Best sim tourist card to buy here in thailand that can keep active for longest time once im back in usa

[caligula123]

Hello.I have tried search forum but still abit unclear which company to go with.I am here for short time now but plan come back to retire by the end of 2024.I am interested in being able keep same number as long as i can.I bought a TRUE tourist sim but after further review,i think im only able to top up/keep active for 90 days..I think i read DTAC and AIS have sim card i will be able to keep active for up to a year with regular top up and can do online? any reccomendations?  sorry if asking question already asked but thank you for any information in advance..

[CharlieH]

MOVED to correct forum.

[UWEB]

12 minutes ago, caligula123 said:

Hello.I have tried search forum but still abit unclear which company to go with.I am here for short time now but plan come back to retire by the end of 2024.I am interested in being able keep same number as long as i can.I bought a TRUE tourist sim but after further review,i think im only able to top up/keep active for 90 days..I think i read DTAC and AIS have sim card i will be able to keep active for up to a year with regular top up and can do online? any reccomendations?  sorry if asking question already asked but thank you for any information in advance..

I have one from DTAC, costs are some few THB only to keep the Sim 1 year valid. Upload and extension can be done online.

[NextG]

Any SIM other than a Tourist SIM can be kept valid for a year in advance in perpetuity. In fact it is likely the restriction is only for Truemove H tourist SIM. 
Either way, just buy a normal 50 baht SIM and go from there. You can do lots of small top up which will add 30 days of SIM validity at a time until you reach 12 months. Activate the SIM for International Roaming in so you can extend validity whilst abroad by simply tapping in the appropriate code. 

[retarius]

AIS SIM cards are valid for year. 

[Chris Daley]

Not really sure.  The last time I was at Don Muang I tried to get a sim and a cop was hassling me telling me I can't walk up the counter and the true staff couldn't speak a word of English.  I pulled out the money and they ran away like rats.

 

Just say two weeks and give him money.

[gargamon]

You can buy additional validity:

https://help.mobiletopup.com/knowledge-base/how-do-i-extend-the-expiry-date-validity-of-my-sim/

 

USSD method to Extend your SIM’s validity

There are also methods for extending your balance by entering a code and deducting from your balance. To extend your validity via USSD codes:

 

AIS

Add 10 Baht credit for 30 Days Validity

Alternative method: Dial *500*9# Add 30 days validity for 30 THB via Mao Mao package

DTAC – Extend your validity for up to 365 days at a cost of 2 Baht per month.

Press : *113*30*9# for 30 days extension. Cost 2 Baht

Press : *113*60*9# for 60 days extension. Cost 4 Baht

Press : *113*90*9# for 90 days extension. Cost 6 Baht

Press : *113*180*9# for 180 days extension. Cost 12 Baht

Conditions: Must activate SIM for at least 90 days or have usage of 200 THB.

TrueMove H – “Quick Add” Extend your validity for up to 365 days at a cost of 2 Baht per month

Press : * 934 * 30 # for 30 days extension. Cost 2 Baht

Press : * 934 * 90 # for 90 days extension. Cost 6 Baht

Press : * 934 * 180 # for 180 days extension. Cost 12 Baht

 

[JensenZ]

51 minutes ago, NextG said:

Any SIM other than a Tourist SIM can be kept valid for a year in advance in perpetuity. In fact it is likely the restriction is only for Truemove H tourist SIM. 
Either way, just buy a normal 50 baht SIM and go from there. You can do lots of small top up which will add 30 days of SIM validity at a time until you reach 12 months. Activate the SIM for International Roaming in so you can extend validity whilst abroad by simply tapping in the appropriate code. 

Not True! 

 

You can easily buy validity up to 365 days for the TrueMove H SIM using the True iService App.

 

Maximum total validity is 365 days: Validity 180 days - 14.02 THB (including tax).

 

These are the conditions as stated in the App:

 

"Customers must activate TrueMove H service for at least 90 days or have accumulative top-up since activation of at least 200 THB"

 

So top up 200 baht and buy validity in the App. 180 days at a time.

 

DTac is the same, but you only need to top-up at least 150 baht before you can buy validity.

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, caligula123 said:

Hello.I have tried search forum but still abit unclear which company to go with.I am here for short time now but plan come back to retire by the end of 2024.I am interested in being able keep same number as long as i can.I bought a TRUE tourist sim but after further review,i think im only able to top up/keep active for 90 days..I think i read DTAC and AIS have sim card i will be able to keep active for up to a year with regular top up and can do online? any reccomendations?  sorry if asking question already asked but thank you for any information in advance..

I have the same and yes, the longest you can have validity is 90 days, but that resets every time you top up.  So add 50 baht every 85 says or so and your good,  And yes, it can be done easily online - use the True iService app on your phone and it's simple.  I suspect a True shop could change the SIM and keep the same number and give you something valid for 12 months, was going to try but really its no issue to top up so haven't bothered as of yet. 

[jaizan]

On the TrueMove app, I can buy additional validity, cheaply.    180 days costs 14 baht.    I can only buy up to 12 months.    I go to Thailand every year so this is OK.    If I didn't go to Thailand, I could set a google calendar reminder to check it every 50 weeks.

[Upnotover]

I can certainly confirm that the iService app offers the option to extend the validity in 2 ways.  Either "buy validity", THB 8.41 for 90 days for instance, or by topping up credit,  Different amounts give different extension periods (I did mistakenly mention THB 50 for 90 days, actually it only in fact extends mine by 30).  But whatever method is used, the validity can never exceed 90 days.  I tested it a long time ago, bought 180 days for THB 14, result was extended from whatever it was, maybe 10 days, to 90, not 180.  Queried it with True and they confirmed that my SIM (30 day Infinite Thailand) cannot ever have over 90 days validity.

 

It is quite possible that not all tourist SIMS are created equal.  

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and the replies contravening our Community Standards have been removed.

[NextG]

On 1/6/2024 at 12:47 PM, JensenZ said:

Not True! 

 

You can easily buy validity up to 365 days for the TrueMove H SIM using the True iService App.

 

Maximum total validity is 365 days: Validity 180 days - 14.02 THB (including tax).

 

These are the conditions as stated in the App:

 

"Customers must activate TrueMove H service for at least 90 days or have accumulative top-up since activation of at least 200 THB"

 

So top up 200 baht and buy validity in the App. 180 days at a time.

 

DTac is the same, but you only need to top-up at least 150 baht before you can buy validity.

It seems that you were wrong, as confirmed by @Upnotover  

Might have helped if you had told them to convert the SIM to a ‘normal’ SIM in the first instance…

[NextG]

5 hours ago, Upnotover said:

I can certainly confirm that the iService app offers the option to extend the validity in 2 ways.  Either "buy validity", THB 8.41 for 90 days for instance, or by topping up credit,  Different amounts give different extension periods (I did mistakenly mention THB 50 for 90 days, actually it only in fact extends mine by 30).  But whatever method is used, the validity can never exceed 90 days.  I tested it a long time ago, bought 180 days for THB 14, result was extended from whatever it was, maybe 10 days, to 90, not 180.  Queried it with True and they confirmed that my SIM (30 day Infinite Thailand) cannot ever have over 90 days validity.

 

It is quite possible that not all tourist SIMS are created equal.  

The only way to do it is to convert the Tourist SIM to a normal SIM. 

[caligula123]

thanks for the help and information..i just ended up getting AIS sim after they assured me can retop and keep active for a year..all the guy at true kept telling me was 90 days only so didnt wanna take chance...what the heck i will try and keep em both active and see what happens...thanks again!

[NextG]

6 hours ago, caligula123 said:

thanks for the help and information..i just ended up getting AIS sim after they assured me can retop and keep active for a year..all the guy at true kept telling me was 90 days only so didnt wanna take chance...what the heck i will try and keep em both active and see what happens...thanks again!

The problem with AIS is that you have to top up multiple times to extend validity to a year. With DTAC and Truemove H normal SIM you can extend validity to up to a year with a single top up and the application of a code via the mobile’s keypad. 
With AIS, it’s perhaps eleven separate top ups. 
If you change the base pack promo on your Truemove H Tourist SIM, you should be able to extend that to a year continuously. 
AFAIK it’s only the Truemove H Tourist SIM that has that restriction. 

[sometimewoodworker]

On 1/7/2024 at 11:08 PM, NextG said:

The problem with AIS is that you have to top up multiple times to extend validity to a year. With DTAC and Truemove H normal SIM you can extend validity to up to a year with a single top up and the application of a code via the mobile’s keypad. 
With AIS, it’s perhaps eleven separate top ups. 

It is true that you need multiple top ups with AIS however that’s not very difficult to do. I have kept my number for the last 30 years for most of which I was coming to Thailand in two or three trips a year. Now that I’m here permanently, all I do is have a 20 Baht per month top up, set in my banking app, and that keeps the  validity to a year for. Initially you do the number of top ups that allow the maximum time.