One2call - Keeping My # When I Leave For A Few Months

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Sorry if this has been answered but could not find it in the archive

I am going back home for 70 or so days and want to keep my 1 2 call mobile phone #. I think I can only top it up with about 5 weeks at a time with the prepaid (500 baht). How long can my number be deactivated before they take it back?

Does anybody know?

TIA

[gummy]

Sorry if this has been answered but could not find it in the archive

I am going back home for 70 or so days and want to keep my 1 2 call mobile phone #. I think I can only top it up with about 5 weeks at a time with the prepaid (500 baht). How long can my number be deactivated before they take it back?

Does anybody know?

TIA

Not sure where you are getting that info from but generally when you renew with a prepaid card it will be 1 year validity or thereabouts apparently. By the way I am told the the 500 baht card is not available as easily now due to fraud problems so make sure you buy a top-up card from a reputable source.

[Jingthing]

I have topped mine up for much longer periods. Just keep adding money. Don't know the limit; there probably is one, why would you want to top up for 10 years, for example.

[gusG]

My 12call number has 12 months before expiration.Depends on how much you use it.I got that by using a couple of 500 Bht cards a month for the first couple of months I was here back in 2004.I now use maybe 100 Bht month but the validity still stays 12 months ahead.

Check your A/C balance and it will tell you how long you've got Cheers Gus.

[A_Traveller]

Maximum is two years, which is what I have. There was a 'promotion' which offered reduced call costs but reduced the limit to 1 year. What ever I add to my phone it sets to 2 years + 1 day from top-up date.

The greater the top-up the longer the validity, so for three months I guess {I've been at max for years} 500 / 800 baht(?) should do it. Others should be able to advise.

Regards

/edit add duration point & amend amount//

[luckyluke]

Dial *121# and push green telephone button and you will see your amount left and the date of validity.

[lomatopo]

Dial *121# and push green telephone button and you will see your amount left and the date of validity.

As with most text commands on One-2-Call you can always replace the "*" with "900", so dial 900121 and you can hear the remaining balance and expiration date.

AFAIK One-2-Call offers a maximum of 365 days of validity regardless of the quantity of top-ups. A few people have reported validity dates of more than one year so maybe they've got some special promotion? Some seem to misinterpret the expiration date oweing to an unfamiliarity with the current year.

For the OP, a 500 baht top-up will yield an additional 90 days validity, added on to the current expiraiton date but not exceeding 365 days. So easy enough to do a 500 baht top-up just prior to your departure. You can purchase 500 baht top-up "chit" ( a slip of paper on which you peel away the label to reveal the 13-digit PIN ) at any Telewiz shop.

There are several package/promotions that allow for lower-cost validity date extensions, but I've forgotten the exact details. Contact the AIS/One-2-Call call center for details; 1175 from your phone, email to: [email protected]

Many smaller retail outlets do not stock 500 baht top-up cards because most of their customers do not purchase this denomination, the cards do have a "shelf-life" and they make the same on a 300 baht card. Fraud issues more often involve someone hacking into the system to steal top-up codes or to top-up certain numbers. There have been two recent cases like this.

If you are at all concerned about fraud issues simply have the seller perform the top-up on premises. If it takes pay up, if not do not pay. Simple enough.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

the top-ups have an expiry date don't they?

[Priceless]

With the pre-paid "subscription" that I'm on, you get 1 day validity extension per 10 baht top-up, i.e. 500 baht will give you 50 days, 300 baht 30 days and so on. I dont know if there's a maximum but I have once topped up with 2,000 baht and duly got 200 days extended validity.

/Priceless

[lomatopo]

Top up cards do have a validity date, something like 18 months or so? This validity date is pprinted on the card.

For the OP, another alternative is to have a freind still in Thailand top-up your number for you. Any third party can go into a Telewiz shop armed with a telephone number and add value to that number. A confirming SMS is also sent but since the 'topee' is out of the country the SMS might not be delivered (it should be if the phone is on, roaming with service).

When I roam in the USA on T-Mobile or Cingular's network I can do *121# and get a reply, SMS'es are delivered and in-bound calls ring through.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Top up cards do have a validity date, something like 18 months or so? This validity date is pprinted on the card.

For the OP, another alternative is to have a freind still in Thailand top-up your number for you. Any third party can go into a Telewiz shop armed with a telephone number and add value to that number. A confirming SMS is also sent but since the 'topee' is out of the country the SMS might not be delivered (it should be if the phone is on, roaming with service).

When I roam in the USA on T-Mobile or Cingular's network I can do *121# and get a reply, SMS'es are delivered and in-bound calls ring through.

Thanks to everybody and the good ideas.

Lomatopo. Is it very expensive to roam in the states?

[Crabby]

<br />Sorry if this has been answered but could not find it in the archive<br /><br />I am going back home for 70 or so days and want to keep my 1 2 call mobile phone #. I think I can only top it up with about 5 weeks at a time with the prepaid (500 baht). How long can my number be deactivated before they take it back?<br /><br />Does anybody know?<br /><br />TIA<br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

[begsaresponse]

Sorry if this has been answered but could not find it in the archive

I am going back home for 70 or so days and want to keep my 1 2 call mobile phone #. I think I can only top it up with about 5 weeks at a time with the prepaid (500 baht). How long can my number be deactivated before they take it back?

Does anybody know?

TIA

I had similiar issues so I emailed AIS call centre about my issues. My 0ne 2 call was basic and they have switched me to GPRS and in a reply email gave me a lot of very helpful information.

I would suggest send them an email and you will get a quick reply.

[lomatopo]

Lomatopo. Is it very expensive to roam in the states?

I carry two tri-band phones and use T-Mobile (GSM 1900, can also 'ride' on Cingular, now AT&T's GSM 1900 network) pre-paid in the U.S.A. I leave my One-2-Call phone on so can receive SMS'es, reply to SMS'es and monitor in-bound calls, but do not answer them nor do I originate calls with that phone. Rather I use my T-Mobile phone to "retrun" calls made to my One-2-Call phone. Tariffs are quite outrageous when roaming interntionally so I almost always use a 'local' SIM.

[grahamhc]

Just something nobody has mentioned about top-ups. You can do at least 1-2-call and Happy via your bank's ATM (or at least on the Bangkok Bank ones). Happy gives me 900 Baht usage for 800 Baht paid via ATM.

ALSO, it is far easier keying it in than trying to read the numbers on the scratch card and key it into your mobile withour error...

The benefit of this is if your number is due to expire, you can get a friend over here to use THEIR ATM card to top-up YOUR mobile number.

[ballbreaker]

Dial *121# and push green telephone button and you will see your amount left and the date of validity.

LL has the right idea. Then just add 300 baht recharges, which add 30 days per card, until you move date out past your return date. I have done so many times.

[all4real]

There was a promotion going on that you can get 1 year validility when you top up your One-2-Call. Not sure if it is still going on since can't see English option in One-2-Call website anymore.

I switched to that program and it saves me quite a few baht since I don't need to top up all the time. I am not heavy user but I used to top up every month 300baht just to keep it valid. No more now, only top up when balance running low. Walk in any AIS shops and ask them about, they should be able to switch you.

[THAILIBAN]

Top up cards do have a validity date, something like 18 months or so? This validity date is pprinted on the card.

For the OP, another alternative is to have a freind still in Thailand top-up your number for you. Any third party can go into a Telewiz shop armed with a telephone number and add value to that number. A confirming SMS is also sent but since the 'topee' is out of the country the SMS might not be delivered (it should be if the phone is on, roaming with service).

When I roam in the USA on T-Mobile or Cingular's network I can do *121# and get a reply, SMS'es are delivered and in-bound calls ring through.

you can top-up by yourself even you are outside Thailand (if you buy the top-up cards before, while you are in Thailand, of course).

did that in Malaysia, Singapore and even in my home country in Europe many times, never had any problems doing that in the past 2 years.

I was not a particular FAN of AIS for a long time, but after DTAC does not open ur number for any kind of roaming unless you have a work-permit (what a pathetic joke ! a work permit to get roaming for a PREPAID CARD. a foreign - Norwegian - owned company harassing other foriegners!), its actually the only option. Just try to avoid sending sms through this number while u r outside Thailand as they charge an enormous 16 Baht for that.....

receiving sms while in another country is free, though....

[markiv]

12 Call have various packages, I was like you and had to top up every month, but I barely used my phone. So I phoned the operator 1175 and went for the Un Un package, the calls are slightly more expensive than the regular package, but your sim expiry is always good for 1 year, no matter how you much you put on it, 100 baht etc. I hardly top it up at all now.

If your going abroad also make sure you've got international roaming turned on. Phone the operator 1175 they'll tell you everything.

[bkk_mike]

Just thought I'd mention that you can also top up at AIS shops. (haven't seen many, but there's one in Fashion Island).

In my experience, the more you spend on a single top-up, the more time you get for each baht spent. - i.e. 5 x 100 baht will get you less time than a single 500 baht top up. (and you can top up for more than 500 baht at the shops themselves.)

[lomatopo]

Just thought I'd mention that you can also top up at AIS shops. (haven't seen many, but there's one in Fashion Island).

As I mentioned in a previous post, you can top up your own One-2-Call SIM, or anyone else's for that matter, at any Telewiz shop. There are dozens of these shops, with one in just about every major shopping denter. There are just a handful of AIS shops and maybe a single One-2-Call shop (Siam Sq.).

[sylvafern]

I only ever top-up using an ATM ... I topped up the other day (1-2-call) and the expiry date is May 2008.