It'd be nice to have a U.S. phone number while here in Thailand. I can buy this Ooma Telo VOIP router w/phone but it requires U.S. address + credit card to register. Maybe use my last good U.S. address from 3 years ago? If that doesn't work I'd prob have to get a virtual U.S. address. 

 

They even have an app that allows you to use your smartphone and it will work anywhere in the world as long as you have the Ooma router with you.  Yes, you can send/receive texts as well. 

 

 

If you have a phone that has e-sim functionality, just get an UltraMobile PayGo sim on eBay for around $15.  Have a friend in the US put it in a phone and connect to the mobile network to register/initialize it.  Have it sent to Thailand and set it up to use WiFi calling and Bob's your uncle for only about $3.15/month.  Change your Thai mobile service to e-sim (free change at True).

Two other options:

 

Google Voice (that Ooma device terminates GV)

 

9 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

just get an UltraMobile PayGo sim

 

 

Importing telephone equipment to Thailand can be challenging.

 

 

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

Two other options:

 

Google Voice (that Ooma device terminates GV)

 

 

 

Importing telephone equipment to Thailand can be challenging.

 

 

For the overly cautious out there.... Ultra Mobile supports e-sim installation... no need to bother with the ultra simple process of mailing a sim to Thailand.

19 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

For the overly cautious out there.... Ultra Mobile supports e-sim installation... no need to bother with the ultra simple process of mailing a sim to Thailand.

 

By telephone equipment, I meant the Ooma-type kit, which would require Thai government (NBTC) approval before being released from Customs.

 

Mailing/receiving a SIM here is not an issue, I've received four pre-activated UltraMobile SIMs here. Two for me, two for friends.

 

I think you have to start with a physical SIM to get the PAYG/$3-month plan? And I think the physical SIMs need to be activated in the U.S. At least that was my experience a few years ago.

 

 

Although who knows where the Thai government might go with enforcing SIM importation rules?

 

Most of the big SIM farms busted here have SIMs from other countries, at least that's what are shown in police photos.

What is the cost of the OOMA Telo VOIP phone?

4 hours ago, Felton Jarvis said:

What is the cost of the OOMA Telo VOIP phone?

Amazon U.S. has the Ooma Telo VOIP package that contains both the router and a cordless phone for approx $110, add another $40 or $50 for import fees Total comes out to approx $160. 

But note that many U.S. financial institutions will not accept VOIP numbers for two factor authentication. 

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

But note that many U.S. financial institutions will not accept VOIP numbers for two factor authentication. 

Yes, I did a google search and you're right about this. 

Does Ooma even support SMS?

 

https://support.ooma.com/office/how-to-register-your-ooma-business-texting-campaign/

 

 

VoIP Gateways/CPE/ATA used to be a hot thing 10 - 15 years ago. They were a good thing for Seniors in the U.S.

 

You can buy them here.

 

You need both the service and the hardware.

 

Some of these can terminate a Google Voice number.

 

 

 

 

This forum is valuable for posts like this. With the shutdown of Skype, many of us need a way to call our home countries at a reasonable price.

18 hours ago, Felton Jarvis said:

What is the cost of the OOMA Telo VOIP phone?

 

13 hours ago, Furioso said:

Amazon U.S. has the Ooma Telo VOIP package that contains both the router and a cordless phone for approx $110, add another $40 or $50 for import fees Total comes out to approx $160. 

Plus you will have monthly fees to cover local US taxes based upon the US local number you choose.  They stopped their totally free plan several years ago.

Fees given here:

https://www.ooma.com/legal/rates/#home-plan

 

3 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

 

Plus you will have monthly fees.  They stopped their free plan several years ago.

Fees given here:

https://www.ooma.com/legal/rates/

 

This link shows the "Ooma Office"  rates. Just click on "Ooma Home" and it'll allow you to enter the zip code of the city/state you want your phone number to see how much it costs. For example Las Vegas area code 89108 is $6.12 a month. 

 

I had Ooma in the U.S. for years, because Vonage kept on upping their rates from originally $20 a month to eventually something like $40 a month. Great service but I got tired of that. I had Ooma from 2011-2022 in Hawaii, Nevada, and Florida it never cost more than $8 a month. I should have brought the Ooma router with me when I moved here in 2022 but I just didn't think about it, I made a clean break. However, if I would've brought it here to Thailand I probably would've blew it up the first time I plugged it in, since here it's 220v. 

My Samsung phone will accept esim and is wifi capable. I bought an esim from Tello...and gave my friend in Calif. as my address..needed to  give for 911 calls.

The esim came over the internet....I installed it on my phone. I can and have made calls to the States using the USA number they gave me.

I can, and have, sent and received text message...from my friend and from my bank.. OTPs

I have 100 minutes per month of calls and unlimited text...no media..only text..

I pay $6 a month plus tax...6.48 or so.

Works great...especially since I don't have to send the OTP to my friends phone number in San Diego, and then he to me.

Also, if you have AIS....you can call the states cheap in you put 003  Just saying.

1 hour ago, JohnOFphon said:

My Samsung phone will accept esim and is wifi capable. I bought an esim from Tello...and gave my friend in Calif. as my address..needed to  give for 911 calls.

The esim came over the internet....I installed it on my phone. I can and have made calls to the States using the USA number they gave me.

 

I can, and have, sent and received text message...from my friend and from my bank.. OTPs

 

That's great and it's very possible I might try this solution.

Just curious; are you affiliated with your friends address in any way? such as you receive your mail there? or the post office has your name registered with that address?

 

I'm asking this as I would probably try to buy the Tello esim by entering my old Vegas address from 2022. which isn't registered in my name anymore. 

8 hours ago, Felton Jarvis said:

This forum is valuable for posts like this. With the shutdown of Skype, many of us need a way to call our home countries at a reasonable price.

Wassup can be very useful as more an more businesses and services are using it. Or even other computer apps like Facetime or similar. 

15 hours ago, Furioso said:

That's great and it's very possible I might try this solution.

Just curious; are you affiliated with your friends address in any way? such as you receive your mail there? or the post office has your name registered with that address?

 

I'm asking this as I would probably try to buy the Tello esim by entering my old Vegas address from 2022. which isn't registered in my name anymore. 

My name is not associated with my friends home address.  I don't think it matters what US address you list, they just need something to show if...and if...you ever call 911.  Also....I was in the States last month..The Tello number worked just like any cell phone Sim card..no wifi.

I did not have a data plans..so I got another esim from Saily...worked great.

6 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

My name is not associated with my friends home address.  I don't think it matters what US address you list, they just need something to show if...and if...you ever call 911.  Also....I was in the States last month..The Tello number worked just like any cell phone Sim card..no wifi.

I did not have a data plans..so I got another esim from Saily...worked great.

Thanks for this info, very helpful! 

On 8/28/2025 at 10:20 AM, Felton Jarvis said:

This forum is valuable for posts like this. With the shutdown of Skype, many of us need a way to call our home countries at a reasonable price.

Try mytello, works well for me.

฿1/min to Australia. Less when calling the USA.

Credit never expires

On 8/25/2025 at 9:48 AM, bamnutsak said:

I think you have to start with a physical SIM to get the PAYG/$3-month plan? And I think the physical SIMs need to be activated in the U.S. At least that was my experience a few years ago.

 

 

Although who knows where the Thai government might go with enforcing SIM importation rules?

 If you do not have an esim-capable phone you'll need the physical sim, if trying to get set up with Tello. And the same applies to other providers who may offer esims, without an esim-supported phone you need the physical sim.

 

I purchased an Ultra $3 Pay/Go sim on ebay. The seller offered a great service. Mailed it here and after I received it he was able to activate it from there, in the U.S., which was just what I needed. For a friend to receive the sim, put the sim in their phone, activate it, and mail it to me was not a small ask, and also challenging for them (the activation part.)

 

Much better to have a seller on ebay who provides this useful service. Just do a search on ebay 'pre-activated sim', 'sim with activation', a handful of items will show. Some will activate the sim and ship it, the seller I bought from shipped it and then activated it after I received it here.

 

Good to have a bonafide U.S.-provider number, even with the limited monthly minutes/texts. At least it's a base, for having a U.S. number. And then you can utilize some other services to fill in your calling out needs.

 

 

I have a relatively inexpensive Samsung A13 and use Tello.com for the number. Less than $8 USD/month for unlimited texts and 100 minutes call time. I use it every day and all credit card companies are ok with it.

5 hours ago, rwilem said:

 If you do not have an esim-capable phone you'll need the physical sim, if trying to get set up with Tello. And the same applies to other providers who may offer esims, without an esim-supported phone you need the physical sim.

 

I purchased an Ultra $3 Pay/Go sim on ebay. The seller offered a great service. Mailed it here and after I received it he was able to activate it from there, in the U.S., which was just what I needed. For a friend to receive the sim, put the sim in their phone, activate it, and mail it to me was not a small ask, and also challenging for them (the activation part.)

 

Much better to have a seller on ebay who provides this useful service. Just do a search on ebay 'pre-activated sim', 'sim with activation', a handful of items will show. Some will activate the sim and ship it, the seller I bought from shipped it and then activated it after I received it here.

 

Good to have a bonafide U.S.-provider number, even with the limited monthly minutes/texts. At least it's a base, for having a U.S. number. And then you can utilize some other services to fill in your calling out needs.

 

 

I'm thinking the e-sim is such a good solution I'm willing to ditch my Samsung A-24 for a A-35 I don't think they cost all that much. 

5 hours ago, rwilem said:

 If you do not have an esim-capable phone you'll need the physical sim, if trying to get set up with Tello. And the same applies to other providers who may offer esims, without an esim-supported phone you need the physical sim.

 

I purchased an Ultra $3 Pay/Go sim on ebay. The seller offered a great service. Mailed it here and after I received it he was able to activate it from there, in the U.S., which was just what I needed. For a friend to receive the sim, put the sim in their phone, activate it, and mail it to me was not a small ask, and also challenging for them (the activation part.)

 

Much better to have a seller on ebay who provides this useful service. Just do a search on ebay 'pre-activated sim', 'sim with activation', a handful of items will show. Some will activate the sim and ship it, the seller I bought from shipped it and then activated it after I received it here.

 

Good to have a bonafide U.S.-provider number, even with the limited monthly minutes/texts. At least it's a base, for having a U.S. number. And then you can utilize some other services to fill in your calling out needs.

 

 

I'm thinking the e-sim is such a good solution I'm willing to ditch my Samsung A-24 for a A-35 I don't think they cost all that much. 

1 hour ago, Furioso said:

I'm thinking the e-sim is such a good solution I'm willing to ditch my Samsung A-24 for a A-35 I don't think they cost all that much. 

It's definitely worthwhile to have such a phone. Myself though, I just don't feel like getting another phone here, right now. Next visit to the states I'll get one of the recent Moto Power, Power G, phones which support e-sim, and set up a bunch of stuff while I'm there. (Kind of gun-shy about buying one of those phones on Amazon and having it end up in 'customs limbo', because the device is lacking 'a certification' or 'a license' from the whatever government ministry here, and then you're SOL. I'll just wait to get it in the U.S.) 

 

Now, in connection with activating a Tello e-sim while abroad, I've done some digging around today on the subject. Appears that just in the last few weeks Tello has stopped and is not allowing e-sims to be activated from abroad for new customers. At least on the up-and-up. There's a guy in Cambodia who got it done a few weeks ago, but they're bound to get wise to how he did it--it's in the tello sub-reddit, and Tello service reps are active there. 

 

Many posts on reddit from people around the world are discussing the change in Tello's policy. If one already has a tello account, then they are allowed to activate an e-sim on the existing account, and/or port a number over to an account, or a second account. Whatever. Seems to be a response to fraud.  People from around the world have been getting these U.S. numbers from Tello and using them for nefarious purposes. Thus the 'niche market', of U.S. folks who are overseas for some extended period and needing an actual U.S. number thus activating a Tello e-sim while out-of-country, is not going be served by Tello going forward. 

 

Tello had a long-standing, popular post on their site's own blog about the procedure for activating an e-sim while being overseas, but it's now gone. And according to many posts at reddit Tello service reps are telling customers they can't activate any more e-sims for people overseas. 

 

So the old-school methods of 'have friend activate sim and mail to you', or buying an already-activated sim on ebay, are still going to have legs. 

7 minutes ago, rwilem said:

It's definitely worthwhile to have such a phone. Myself though, I just don't feel like getting another phone here, right now. Next visit to the states I'll get one of the recent Moto Power, Power G, phones which support e-sim, and set up a bunch of stuff while I'm there. (Kind of gun-shy about buying one of those phones on Amazon and having it end up in 'customs limbo', because the device is lacking 'a certification' or 'a license' from the whatever government ministry here, and then you're SOL. I'll just wait to get it in the U.S.) 

 

Now, in connection with activating a Tello e-sim while abroad, I've done some digging around today on the subject. Appears that just in the last few weeks Tello has stopped and is not allowing e-sims to be activated from abroad for new customers. At least on the up-and-up. There's a guy in Cambodia who got it done a few weeks ago, but they're bound to get wise to how he did it--it's in the tello sub-reddit, and Tello service reps are active there. 

 

Many posts on reddit from people around the world are discussing the change in Tello's policy. If one already has a tello account, then they are allowed to activate an e-sim on the existing account, and/or port a number over to an account, or a second account. Whatever. Seems to be a response to fraud, people from around the world getting these U.S. numbers from Tello and using them for nefarious purposes. Thus the 'niche market', for U.S. folks  overseas for some extended period who would want to activate a Tello e-sims while abroad, is not going be served going forward. 

 

Tello had a long-standung, popular post an their site's own blog about the procedure for activating an e-sim while being oversess, but it's now gone, and according to many posts at reddit Tello service reps are telling customers 'no more new

activations'. 

Thanks for this updated info and to be honest I felt something like this would happen. I've probably watched too many YouTube videos where they talk about hackers/schemers/scammers etc. So many bad actors out there.

 

I guess the ebay way is now the best way to get a U.S. number. 

Looping back...

 

On 8/25/2025 at 7:41 AM, bamnutsak said:

Google Voice

 

 

Assuming you have a family member or good friend in the U.S. I would ask them to set up a new GMail account and use their mobile number to register a Google Voice account with a preferred area code even exchange. You could allow them to use your existing GMail account, which requires trust, but change the PW immediately.

 

Yes, I know many say GV doesn't work with some/many/all OTP applications.

 

IME, GV works for ~ 15 OTP applications for me, and it is of course free (outbound/inbound calling/SMS). I have yet to encounter a situation where GV doesn't work. Eons ago, BofA wouldn't work, but it has for me for many years now, and BofA also supports the FIDO key.

 

And many OTP applications can now be addressed by using the site's mobile app for verification, or even a FIDO key.

 

In parallel, you can buy a Tello or UltraMobile SIM, work with that friend/relative to get it registered, and then mailed to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I logged into eBay - OTP delivered to my GV number - here is the UltraMobile shop...

 

https://www.ebay.com/str/mintmobilewireless?_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211

 

It looks like the $13 PAYGO SIM ($3/month) is still available.

 

Some interesting stuff in the Seller Feedback section for this SIM.

 

 

On 9/1/2025 at 7:18 AM, bamnutsak said:

Assuming you have a family member or good friend in the U.S. I would ask them to set up a new GMail account and use their mobile number to register a Google Voice account with a preferred area code even exchange. You could allow them to use your existing GMail account, which requires trust, but change the PW immediately.

Well, my recent experiences of  trying to do this have failed. Have tried every which way and combination, multiple attempts on the methods, tweaking each try. Even making new accounts, giving the info to a friend, standing by while he receives the code and tells me... Nope, no can do. Even with him making an account and verifying it, and sending me the details, when I've logged in it rejected me on the device here, and even using a VPN for that. Trying both on website using a laptop and by the app/website on the phone, it failed.  

 

Can't bug my friend with anymore attemtps. Obviously they have id'ed both my devices, connected them with prior location data--even though my default location access is off. (But you can see sometimes an app or website will report to you that you logged in, and have the id of your device, log-in location and ISP info, even though you have location 'off'.) And they can see, know, of past attempts to set up a voice number which they rejected and, so it becomes an auto 'nyet'. 

 

(Oh, and I've also tried to set one up later using my own U.S. number, from the Ultra sim. Again, VPN, every which way combo, some different phones, and all of the tries failed. Think it's the devices by now. They're blocking it by device, whatever device info they've compiled.) 

 

Plus, anyone who already has a voice number can't help, you can only have one account for each sim. Just have to leave the task of getting a voice number for the next time I'm back in the U.S. Hope so, and i'll test it on this device, see what happens. 

 

 

On 9/1/2025 at 8:00 AM, bamnutsak said:

It looks like the $13 PAYGO SIM ($3/month) is still available.

 

Some interesting stuff in the Seller Feedback section for this SIM.

I picked up one of those earlier in the year, not from that seller but a different one who activated the sim after I received it. And he got me a number in my preferred area code. I didn't have to deal with asking a friend (already hesitant and not all that sim/phone savvy. Almost everyone I know from the U.S. has been a looong-term post-paid customer of AT&T, getting an upgraded iphone every two years, and they have never messed around with sims, sim-switching, activation, etc.)

 

Got the Ultra sim as an emergency move, after I'd lost the textnow account (which was my main U.S. number, and on my financial accounts) and the Skype subscription (call out only, no number) went down. Both going down at the same time, so I was 'numberless' and without calling out capability. Plus, at some point the textnow number would put back in circulation, so I really wanted to get that off my accounts and have a number to replace it with. (I tried on a couple accounts, but no...you simply can not remove a phone number and then just leave it blank.)

 

After getting the Ultra sim up-and-runnung, I was able to put that number on my accounts. But even changing your phone number triggers some security protocols, and for most accounts it had to be done by a call with a service rep. Some of them took a while to get it done. 

 

I'm interested in Tello because for a few dollars a month more you get a healthy boost in minutes and texts. 

And, this is big, if you're back in the U.S., you can change the monthly package to really boost up everything--minutes, texts and data--to whatever package will meet your needs. 

 

That is not doable with the Ultra $3/month PAYGO, it's a forever 100 minutes for calls/100 texts, and then you charged per minute/text after that, and not at any great rate. Which is why you'd want some calling out option (mostly using VOIP or apps that employ it), especially for those calls when you just know you are going to be on hold. (Just made some calls a few days back. Three calls, 60 mintues, more than half the time on hold.)

 

And you have to remember that you are also charged for incoming calls/texts. (I had been getting a lot of spam messages, some spam calls, but the frequency has been reduced after I added the number to the 'do not call' registry, something like that.) 

2 hours ago, rwilem said:

Well, my recent experiences of  trying to do this have failed. Have tried every which way and combination, multiple attempts on the methods, tweaking each try. Even making new accounts, giving the info to a friend, standing by while he receives the code and tells me... Nope, no can do. Even with him making an account and verifying it, and sending me the details, when I've logged in it rejected me on the device here, and even using a VPN for that. Trying both on website using a laptop and by the app/website on the phone, it failed.  

 

Can't bug my friend with anymore attemtps. Obviously they have id'ed both my devices, connected them with prior location data--even though my default location access is off. (But you can see sometimes an app or website will report to you that you logged in, and have the id of your device, log-in location and ISP info, even though you have location 'off'.) And they can see, know, of past attempts to set up a voice number which they rejected and, so it becomes an auto 'nyet'. 

 

(Oh, and I've also tried to set one up later using my own U.S. number, from the Ultra sim. Again, VPN, every which way combo, some different phones, and all of the tries failed. Think it's the devices by now. They're blocking it by device, whatever device info they've compiled.) 

 

Plus, anyone who already has a voice number can't help, you can only have one account for each sim. Just have to leave the task of getting a voice number for the next time I'm back in the U.S. Hope so, and i'll test it on this device, see what happens. 

 

 

I picked up one of those earlier in the year, not from that seller but a different one who activated the sim after I received it. And he got me a number in my preferred area code. I didn't have to deal with asking a friend (already hesitant and not all that sim/phone savvy. Almost everyone I know from the U.S. has been a looong-term post-paid customer of AT&T, getting an upgraded iphone every two years, and they have never messed around with sims, sim-switching, activation, etc.)

 

Got the Ultra sim as an emergency move, after I'd lost the textnow account (which was my main U.S. number, and on my financial accounts) and the Skype subscription (call out only, no number) went down. Both going down at the same time, so I was 'numberless' and without calling out capability. Plus, at some point the textnow number would put back in circulation, so I really wanted to get that off my accounts and have a number to replace it with. (I tried on a couple accounts, but no...you simply can not remove a phone number and then just leave it blank.)

 

After getting the Ultra sim up-and-runnung, I was able to put that number on my accounts. But even changing your phone number triggers some security protocols, and for most accounts it had to be done by a call with a service rep. Some of them took a while to get it done. 

 

I'm interested in Tello because for a few dollars a month more you get a healthy boost in minutes and texts. 

And, this is big, if you're back in the U.S., you can change the monthly package to really boost up everything--minutes, texts and data--to whatever package will meet your needs. 

 

That is not doable with the Ultra $3/month PAYGO, it's a forever 100 minutes for calls/100 texts, and then you charged per minute/text after that, and not at any great rate. Which is why you'd want some calling out option (mostly using VOIP or apps that employ it), especially for those calls when you just know you are going to be on hold. (Just made some calls a few days back. Three calls, 60 mintues, more than half the time on hold.)

 

And you have to remember that you are also charged for incoming calls/texts. (I had been getting a lot of spam messages, some spam calls, but the frequency has been reduced after I added the number to the 'do not call' registry, something like that.) 

- I had a textnow account for about a month before it went poof!

 

- A guy I know said he has a T-Mobile number he uses his niece's address for the account and it's something like $50 a month. He only wifi calls the U.S. from Thailand. However, he said to add another number to his account is a flat $20 a month he could have T-Mobile send his niece a sim and then she activate it then mail the sim to him here in Thailand. I challenged him on this but he's really good at this stuff and he said he's done it before. 

 

- now here's my question. Could I go back to the U.S. for a short trip, let's say Hawaii for a few days, buy and activate a couple of phones(even though I don't have a U.S. address) then return to Thailand? 

 

 

3 hours ago, Furioso said:

now here's my question. Could I go back to the U.S. for a short trip, let's say Hawaii for a few days, buy and activate a couple of phones(even though I don't have a U.S. address) then return to Thailand?

Do you mean buy and activate a couple of sims or get some new phones?

 

On my visits back I've never bought any phones, but I have bought and activated sims. The providers call it 'bring your own device'. You could use the phone you use here. Phones here operate on, well not sure how to describe it, but the phones here are GSM phones. (As opposed to CDMA, which is what the Verizon carrier in the U.S. is.)

 

So you'd want a sim from providers such as T-Mobile, Ultra, and any of the other numerous MNVO providers that 'piggy-back' off T-Mobile or AT&T networks.

 

Would be a good idea to get a couple of sims activated, have them up-and-running and then you are covered after returning here. And at the same time, get a google voice number, and a new textnow number. I believe textnow even offers a sim for a lifetime number for $5, or at least it did a short while ago? But you must activate it while in the U.S., and like everyone they only mail it to a U.S. address.

Maybe they even offer it as an e-sim now? Don't know. 

 

Next time I'm back, it'll be a 'shotgun approach' to loading up on U.S. numbers and call apps.