Problems Calling To Thai Mobile Phones From Europe Using Calling Cards

[Pomrakuhn]

For years I have been using a calling card to call to my wife in Bangkok from Europe. For the last 4 days when I call her she hears the phone ring but there is only silence on the line. For me I do not hear the phone ringing at all just silence. Using the same card I can call the house phone and speak to her no problem.

So is anyone else having this problem ?? By the way I bought another calling card and have the same problem.

[gregb]

This is a very common problem.

You need to identify a few things though. I will assume that your wife has not changed mobile phone carriers in the last 4 days, but this is an important question to ask. All mobile networks aren't the same.

The next question is to ask her what caller ID appears when you call? Is it a local number? Soes it simply say "Call"? "Private Number"? Does it show your international number or another strange code? Using this you can identify the terminating network and then change calling cards until you find one that doesn't use the same terminator.

The calling card identifies the originator, the caller ID that comes up on her end represents the terminator (at least in Thailand this works. In western countries identifying the terminator is much more difficult). The originator and the terminator are not the same company. If you call on one card and get a local number, and another card shows "Private Number", you have probably identified different terminators. If you call on 2 different cards and they both show local numbers however, these calling cards are probably buying from the same terminator, so that isn't a useful test.

If you find multiple terminators have the same problem, then it is probably a change in the local mobile network and she needs to complain to her local service. If a specific terminator always gives a problem and other terminators don't, then you need to complain to the originating calling card customer service.

The calling card may have recently changed carriers because someone offered them a lower price. Or, the wholesale carrier the calling card company is buying from may have changed their terminator because they got offered a better price. It can go on up the chain through 7 or 8 levels, so it is really impossible for anyone to know exactly what happened. If you complain to your calling card operator, a ticket will be opened and sent up the chain towards the far end. If enough people open tickets, whoever just made the change will eventually pull them out because of the poor quality.

Modern telecommunications is very complicated, and it can take weeks to get issues resolved. If you need to call her mobile, your best bet in the short term is to keep changing calling cards until you find one that doesn't have the problem.

If you want to share more information, maybe we can help more.

[Pomrakuhn]

Hi gregb

Thank you very much for your in-depth reply. What I can tell you is that sometimes my wifes phone shows “private number calling” when I call her and sometimes it shows a Thai number.

There is an amusing side to this in that the first time it happened I could tell something was wrong in her voice and then she finally said “why are you in Pattaya and you not tell me you come to Thailand?”

Anyway I am trying to contact the cards hotline but without success at the moment.

I was hoping to hear if anyone else has this problem (or not).

I will post any progress and hopefully an explanation.

[Pomrakuhn]

Good news ! Something in my posting of gregb’s response must sent out a signal to the right people because now everything is working fine again.

LOL