Using phone overseas?

[eyecatcher]

Ok , so when it comes to mobile phone stuff I really am a dinosaur, and a real cheap Charlie at that.

 

I haven't topped up the phone since AIS stopped selling at 7/11 two  years ago and when it comes to wifi I am strictly free wifi or do without.

 

The rub is, I have a Euro trip planned, and I have all my e tickets for planes and trains and buses on my phone.

 

What are the ways to get a roaming sim for a month when travelling? is it buy something from AIS here or can anyones phone now be simply topped up in any country you visit regardless of your provider.?

 

(I have decided to move on from the nokia 3310 that usually awaits me in uk!)

 

 

[observer90210]

Get a cheap sim in Europe to do your calls. As for all the e.tickets, print them out as in any case it is always safer to do so.

[BEVUP]

31 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

I haven't topped up the phone since AIS stopped selling at 7/11 two  years ago

I would say your number may have been deleted (someone correct if wrong)

I thought they had a time limit on your funds then give you 30 days incoming calls only till you top up. Or otherwise they wipe the number 

 

So speaking about this how would one top up overseas if still have a balance on the AIS card & you know you may be out of country for a little while 

[eyecatcher]

My balance is -18.72bt and says valid until sept 12.

The valid date isnt a concern, it can run over at least 3month and then the wife will transfer 30 days from her accumulated.

Doubt very much numbers are deleted, people are away from here for months on end unable to top up though i know an Aussie who made a special trip here to top up his phone because his wife said he must

[Bill97]

Get a cheap sim in Europe to do your calls.

Usually easy to do. Might check now to be sure you do not have an outdated phone, example a 2G phone going to an area updated to 3G.


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[impulse]

Do yourself a favor and put the phone in airplane mode before you turn it off for your flight.  I landed in China one time, turned on my Thai based phone and burned through a bunch of money on roaming texts, megabits of emails, and some notices for things that happened while I was in the air.  All before I could manually disable the Thai SIM.

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

6 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

I haven't topped up the phone since AIS stopped selling at 7/11 two  years ago

And you still have the same SIM (phone number) working?

 

Negative balance on a prepaid SIM?

I am uncertain what effect this has.

Can you really do a call now?

 

As already written: remove the AIS SIM and leave it here if it is not an absolute necessity to be reachable via the Thai number.

 

Get a SIM at your country of arrival.

 

What do you want to do with the phone and in which countries?

Directly calling to Thailand from the mobile is still expensive.

Alternative methods available (calling cards, prefixes etc.).

[eyecatcher]

Its puzzling me, how everyone in every airport are usi g the phone for internet.

They are not messing about with sim cards and they are not making calls.

 

I have no intention of making any phone calls unless i can use messenger or line free call.

 

Yes, with a minus balance it only allows incoming calls for rference.

 

So what is everyone else doing when they travel out of this country,. Its got to something simple, like me

[kkerry]

If you prefer not to spend a fortune, a local SIM is still the best solution imo. Easy to find at many airports these days, along with free airport wifi fast enough for Skype.

 

A friend visited the UK recently for business so he pre-purchased a roaming package from his home carrier for $10 a day that came with enough data and calltime to keep him happy. Many people use roaming without caring about the price. Too easy to end up with a big bill if you ask me but for a short vacation most people I know aren't bothered.

 

If I need to make a few calls or want lots of data I get a local SIM. In Asia a $10 or cheaper airport SIM usually gets you more than enough minutes and data for Google maps or Waze, and for the times you can't find free wi-fi. A Digi (dtac) 4G travel SIM in KL Airport from a counter near baggage collection was only 20MYR for 2GB of data plus twenty minutes of talk time, good for seven days. The seller even put it in my phone to confirm it worked. I used less than half the data, with plenty of free wi-fi everywhere I went. A local number is handy for Grab taxi bookings if they can't locate you.

[Dante99]

9 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Its puzzling me, how everyone in every airport are usi g the phone for internet.

They are not messing about with sim cards and they are not making calls.

 

 

 

 

Can't you use your phone to connect to the internet via local wifi without a sim card? I think many if not most find that to be possible.

[suzannegoh]

I don't know if it works better or worse than SIMM cards purchased locally in Europe but AIS sells a well-priced SIMM for international roaming.  With that, you get 4GB of 4G data good for 15 days in Europe for 899 Baht.  After those 15 days you can top it up for 799 Baht for an additional 15 days.
http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

[eyecatcher]

3 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Can't you use your phone to connect to the internet via local wifi without a sim card? I think many if not most find that to be possible.

Yes of course, but I am thinking of those times you need wifi whilst on the go! such as arriving at a train station and showing e tickets, or using an app for a taxi, or a map, or whenever you need some info without having to go and steal someones free wifi.

its about convenience really, and its a subject out of my comfort zone.

[eyecatcher]

31 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

I don't know if it works better or worse than SIMM cards purchased locally in Europe but AIS sells a well-priced SIMM for international roaming.  With that, you get 4GB of 4G data good for 15 days in Europe for 899 Baht.  After those 15 days you can top it up for 799 Baht for an additional 15 days.
http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

This is the answer I hoped to see, thank you. I will look at this option

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Its puzzling me, how everyone in every airport are usi g the phone for internet.

They are not messing about with sim cards and they are not making calls.

I buy a local SIM at the airport after arrival.

If it's a place I've been before I put the SIM in my phone on the aircraft.

[Samuel Smith]

For UK visits I get giffgaff sim & package.

[boonrawdcnx]

In most European countries you can purchase a local SIM card for around 10 € which gives you up to 10 GB of data usage for a month depending on the company/ country. Best option when traveling. Usually you can purchase them at arrival terminals - you can check out the amount of data they provide for how much online before you travel. Google “best SIM for travelers in ........ (enter the country you are traveling to)


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[eyecatcher]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I buy a local SIM at the airport after arrival.

If it's a place I've been before I put the SIM in my phone on the aircraft.

Right so another option is to "collect" sims and save them for next time?

[eyecatcher]

1 hour ago, Samuel Smith said:

For UK visits I get giffgaff sim & package.

Interestingly enough Samuel Smith, I held one of the uks largest collection dating back to the 60s I am talking tegestology here not sim cards. I bet a few will be googling that. I sold them all, filling 4 large bin liners to an enthusiast from Newcastle. I kept hold of about 30 that I considered most valuable.

[kkerry]

1 hour ago, eyecatcher said:

I am thinking of those times you need wifi whilst on the go! such as arriving at a train station and showing e tickets, or using an app for a taxi, or a map, or whenever you need some info without having to go and steal someones free wifi.

 

No need to steal anyone's fee wifi. Many airports have their own website where you can check their wifi setup ahead of time, maybe download the airport app if they have one. Otherwise make your way to the airport information desk where they will have been asked about free wifi a zillion times and are happy to help get you connected.

 

The days of paying $4 for fifteen minutes of very slow internet have been superseded by free wifi at almost all reasonably sized airports, just like most half decent hotels now give you their wifi details on check-in without you asking. If you use Google Maps download the offline version and the maps for where you are headed before you travel as backup.

[suzannegoh]

1 hour ago, kkerry said:

 

No need to steal anyone's fee wifi. Many airports have their own website where you can check their wifi setup ahead of time, maybe download the airport app if they have one. Otherwise make your way to the airport information desk where they will have been asked about free wifi a zillion times and are happy to help get you connected.

 

The days of paying $4 for fifteen minutes of very slow internet have been superseded by free wifi at almost all reasonably sized airports, just like most half decent hotels now give you their wifi details on check-in without you asking. If you use Google Maps download the offline version and the maps for where you are headed before you travel as backup.

Or get an AIS SIM2Fly card and have 4G connectivity as soon as you land.

[Samuel Smith]

3 hours ago, Samuel Smith said:

For UK visits I get giffgaff sim & package.

giffgaff will mail a free sim card to you in Thailand. Can buy a package online & works as soon as you land.

 

also it looks like the package is ok for roaming in EU.

 

https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Help-Support/Does-anything-change-using-giffgaff-in-Europe/m-p/22242816#M8267512

 

 

[kkerry]

2 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

Or get an AIS SIM2Fly card and have 4G connectivity as soon as you land.

 

Worth a look, better coverage maybe than the Dtac version. As with all travel SIMs, check the fine print about coverage and rates as some will eat up your minutes very fast.

 

I still like having a local SIM when I'm anywhere a local might need to call me back. If people see a missed call from a number with a strange country code they are less likely to return your call, same with a Grab or Uber driver when they can't find you and you need more than a text message for clarity.

[suzannegoh]

 
Worth a look, better coverage maybe than the Dtac version. As with all travel SIMs, check the fine print about coverage and rates as some will eat up your minutes very fast.
 
I still like having a local SIM when I'm anywhere a local might need to call me back. If people see a missed call from a number with a strange country code they are less likely to return your call, same with a Grab or Uber driver when they can't find you and you need more than a text message for clarity.

It's worth getting a local SIMM if you are going to be spending enough time in the country. But with AIS SIM2Fly you can buy short duration packages for not much money, if that's your preference, and then when you land it's not an urgent thing to find a local SIMM card.

[Lacessit]

I always print out my online tickets for safety's  sake. Drop your phone in a river, as my son managed to do on a trip here, and you are well and truly stuffed. Lucky for him I could retrieve and print his bookings on my laptop.

My advice would be get a cheap SIM in any country one is visiting, and use free WiFi to keep the costs down.

[eyecatcher]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I always print out my online tickets for safety's  sake. Drop your phone in a river, as my son managed to do on a trip here, and you are well and truly stuffed. Lucky for him I could retrieve and print his bookings on my laptop.

My advice would be get a cheap SIM in any country one is visiting, and use free WiFi to keep the costs down.

I agree, with the progress of paperless technology now, it seems we are still in the hands of a "wifi connection" and if that fails we are shafted.

Paper is and always was best...

 

Believe it or not, I already have a lever arch file filling up with  copies of passports, flight details, insurances, train bookings, a dozen different accommodation bookings, travel checklists, my own what to see and do in 7 different countries, hand ritten prices for every attraction in Europe, copies of visa and yet I am still paranoid about me or the wife losing the phone to pickpockets!

 

When our bags check in overweight that's the reason why.

[eyecatcher]

40 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

52 minutes ago, kkerry said:

 
Worth a look, better coverage maybe than the Dtac version. As with all travel SIMs, check the fine print about coverage and rates as some will eat up your minutes very fast.
 
I still like having a local SIM when I'm anywhere a local might need to call me back. If people see a missed call from a number with a strange country code they are less likely to return your call, same with a Grab or Uber driver when they can't find you and you need more than a text message for clarity.

It's worth getting a local SIMM if you are going to be spending enough time in the country. But with AIS SIM2Fly you can buy short duration packages for not much money, if that's your preference, and then when you land it's not an urgent thing to find a local SIMM card.

Our plan actually is only 2/3 days in several countries so the local SIM would therefore not be beneficial as free wifi would be the general aim, and I am not a phone "player" tbh.

Your suggestion is looking the most favourable for our circumstances thanks

[johng]

Interestingly enough Samuel Smith, I held one of the uks largest collection dating back to the 60s I am talking tegestology here not sim cards. I bet a few will be googling that. I sold them all, filling 4 large bin liners to an enthusiast from Newcastle. I kept hold of about 30 that I considered most valuable.

I googled it...how did your beer mats allow you to access the cell phone network ?

[eyecatcher]

32 minutes ago, johng said:

5 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Interestingly enough Samuel Smith, I held one of the uks largest collection dating back to the 60s I am talking tegestology here not sim cards. I bet a few will be googling that. I sold them all, filling 4 large bin liners to an enthusiast from Newcastle. I kept hold of about 30 that I considered most valuable.

I googled it...how did your beer mats allow you to access the cell phone network ?

it wasn't great, we used to run string between two mats and hopefully get a drip feed on the signal

[johng]

Ahh o.k. I thought baked bean cans would work better though.

[kkerry]

2 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

I already have a lever arch file filling up with  copies of passports, flight details, insurances, train bookings, a dozen different accommodation bookings, travel checklists, my own what to see and do in 7 different countries, hand ritten prices for every attraction in Europe, copies of visa and yet I am still paranoid about me or the wife losing the phone to pickpockets!

 

So what you do is scan or take photos of the documents you can't afford to lose, then copy to a password protected file on a USB drive, or attach to an e-mail you keep as a draft, or upload to the cloud.