1 year unlimited Dtac 30mbps vs True 15mbps

[sallecc]

Since the other thread was closed due to some members quarreling (yep, on mobile data plans thread lol), I'll copy / paste my question which I typed just before the thread was closed:

 

"Before this thread goes out of hand, let me ask if anybody actually used Dtac free "all networks" calls to a land-line numbers? If yes, then Dtac 30mbps (with 60min free 'all networks' calls) is better deal than True 15mbps (no calls) since it's the same price for 1 year unlimited...

 

But also have to consider what is the actual difference in speed between Dtac 30mbps and True 15mbps, sometimes those are the numbers only, I remember people reported their True 15mbps was actually rocking at 50-60mbps...

 

In our location (Kata beach, Phuket) my wife's Dtac 30mbps sim is actually pulling only 15-16mbps (on TestMy.net app)."

 

Cheers and please keep this thread peaceful, thanks in advance. Alex

[KhunBENQ]

I have a DTAC SIM, 15 Mbit/s, one year, 1390 Baht or so.

1 hour ago, sallecc said:

In our location (Kata beach, Phuket) my wife's Dtac 30mbps sim is actually pulling only 15-16mbps (on TestMy.net app)."

testmynet will usually test against some "real world" server outside of Thailand/overseas  and the result is not surprising to me.

The provider will guarantee the rate only testing against their own domestic servers.

And thats what my SIM supplies (15 Mbit).

It's good for my purpose when "on the road" (listening to radio, reading/browsing news, mail, text/video chat).

It even does reasonable video streaming from the big players (youtube and the like).

 

BUT: be aware that the UPLOAD speed can be very bad depending on the signal strength/distance of your phone to cellular station.

Bad upload on the cell phone usually spoils video chat experience.

If you use the phone mostly in city/populate areas this might not be a problem.

But countrywide the DTAC coverage is still behind AIS e.g.

 

Calls to all networks are free, limited to 60 min/month with my card.

 

Next year I will look at AIS for the better coverage.

Edited September 30, 2022 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

56 minutes ago, sallecc said:

I remember people reported their True 15mbps was actually rocking at 50-60mbps...

They might be fooled by the fact that data is actually coming through WiFi at certain places like big shopping malls. Learned that from a shop owner at Tukcom when my friend purchased a 15 Mbit/s card and test showed some 50 Mbit/s.

Also throttling may be lifted temporarily depending on total load/time of day etc.

Not at DTAC, never experienced.

[sallecc]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I have a DTAC SIM, 15 Mbit/s, one year, 1390 Baht or so.

testmynet will usually test against some "real world" server outside of Thailand/overseas  and the result is not surprising to me.

The provider will guarantee the rate only testing against their own domestic servers.

And thats what my SIM supplies (15 Mbit).

It's good for my purpose when "on the road" (listening to radio, reading/browsing news, mail, text/video chat).

It even does reasonable video streaming from the big players (youtube and the like).

 

BUT: be aware that the UPLOAD speed can be very bad depending on the signal strength/distance of your phone to cellular station.

Bad upload on the cell phone usually spoils video chat experience.

If you use the phone mostly in city/populate areas this might not be a problem.

But countrywide the DTAC coverage is still behind AIS e.g.

 

Calls to all networks are free, limited to 60 min/month with my card.

 

Next year I will look at AIS for the better coverage.

Thanks... If Dtac "free calls" indeed include landlines, then it's an interesting option.... I don't really use phone calls, but I remember few times when I had to do some urgent ones (airline or hospital), and then had to bother with refill since my 1y sim had zero credit,

 

OK now I stole my wife's Dtac 1y 30mbps sim for the weekend  ('research purposes'), and I'll compare it to True prepaid old sim, and then I'll decide which 1-year sim to buy for myself.

 

AIS doesn't offer 1 year unlimited sims (as far as I know), which is a pity as I think they have the best speeds in my particular location (Kata, Phuket), but as I remember True was very good as well.

 

Today our Dtac '1y 30mbps' sim was showing anywhere from 5 to 20 mbps on tests.

 

By the way, which "local" speed test do you recommend?

 

(I don't see Thai servers in TestMy.net app... I saw them in SpeedTest but many here and elsewhere condemned that app so I guess it's not reliable)

[MrJ2U]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I have a DTAC SIM, 15 Mbit/s, one year, 1390 Baht or so.

testmynet will usually test against some "real world" server outside of Thailand/overseas  and the result is not surprising to me.

The provider will guarantee the rate only testing against their own domestic servers.

And thats what my SIM supplies (15 Mbit).

It's good for my purpose when "on the road" (listening to radio, reading/browsing news, mail, text/video chat).

It even does reasonable video streaming from the big players (youtube and the like).

 

BUT: be aware that the UPLOAD speed can be very bad depending on the signal strength/distance of your phone to cellular station.

Bad upload on the cell phone usually spoils video chat experience.

If you use the phone mostly in city/populate areas this might not be a problem.

But countrywide the DTAC coverage is still behind AIS e.g.

 

Calls to all networks are free, limited to 60 min/month with my card.

 

Next year I will look at AIS for the better coverage.

Where did you purchase the Sim card?

 

Lazada, store, etc.  Seems a very good deal. 

[scubascuba3]

As you know the speed of DTAC where you live you need to check True speed then you can make a decision

[sallecc]

12 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Where did you purchase the Sim card?

 

Lazada, store, etc.  Seems a very good deal. 

Lazada now has 30mbps for ~1600 (was ~1400 during 9.9 promo).

[MrJ2U]

4 minutes ago, sallecc said:

Lazada now has 30mbps for ~1600 (was ~1400 during 9.9 promo).

10*10 coming up.

 

I'm paying month to month.  About 300 baht a month, 3000 a year.

 

I definitely need to Chang that! 

[Dart12]

28 minutes ago, sallecc said:

Thanks... If Dtac "free calls" indeed include landlines, then it's an interesting option.... I don't really use phone calls, but I remember few times when I had to do some urgent ones (airline or hospital), and then had to bother with refill since my 1y sim had zero credit,

 

OK now I stole my wife's Dtac 1y 30mbps sim for the weekend  ('research purposes'), and I'll compare it to True prepaid old sim, and then I'll decide which 1-year sim to buy for myself.

 

AIS doesn't offer 1 year unlimited sims (as far as I know), which is a pity as I think they have the best speeds in my particular location (Kata, Phuket), but as I remember True was very good as well.

 

Today our Dtac '1y 30mbps' sim was showing anywhere from 5 to 20 mbps on tests.

 

By the way, which "local" speed test do you recommend?

 

(I don't see Thai servers in TestMy.net app... I saw them in SpeedTest but many here and elsewhere condemned that app so I guess it's not reliable)

Ask the seller .  I buy thru the store ALOT on Lazada and they answer questions quickly and their english is very very good so there is never really any issues with comprehension of a question.

All you can do is test on your phone for actual speed.  Going to matter about your area for how well the carrier does.

Where I am DTAC works as sold.  But I may be doing some traveling soon.

what carriers are know for best total coverage of thailand?  (major areas). I'm not heading to any Isaan.
 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Where did you purchase the Sim card?

At Lazada in May.

From this shop:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i977508811-s10371293227.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1

30 Mbps is 1690.

But there are many offers for all providers on Lazada.

Quite confusing.

 

I managed to register the SIM online without visiting DTAC shop.

But it was a bit teduious, repeated attempts to scan QR and passport upload...

If all fails visit DTAC shop with passport.

 

[MrJ2U]

19 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

At Lazada in May.

From this shop:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i977508811-s10371293227.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1

30 Mbps is 1690.

But there are many offers for all providers on Lazada.

Quite confusing.

 

I managed to register the SIM online without visiting DTAC shop.

But it was a bit teduious, repeated attempts to scan QR and passport upload...

If all fails visit DTAC shop with passport.

 

Sounds good! 

[sallecc]

OK time to update, past week I compared Dtac (30mbps 1year sim) VS. True (30mbps 10days pack).

 

(True's 1y unlimited sim is actually 15mbps, but I don't have it so I had to use 30mbps 10days pack)

 

- Tests were confusing and unreliable, on TestMy.Net: Dtac 5-20, True 15-175 mbps, on SpeedTest: Dtac 10-30, True 110-125 mbps... this was on my location (central Kata beach, Phuket).

 

- Real life usage: both cards didn't buffer at all on Youtube 4k test video (2160p) or on any other service, and that's the only thing I care about... Files downloads were pretty fast on both as well.

 

- Free calls mystery solved: both Dtac 30mbps and True 15mbps 1 year unlimited sims offer 60 minutes free calls to ALL networks, including land-lines (confirmed with 'Tree Mobile' salesman).

 

- The only reason I choose to buy True (on 10.10. promo sales day) is my Bangkok Bank app which for some reason works painfully slow on Dtac, it takes 1-2 minutes for pin-code or fingerprint verification, while on True it's instant in seconds, this is well known problem (in my area at least).

 

If I only had chance to try True's actual 15mbps sim... But they didn't had 15mbps pack on offer, so I had to test it with 30mbps pack... I guess (I hope) 15mbps 1y sim will work as fast as their 30mbps pack (I mean in real-life video & downloads, not those confusing tests).

 

Cheers,

Alex