I am american here for 6 months. I use Google Fi for cell phone as my physical SIM. Trying to open bank account and they need a local number. I really would prefer not to get a local SIM as I paid for Google Fi for the reason of travelling without need for sim. Is there another way to get a local number and forward to US number  that accepts text. I assume I need that. I can add eSIM on phone but that won't give me local number. Thanks I'm advance. I assume Google voice doesn't give Thai numbers. 

 

Darren

local sims are so cheap just get one, 50 baht and stick 100 baht on

I also use Google Fi. Get a local sim that you will give you a local number. There is no need to make it call forward. Insert the local physical sim in the same phone (I also have the same set up) in its physical slot (FI uses eSIM) and then enable it for international roaming. You will receive all the messages in the same phone even if when you're outside Thailand. Also, turn off Fi data when you're in Thailand and use data of the local sim. I have exactly the similar set up in my Pixel 5a 5G phone. I turn on the Fi data when in the USA and use local data when in Thailand. 

13 hours ago, NDRugby99 said:

I can add eSIM on phone but that won't give me local number.

Why do you think that?
However you are wrong. I have an AIS number all I did was to go into the AIS shop (not Teliwiz) and they transferred the physical SIM to an eSIM.
 

AFIK in Thailand you can not add a eSIM yourself, you must go into the providers shop. You can use either pre-pay or PAYG

 

If you don't have a local number, how are Thais going to be able to call you? Eg. when KFC are out of OR pieces and it'll be a 20-30 minute wait kha. I'm serious! 

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I need a US ph# so I can get calls from folks in the US. Someone tried to explain to me about google voice but I couldn't understand how to set it up to receive calls. I am not tech savy. Are their any relatively easy ways to get a US ph# ?  Right now any calls to the US, I use skype to call someone and the person who I speak to emails me if they want me to call them.

10 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Why do you think that?
However you are wrong. I have an AIS number all I did was to go into the AIS shop (not Teliwiz) and they transferred the physical SIM to an eSIM.
 

AFIK in Thailand you can not add a eSIM yourself, you must go into the providers shop. You can use either pre-pay or PAYG

 

And don't forget to take your passport to the shop to register it.

3 hours ago, Patanawet said:

And don't forget to take your passport to the shop to register it.

While you do need your passport to register the phone number AFIR I didn’t need it to transfer from the physical sim to the e-sim. But then I wasn’t taking notes.

thanks everyone. I got it figured out. Got my googleFi transferred over to esim and picked up a local physical sim. All is well