Buying my first Smart phone this weekend - use basically for video calls to UK and Thailand - LINE / Skype, may use for email if I can learn to type on the phone.

Use laptop for all other work as well as occasional video calls.

Have cheepo pocket mobile phone for general use here.    Currently use AIS.

My current internet is free where I live in a small group of family run houses upcountry, never an issue but can be very slow, also often power and internet down in this area.

What would be the best internet and phone package to cover Smart phone ( will need new SIM anyway ) and laptop ?   Use will not be extensive.

 

Mate,

 

Best check what company has best service in you area, they can vary greatly. We had our MIL setup up with 3BB which used a router and Wifi for 600B per month, worked ok when I visit, can stream movies etc but it is a FIXED point, if you are after portability using your phone as a hotspot again you will need to know who has towers in your area. This can be a more expensive way to do it and usually has download limits.

Look into Finn mobile. It's a virtual operator and they use DTAC infrastructure. I have now 10gb 200 minutes calls at 189 baht/month. Last year I had 179 baht promotion. It should have doubled this year but they just gave me the chance to be upgraded at the higher package still on promotional price at 10 baht more. Never been happier of ditching AIS. 

If you are buying a smartphone you will just tether your data from it and use internet from your laptop.

They have also bigger packages if you need up to unlimited full speed internet at 749thb/month. 

Run a speed test on your AIS SIM; https://testmy.net/

 

If you can get at least 10 Mbps down and up, you may find an AIS SIM package on Lazada from 1800 baht, that covers a year of unlimited 8 - 10 Mbps data. Though do check beforehand with the vendor that it is a Prepaid SIM.

 

Alternatively AIS has a PostPaid unlimited 10 Mbps package for 300 baht per month.