Arriving in Bangkok for 90 day visit - suggestions for what and where to purchase air time?

[JimmyJ]

Plan to visit neighboring countries as well.

 

My US carrier just told me that my phone is unlocked.

 

I've been told I can buy a Sim card/air time in the Swampy airport.

 

 

Is there a place you recommend for the purchase, and a specific carrier's Sim/airtime that is best or preferable to you and could be used in neighboring countries as well?

 

Incidentally - Is the airport a good place to exchange USD for Baht? Or just change a small amount there?

 

 

[jimmyyy]

Get a One 2 Call (AIS) Sim Card right at the airport once you clear customs they will be along the wall towards the exit.  You buy the Sim and then top up with credits, up to 1000 baht i believe.  If you plan on  using the internet alot on the mobile 4g network make sure you get the right sim and the right data plan. 

 

I would only change small amount at airport better conversions can be found away from the airport. 

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Incidentally - Is the airport a good place to exchange USD for Baht? Or just change a small amount there?

Avoid the booths within the AOT (airport) premises. Identical rip off rates at all booths.

You loose 4% or more (I sometimes compare when have time at the airport).

 

Either change only a small amount or:

(if it's not too much with your baggage) proceed down to the lowest floor where the connection to the airport rail link is.

Right next to the escalator to the platform there is number of booths with top rates that are only beaten by 0.05/0.10 Baht in Bangkok city (Chinatown).

For a rough idea about rates:

https://daytodaydata.net/

select USD/THB/Notes.

Big face value, crispy notes preferred as usual.

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

neighboring countries

Which countries?

This is the interesting part of your questions.

And I can't help much, just know that roaming with an AIS prepaid SIM in Laos was crazy expensive.

[JimmyJ]

19 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Which countries?

This is the interesting part of your questions.

And I can't help much, just know that roaming with an AIS prepaid SIM in Laos was crazy expensive.

Planning on definitely Vietnam and Cambodia, but perhaps at least Vientiane for Laos. Possibly other countries.

[KneeDeep]

If you want to Roam with data, get a local SIM or buy a SIM designed for Roaming; http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

 

For a SIM to use whilst in Thailand, you should give a better idea of the amount and bandwidth of the data you need.

If no special needs, you can just pick up a 49/50 baht SIM at the airport or service centre of your choice.

[mtls2005]

17 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

My US carrier just told me that my phone is unlocked.

 

What is the make/model? 

 

Which carrier do you use in the U.S.?

 

I'm assuming it can accept a SIM card?

 

I only ask so as to determine if your phone supports the necessary frequencies.

 

You could get a SIM at the airport, but those Tourist SIMs are not all universally convertible to "standard" SIMs to support your 90 day stay. Maybe get one, try it for 30 days, then try to convert it, or just buy a new SIM from the same provider. The downside is a different number.

 

You could just bypass the airport and buy a SIM at one of the ~ 6 million shops, add money, then subscribe to a data plan.

 

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of promotions at any given moment: some with bundled minutes and data (capped), some unlimited volume/capped speed, some limited volume/unlimited speed.

 

It really depends on your individual requirements/budget.

 

While you can roam in nearby countries, the cost to do so is prohibitive. Maybe best to get a separate specialized roaming SIM from a Thai provider (SIM2Fly/AIS, SIM Go! Inter/DTAC), or just buy a SIM in the destination countrie(s)?

 

 

 

AIS, DTAC and TrueMove H are the three major providers.

[JimmyJ]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

You could get a SIM at the airport, but those Tourist SIMs are not all universally convertible to "standard" SIMs to support your 90 day stay. Maybe get one, try it for 30 days, then try to convert it, or just buy a new SIM from the same provider. The downside is a different number.

 

You could just bypass the airport and buy a SIM at one of the ~ 6 million shops, add money, then subscribe to a data plan.

 

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of promotions at any given moment: some with bundled minutes and data (capped), some unlimited volume/capped speed, some limited volume/unlimited speed.

 

It really depends on your individual requirements/budget.

 

While you can roam in nearby countries, the cost to do so is prohibitive. Maybe best to get a separate specialized roaming SIM from a Thai provider (SIM2Fly/AIS, SIM Go! Inter/DTAC), or just buy a SIM in the destination countrie(s)?

 

 

 

AIS, DTAC and TrueMove H are the three major providers.

My phone accepts a single SIM.

 

I'm okay with getting a different local number with each SIM. I don't think it will be a problem.

 

What is the difference between a tourist SIM and a standard SIM?

 

"While you can roam in nearby countries, the cost to do so is prohibitive. Maybe best to get a separate specialized roaming SIM from a Thai provider (SIM2Fly/AIS, SIM Go! Inter/DTAC), or just buy a SIM in the destination countrie(s)?"

 

I didn't realize the cost would be prohibitive.

In that case I think your suggestion of buying a SIM in each country would work best.

 

 

[mtls2005]

39 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

My phone accepts a single SIM.

 

So will your phone "work" in Thailand?

 

39 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

What is the difference between a tourist SIM and a standard SIM?

 

Most Tourist SIMs are designed for "Tourists", amazingly enough, and have non-extendable expirations of 7/10/15/30 days. Some of these tourist SIMs can be extended, or converted to standard plans, but you'll have to review the T's & C's.

 

Roaming in another country on a standard SIM will be quite expensive. Using a special Thai roaming SIM like SIM2Fly/AIS less so, and using a local SIM the least expensive option.

[KneeDeep]

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So will your phone "work" in Thailand?

 

 

Most Tourist SIMs are designed for "Tourists", amazingly enough, and have non-extendable expirations of 7/10/15/30 days. Some of these tourist SIMs can be extended, or converted to standard plans, but you'll have to review the T's & C's.

  

Roaming in another country on a standard SIM will be quite expensive. Using a special Thai roaming SIM like SIM2Fly/AIS less so, and using a local SIM the least expensive option.

 

 

The part about expiration is incorrect.

 

All Tourist SIM are extendible.  Some only allow you to have 90 days airtime in advance, but they are all extendible.

The only issue one might face is if you can only extend up to 90 days in advance, it will be more difficult to maintain the same SIM for a later trip.

Some maintain Tourist SIM as opposed to normal SIM as you can get relatively cheap call home if you aren't using Skype and the like. DTAC Tourist SIM charges 1 baht per minute to the USA. Similarly Truemove H. 

So, maintaining a Tourist SIM is an option.

 

 

 

[JimmyJ]

I have a VOIP service with a US phone number and should be able to call the US  for no charge using the VOIP as long as I can use wireless service.

[KneeDeep]

Just now, JimmyJ said:

I have a VOIP service and should be able to call the US  for no charge using the VOIP as long as I can use wireless service.

 

 

Then you should consider just a basic 49 baht SIM. Then you can choose an appropriate data package, such as unlimited data at 1 Mbps/4 Mbps/6 Mbps or 10 Mbps. Ranging from 214 baht per month to 588.50 baht per month. 

[JimmyJ]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So will your phone "work" in Thailand?

 

 

 

My phone is CDMA with a removable micro SIM card.

I just called both the manufacturer and my US carrier and they both stated it will be compatible, even though I assume Thailand is GSM.

 

Have you heard of problems with US CDMA unlocked phones unable to use Thai SIMs?

[THE REVERAND]

Jimmy go down to the train level at Bkk airport .The exchange rate down here IS UPTO 10 per cent better than upstairs .

[billp]

I get a SIM from the AIS stand at the airport and then they add on a data plan. Currently, this is 12 GB at 4G speeds for 799 baht for 30 days. This plan automatically renews each month, so you have to make sure you top up with enough credit to pay for the data before the automatic renewal. Each time I top up, it extends my validity by a month. DTAC and True have similar deals and coverage, so just go to the stand with the shortest line. Or you can go to one of their shops in a mall.

”Tourist SIM” and “Traveler SIM” are just marketing gimmicks. A SIM card is a SIM card. It’s what you add on that counts.

I recently got a SIM for 1week 4G in Cambodia at the airport in Phnom Penh – unlimited volume for $6. In Vietnam I believe it was $10 for something similar.

[The Theory]

CDMA from Verizon or Sprint ? No,

It could be incompatible. 

Get an unlocked GSM phone like AT&T phones or buy a a cheap Android GSM here. 

For good exchange rate, go to Suvarnabhumi Airport B level, where Airport Link station is.

“SuperRich exchange”. 

 

 

[mtls2005]

12 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

I have a VOIP service with a US phone number and should be able to call the US  for no charge using the VOIP as long as I can use wireless service.

 

As long as you have WiFi or mobile data then this VoIP service should work. Using VoIP on a mobile data network will of course eat into any data allotment.

 

11 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Have you heard of problems with US CDMA unlocked phones unable to use Thai SIMs?

 

Yes. But it is all down to the exact make/model. Some CDMA-focused models do support international GSM/3G/LTE frequencies, especially higher-end models.

 

As long as your phone supports the local frequencies here you should have no issues.

 

Again, if you just provide the make/model we can verify that for you.

 

 

[terryofcrete]

On 7/2/2018 at 4:59 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Avoid the booths within the AOT (airport) premises. Identical rip off rates at all booths.

You loose 4% or more (I sometimes compare when have time at the airport).

 

Either change only a small amount or:

(if it's not too much with your baggage) proceed down to the lowest floor where the connection to the airport rail link is.

Right next to the escalator to the platform there is number of booths with top rates that are only beaten by 0.05/0.10 Baht in Bangkok city (Chinatown).

For a rough idea about rates:

https://daytodaydata.net/

select USD/THB/Notes.

Big face value, crispy notes preferred as usual.

Super Rich ... basement of the airport  . best rate, Also have a big branch in Silom in Bangkok, but can be slow ... so popular .. obviously .

[JimmyJ]

My phone is an LG G4 LGLS991 thru Sprint which takes a micro SIM card, and I'm told it is CDMA.

When I checked with Sprint yesterday I was told it is CDMA and then she checked further and said CDMA LTE.

Both LG and Sprint are telling me they are positive that it will work with a SIM in a GSM country as the phone is unlocked.

 

Are they correct?

 

Have any of you tried to use an LG G4 in SE Asia?

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

My phone is an LG G4 LGLS991 thru Sprint

 

Looking briefly at the specs on that specific model/variant, my best guess is that it will NOT work here on 4G/LTE, but that it may work on 3G, given a specific provider/ location.

 

Again, that's just a guess as it has a proprietary blend of Android specific to Sprint, which may cripple it (thinking Hotspot, but other apps could be affected).

 

3G is more than sufficient for all but the highest bandwidth applications. Maybe go with TrueMove H, or AIS - DTAC may work fine, but come the end of September it may not.

[JimmyJ]

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Looking briefly at the specs on that specific model/variant, my best guess is that it will NOT work here on 4G/LTE, but that it may work on 3G, given a specific provider/ location.

 

Again, that's just a guess as it has a proprietary blend of Android specific to Sprint, which may cripple it (thinking Hotspot, but other apps could be affected).

 

3G is more than sufficient for all but the highest bandwidth applications. Maybe go with TrueMove H, or AIS - DTAC may work fine, but come the end of September it may not.

What happens at the end of September?

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

What happens at the end of September?

DTAC loses a fairly significant chunk of their spectrum (20 MHz of 850, and 50 MHz of 1800, on which they offer 3G services in some locales) as their 15-year BTO concession(s) comes to an end.

 

Maybe go with TrueMove H if you need to use that handset. They have some 850 and 1800.

 

Any subsequent auction of 1800 is now a bit up in the air.

[JimmyJ]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

DTAC loses a fairly significant chunk of their spectrum (20 MHz of 850, and 50 MHz of 1800, on which they offer 3G services in some locales) as their 15-year BTO concession(s) comes to an end.

 

Maybe go with TrueMove H if you need to use that handset. They have some 850 and 1800.

 

Any subsequent auction of 1800 is now a bit up in the air.

Thank you for the advice and info.

 

I'm doing something for the first time since I got started using laptops - planning to travel for 3 months with only my phone, no computer.

 

Hopefully my phone will work with 3G in Thailand.

But if I get there and there turns out to be a problem with my LG and for whatever reason it cannot be used, what would you recommend as a fallback plan for a cheap replacement smartphone for my 3 month trip?

I'm very happy with the LG G4 for the US and I have a backup (probably refurbished) G4, so was planning to keep using these for a long time - and was expecting to use them in Thailand for future trips also).

 

Incidentally - Do internet cafes still exist? Easy to find in Thailand?

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

what would you recommend as a fallback plan for a cheap replacement smartphone for my 3 month trip?

 

Do you want to buy this in the U.S.? Or in Thailand, assuming you have issues?

 

What is your budget? You can buy a passable phone for 3,500 - 5,000 THB. There are quite a few threads here on this subject.

 

I think your phone will probably work fine on 3G/TrueMove H or AIS.

 

Not sure about internet cafes per se. There are gaming cafes, and cafes which have internet. You can also buy WiFi access, either bundled in a mobile data plan, or separately.

[JimmyJ]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Do you want to buy this in the U.S.? Or in Thailand, assuming you have issues?

 

What is your budget? You can buy a passable phone for 3,500 - 5,000 THB. There are quite a few threads here on this subject.

 

I think your phone will probably work fine on 3G/TrueMove H or AIS.

 

Not sure about internet cafes per se. There are gaming cafes, and cafes which have internet. You can also buy WiFi access, either bundled in a mobile data plan, or separately.

I meant if I get to Thailand and my LG won't work there.

 

But "I think your phone will probably work fine on 3G/TrueMove H or AIS" sounds good, so it shouldn't be necessary to get another phone.

[JimmyJ]

I tried to get an AIS sim at the airport.

A rep tested one and said it doesn't work.

Could it be she tested for 4G connectivity onlyand 3G would have worked?

 

Communicating a question like this to the booth people was impossible after trying 2 different booths and 2 reps at each.

 

 

Currently using my USA Sprint sim and it's not only way overpriced per call but it' s consistently noting a 1 minute call as 5 minutes , etc.

 

Will try again later today.

 

With the AIS one month data plan there is an additional charge for calls.

Do the minutes paid for in advance expire after one month or do they rollover automatically or rollover as  long as more $$ deposited each month?

 

 

[mtls2005]

After a quick search, it looks like that phone is locked to Sprint, and must be unlocked.

 

I was misled by this statement in your OP:: "My US carrier just told me that my phone is unlocked."

 

Assuming your phone is unlocked - and it probably isn't unless Sprint gave you an unlock code which you used - It could be a settings issue inside your phone, or maybe the Sprint-specific software is causing issues, as I stated previously in post #20.

 

You can buy an unlock code for ~ $15. Or you could contact Sprint and ask them to provide an unlock code. Assuming you meet their requirements (contract term met, account in good standing, etc.) they are required to provide this to you free of charge.

 

I'd try the AIS SIM, and search for networks. And you may have to manually set up an APN. Or maybe try a TrueMove H SIM.

 

Many data plans cover data only, voice calls are extra, you only pay for outgoing calls, and the typical rate is 50 satang to 1 baht per minute off your prepaid balance.

 

If you have a plan with bundled minutes then those minutes expire at the end of the term (could be 1 day, 7 days, 15 days, 30 days).

 

We do have some rollover options, but mostly for data.

 

You would be advised to turn off mobile data when your Sprint SIM is installed if only to avoid sticker shock.

 

You can find a replacement battery in MBK. I'd just buy a couple of knock-offs.

 

At least you can use WiFi.

 

 

 

[JimmyJ]

I'm right next  to Terminal 21.

Is there a shop there that would carry a replacement battery?

 

If not, I see that MBK is huge.

Is there a specific shop or floor I can find the shop(s) with replacement batteries?

 

I spoke to Sprint International Tech Support yesterday and asked if there could be a mistake and the phone is not actually unlocked.

He assured me it is unlocked, as others at Sprint have told  in the past.

The phone is fully paid off, account in good standing, etc.

 

I'll try AIS today and if there's a problem will call Sprint for the unlock code to see if that helps.

 

Yes, I've been keeping Global Data Roaming off and using the hotel's wifi.

 

Just getting killed on calls to the US at 20 cents/ minute - my hotel's wifi is apparently too weak to give a solid signal without constant cutting out/ static so my VOIP # is unusable.

 

How much are calls to the US from Thailand using AIS or similar local carriers?

 

[mtls2005]

You can find replacement batteries on the 4th floor of MBK.

 

If the phone is unlocked it should work with AIS., DTAC or TrueMove H. If it is unlocked, you may have to manually connect to AIS, or manually configure the phone with the AIS APN.

 

What happens when you insert the AIS SIM and re-start the phone? Do you get any sort of notification? 

 

Mobile originated calls from Thailand to the U.S. vary in cost from 1 baht/min to 9 baht/min depending on the SIM, plan, promotion, prefix code.

 

Some tourist SIMs offer the 1 baht/min rate with special prefixes, like 00400 (DTAC tourist SIM), 00500 (AIS Tourist SIM) and 00600 (TrueMove H Tourist SIM).

 

You can use CAT for 2.50 baht/min with the 009 prefix, or the TOT 008 prefix for 2.50 baht/min

 

For example, you would dial 009 1 212 555 1212.

 

 

 

[JimmyJ]

On 7/21/2018 at 8:40 AM, mtls2005 said:

After a quick search, it looks like that phone is locked to Sprint, and must be unlocked.

 

I was misled by this statement in your OP:: "My US carrier just told me that my phone is unlocked."

 

Assuming your phone is unlocked - and it probably isn't unless Sprint gave you an unlock code which you used - It could be a settings issue inside your phone, or maybe the Sprint-specific software is causing issues, as I stated previously in post #20.

 

You can buy an unlock code for ~ $15. Or you could contact Sprint and ask them to provide an unlock code. Assuming you meet their requirements (contract term met, account in good standing, etc.) they are required to provide this to you free of charge.

 

I'd try the AIS SIM, and search for networks. And you may have to manually set up an APN. Or maybe try a TrueMove H SIM.

 

Many data plans cover data only, voice calls are extra, you only pay for outgoing calls, and the typical rate is 50 satang to 1 baht per minute off your prepaid balance.

 

If you have a plan with bundled minutes then those minutes expire at the end of the term (could be 1 day, 7 days, 15 days, 30 days).

 

We do have some rollover options, but mostly for data.

 

You would be advised to turn off mobile data when your Sprint SIM is installed if only to avoid sticker shock.

 

You can find a replacement battery in MBK. I'd just buy a couple of knock-offs.

 

At least you can use WiFi.

 

 

 

Your advice in this thread has been helpful and appreciated.

 

Unfortunately the "buy knockoffs" advice although I know well intentioned turns out to be a mistake.

 

Never bought a knockoff before but took your advice and bought one.

Charged up ok and used it through 1 or 2 charging cycles.

 

But now I get an LG message "Incorrect battery. Shutting down phone."

The battery I came here with is dying rapidly.

 

I'm currently in Chiang Mai. 

Does anyone know where I can buy an LG G4 battery?

 

If not, I can buy thru Amazon or Ebay, and find out if the seller can express it to me here, or have them send it to my USA mail service and have them express battery(s)  to me here.

 

If it comes to that, who should be used for shipping, and what's the best way to avoid customs charges and hassles?