Warning for foreigners using True SIM to receive sms (otp) from their banks

[Bruno123]

10 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

I can't get mail to my house.  My mail box is about 30 minutes away.  Closest mall in Phuket with AIS and TRUE office is about 45 minutes away. 

 

Can you just explain to me, like I am a small child, or a golden retriever, how I get the porting code, and then more importantly how do I obtain a new AIS SIM and use the porting code.

 

Can I just use a new AIS SIM that I would buy at a mom and pop phone shop here and and then punch in the porting code via USSD.  And if so what exactly do I need to punch in.

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

Regarding getting out and about, that is why I went to Phuket last week (It has just opened back up).  I visited a very old friend and played with his new toddler at the beach.  While I was there I went to the AIS office as I previously explained.

 

Getting out and about and experiencing new things is good. Keep creating positive memories. You may need them at time when you don't feel as good.

 

I put all of the MNP info in your other thread. I'll be patient and go there to copy it over again for you, as you obviously missed it.

 

 

Do it now to check if it works. Nothing bad will happen, as nothing is ported until you give the code and your new registration details to AIS.

It will expire. Then when you are ready to visit the AIS Service Centre in Phuket, you can do it again. At least you know it will work if you test it today.

 

You cannot use a SIM from a shop as they already have numbers. You have to take the code and your passport, to an AIS Service Centre; as their online ordering service only accepts Thai ID numbers.

[MrJ2U]

On 10/28/2021 at 11:13 AM, Adumbration said:

My true number is linked to 14 other institutions both here and abroad, so it would be a nightmare to start afresh with a new AiS number.

Transferred your True number to AIS.

 

Same number but with a different carrier that works with your banks.

[Bruno123]

2 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Transferred your True number to AIS.

 

Same number but with a different carrier that works with your banks.

He is already doing that....

[MrJ2U]

8 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

He is already doing that....

Hes thinking about it.

 

 

[Bruno123]

6 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Hes thinking about it.

 

 

 

Nope; he is doing it. Already tested the AIS SIM. Perhaps too many threads; so you missed it.

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, Bruno123 said:

 

Nope; he is doing it. Already tested the AIS SIM. Perhaps too many threads; so you missed it.

Hopefully it all works out.

 

Very stressful not being able to access your money while in a foreign country.

 

I wonder just how easy it is to port one number to another carrier?

 

Thailand usually doesn't make things simple.

[Bruno123]

25 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Hopefully it all works out.

 

Very stressful not being able to access your money while in a foreign country.

 

I wonder just how easy it is to port one number to another carrier?

 

Thailand usually doesn't make things simple.

 

It's easy. Send a text message to get a moving code; take that code and your passport to your new provider. The next day the SIM they give you should be up and running. Theoretically it can be done in twenty four hours.

[MrJ2U]

5 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

 

It's easy. Send a text message to get a moving code; take that code and your passport to your new provider. The next day the SIM they give you should be up and running. Theoretically it can be done in twenty four hours.

Good to know.

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

How much does it cost to receive the SMS?

Free, you are only charged if you send an sms or make calls.

 

Like I said, I use that mobile for OTP's only and pay $20 for 365 days, all you have to do is make sure roaming is activated on your device and renew it annually online.

[The Hammer2021]

49 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Free, you are only charged if you send an sms or make calls.

 

Like I said, I use that mobile for OTP's only and pay $20 for 365 days, all you have to do is make sure roaming is activated on your device and renew it annually online.

I think I pay 50p for receiving and SMS and £2.50  for receiving a call

[Adumbration]

11 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Free, you are only charged if you send an sms or make calls.

 

Like I said, I use that mobile for OTP's only and pay $20 for 365 days, all you have to do is make sure roaming is activated on your device and renew it annually online.

I have been here for 12 years and have not been back to Oz in that time.  I have no family whatsoever there that I could rely upon for support.  As I reported in my other threads I suffer from a chronic genetic blood disease for which there in no cure.  I live in Thailand because it is a lot cheaper for me to access a reasonable quality of life and low cost treatment options.  I also self manage a lot of my health because most medicines I use are available over the counter and if bought in bulk at very cheap prices.  I am basically a long term medical tourist.  

 

At present I am too ill to travel on a plane.

 

How might someone in my situation obtain an activated and set on roaming SIM card that you describe?

 

Any 

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Adumbration said:

I have been here for 12 years and have not been back to Oz in that time.  I have no family whatsoever there that I could rely upon for support.  As I reported in my other threads I suffer from a chronic genetic blood disease for which there in no cure.  I live in Thailand because it is a lot cheaper for me to access a reasonable quality of life and low cost treatment options.  I also self manage a lot of my health because most medicines I use are available over the counter and if bought in bulk at very cheap prices.  I am basically a long term medical tourist.  

 

At present I am too ill to travel on a plane.

 

How might someone in my situation obtain an activated and set on roaming SIM card that you describe?

 

Any 

If you know of anyone travelling to Australia in the future, you could ask them to buy one for you and either post it or give it to you upon their return.

[4MyEgo]

12 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I think I pay 50p for receiving and SMS and £2.50  for receiving a call

Pretty much the same, except receiving an SMS's is free, but if I send an SMS or answer or make a call, it's death as it is so expensive, so as mentioned, only use it to receive OTP's.

[Bruno123]

Better for him to stick with a Thai SIM card that works. if he has a problem with an Oz SIM card it will be much more difficult for him to put right.

[Adumbration]

21 hours ago, Bruno123 said:

Better for him to stick with a Thai SIM card that works. if he has a problem with an Oz SIM card it will be much more difficult for him to put right.

Yes that is correct.  I cannot rely upon a solution that involves some random third party.  I need a hard solution I can manage from my end.  

 

@Bruno123is a bit bossy at times but he definitely what he is talking about.

 

Unbenknown to me there is actually a AIS Buddy shop here.  I went there yesterday but they told me they cant do number porting and that closest option is Airport at Phuket.

 

I will try to get down there later this week health permitting.

 

I intend to do the 4444151 call to get the MNP from True while standing in their office in the Airport.  Then walk to the AIS office with the code to get it to them and get my new sim.

[pattaya1234was]

I contributed to a similar thread a month or so ago. I was not receiving OTP's from the Inland Revenue in the UK. Once I had given the name of my provider here in Thailand all was sorted pretty quickly. The In land Revenue told me that the provider admitted receiving the codes and to not passing them on. They said that a few other providers had admitted to doing to the same. So the problem IS with the provider-get your bank to call them.

[Bruno123]

36 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

Yes that is correct.  I cannot rely upon a solution that involves some random third party.  I need a hard solution I can manage from my end.  

 

@Bruno123is a bit bossy at times but he definitely what he is talking about.

 

Unbenknown to me there is actually a AIS Buddy shop here.  I went there yesterday but they told me they cant do number porting and that closest option is Airport at Phuket.

 

I will try to get down there later this week health permitting.

 

I intend to do the 4444151 call to get the MNP from True while standing in their office in the Airport.  Then walk to the AIS office with the code to get it to them and get my new sim.

 

No. You it you before you set out on your journey ????  If not; you need to call their call centre. You don't need a Truemove H shop at all. a shop CANNOT give you a code; so it will be a waste of time.

The code will still be valid by the time you arrive at the airport. Better you have it at hand before leaving, than standing at the airport whistling in the wind waiting for it to arrive.

 

You seem to need to do things in a certain way...even if it doesn't make any sense at all.

 

Why for instance, don't you listen when I write CALL AIS. Stop visiting shops and asking. The call centre can give you all of the information that you need and implement any changes. But instead you go from one shop to the other. 

 

The networks simplified the process so that everything could be done quickly and efficiently; but you seem to make it much more complicated than is necessary; adding steps just to go back to the old fashioned way.

 

The call centres can do things that most of the shops cannot. Speak to them. 1175 for AIS. You don't need to speak to True unless the code doesn't arrive. But you want to stand outside their booth anyway.  ????  Belt and braces eh? ????

 

 

 

 

 

[stag4]

On 10/30/2021 at 10:48 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Free, you are only charged if you send an sms or make calls.

 

Like I said, I use that mobile for OTP's only and pay $20 for 365 days, all you have to do is make sure roaming is activated on your device and renew it annually online.

My daughter just went into Vodafone to enquire about the $20/365 SIM and was told that to use it overseas even to receive SMS would cost around $5 per day Global roaming.

Have you received SMS OTPs on yours lately? Maybe it's a new policy same as Telstra now.

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, stag4 said:

My daughter just went into Vodafone to enquire about the $20/365 SIM and was told that to use it overseas even to receive SMS would cost around $5 per day Global roaming.

Have you received SMS OTPs on yours lately? Maybe it's a new policy same as Telstra now.

I think you right as I just had a look at Vodaphone. It looks to me like it is now for existing users, so if you weren't on it before, you will now have to pay the $5 per day roaming charges, ouch.

 

 

[Adumbration]

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I think you right as I just had a look at Vodaphone. It looks to me like it is now for existing users, so if you weren't on it before, you will now have to pay the $5 per day roaming charges, ouch.

 

 

Not workable solutions.

[falang07]

I think it is related to this: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG210925201013224

 

I also stopped receiving any SMS messages from Cyprus including my bank. AIS keeps telling me it is not their fault but I have tested it and the problem is caused on Thai side. No solution yet, they say they are investigating it...

 

[Adumbration]

8 hours ago, falang07 said:

I think it is related to this: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG210925201013224

 

I also stopped receiving any SMS messages from Cyprus including my bank. AIS keeps telling me it is not their fault but I have tested it and the problem is caused on Thai side. No solution yet, they say they are investigating it...

 

Jesus.  Don't tell me you are having problems with AIS.  I am just about to port away from True to AIS.

[falang07]

12 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Jesus.  Don't tell me you are having problems with AIS.  I am just about to port away from True to AIS.

As stated above, I do not receive any SMS messages from Cyprus, tried to called them several times and they still insist they do not see any messages in the system and that I should check wich the sending party. Crazy.

 

[pjmorton]

I have the same problem with True home service. Many overseas url's simply won't connect - I thought it was because they were using a bad DNS server. Have complained now and then but don't have the patience to sit home and wait for the technician to arrive. The simple fix is to . tether through from my AIS phone connection presto - problem solved.

[Adumbration]

1 hour ago, pjmorton said:

I have the same problem with True home service. Many overseas url's simply won't connect - I thought it was because they were using a bad DNS server. Have complained now and then but don't have the patience to sit home and wait for the technician to arrive. The simple fix is to . tether through from my AIS phone connection presto - problem solved.

True customer service staff give you plenty of sorry sirs and other platitudes but the problem is never properly investigated or fixed.  The taking heads you speak to on the phone are not actually techs.  

[Adumbration]

Well I am at the point of nervous breakdown now.

 

I tried the 4444151 number @Bruno123 provided to request an MNP number.  It did not work.  True sent an sms saying that I owed them money so number could not be ported.  It is a prepaid sim.

 

Despite my very poor health and mobility problems I traveled down to Phuket three days ago.  I visited the True office in person and showed them the MNP request sms on my phone I asked them how could I owe money if it was a prepaid card.  They could not provide me with a reason.  After about 40 minutes they managed to generate an MNP on their computer and wrote it down for me.  I asked them to triple check that everything was ok because I lived a long way from their office and travel was difficult for me.  The expressly stated everything was good to go and that I just need to give mnp to AIS.

 

Went to the nearby AIS office.  Dealt with the manger who was very professional.  Told her the history of my problem, that I was not receiving SMS from my banks in Australia and that I had bought a AIS sim a week or so ago and tested it while on a call with one of my banks and it received sms message perfectly.  Told here need to port old True number to AIS because it is linked to at least a dozen other banks, cards and brokerages in Thailand and other overseas countries.

 

She issued me a new sim, took a copy of my passport and got me to fill out a one page form.  She told it would take a maximum of 2 days to port.  I checked there was nothing else required and then traveled back home.  When back home at about 8pm at night I get a SMS from AIS. It was in Thai.  It said that they could not port in my True number because the code given to my by TRUE was not correct.  

 

I obtained the line contact for the manager at AIS so the next morning (yesterday) I rang her.  She was very helpful and walked over to speak with the staff I dealt with at the True office while on video chat with me.  Staff at True office said that I would have to travel back to Phuket to rectify the problem in person.  I told them that if I had to travel back to Phuket they should call the police because upon my arrival at their office I would murder them.

 

After they realised I was not joking they arranged for an SMS to be sent to my phone that contained a link.  When i clicked on the link it took me to a video chat with a True girl.  She asked me some questions and used the platform to take of photo of me and my passport.  She told me to wait 30 minutes and try again to request an MNP code using 444151 number.

 

I did that and the number arrived on my phone.  I then contacted the AIS manager on line and provided her with the code.  Apparently the sim she gave me the previous day was no good.  But she was kind enough to issue a new one and send it up to me via kerry.

 

It arrived late this afternoon.  So I now had a AIS sim but with my old True number that is linked to all my bank and other accounts that required OTP.

 

I put it in my phone and logged on to my banks in Australia and generated SMS OTP.  Nothing arrived exactly same problem.  I tested Wise and other overseas and Thai banks and SMS did arrive.  Exactly same problem.

 

I put the new sim in two other friends phones and retested.  Same problem  SMS from my Australian banks not arriving .  All other SMS arrive in split second.

 

So it is now over six weeks now and I still have not got access to my funds.   My CBA accounts are locked and I cannot use my MasterCard.

 

Given that the AIS sim I bought a week or so ago did work, I can only assumption that can be made is that even though my old (082 prefix) true number is now with AIS sms messages must still be first routed through the true system.

 

I am now in a very dire mental and physical state.  

 

If anyone can think of any workable solution to help me move forward I would be very grateful for your input.

[JensenZ]

On 10/29/2021 at 7:13 AM, mvdf said:

This happened to me too. The problem lies in the mobile or cellular service provider's (in your case, TrueH) SMS barring and filtering systems. This is independent of your device's internal SMS barring and blocking feature. They may have told you that there is absolutely no problem with their systems but remember, those you've spoken to are customer service staff who aren't technically well-versed with the issue and will regurgitate what they see on their screens or your TrueH account.

 

This is technology designed to prevent "smishing" (phishing by SMS) or fraudulent solicitations and will selectively autoblock SMSs which are identified as spam, even if those SMS were sent by a legitimate sender

 

I suggest using an SMS system that has no such filters. I subscribed to a Google number and requested that my bank use it for OTP delivery. It works flawlessly. There is an option within the Google Voice app for SMS redirection to Gmail. Toggling this on means I get the OTPs even when my phone is on WiFi only. If you travel prolifically or spend most of your time overseas, you should consider using an SMS system which allows redirection of sensitive and time-critical messages both on-chain (SMS) and to your email for even greater reliability.

 

I use my True SIM to recieve OTPs from Citibank Australia. After reading this post I was concerned so I tried it and received my OTP as usual. I think the problem is with the Australian network, not True. 

 

I have the option to receive a OTP with my Citi mobile app. This might be a good option.

[Adumbration]

3 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

I use my True SIM to recieve OTPs from Citibank Australia. After reading this post I was concerned so I tried it and received my OTP as usual. I think the problem is with the Australian network, not True. 

 

I have the option to receive a OTP with my Citi mobile app. This might be a good option.

Before I ported from TRUE to AIS I bought a AIS sim and arranged with my bank over the phone to send a test OTP.  It arrived fine.  I then ported my old number from True to AIS because it is linked to all my accounts both here and overseas.  I tested the new AIS sim (with my old True number) tonight and it does not work.  Problem is exactly the same as 6 weeks ago.  I cannot use app because I need sms to activate and I have not been back to Australia for over a decade.  

[JensenZ]

27 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

Before I ported from TRUE to AIS I bought a AIS sim and arranged with my bank over the phone to send a test OTP.  It arrived fine.  I then ported my old number from True to AIS because it is linked to all my accounts both here and overseas.  I tested the new AIS sim (with my old True number) tonight and it does not work.  Problem is exactly the same as 6 weeks ago.  I cannot use app because I need sms to activate and I have not been back to Australia for over a decade.  

Well, mine works and yours doesn't. I've been using my True number for OTPs from Citi Australia since 2012. What could it be? There might be a problem with your bank's network's communication with the True network. If mine didn't work, then we could blame True, so what's more likely the problem? It's a mystery, for sure.

 

Can you not contact your bank and change your Thai number, receive a OTP to activate your app. All I need for my OTP is to enter my 4 digit code on the app. After that you won't need your True number at all. I opened my Citi bank account from Thailand, so surely changing your number with the bank should be easy.

[Adumbration]

39 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

Well, mine works and yours doesn't. I've been using my True number for OTPs from Citi Australia since 2012. What could it be? There might be a problem with your bank's network's communication with the True network. If mine didn't work, then we could blame True, so what's more likely the problem? It's a mystery, for sure.

 

Can you not contact your bank and change your Thai number, receive a OTP to activate your app. All I need for my OTP is to enter my 4 digit code on the app. After that you won't need your True number at all. I opened my Citi bank account from Thailand, so surely changing your number with the bank should be easy.

So you opened your Citi account from Thailand.  And did not ever have to visit a branch in Australia in person?