred dollars more...but you'll get world class service from the Apple Store and it could avoid warranty issues if needed later on. IMHO

 

I would not buy in the USA,  or by internet definately not,....to many issues with carriers blocking the phone etc. etc. as mentioned here.......enjoy your trip however at Uncle Sam's and be safe !

 

[toenail]

I-Phones are over $1000 US dollar in Thailand ( cheaper in the States but one needs to go to one of the phone monopolies in the USA to see the best minimum package you can get.  Like mention before, there are some great smart phones put out by Taiwan & China. Look around &do research. 

[P Schulze]

DO NOT BUY from Verizon as their phones use CDMA system and the international standard is GSM. A phone using CDMA will not work in Thailand. T-Mobile and ATT phones are GSM. Believe me, I have dealt with this!

[Jack james]

Buy in Thailand ?? but do not buy Vivo, it would not work in US internet. Buy a brand name. I buy a Samsung 7, motorola is cheaper but smaller.

[Lee4Life]

I bought my last phone on e-bay during one of my trips home, it was an unlocked Verizon S5 gsm and was listed as refurbished but when I received it the package was obviously new and had never been opened. It was a funny turquoise color and I figured that's why it was about half the normal price. I have purchased several phones here before and haven't had any luck with them at all, I'm happy to say this phone has been flawless for the year I have owned it. I would definitely buy another one there. Just do your homework and make sure you get an unlocked phone, not just contract-wise but also unlocked as far as regions go.

[Goldbear]

Buy it in Thailand. Plenty of options.

 

I bought a Samsung galaxy s8 in the USA in Sept. The screen broke. They can't fix it in Thailand because they don't have the parts. It's slightly different. If I had bought it in Thailand they could have fixed or replaced it here. 

 

I replaced the broken S8 with a B3000 smartphone here in Thailand and it's perfectly adequate. The photos aren't as good but it's good enough. 

 

3000 baht is about $100. How long are you coming to Thailand for? 

[BobTH]

2 hours ago, Goldbear said:

3000 baht is about $100. How long are you coming to Thailand for? 

I have lived here for six years. But here I like using my desktop at home for internet. I just have a cheap cellphone that I rarely carry, I use it for sms when online banking the most.

[Goldbear]

I read your original post wrong. Before I moved to Thailand last year, in the last months, I bought a Tracfone smart phone at Walmart. I think it cost $30 and was about $15 per month. It was pay as you go with no contract. Good value. I am not sure if it would work here. I brought mine but haven't tried putting a sim in it. It's cheap enough that it wouldn't matter, especially if you are not using one in TH anyway. Good luck. 

[Lokie]

I bought a Motorola Moto G5s Plus in Big C Jungceylon, Phuket in February, paid 8990 Baht is a dual sim phone with all the bells & whistles I will ever need, originally just got it as my thai handset but is so good (battery life etc over my Samsung and features) I now just use this phone even when I am in UK as it carries my UK Orange sim and my Thai AIS sim, no messing about with sims or phones anymore. Super fast and snappy handset (check specs below ) I am very happy with it in deed. I would not pay the silly money for top of the range handsets but can recommend the Moto G5s Plus for excellent value for your $$

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g5s_plus-8699.php

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The OP seems to be talking about two different things interchangeably -- at one point mobile phones, and then talking about tablets like an IPad. And then when he talks about intended uses, none of those are phone uses and instead primarily tablet type uses (internet, social media, GPS). So I'm not clear on just what kind of device he's looking to buy.

 

If the OP wants a tablet without phone calling capability, then the whole issue of mobile frequency compatibility goes away, and any wifi tablet is going to work as well in Thailand and the U.S.  The only differences being -- a U.S. purchased tablet may not have a manufacturer's warranty for Thailand, and the U.S. purchase likely will be considerably less expensive than Thailand for a comparable purchase.

 

But if the OP wants a mobile phone, the same price and warranty considerations / tradeoffs are going to come into play. However, I'm mystified by some prior posters comments about problems buying unlocked mobile phones. I've been buying unlocked mobile phones from the U.S. for years and it's never been difficult to do as long as you stay away from the major carriers and their phone contracts. Right now, Amazon U.S. has a whole section of their online store devoted to unlocked, discounted mobile phones from a variety of major manufacturers. Easy to buy and use, both in Thailand and in the U.S.

 

As far as mobile frequencies are concerned, you do have to be careful because the typically locked phones sold by AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. may not match up well with the primary LTE frequency bands used by the major Thai mobile companies. (The primary LTE bands used in Thailand are different from the primary ones used in the U.S.) But usually, that is not an issue if you're buying a good quality unlocked phone in the U.S., since they typically come working with the full range of LTE bands, including those used by both the major U.S. and Thai mobile carriers.

 

[observer90210]

I'm no geek but I feel safer with an iPhone to do internet banking and similar,  rather then use other operating systems....but of course everything today can be cracked !

[Laza 45]

On 4/15/2018 at 9:22 AM, Langsuan Man said:

You will find the market for cell phones is much more limited in the US because of carrier locking.  It has only been in the last several years that you could even buy an unlocked phone in the US, a trend that was primarily jump started by Google when they introduced the Nexus line of smart phones

 

If it were me, I would look here in Thailand for an inexpensive smart phone, much better selection (there are  Chinese or Taiwanese phones here that are not even available in the US) 

 

A lot depends upon where you will use the phone the most, in the US or in Thailand.  And don't forget warranty services;  kind of difficult to get any service for a Verizon, used phone when you are here in Thailand 

Good advice.. I had the same problem in Australia.. I wanted to buy a phone to take back to Thailand with me and found that it was hard to find one that wasn't locked.  I ended up buying a Huawei in Thailand on Lazada.. $250 Au.. love it.. 

[elgenon]

ATT and T-Mobile phones are GSM and will work in Thailand. Get the phone unlocked or have it unlocked in Thailand. Moto phones are recommended as a lower priced phone. Available from Moto or Amazon.

[themerg]

It sounds like you are coming back to Thailand.

The top-of-the-line I-pad goes for 35,000 Baht in Thailand.

You don't want the phones from the USA when you come back to Thailand.

You don't want a US phone carrier's problems and their expensive airtime in Thailand.

The phone will be 30- 80% cheaper in Thailand.

Wait until you come back to Thailand OR buy in Thailand before you go to USA.

If you are going to my hometown, Albany, NY; there is sleet, ice, and it's

windy today AND it's always warm in The Land Of Smiles.

My biggest advice is DON'T BUY OVERPRICED APPLE PRODUCTS.

The new I-phone costs $320.00 US to make, and Apple wants more than $1,000.

Don't be a sucker to thieves. If people stop buying the price will come down.

Apple laughs every time one of their overpriced products is bought.

[UncleTouchyFingers]

12 hours ago, P Schulze said:

DO NOT BUY from Verizon as their phones use CDMA system and the international standard is GSM. A phone using CDMA will not work in Thailand. T-Mobile and ATT phones are GSM. Believe me, I have dealt with this!

 

This is 100% patently false. 

 

Yes Verizon phones use CDMA, but they are ALSO COMPATIBLE WITH GSM. I have in my hand right now a USA Verizon iPhone X with an AIS 4G SIM card in it and it works flawlessly. Its totally unlocked and I've used it in several GSM countries. 

 

Without getting into the details of it all, the FCC made a ruling regarding phones and CDMA/GSM Compatibility. You need to read up on it. Everyone here does. Its the main reason I use Verizon phones, this fact, combined with its the largest and fastest network in the USA. 

 

If you get a GSM phone overseas - they WILL NOT be CDMA compatible. For example if you buy an iPhone from Apple Store Thailand - it will be a 100% GSM phone and will not be useable on any USA CDMA network. If you buy in the USA, specifically from Verizon, it will be compatible in both the USA on CDMA and overseas on GSM. 

 

There is alot of back and forth between Verizon and the FCC about this and the "locking" thing, but its mostly if you are on a payment plan. Even then, right now the phones are completely unlocked even on a payment plan. 

 

If you plan to buy a phone outright (which you will surely do if you buy in Thailand) then this is of no worry. 

 

I would 100% buy the phone/device in the USA - it will be cheaper, and depending on the carrier, 100% unlocked. 

 

Be careful though, AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM exclusively, so one needs to check and make sure they are CDMA compatible. 

 

From the Apple USA site:

 

• Model A1865^*

• FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66)
• TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41)
• TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
• CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

• Model A1901^*

Model A1901 does not support CDMA networks, such as those used by Verizon and Sprint.

• FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66)
• TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41)
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

 

https://www.apple.com/iphone-x/specs/

 

All this above ^ is mostly for someone who travels alot to several countries including the USA and wants only one phone that works everywhere including the USA (my situation). Nothing wrong with buying a cheapie phone for Thailand exclusively. 

[BobTH]

8 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The OP seems to be talking about two different things interchangeably -- at one point mobile phones, and then talking about tablets like an IPad. And then when he talks about intended uses, none of those are phone uses and instead primarily tablet type uses (internet, social media, GPS). So I'm not clear on just what kind of device he's looking to buy.

 

 

My apologies and you are correct, I was not clear about what to purchase. I wasn't sure if I would be better off with a smart phone or a tablet of some sort. But after all the excellent replies, including yours I am now leaning more towards a tablet. My parents have WiFi at their homes that I can use and it will get away from the use of SIM cards and if I purchase here I will have warranty protection. So that is my plan since I rarely use a phone anyway. Again thanks for all of the great replies, I learned a lot and took notes on all of them.

[jacko45k]

Definitely Thailand, the VAT isn't so onerous and you get a phone that works in Thailand.

USA has different system and their carriers are prone to being controlling and you would need to search for a non-locked phone. I still am sore about an Ex-Verizon phone I had which had many features disabled , wireless hotspotting for example.