Adding Validity to AIS prepaid Sim

[Adumbration]

Hello.

 

As I have reported in another thread.  I have recently identified that TRUE is not sending through my OTP messages from by overseas banks.

 

I tested a AIS sim this morning and it received the SMS fine in split second.

 

TRUE and DTAC have a USSD code to extend validity of a sim for a small cost.  For example to extend the validity of my current TRUE sim by 6 months I just  Press : * 934 * 180 # am am charged 12 baht from my phone credit.

 

My understanding is that AIS does not have any such codes.  The only way to extend validity is to add credit to your phone.  The website says 10 baht top up results in 30 day validity extension.

 

First problem is that all of the online top up options have minimum of 50 baht payment.

 

So this is the key question I want to ask.  If you make say a single 120 baht top up with AIS does that only give you a 1 month extension to your validity? 

 

Or if you make a single 120 baht top up would that extend your validity by a full 12 months?

 

Thanks for your input.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Adumbration

[treetops]

One month.

 

If you have a Boontherm machine outside your local 711 or wherever you can pay 12 baht for 10 baht credit and one month extension, or I saw something on Lazada the other day that offered the same for 11 baht.  First time I'd seen it and didn't note details.

 

Bangkok Bank allows 20 baht top ups with no charge and  a month's extension for each.

 

Correction:  Lazada appears to have no additional fee for 10 baht top up

Edited October 28, 2021 by treetops

[Adumbration]

2 minutes ago, treetops said:

One month.

 

If you have a Boontherm machine outside your local 711 or wherever you can pay 12 baht for 10 baht credit and one month extension, or I saw something on Lazada the other day that offered the same for 11 baht.  First time I'd seen it and didn't note details.

 

Bangkok Bank allows 20 baht topups with no charge and  a month's extension for each.

Thanks treetops.  I have just had a look in the village.  There are machines for top ups.  One charges 2 baht for 10 baht top up the other charges 5 baht.

 

I recall now that many years ago when I first arrived here I moved from AIS to True because of the PITA of topping up to maintain validity.  However now TRUE has let me down spectularly and so it is back to AIS and their nonsense.  TIT.

[treetops]

I was editing my post as you typed.  You can save yourself a walk and a couple of baht on Lazada.

[Adumbration]

Here is the link to the lazada top up page:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/shop/mobile-topup-th?path=index.htm&langFlag=en&lang=en&pageTypeId=1

[treetops]

I don't see the deal I described on there.  I was using the app and it appears to be available for all the phone companies there.

[Adumbration]

13 minutes ago, treetops said:

I don't see the deal I described on there.  I was using the app and it appears to be available for all the phone companies there.

If you click on the shop then select AIS in the left hand column you will see a listing for 10baht top op for 10 baht.  Has thousands of people left 5 star review but no way to access and read that feedback....so proceed with caution I have not yet used this service.

[scubascuba3]

The AIS app allows you to top up 10 baht for 1 month

[PoorSucker]

When I was in Sweden I set my Thai bank to top up my AIS number with 20 baht every month.

[JackGats]

One month per top-up. Even if you top up 10k Baht at one go, one puny month.

[Puccini]

13 hours ago, Adumbration said:

So this is the key question I want to ask.  If you make say a single 120 baht top up with AIS does that only give you a 1 month extension to your validity? 

Yes.

[Capella]

17 hours ago, Adumbration said:

First problem is that all of the online top up options have minimum of 50 baht payment.

Bangkok Bank has a minimum top up of only 20 Baht - gets you one month extension of validity. 

[Adumbration]

Thanks everyone for you input.  You might like to read my related thread here:

 

 

 

[Puccini]

21 hours ago, Capella said:

Bangkok Bank has a minimum top up of only 20 Baht - gets you one month extension of validity. 

Other banks allow e-banking top-up of any amount typed in by the customer. Last year, I made repeated top-ups of THB 5.00 for an AIS SIM and each top-up extended the validity by one month, up to a total validity period of one year.

[hereforgood]

21 hours ago, Capella said:

Bangkok Bank has a minimum top up of only 20 Baht - gets you one month extension of validity. 

I do this for 2 sim cards of a friend back in the states. Very easy and do not have to visit a shop Allows extension up to 1 year

[Adumbration]

13 hours ago, Puccini said:

Other banks allow e-banking top-up of any amount typed in by the customer. Last year, I made repeated top-ups of THB 5.00 for an AIS SIM and each top-up extended the validity by one month, up to a total validity period of one year.

@PucciniThis is interesting.  Can you confirm which bank e-banking platform you used. 

 

Was it app or bank website?

 

Was it Kasikorn? 

[Puccini]

11 hours ago, Adumbration said:

@PucciniThis is interesting.  Can you confirm which bank e-banking platform you used. 

 

Was it app or bank website?

 

Was it Kasikorn? 

It was Kasikorn and I believe I used the website.

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Puccini

[Puccini]

Kasikorn makes it easy by letting the account holder create templates for payments that are being made repeatedly.

 

Payment order:

 

 

Payment confirmation:

Edited October 30, 2021 by Puccini

[Puccini]

Before the topup:

28.11.2020 Balance THB 19.13, valid until 21.01.2021

 

After topup:

29.11.2020 Balance THB 14.13, valid until 20.02.2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruno123]

4 hours ago, Puccini said:

Kasikorn makes it easy by letting the account holder create templates for payments that are being made repeatedly.

 

Payment order:

 

 

Payment confirmation:

 

Useful, since it states 20 baht; it's good to know you can manually input 5 baht. I didn't try it, so didn't know. ????

[Adumbration]

5 Gold Stars to Puccini for his Kasikorn hack.  I have just logged in to my Kasikorn account and there is indeed the facility to set up payment for top up to all Thai SIMS.  I did not trial a 5 baht payment yet because I have to port my TRUE number to an AIS number but at this stage I think it is a winning strategy.

 

Thank you very much @Puccinifor this tip and clear instructions how to use it.  Your kind input is greatly appreciated.

 

So with just a few minutes online I should be able to do 12 x 5 baht top ups and add 12 months validity for just 60 baht.

[Adumbration]

@Puccini.  I also wonder because you can enter your own amount, is it possible to enter just 1 baht and process the top up?  I don't yet have a AIS sim to try.

[Puccini]

8 hours ago, Adumbration said:

@Puccini.  I also wonder because you can enter your own amount, is it possible to enter just 1 baht and process the top up?  I don't yet have a AIS sim to try.

I got the THB 5 tip from the AIS employee at Icon Siam who sold me the SIM. When I enquired about extending the validity period he brought me to the machine at the entrance of the shop and guided me how to make several top-ups of THB 5 at a time, each extending the validity by one month. Unlike their website, this machine displayed THB 5 as the minimum available top-up option. I am not in Thailand at the moment and therefore unable to check if the machine's option is still the same.

[Bruno123]

8 hours ago, Adumbration said:

@Puccini.  I also wonder because you can enter your own amount, is it possible to enter just 1 baht and process the top up?  I don't yet have a AIS sim to try.

 

?? Of course you have an AIS SIM to try. You bought one for your test with the bank ????

I guess I just have to relax a bit and to understand that you see things differently.

But yes, I am sure that you can afford to spend 1 baht, using the SIM that you utilised for the bank SMS test.

 

[Puccini]

Not all banks allow the amount for topping up to be typed into a field on the online order form. SCB, for example, gives me a drop-down list with multiple choices from which to select, starting at THB 50 for an AIS top-up:

 

[Adumbration]

16 hours ago, Puccini said:

I got the THB 5 tip from the AIS employee at Icon Siam who sold me the SIM. When I enquired about extending the validity period he brought me to the machine at the entrance of the shop and guided me how to make several top-ups of THB 5 at a time, each extending the validity by one month. Unlike their website, this machine displayed THB 5 as the minimum available top-up option. I am not in Thailand at the moment and therefore unable to check if the machine's option is still the same.

Most of the kiosk machines you refer to have a 10 baht minimum from what I have seen.  The orange ones charge a premium of 2 baht for the top up. Some other machines that have popped up recently also have a 10 baht option but the premium to top up is 5 baht or (50%) the price of the actually top up.