True(ly) Expensive!

[JakeBKK]

Cellphone users with orange or true move card should be aware, surfing the internet is an expensive pleasure. True does not offer time based billing (1 minute / 1 baht ) or any packages for their pre-paid customers.

Instead a rate of 12 satang per kilobyte applies. One Megabyte will sum up to 122,88 THB ( 2,49 Euro or 3,49 US$ !) (exchange rate: 04/04/08)

But there is a cheaper way - from midnight till 12 noon you can go on-line for a rate of 5 satang / kb with True move - 1 MB 51,2 THB

That' s only 1,62 US$ or even 1.03 Euro !

This is amazing Thailand it seems like TRUE based their local data charges on a level witch any major telcom would apply for international roaming =)

Greetings

Jake

[Guest Reimar]

Cellphone users with orange or true move card should be aware, surfing the internet is an expensive pleasure. True does not offer time based billing (1 minute / 1 baht ) or any packages for their pre-paid customers.

Instead a rate of 12 satang per kilobyte applies. One Megabyte will sum up to 122,88 THB ( 2,49 Euro or 3,49 US$ !) (exchange rate: 04/04/08)

But there is a cheaper way - from midnight till 12 noon you can go on-line for a rate of 5 satang / kb with True move - 1 MB 51,2 THB

That' s only 1,62 US$ or even 1.03 Euro !

This is amazing Thailand it seems like TRUE based their local data charges on a level witch any major telcom would apply for international roaming =)

Greetings

Jake

AIS is the same "game"! 10 Satang for 1 kByte download 24/7 if you don't have an "special" contract.

I was downloading just 1 E-Mail with 49 kByte and they billed me: 1,895.27 and was telling I was downloading 18 + MByte! I rejected the bill and after 2 weeks negotiation I was paying for 50 kByte! I also orded them for the cancle the whole Internet service for my Mobile bnecause they was telling me that I was downloading on other days as well. Last I didn't but I do not like that anyone can use my phone number and that phone is 24/7 with me only!

Cheers.

[funfun]

im wi true think its about 800 bhat a month unlimeted, but its not that quick, think when it comes on it says 115??? but very slow compared to wi-fi!

chris

[sibeymai]

I had an 80,000Bt bill from AIS for casual usage. Managed to negotiate a 50% discount. Now I am on a plan which gives me 50 hours a month for 214Bt. Not as fast as broadband but for travelling it's excellent.

[Plus]

Once I was on Dtac unlimited and my one year package quietly expired in the middle of the surfing. I raked up an 28k bill before they disconnected me without saying a word - there are three sim cards registered to my account, they disconnected them all.

Luckily we were able to talk them out of it, got our service restored and a new GPRS package backdated.

[TopDogger]

Use DTAC, its quicker and cheaper...

[monty]

It seems all the mobile phone operators are guilty of these tricks!

Had it with Dtac once, loaded some cash on a pre-paid sim (bringing the total to almost 2000 Baht).

Got on-line, browsed Thai visa a bit, and suddenly no internet no more,

No phone calls either, checked balance and it actually stated minus 300 Baht something.

Guess it took less then 15 minutes to go through the credit!

Same story, Dtac charged by the kB.

Reimar's story is a bit strange, since all AIS sims I ever handled always charged 1 Baht/minute for GPRS access. It was a mixture of both pre-paid and post paid accounts. None was ever billed by the kB...

It used to be different though, in the early days of GPRS, all operators billed by the kB, so I assume Reimar is quite a long time with AIS, and they never bothered with changing him to per minute billing...

[Guest Reimar]

It seems all the mobile phone operators are guilty of these tricks!

Had it with Dtac once, loaded some cash on a pre-paid sim (bringing the total to almost 2000 Baht).

Got on-line, browsed Thai visa a bit, and suddenly no internet no more,

No phone calls either, checked balance and it actually stated minus 300 Baht something.

Guess it took less then 15 minutes to go through the credit!

Same story, Dtac charged by the kB.

Reimar's story is a bit strange, since all AIS sims I ever handled always charged 1 Baht/minute for GPRS access. It was a mixture of both pre-paid and post paid accounts. None was ever billed by the kB...

It used to be different though, in the early days of GPRS, all operators billed by the kB, so I assume Reimar is quite a long time with AIS, and they never bothered with changing him to per minute billing...

Ok. my number is from 1992, the early days of GSM in Thailand!

But what's really strange was that they was trying to tell me that I was downloadfing on others day's than just the one I was really downloaded an E-Mail because I was need the Map in that mail. And the phone is at all times with me, no one else can use it.

So, how that could be happens?

AIS couldn't give the answer and I was need to offer them that I'm free if they want to go to court with me.

But it's terue that AIS is charging for download different than for browsing: download 0.10 Baht each kByte and browsing 1 minute 1 Baht! They will charge you on this conditions if you don't have an contract with them. That's according to what they told to my wife and to me!

Now there isn't any way for them to charge me again because the GPRS/EDGE service is disabled completly! To first they was ntrying to tell me that the service couldn't be disabled and only after I told, ok than delete my whole account with AIS, they done it within seconds!!

The only things which helps with them to give them not any alternative. That's all and it works on that way!

Cheers.

[paveet]

I paid 2.50 pounds per MB in the UK on Vodafone for data because I did not sign up for a data package sometime last year. Well now vodafone has a nicer deal which 1 pound a day would give you 15 MB, but then its still 2 pound per MB afterward though.

Those are actually normal costs for data on the mobile phone if you dont have any packages.

DTAC sent me a bill for 3000 for data because I overused my 30MB package, which they divided into days for me (because I signed up in the middle of a billing cycle but didnot realise).. negotiated a bit and got that cut to 400:)

[JakeBKK]

DTAC has some nice packages for pre-paid as well as post paid ..... BUT their habit NOT notifying a customer at the expiry date is truly a rip-off!

At least they offer packages like unlimited 30 days pre-paid for 990 + tax

Greetings

Jake

Edited April 4, 2008 by JakeBKK

[sibeymai]

I had an 80,000Bt bill from AIS for casual usage. Managed to negotiate a 50% discount. Now I am on a plan which gives me 50 hours a month for 214Bt. Not as fast as broadband but for travelling it's excellent.

I now use AIS pre-paid package. 350Bt for 100 hours a month. Much more reasonable than the charge per kb and there is no download limit. Speed seems ok and the convenience of having internet connection anywhere is fantastic. If you have a 12 Call or AIS sim you can activate this service by calling *138 and follow the prompts. Check the remaining hours by calling *139.