Help, buy Phone is USA or in Thailand?

[onera1961]

I use two phones. A Motorola X4 ($250 now with Google Fi service) with Google Fi service (t-Mobile MVNO). Basic unlimited talk and text $20 + taxes. 4G Data rate is $10/Gig. All data are prorated to the exact amount you use.  Google claims 4G is available in 130 countries. In Thailand Fi gets 4G is in lots of places like Bangkok, Pattaya and 3G in Isan regions. It is like my global phone. My US number is reachable in 130 countries for voice/text SMS.

The second phone I use is Huwaii Mate SE ($229) with dTac sim in Thailand. It is a dual sim phone. The second sim is open for use if I need in other countries.

Edited April 18, 2018 by onera1961

[onera1961]

14 hours ago, thedemon said:

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. 

All Verizon phones are not compatible with GSM. 4G data should be compatible. But voice and sms may not be compatible.

High end phones like Samsung, Google Pixel, and iPhone are compatible because they have CDMA and GSM chips for voice/sms.

 

To avoid any issues, avoid Verizon phones on lower ends (less than $400). Any unlocked smart phones for AT&T or t-Mobile is compatible in Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, elgenon said:

Thanks for the knowledge. Do you know if the Moto brand phones work in Thailand? They have been recommended by people here.

 

In general, unlocked newer model Motorola phones bought in the U.S. should be fine for calling and data use in Thailand. But as always, you need to look as the band specs for the particular phone model and the bands used by your particular Thai mobile provide, just to make sure they match up sufficiently.

 

I bought an unlocked Moto E4 last year from Amazon U.S., and have been using it here as my backup phone, mostly on wifi, so I haven't been using it with a Thai SIM, but rather, a U.S. SIM.

 

However, the E4 has the full range of GSM bands and 850 and 2100 for 3G. It also has more than a half dozen LTE bands, including 2100, 850 and 900. The only LTE band of note that it's missing is band 3 1800. In Thailand right now, 2100 and 850 are probably the most common LTE bands along with 1800. So the overall answer is yes, it should work fine here for both GSM calling and LTE calling and data.

 

The E4 is the budget model in the Motorola line. The other more expensive models like the G and upward should have even broader LTE band compatibility.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

I use two phones. A Motorola X4 ($250 now with Google Fi service) with Google Fi service (t-Mobile MVNO). Basic unlimited talk and text $20 + taxes. 4G Data rate is $10/Gig. All data are prorated to the exact amount you use.  Google claims 4G is available in 130 countries. In Thailand Fi gets 4G is in lots of places like Bangkok, Pattaya and 3G in Isan regions. It is like my global phone. My US number is reachable in 130 countries for voice/text SMS.
 

 

You're raising a different issue from one of handset - Thai mobile carrier compatibility, that is, whether a U.S. purchased phone set has the correct LTE bands to work well on Thai mobile provider networks when using their Thai SIM cards.

 

The issue you're raising with Google Fi is whether a U.S. mobile provider has mobile roaming service arrangements that allow you to roam with the U.S. SIM onto various Thai mobile networks when in Thailand.

 

Even if a U.S. carrier has roaming arrangements for Thailand, those are only going to work on any particular phone if the supported radio bands hardware on the phone itself match up with the bands used by the Thai mobile providers for their networks.

[onera1961]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Thai mobile carrier compatibility, that is, whether a U.S. purchased phone set has the correct LTE bands to work well on Thai mobile provider networks when using their Thai SIM cards.

I don't know any US purchased smart LTE phone not working in Thai mobile networks. Can you name one? Even $100 BLU phone works in Thai mobile networks. We are in 2018. Not in 2008.

 

 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The issue you're raising with Google Fi is whether a U.S. mobile provider has mobile roaming service arrangements that allow you to roam with the U.S. SIM onto various Thai mobile networks when in Thailand.

All US mobile providers have roaming arrangements with Thai mobile network providers. You cannot name one that does not. Of course you have to pay premium price for that. Google Fi is cheaper and their data rate is same through out the world ($1/100MB). Their call rate is also same (0.20/min) through out the world. That is the only difference. Again we're in 2018 not in 2008.

Edited April 18, 2018 by onera1961

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

All US mobile providers have roaming arrangements with Thai mobile network providers. You cannot name one that does not. Of course you have to pay premium price for that. Google Fi is cheaper and their data rate is same through out the world ($1/100MB). Their call rate is also same (0.20/min) through out the world. That is the only difference. Again we're in 2018 not in 2008.

 

The point of my comment was, having a U.S. carrier with roaming rights in Thailand doesn't do someone any good if the phone they have isn't compatible with the bands used by the Thai mobile carriers, which vary some from carrier to carrier.

 

There are hundreds of different mobile phones sold out there in the U.S. market, many locked to the cell company that sold them, and others unlocked, and each different model having various configurations of 3G and LTE radio bands. Not to mention the Verizon and Sprint networks and phones that are not primarily GSM.

 

So my main point wasn't to say many phones won't work at all. But rather, that it's only common sense and a good precaution to check any U.S. phone model that someone's planning to buy for use in Thailand to make sure it has a broad range of 3G and LTE bands available, and that those match with whatever Thai mobile carrier the phone owner is planning to use.

 

Here's some examples at random:

 

Look at the Samsung J3 that AT&T is selling on their website. That model, as sold by AT&T, does not have the 2100 Mhz band on either 3G or LTE, and 2100 Mhz is one of the primary bands used by the Thai mobile providers for both 3G and LTE. So yes, that phone might be able to get signal on different bands instead, but it might not be the best signal / coverage possible. Personally, I would not buy a phone for use in Thailand that didn't have 2100 Mhz bands for 3G and LTE.

 

https://www.att.com/cellphones/samsung/galaxy-j3-2017.html#specs

 

Likewise, AT&T is also selling the LG K20 on their website:

 

https://www.att.com/cellphones/lg/k20.html#specs

 

The K20 is worse, in that it has neither the 2100 or 1800 Mhz bands for LTE (2 of the 3 main LTE bands for Thailand along with 850 Mhz), and also doesn't have the 2100 Mhz band for 3G. So a user of that phone would pretty much in Thailand need to be relying on 850 Mhz for both 3G and LTE, which might work or might not, depending on the carrier and the area of the country where the phone is being used.

 

Likewise, I had an unlocked BLU R1 HD until a year ago that had several LTE bands, but did not have 2100 (Band 1), 1800 or 850, the primary LTE bands in Thailand. So although I could use it with its 3G bands of 850 and 2100, I never could use it for LTE while in Thailand.

 

Quote

BLU R1 HD comes with 4G LTE bands 2(1900MHz), 4(1700 MHz), 7(2600 MHz), Band 12(700MHz), and 17(2100MHz) and 3G bands 850/1700/1900/2100

 

http://www.bluproducts.com/r1-hd/

 

I'm sure there are lots of other examples of similar things, if you start looking at individual phone specs and then comparing them with the primary bands used in Thailand.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[onera1961]

41 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The point of my comment was, having a U.S. carrier with roaming rights in Thailand doesn't do someone any good if the phone they have isn't compatible with the bands used by the Thai mobile carriers, which vary some from carrier to carrier.

All phones that are approved by Google Fi, are compatible in 130 countries where Google Fi has roaming data agreements with local networks. That point is mute. Again we are in 2018 not in 2008.

If one buys a recent smart phone (released in 2017/2018) it would be compatible. Samsung J is 2013. I don't know why somebody would want to buy a 2013 phone in 2018?

Edited April 18, 2018 by onera1961

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

 

If one buys a recent smart phone (released in 2017/2018) it would be compatible. Samsung J is 2013. I don't know why somebody would want to buy a 2013 phone in 2018?

 

Obviously you didn't bother to look at the AT&T site, since it clearly shows the J3 model they're selling is the 2017 version, as is the LK K20, I believe.  The BLU phone I mentioned is a 2015 model that's still being sold.

 

 

FWIW, manufacturers like Samsung sell different versions of the same models in different countries and markets. Other versions of the 2017 J3 have broader bands in their hardware, but the 2017 AT&T version is limited by not having 2100 either for LTE or 3G, exactly as I mentioned. Probably because, AT&T doesn't use that band, whereas mobile companies in Thailand do.

 

It took me about 5 minutes to find those phones and those examples of poor band compatibility between the U.S. and Thailand. There are plenty of other examples out there, especially when you get away from the high end phones that tend to have broader radio band hardware.

 

You're going a great job of not letting facts get in the way of your opinions.

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[onera1961]

54 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Obviously you didn't bother to look at the AT&T site, since it clearly shows the J3 model they're selling is the 2017 version, as is the LK K20, I believe.  The BLU phone I mentioned is a 2015 model that's still being sold.

 

Band 1800 is compatible with AIS and dTac.

 

[onera1961]

In the US, you cannot buy a factory unlocked phone from a carrier. If you intend to use it for roaming, AT&T does not guarantee  4G outside USA.

To buy factory unlocked version in the US, you must go to a retailer (like Best Buy) or Amazon. And all 2017 international version are compatible in Thailand, including J7

Assuming somebody buys an unlocked J7 (international version) from Amazon. International version has for 3G 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100. So a sim card from AIS or dTac will be able connect to 4G and fallback to 3G when 4G is not available. Same for all international unlocked version bought from Best Buy or Amazon.

In the last year I have purchased more than a dozen unlocked 4G LTE phones from Best Buy ($100-300) and every one of them worked in Thailand. If somebody is buying from a carrier (unless used for roaming) to use it in Thailand with a Thai sim, he clearly does not know what he is doing.

 

Go to Best Buy (or Amazon or Gearbest) and pick up any factory unlocked LTE phone  and if it it does not work in Thailand, I will buy it back.

I don't know why one will go to an US carrier to buy a factory unlocked phone.

Edited April 18, 2018 by onera1961

[Langsuan Man]

9 hours ago, onera1961 said:

I don't know why one will go to an US carrier to buy a factory unlocked phone.

Because they sometime have refurbished phones that are off contract (carrier unlocked)

 

But I agree if buying new,  buying factory unlocked from a retailer is a better option 

[mtls2005]

On 18/04/2018 at 11:59 AM, elgenon said:

Do you know if the Moto brand phones work in Thailand?

 

Lenovo makes multiple versions (variants) of each of their individual Moto phone 'models', typically at least two variants (U.S. and "World"), with some models having four+ variants, like the X4. Moto phones are generally available here; TrueMove H sells a lot of Moto models, unlocked and with/without promotion/subsidy. Jaymart also sell Motos. No clue on the variant, best to look at the box, for the exact model number which is typically XTnnnn-0y, with the 0y suffix indicating the variant, and often -01 indicates the U.S. variant.

 

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/device?&search_brand=moto&search_network=all&page=1

 

https://www.jaymartstore.com/Category/600-MOTOROLA

 

At the current time, and very generally speaking, a U.S. variant of most models would work best in the U.S. if only as they would support T-Mobile LTE Band 4 (AWS: 1700x2100), and they would work well enough in Thailand on LTE 1800 and 2100. The converse is not always true, in that a non-U.S. variant might work quite well in Thailand, and elsewhere, but it may not support LTE Band 4 for use with T-Mo in the U.S. (T-Mo does have smaller slices of spectrum, ~ 5 MHz, of legacy 3G which a non-U.S. variant might support, and 3G is probably sufficient for most apps.)

 

It all depends on what you need, where you're going, what's your budget, warranty concerns. For me, personally, I need a phone which supports LTE Band 4 for my trips to the U.S., so I keep my Google Nexus 6 (made by Motorola, and the U.S. variant) just for that purpose. It also works fine here, but it's not my primary phone here. Everyone has different requirements, and if they are able to share those requirements in detail, I think several of us will attempt to make recommendations.

 

An MVNO is a company which essentially resells mobile network service which rides on someone else's network. So in the U.S., there are MVNOs like Simple, Straightalk, Tracfone, Cricket which resell service which operates on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon networks. There aren't a lot of MVNOs here, for a variety of reasons, although there have been some in the past. MVNOs are common in other countries.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

Edited April 19, 2018 by mtls2005

[elgenon]

18 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Lenovo makes multiple versions (variants) of each of their individual Moto phone 'models', typically at least two variants (U.S. and "World"), with some models having four+ variants, like the X4. Moto phones are generally available here; TrueMove H sells a lot of Moto models, unlocked and with/without promotion/subsidy. Jaymart also sell Motos. No clue on the variant, best to look at the box, for the exact model number which is typically XTnnnn-0y, with the 0y suffix indicating the variant, and often -01 indicates the U.S. variant.

 

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/device?&search_brand=moto&search_network=all&page=1

 

https://www.jaymartstore.com/Category/600-MOTOROLA

 

At the current time, and very generally speaking, a U.S. variant of most models would work best in the U.S. if only as they would support T-Mobile LTE Band 4 (AWS: 1700x2100), and they would work well enough in Thailand on LTE 1800 and 2100. The converse is not always true, in that a non-U.S. variant might work quite well in Thailand, and elsewhere, but it may not support LTE Band 4 for use with T-Mo in the U.S. (T-Mo does have smaller slices of spectrum, ~ 5 MHz, of legacy 3G which a non-U.S. variant might support, and 3G is probably sufficient for most apps.)

 

It all depends on what you need, where you're going, what's your budget, warranty concerns. For me, personally, I need a phone which supports LTE Band 4 for my trips to the U.S., so I keep my Google Nexus 6 (made by Motorola, and the U.S. variant) just for that purpose. It also works fine here, but it's not my primary phone here. Everyone has different requirements, and if they are able to share those requirements in detail, I think several of us will attempt to make recommendations.

 

An MVNO is a company which essentially resells mobile network service which rides on someone else's network. So in the U.S., there are MVNOs like Simple, Straightalk, Tracfone, Cricket which resell service which operates on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon networks. There aren't a lot of MVNOs here, for a variety of reasons, although there have been some in the past. MVNOs are common in other countries.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

Thanks for the detailed answer. It's a little foreign to me.

People here (Thai Visa) had recommended the Moto G4, G5 phones as good, fairly inexpensive phones. I hope I have the numbers right. My files are packed away as I am in the U.S. now and having some fix-it work done on my house. If I bought one here would it work in Thailand? In the U.S. I use my phone for email, phone, messages, Line, WhatsApp, some browsing. In the future maybe use it to find my way to somewhere. Probably about the same in Thailand.

[mtls2005]

33 minutes ago, elgenon said:

If I bought one here would it work in Thailand?

 

Again, it really depends on the exact variant. Do you want to use the phone in the U.S.? Which network/provider? It sounds like you live in the U.S. but visit Thailand? If that's the case then the Project Fi Moto X4 would be worth looking into. Again, it really depends on your exact situation, your calling patterns, where you live, etc. With more details, you'll get more relevant recommendations.

 

If you don't have plans to use the phone in the U.S. and live in Thailand I would probably buy a phone in Thailand.

 

My guess is that you'd probably find the Moto G4 in the XT1625 variant in the U.S., and that this variant would be fine in both the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto G5 in the XT1671 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto G5 Plus in the XT1687 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto X4 in the XT1900-1 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

"Fine in the U.S." means it will operate on T-Mobile at a minimum. "Fine in Thailand" means it will operate on LTE 1800 and 2100 at a minimum and 3G of course.

 

Amazon, I'm not saying you have to buy from them, does a good job listing variants, specs, compatibility.

[onera1961]

8 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

If you don't have plans to use the phone in the U.S. and live in Thailand I would probably buy a phone in Thailand.

I agree. If you want to keep an US number, get a t-mobile pay-as-you go sim card for $3 per month. Most Chinese made phones sold in Thailand have dual sim.

[elgenon]

On 4/20/2018 at 8:36 AM, mtls2005 said:

 

Again, it really depends on the exact variant. Do you want to use the phone in the U.S.? Which network/provider? It sounds like you live in the U.S. but visit Thailand? If that's the case then the Project Fi Moto X4 would be worth looking into. Again, it really depends on your exact situation, your calling patterns, where you live, etc. With more details, you'll get more relevant recommendations.

 

If you don't have plans to use the phone in the U.S. and live in Thailand I would probably buy a phone in Thailand.

 

My guess is that you'd probably find the Moto G4 in the XT1625 variant in the U.S., and that this variant would be fine in both the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto G5 in the XT1671 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto G5 Plus in the XT1687 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

The Moto X4 in the XT1900-1 variant would be fine in the U.S. and Thailand.

 

"Fine in the U.S." means it will operate on T-Mobile at a minimum. "Fine in Thailand" means it will operate on LTE 1800 and 2100 at a minimum and 3G of course.

 

Amazon, I'm not saying you have to buy from them, does a good job listing variants, specs, compatibility.

I do about 3 months in the U.S. then about 3 months in Thailand etc. In America I have ATT prepaid since I am gone so much and mainly use Line and WhatsApp. With a bit of calling. Sorry for not thinking of telling you my U.S, carrier. In Thailand I use Dtac prepaid. Mainly Line, WhatsApp, a bit of calling, email and browsing.

 

Thanks for your knowledge.

[themerg]

I forgot to mention this. Where is HOME on your phone, US or Thailand ? Calls from HOME in US inside Thailand are long distance calls.

My understanding is you live in Thailand and you are going to the USA for 6 weeks, am I correct ?

If so, I would get the phone in Thailand and use Thai internet, phone carriers, and hotspot.

The phone is not sold separate in the USA. They want to tie you into expensive phone plans and very expensive internet.

I pay 620.26 Baht for internet at home only, then I pay 500 Baht a month to AIS for phone time.  My estimate is 1,200 Baht a month for phone and internet.

Do not get caught in a USA plan when you live in Thailand.

I paid 17,000 for my One Plus 3 phone two years ago.

Total cost for 2 years is 29,000 baht; ( $922.00 in 2 years), very cheap.

That plus $500.00-$1000.00 more with a US phone carrier for the first year. Then a good phone will cost you $300.00 and up from the US carrier with a 1-2 year or more contract.

Get it in the Land of Smiles, and smile when you leave the phone store.

 

Edited April 21, 2018 by themerg

[mtls2005]

57 minutes ago, themerg said:

The phone is not sold separate in the USA. They want to tie you into expensive phone plans and very expensive internet.

 

This is incorrect. 

 

It is very easy to buy unlocked phones in the U.S. And there are many, many, many, many relatively cost-effective pre-paid plans, albeit not quite as inexpensive as here (Thailand). You can get unlimited voice, text and 5 GB of data for ~ $45 USD all in, month-to-month, no contract, no commitment.

 

(Fixed line broadband internet is another conversation, and probably not one which is relevant to this thread. I'll quickly stipulate that broadband is quite a bit cheaper here in Thailand.)

 

And one can easily get a free 10-digit Google Voice, or Talkatone number which will allow for free calls to/from the U.S. while in Thailand.

 

I think, based on the information shared so far, elgenon would be better off buying a U.S. variant, for use in the U.S. and Thailand, between which he seems to spend 50/50 of his time? A Thai variant may not support all of the AT&T frequencies, while a U.S. variant would, and would work fine in Thailand.

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2018 by mtls2005

[SpokaneAl]

I forgot to mention this. Where is HOME on your phone, US or Thailand ? Calls from HOME in US inside Thailand are long distance calls. My understanding is you live in Thailand and you are going to the USA for 6 weeks, am I correct ? If so, I would get the phone in Thailand and use Thai internet, phone carriers, and hotspot. The phone is not sold separate in the USA. They want to tie you into expensive phone plans and very expensive internet. I pay 620.26 Baht for internet at home only, then I pay 500 Baht a month to AIS for phone time.  My estimate is 1,200 Baht a month for phone and internet. Do not get caught in a USA plan when you live in Thailand. I paid 17,000 for my One Plus 3 phone two years ago. Total cost for 2 years is 29,000 baht; ( $922.00 in 2 years), very cheap. That plus $500.00-$1000.00 more with a US phone carrier for the first year. Then a good phone will cost you $300.00 and up from the US carrier with a 1-2 year or more contract. Get it in the Land of Smiles, and smile when you leave the phone store.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We split our time - six months in Thailand and six months in the US. It is absolutely not a problem with our phone. A number of years ago I bought an unlocked iPhone 5 direct from Apple and paid by the month with AT&T. I could pay by the minute or agree to a month to month via a no contract plan. Then when we return to Thailand, I visit True and pick the minutes and data no contract plan that works for me, swap the sim and off I go with a local phone number.   

 

Returning back to the US each year I let my True Account expire, and swap sims again, and go back on the month to month no contract plan. 

 

This last October, just prior to returning to Thailand I bought an unlocked iPhone 8 direct from Apple and again followed the process.  

We just arrived back in the US and repeated. It is easy and not a big deal.  

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[unblocktheplanet]

Is it possible to buy a locked phone & expensive plan in the US, come home, get the phone unlocked at MBK, and ditch the plan?

[thedemon]

10 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Is it possible to buy a locked phone & expensive plan in the US, come home, get the phone unlocked at MBK, and ditch the plan?

 For some phones yes. For some no.

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Is it possible to buy a locked phone & expensive plan in the US, come home, get the phone unlocked at MBK, and ditch the plan?

 

It seems like you are asking two or three questions. And your understanding of the current "contract" market in the U.S. may be a bit out of date? 

 

Heavy subsidies/discounts are no longer the norm, with phones often priced at per month rates over 30 months, tied to plans and an overall contract. Doing a runner would probably violate the terms of that contract, affect your credit rating and potentially involve legal ramifications. 

 

Unlocking a phone may, or may not be possible. Often you need a program to use the IMEI to generate a valid code. And I suspect these carrier models have custom firmware which makes them easily "controlled".

 

What is your ultimate goal? IMO, you'd be better off buying a "factory unlocked" phone, either in the U.S. or Thailand.

 

Whatever you do, make sure you read and understand any contract you may ultimately sign.

[SpokaneAl]

Is it possible to buy a locked phone & expensive plan in the US, come home, get the phone unlocked at MBK, and ditch the plan?

When you sign a contract, as a part of that contract you agree to however many months/years to abide by that contract and in return purchased a subsidized phone. A contract is a legal, binding document and has nothing to do with your ability to get your phone unlocked.

If you want an unlocked phone, buy a no contract unlocked phone instead of trying to squirm out of a contract you signed and agreed too.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thedemon]

6 hours ago, SpokaneAl said:

 

When you sign a contract, as a part of that contract you agree to however many months/years to abide by that contract and in return purchased a subsidized phone. A contract is a legal, binding document and has nothing to do with your ability to get your phone unlocked.

If you want an unlocked phone, buy a no contract unlocked phone instead of trying to squirm out of a contract you signed and agreed too.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

Well you could devote an entire thread to discussing whether it is a good thing that the US Congress needs to decide who can and who cannot unlock a mobile phone to protect the interests of the corporations that lobby them.

 

But this is the Mobile Devices sub-forum which is supposed to be about technical issues such as; Is it possible to have a device which has had it's firmware deliberately crippled unlocked in Thailand?

[JimmyJ]

On 4/20/2018 at 9:41 PM, SpokaneAl said:

We split our time - six months in Thailand and six months in the US. It is absolutely not a problem with our phone. A number of years ago I bought an unlocked iPhone 5 direct from Apple and paid by the month with AT&T. I could pay by the minute or agree to a month to month via a no contract plan. Then when we return to Thailand, I visit True and pick the minutes and data no contract plan that works for me, swap the sim and off I go with a local phone number.   

 

Returning back to the US each year I let my True Account expire, and swap sims again, and go back on the month to month no contract plan. 

 

This last October, just prior to returning to Thailand I bought an unlocked iPhone 8 direct from Apple and again followed the process.  

We just arrived back in the US and repeated. It is easy and not a big deal.  

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For your USA plan, what happens when you stop paying the monthly to AT&T when you're in Thailand?

 

Do you have to pay a partial fee?

 

Do you risk having them disable your sim for the future or risk losing your phone number?

[JimmyJ]

Re: international warranties - I haven't looked into this for phones, but have for computers, and it appears that purchasing a computer in the US requires getting it serviced under warranty in the US.

 

Per cs at the 2 or 3 computer companies cs I spoke to - If one is abroad, one has to get the computer to someone in the US, and have them mail it in for factory warranty service - i.e., the computer has to be sent in to the factory from a US address.

 

Then the factory would send it back to the US address and that person would have to send it out of the US to the owner abroad.

 

So, unworkable basically.

 

I imagine it's the same for phones.

[SpokaneAl]

For your USA plan, what happens when you stop paying the monthly to AT&T when you're in Thailand?
 
Do you have to pay a partial fee?
 
Do you risk having them disable your sim for the future or risk losing your phone number?

If I stop paying I loose my phone number - not a big deal to me. Upon my return I just go to the nearest AT&T shop and get a new sim and phone number. I do the same with True each time we return to Thailand.

This year, since we Use Comcast/Xfinity for television, home phone and internet, I switched over to their no contract plan. If I don’t use it, which for six months a year I won’t, I pay about $3 a month during that period, and I can keep my phone number. During the months I do use my Comcast phone no contract plan, I pay $11 a month for data and the calls and messaging are free.


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[mtls2005]

5 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

For your USA plan, what happens when you stop paying the monthly to AT&T when you're in Thailand?

 

It sounded like SpokaneAl was on a prepaid plan. These are pay-as-you-go plans with no contract term. If you do not replenish your balance then your plan ends and you would lose the number. However, with T-Mobile and AT&T one can switch pre-paid plans as required, and both offer "keep alive" plans for as little as $3/month.

 

I'm not sure if MVNOs offer similar plans and the ability to change back and forth. I think some do, MetroPCS (now part of T-Mobile) did/does.

 

It is also relatively easy to port numbers around, say from AT&T to Google Voice to T-Mobile.

 

Again, it all depends on what you need, but think most folks can find a decent option based on their exact requirements: phone, area, budget, usage, time in each location etc.

 

Keeping a SIM alive in Thailand is quite a bit simpler, and can be done for as little as 24 baht/year.

 

Regarding warranties, one really has to review the warranty terms to get a feel for service/repair options. It may be possible to purchase additional warranty coverage which would offer global coverage, and/or some credit cards may have this as a free benefit. Very generally speaking, I'd always recommend buying the item in the place you spend the most time, but this is of course not always an option or the optimal choice.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The $3 a month minimum prepaid plan from T-Mobile is a great plan for an American to keep during extended stays in Thailand to send and receive U.S. SMSes, and to have a U.S. number for short visits back to the States. However, TM's rates for roaming calls inside Thailand are ridiculously expensive, meaning you don't want to be taking U.S. calls on it here.

 

Back in the U.S., the minimum $3 a month TM plan suffers from higher than normal per minute calling rates for U.S. calling and doesn't come with any data component. To get data from TM on the $3 a month prepaid plan, you have to buy their limited duration "Data Passes" which also are expensive in relative terms. So it's an OK SIM to use for short or low-use visits to the U.S.  But I wouldn't envision relying on it there for a months long stay.

 

BTW, I've never heard or seen than AT&T has any prepaid option similar to the TM one at such a low monthly price.

 

https://www.att.com/prepaid/plans.html

Edited May 13, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[mtls2005]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

But I wouldn't envision relying on it there for a months long stay.

 

With T-Mobile, most people I know, who return for more than a week or so, level up to a month-month Simply Prepaid plan ($45/month, 4 GB, or $55/month for 6 GB, with unlimited calls/texts) for the duration of their stay, then level back down to the $3/month plan. You can switch as often as necessary, and you can do this online.

 

I'm still grandfathered to the $3/day unlimited (data, voice, text) plan - which is no longer available - which works well for my brief, but frequent visits back. I add $10 ($10.63 for me with sales tax) every 90 days to maintain expiry. Sometimes I add a bit more to cover my daily fee as required.

 

AT&T has a $2/day plan - you only pay for the days you use it - so I am pretty sure you can do the same thing. Level up to PAYG month-month plan, then level back down when you leave.