International data roaming

[champers]

I am visiting UK just for a week next month. I have a monthly data package with AIS for calls and internet. 

Should I buy an International roaming package in Thailand (Pattaya) or sort something out in the UK? I have looked on AIS's website and even been in one of their shops, but I find the choices bewildering.

I am a smartphone dunce and until I  came to live here 18 months ago I had never owned one.

I want to call the other half (will do this with Line) and browse the internet for maybe a couple of hours per day.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Regards and thanks, champers.

[Swimman]

It depends on what you want -- If you obtain a new sim card in the UK you will not be able to use the same number as you now have -- on the other hand, a roaming facility is likely to prove expensive 

[BEVUP]

Calling on line should be ok, but the data usage will kill you

[mtls2005]

Are you pre-paid or post-paid with AIS?

 

Do you need to receive calls made to your AIS number when roaming? Or can you utilize voice-mail, messaging, call-back?

 

Getting a SIM in the U.K. may be most cost-effective?

 

Adding roaming to an existing pre-paid or post-paid account can be extremely expensive.  http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/en/package-0.html

 

AIS, and others have international pre-paid roaming SIMs (SIM2Fly) which are much less expensive. This would have a different number associated with it.  http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

Edited April 29, 2018 by mtls2005

[KneeDeep]

£20 for the SIM2Fly and no guarantee of quality of service, especially as there are no reviews from anyone using the service in the U.K.

 

U.K. alternative;

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Three-3-UK-Nano-micro-standard-4g-PAYG-Data-SIM-Card-With-Preloaded-12-GB-DAT/17008808153

 

That way you won't run out of data during your LINE calls and can maybe even upgrade to video calls.

 

If you are intending to take your laptop with you, you might require another solution.

If just for a Smartphone

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

34 minutes ago, KneeDeep said:

£20 for the SIM2Fly and no guarantee of quality of service, especially as there are no reviews from anyone using the service in the U.K.

 

There are boatloads of reviews on Thai social media, all positive. AIS has a ton of roaming partners in the U.K.: O2 UK / Bt Cellnet / Cellnet / VODAFONE UK / voda UK / EE / 234 30 / T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK / ORANGE /234 33 / 234 30/ T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK

 

I've used Sim2Fly, and DTAC's SIM Go Inter, successfully in a number of Asian countries. Sure it's a bit more expensive but you do have a known good working SIM/number with data BEFORE you leave Thailand and can hit the ground running.

 

But I did say...

 

18 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Getting a SIM in the U.K. may be most cost-effective?

 

[KneeDeep]

34 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

There are boatloads of reviews on Thai social media, all positive. AIS has a ton of roaming partners in the U.K.: O2 UK / Bt Cellnet / Cellnet / VODAFONE UK / voda UK / EE / 234 30 / T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK / ORANGE /234 33 / 234 30/ T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK

 

I've used Sim2Fly, and DTAC's SIM Go Inter, successfully in a number of Asian countries. Sure it's a bit more expensive but you do have a known good working SIM/number with data BEFORE you leave Thailand and can hit the ground running.

 

But I did say...

 

 

 

What is a "known good working SIM/number"? This is a bit of nonsense. 

His AIS SIM can still work in the U.K, but just best to switch data roaming off.

He can discover new local number prior to receiving it and once new SIM is up and running, he can use the data to make contact.

 

I haven't found even a single impartial review on the SIM2Fly SIM featuring the U.K.

No speed tests which will give an idea as to how to the quality of voice and video calls may be. A speed test on Japanese networks is not an indicator.

Plus only 4 GB of data(which might be sufficient). 299 baht for an extra GB or 799 baht for another 4GB.

 

Roaming for me means just keeping in contact. If I want reliable, high speed data, I get a local SIM. So it's not just about cost effectiveness, but quality of service. One rarely gets priority when Roaming.

 

On the other hand, SIM2Fly is convenient and he can even divert his normal voice calls through the SIM2Fly number.

 

Other option is to buy a MiFi with 2GB or data for £20. But 2GB may not be enough.

Can sell the MiFi in Thailand if not needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by KneeDeep

[KneeDeep]

This link has a clearer description of the product posted earlier; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Three-3-UK-Nano-Micro-Standard-4G-PAYG-Data-Sim-Card-with-Preloaded-12-GB-Data/263630495860

 

There is no tethering allowed on Three PAYG, so the 12 GB is just for Smartphone usage.

If you need to tether a laptop to the connection, better to go with EE. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EE-PAYG-4G-Data-Sim-Preloaded-With-5GB-Data-for-mifi-and-other-devices/263629213915

 

Not casting aspersions with regard to the SIM2Fly product. It may be perfectly fine. You'll be able to post the first U.K review. 

 

 

[arkom]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

There are boatloads of reviews on Thai social media, all positive. AIS has a ton of roaming partners in the U.K.: O2 UK / Bt Cellnet / Cellnet / VODAFONE UK / voda UK / EE / 234 30 / T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK / ORANGE /234 33 / 234 30/ T-Mobile / one2one / TMO UK / T-Mobile UK

 

I've used Sim2Fly, and DTAC's SIM Go Inter, successfully in a number of Asian countries. Sure it's a bit more expensive but you do have a known good working SIM/number with data BEFORE you leave Thailand and can hit the ground running.

 

But I did say...

 

 

I too have used Sim2Fly on almost all of my trips to Europe and Asia and never had an issue in terms of coverage and speeds.  Was able to make both voice and video calls using Line without problems, and for me 4GB of 4G speeds was more than enough for 2 weeks. 

 

Can't say anything about the Sim2Fly in the UK because it wasn't available the last time I went, but I would use the Sim2Fly when I go back.

[KneeDeep]

23 minutes ago, arkom said:

I too have used Sim2Fly on almost all of my trips to Europe and Asia and never had an issue in terms of coverage and speeds.  Was able to make both voice and video calls using Line without problems, and for me 4GB of 4G speeds was more than enough for 2 weeks. 

 

Can't say anything about the Sim2Fly in the UK because it wasn't available the last time I went, but I would use the Sim2Fly when I go back.

 

 

Useful. I guess if good in Europe it will be fine in the U.K.

[trevor67]

On 4/29/2018 at 5:08 PM, mtls2005 said:

Are you pre-paid or post-paid with AIS?

 

 

 

AIS, and others have international pre-paid roaming SIMs (SIM2Fly) which are much less expensive. This would have a different number associated with it.  http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

Thanks for that 2005.....just made my frequent travel's a whole lot easier. Any idea how long these have been available?

[Stocky]

On 30/04/2018 at 6:55 AM, KneeDeep said:

There is no tethering allowed on Three PAYG

I'm using a Three prepaid data SIM in my MiFi, no problem at all.  I've a 24Gb SIM serving up internet access to four devices. It's the Internet with Legs package. Tethering might not be allowed but it isn't blocked.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobile-Pay-Broadband-Data-Black/dp/B01M3VJ2B2

Edited May 5, 2018 by Stocky

[KneeDeep]

18 hours ago, Stocky said:

I'm using a Three prepaid data SIM in my MiFi, no problem at all.  I've a 24Gb SIM serving up internet access to four devices. It's the Internet with Legs package. Tethering might not be allowed but it isn't blocked.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobile-Pay-Broadband-Data-Black/dp/B01M3VJ2B2

 

That's a mobile broadband SIM, so of course tethering is allowed.

Perhaps I should have written that tethering is not allowed on PAYG Voice SIM data packages, such as the All In 20.