What's A Good Deal On A Mobile Phone For Use In Thailand?

[jfchandler]

This is not my best area of expertise...but let me give it a go on a couple of points... and I'm willing to be corrected if I go astray...

1. Any unlocked GSM phone, no matter what country originally purchased, should work fine in Thailand, as a technical matter. You just need to swap in a Thai provider's SIM card. You can also have the Thai shops (like at MBK or Pantip Plaza) unlock most locked GSM phone models for a relatively small charge, though that sometimes/rarely can cause technical problems.

1A. Having said that, since it's for a Thai lady, she herself ought to be the one to ultimately test and pick the model, since there's nothing more important than the hands-on impression of the end user, and you'll likely regret it if you try any other approach.

2. Even for phones purchased outside Thailand, the Thai shops can also add Thai language script likewise for a small charge...though I haven't done that myself yet...

3. While Nokia certainly is the top-selling phone brand in Thailand, I've never seen Thais (women or men) show much interest in slider models, nor in full keyboard models... Flip outs seem to do a bit better...but the single piece candy bar style seems to be the most common here. I use the business model Nokia E61i with a full keyboard, camera/video, music player, Internet, etc.... But a Thai woman would never touch it.

4. I wouldn't buy a Nokia N95 for a typical Thai lady... It's one of their latest models out...so in general, it's way overpriced...and probably has a much larger feature set than most women are likely to really use. Before the N95 came out, the N82 and a couple of the N7X series were pretty well reviewed, and now are on offer at much better prices.

[lomatopo]

You'd have to flash the phone with the right software to enable Thai menus/text entry/display and replace the key-pad. Shouldn't be more than 600 baht all in but maybe best to purchase the phone here, especially when considering warranty issues.

[mgjackson69]

I saw the Nokia 3110 Classic for sale in Tesco-Lotus for a pretty low price....< 3000 THB I believe

I just had a look at the tescolotus site, are you sure about that price?

Web site says 3600.

cheers

To be honest, I cannot swear by that price. I was not really paying all that much attention, I just noticed the table stacked with the boxed phones. I probably would not have even noticed it, but my wife was wondering about that "speaker" was tied to the outside and how it works with the phone...that led to a discussion on theft prevention and the various transmitting devices that stores use...like that "speaker" strapped to the phone boxes.

[GungaDin]

^^^ no worries Jacko, I've just ordered one for A$140 delivered.

Thanks for your input.

[rockyysdt]

Are there any Thia on line stores where I can view current sale prices of mobiles?

Are there any big mobile discounters in the country?

[GungaDin]

Jaymart?

[Maigo6]

Thais are totally thick when talking about mobile phones. I bought my missus a new Samsung D600 2 1/2 years ago when it first came out for about Bt15,000. Top class 2mpxl camera and all singing and dancing.

Now in 2 years she can use 3 of the 1000 things it can do. Phone, SMS and take pictures / video. Now it is old and crap but I'll be buggered if I'm paying for a new one.

Just status, thats all.

So cos your missus is like that, then the other 65 Million Thai people must be the same ?

Strange............

Edited August 23, 2008 by Maigo6

[rockyysdt]

I wouldn't buy a Nokia N95 for a typical Thai lady... It's one of their latest models out...so in general, it's way overpriced...and probably has a much larger feature set than most women are likely to really use.

The Sony Ericcson C902 is similarly spec'd, slimmer and has a great look.

A magnificent piece in any street cred ladies handbag or purse.

At 20,669 baht discounted (although down to 16,500 in JayMart) I can't see it associated with my lady.

I wonder if it'll ever come down to 9,000B?

Edited August 23, 2008 by rockyysdt

[lomatopo]

Are there any Thia on line stores where I can view current sale prices of mobiles?

Are there any big mobile discounters in the country?

As mentioned Jaymart has an on-line store where you can see models, availability and pricing. You can typically save 5% ~ 15%, less on less expensive models or newer models, more on more expensive or older models, by purchasing in person at a high-volume wholesale or box shop. A shop called NASA in the MBK shopping mall always seems to have the lowest prices, even if only by a few baht.

[rockyysdt]

A shop called NASA in the MBK shopping mall always seems to have the lowest prices, even if only by a few baht.

Does NASA have an e-mail address?

[GungaDin]

3110 arrived Monday, nice phone, with a menu similar to the 6300.

Good sized k-board, & the usual dud ringtones.

Sexy, solid, black.

Thanks for the tip.

[GungaDin]

NASA PHONE

444 Mbk Center Phayathai Wang Mai Pathumwan Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Tel: +66(0)2611 8592

No website, probably a small booth in MBK.

Edited August 29, 2008 by GungaDin

[Gary A]

My wife got a new phone for her birthday. She wanted a phone with a good camera and a phone that she thought was VERY good looking. She fell in love with the Nokia 6500 Slider. About 10,000 baht. She is playing with it now and seems happy so far. I knew better than to choose one for her.

[GungaDin]

The Aussie sourced phone won't have the Thai script (fonts) they absolutely have to have.

You could be right, but doesn't the Thai SIM card determine the choice of languages?

BTW, if anyone is interested, the 3110c has lasted 11 days on standby. (1st charge)

[mgjackson69]

...I knew better than to choose one for her.

55555 - Exactly so.

I found that when it is new phone time for the wife, it is much more productive to give her a budget, then let her spend hours looking, talking, etc to find the phone that she wants.

[Digitalbanana]

Exactly, just send them the money and let them choose. It really depends on the woman not the phone?

If she is a reasonably intelligent person and knows her requirements then she may ask for technical help in choosing but that should be all. If she is some fashion conscious half wit or worse still a bg then all common sense is non negotiable anyway and she will blow her entire budget on the whim of the moment and probably loose it next week anyway?

[mgjackson69]

Exactly, just send them the money and let them choose. It really depends on the woman not the phone?

If she is a reasonably intelligent person and knows her requirements then she may ask for technical help in choosing but that should be all. If she is some fashion conscious half wit or worse still a bg then all common sense is non negotiable anyway and she will blow her entire budget on the whim of the moment and probably loose it next week anyway?

Lose it...or give it to her mom/sister/brother/nephew... because "they need"

[torrenova]

Thais are totally thick when talking about mobile phones. I bought my missus a new Samsung D600 2 1/2 years ago when it first came out for about Bt15,000. Top class 2mpxl camera and all singing and dancing.

Now in 2 years she can use 3 of the 1000 things it can do. Phone, SMS and take pictures / video. Now it is old and crap but I'll be buggered if I'm paying for a new one.

Just status, thats all.

So cos your missus is like that, then the other 65 Million Thai people must be the same ?

Strange............

If you were to go to 1 SD or perhaps even 2 SD then the answer is yes, the other 65 million people are thick when it comes to what they want from a mobile phone. What they want has bugger all to do with what they need and more to do with how much it costs and how their peer group flashes their eyes at it.

That said, the same can be said for the vast majority of people in the rest of the world who pay for useless features when what they really need is long battery life, sms and picture facilities and some way of storing numbers.

Go show me the % of people who even know how to use a N95 or a iphone to 10% of its capability ?

The same is true of Excel. To most people it is a glorified calculator. What % can write VBA or even use 5% of its capability ?

Put a shiny new phone in their hand with good marketing to their peer group and they all want one. Some would have one even if it didn't bloody work !

[PennyFarthing123]

I think you will find that not all phones purchased overseas will work here. When I bought mine in Australia I was advised I would have to purchase the tri-wire one. Which was considerably more expensive. I have now used it in the US, Australia and Thailand by simply changing the SIM card and changing the bandwidth. My husbands phone that was purchased here in Thailand does not have the capability of changing bandwidths. By the way they are both Samsung.

[GungaDin]

I thought all phones were tri-band these days.

[mgjackson69]

There are still some dual-band clunkers being sold.

You are correct though, most phones now are at least tri-band (900/1800/1900 AsiaPac/Europe spec -or- 850/1800/1900 USA spec), if not quad-band.

I have used my tri-band AsiaPac spec phone is USA with fairly good results. USA uses 850 & 1800, so the AsiaPac spec limits you a bit.

My advice would be to push quad-band towards the top of your requirements list if you anticipate using the phone in North America.

[zorro1]

Buy her the new Samsung duo sim card phone (2 sims). I have one and its idespensible and only around $300. That way she wont have to hide her second phone from you.

Edited September 4, 2008 by zorro1

[GungaDin]

If anyone wants to compare prices try my vendor. http://stores.ebay.com.au/UNIQUE-MOBILES-MARKETPLACE

He's a bit over the top for the 6300, locally A$180 unlocked. Not A$200.

3110c A$119

Overnight delivery A$18

All phones unlocked.