Dialling Toll Free Numbers In The Us From Thailand

[sbk]

I remember someone posting that there was prefix that could be dialed in order to call a toll free number in the US. Search isn't pulling up that post

Anyone know if its possible? I dialed the AT&T operator and he said it wasn't possible to call this number toll free from Thailand but I could call and charge it to my AT&T calling card. Well, I don't have one and would rather try to do this directly.

[PeaceBlondie]

I never heard of a way to avoid LD charges, when calling a US toll free number like 800. I just dial 009-1-800-xxx-xxxx and pay about 9 baht per minute. Good luck, because when you get connected (after being told in Thai and English that you're paying for it), the American company assumes you can wade through three of those "for English, press 1........for customer service about XX, press 3" - and then they can put you on hold forever. So, first thing I do when Mollie or Derek answer is to kindly remind them I'm paying international dialing price to speak to them.

One of my credit cards has a direct line for customers who are overseas. You still pay full price, but you don't go through the automated recordings or the long, long wait for Mollie or Derek.

Let me know if there's a magic number, because that would save me several dollars per month.

[Thaigreg]

I remember someone posting that there was prefix that could be dialed in order to call a toll free number in the US. Search isn't pulling up that post

Anyone know if its possible? I dialed the AT&T operator and he said it wasn't possible to call this number toll free from Thailand but I could call and charge it to my AT&T calling card. Well, I don't have one and would rather try to do this directly.

Hi,

The call is not free. If you have access to local telephone or mobile phone you can dial the following:

009-1-800-xxx-xxxx

Greg

[briley]

skype is free, from a computer.

[Thaigreg]

skype is free, from a computer.

Isn't it free only computer to computer and/or if both parties are Skype members?

Edited April 5, 2007 by Thaigreg

[briley]

If you have skype on your computer (or an internet café) you can fall free phone numbers in the UK (I've done it) and I believe in the US without even having to put a penny into your skype account.

[lopburi3]

If the 800 number allows international access (most do not) then you can call the US provider as SBK did and they can connect you. Otherwise it is a normal toll call using public phones (there will be a recording advising of this before it is connected).

I believe Skype may have removed the toll free option for the US but not sure. But it would be a lower cost option than normal phone if you can put 10 euro into account somehow (if you use even a second of call time they will extend the service time another six month and they warn you when time is running out).

[sbk]

I didn't wait for the English, just assumed I couldn't get through. I can never understand those Thai recordings from the phone company for some reason. I don't mind paying, its just that I thought it wasn't accessible.

I'll wait to hear back from the company to see if I can do through email then.

[ProThaiExpat]

There are some financial institutions with international business that accept collect calls but you need an operator to do it. Likewise, one of my financial institutions sent me by e-mail an AT&T access code that permitted calling an 800 number for toll free in the U.S. It was a really long number.

My guess, as peaceblondie posted, depends on the institution, but mostly no.

[bubba]

Skype Out calls from your computer to toll-free numbers in the USA and Europe are still absolutely free. All you need is a free Skype ID. Audio quality is very good, perhaps better than calling the number from a landline.

[Guest Reimar]

If you've a Skype "Money" Account, you can call to the US 800 online toll free!

An other way is to open an account by Dialup.com and use that account to call the 800 numers via computer, it's also free of charge.

If you've a VoIP Service Provider within the USA you can also call to the 00for free!

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

I didn't wait for the English, just assumed I couldn't get through. I can never understand those Thai recordings from the phone company for some reason. I don't mind paying, its just that I thought it wasn't accessible.

I'll wait to hear back from the company to see if I can do through email then.

Hi sbk,

I had the same problem trying to call the major phone company in Australia as I couldn't use any of their listed numbers from Thailand. I had to get a friend of mine to actually call them for an international number. It was good due to the fact that, as another poster has stated, you don't have to go through all the rubbish at the start and you get connected straight away to an actual person. Have you got someone in the states that could do the same for you and get you an international number? It saves quite a bit of money as you're not left hanging around on hold for hours at an end. Hope this is of some help.

Cheers

Jimmy

[lomatopo]

I never heard of a way to avoid LD charges, when calling a US toll free number like 800. I just dial 009-1-800-xxx-xxxx and pay about 9 baht per minute.

Using the 009 or 007 prefix to dial a toll-free number (800/888/877/866) in the U.S.A. will result in a tariff of 5.35 baht/min. inclusive of VAT. If using the 001/+1 prefix then the tariff would be 9.63 baht/min.

I have yet to encounter a toll-free number that cannot be reached from here, just wait for the Thai and English prompt to play, and the call should ring through.

In some countries you might have to substitute 800 with 880, 888 with 881, and 877 with 882 to reach those numbers, and you will be paying internaitonal direct dialing (IDD) rates.

[SnakeBite]

try VoipStunt, you put up 10 euro and can call the US for any land line or mobile for free and also the 800 numbers, you can also call the UK, OZ and quite a few other places on landline only for free.

[PeaceBlondie]

I never heard of a way to avoid LD charges, when calling a US toll free number like 800. I just dial 009-1-800-xxx-xxxx and pay about 9 baht per minute.

Using the 009 or 007 prefix to dial a toll-free number (800/888/877/866) in the U.S.A. will result in a tariff of 5.35 baht/min. inclusive of VAT. If using the 001/+1 prefix then the tariff would be 9.63 baht/min.

I have yet to encounter a toll-free number that cannot be reached from here, just wait for the Thai and English prompt to play, and the call should ring through.

In some countries you might have to substitute 800 with 880, 888 with 881, and 877 with 882 to reach those numbers, and you will be paying internaitonal direct dialing (IDD) rates.

I stand corrected; it was only about 5 baht per minute. Social Security publishes numbers to call direct when you're overseas, but they're just answering machines. The real toll-free number, with the prompts and the waits, took 22 minutes and cost about 112 baht. I use prepaid AIS 1-2-call on a mobile phone.

[phazey]

FreeWorldDialup alows free calls to toll free numbers via a PC. You can also get free inbound numbers quite a few countries.