Info on call charges

[Isan Farang]

Thanks in advance for any advice received

Please note i am living in Ubonratchathani

I am looking for any information on how to reduce my call cost

These are the most frequent calls made from ToT land line

a Ubon - BKK = Baht  15 per min

b Ubon - middle east normally oman = Baht 36 per min

c Ubon - UK = Baht  22 per min using e-fone, Information on e-fone given by TOT

1. Also have mobile GSM with AIS simcard which i receive a monthly statement

a Ubon- BKK = 8 Baht per min

b International calls are limited and no e-fone service is available

If there is another provider other than AIS will i still be able to retain my present number.

Is there any type of phone card i can obtain in thailand for calling Ubon while i am in the middle east.

Regards

Isan Farang

[Guest IT Manager]

I use a USB phone on a tot line to call Australia, US and UK

call price around 1.9 baht per minute to most of them but USA is cheaper.

I dont use it in-country as it is more expensive. Line quality is a factor in call quality. IP Star works like  adream and is clearer than the tot line normally. On a modem it is a bit up and down. From where I am, the best time for o/s calls is sunday morning but when using satellite anytime is good.

as far as the phone is concerned, the handset has echo killing hardware, so the calls are very very clear with minimal deal on a busy time. No delay during slack periods.

Hope this helps. PM message me if you want details of the handset etc.

######

[Isan Farang]

Thanks for information. On the various choices you have given, Please indicate which system you would reccomend and

also whare i can obtain.

Regards

Isan Farang

[ChiangMaiThai]

i have ais mobile. 3 baht a minute anywhere in thailand all the time. they always have promtions so its just  a matter of siging up at the right time. My gf has 2 baht a minute nation wide. So i don't use the land line at all except to connect to internet. i'm not sure about your other questions, but i hope this helps some. Check out the Hatari Phone card. UK is 20 baht  a minute so a bit better. But the toll free number to access the service begins with 001, so if you odn't have long distance service on your mobile or home phone, they assume you're making an international call and block the call. A bit annoying.

[Isan Farang]

Have you just purchased this GSM ? and this is a time limited promotion. I went to the AIS office in Ubon and they have no knowlage of being able to call all areas of thailand for 2 or 3 baht. I have been with AIS now for around 3 years. I am interested in how to obtain this low cost service if it is ongoing

and not a short promotion. Only call i can get for 3 Baht is local.

Regards

Isan Farang

[valentinoxxx]

Take a look at http://www.happydprompt.com/en/index.html  for cheap domestic calls ans International SMS.

You cannot transfer your number though.

5 baht per minute for the first two minutes, 2.5 baht thereafter. Plus you can choose a time slot where the 2.5 baht per minute charge kicks in without the two minute proviso.

You could try the Cheap Charlie Card advertised here: http://www.calls.in.th/index.htm and on this board. In conjunction with the HappyDprompt SIM card this should bring you call costs to the UK of 13.5 baht per minute(UK mobile 17.5 baht). Oman would be 22.5 baht per minute.

http://www.calls.in.th/cheapcharlie/ccrates.htm

[george]

I use a USB phone on a tot line to call Australia, US and UK

call price around 1.9 baht per minute to most of them but USA is cheaper.

I dont use it in-country as it is more expensive. Line quality is a factor in call quality. IP Star works like  adream and is clearer than the tot line normally. On a modem it is a bit up and down. From where I am, the best time for o/s calls is sunday morning but when using satellite anytime is good.

as far as the phone is concerned, the handset has echo killing hardware, so the calls are very very clear with minimal deal on a busy time. No delay during slack periods.

Hope this helps. PM message me if you want details of the handset etc.

######

I have a fixed IP number and are interested in an USB phone. Do you have any pointers to websites with more info regarding this, and the costs?

[Thetyim]

George,

Try  http://www.1internet-phone.com/product-usb.html

[call_king]

Here's a few more ideas to throw around.

The TOT have a special offer on national calls, which they never publicize to farangs.  Usually you can get discounted rates on national calls by using their Y-Tel 1234 service.  This dramatically cuts down the cost of national calls.  Currently, and for the past 4 months the Y-Yel 1234 offer also caps their top rate at 2 baht a minute.  To use the service just dial 1234 before making a call.  It works from Land-lines and payphones, but not from mobiles.

I am the producer of the Cheap-Charlie and ThaiVisa.com calling cards.  They are designed especially to undercut all other cards by using USA telecom companies rather than Thai ones.  The major shortfall of these cards is that they use a Bangkok access number which you must dial first.  When calling from a land-line you can use the Y-Tel 1234 offer which adds just 2 baht per minute to the call.  Mobiles (especially those not on contract) may be as much as 5 baht extra per minute.  Even with these charges, the cards are still cheaper than all else on the market (excluding internet phones).  The Cheap-Charlie Accounts and the ThaiVisa.com Telephone Accounts  are identical, however, as a promotion with Thaivisa.com the thaivisa card is 10% cheaper.

More info is here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/phonecard.0.html

A popular option for people who make overseas calls from mobiles and from outside of Bangkok is to use a Callback service.  The system works by calling TO your number, and therefore you evade paying any fee for access numbers.  There is only one company I especially recommend in Thailand and that is United World Telecom (UWT).  

Click here for more information:

http://www.thaivisa.com/phonecard_1.0.html

UWT is the only company which has made a huge effort to address Thai telecommunications.  i have over 200 customers who use the serice and have had no technical problem at all for over 4 months.  

When I call to the UK and USA I tend to either use the ThaiVisa.com account or UWT.  ThaiVisa.com Account is cheapest however sometimes call quality is better with UWT from my mobile.    

Take a look at my site (which will be hugely updated this week), send me an email and I'll give you a free sample of the ThaiVisa.com Calling card. I'm keen to get the word out fast.

Best wishes,

Martin

Calls in Thailand

[sothex]

Call King

The price for 2 Baht is only Saturday and Sunday from 22.00 to 07.00 hours.

Prices from Y-Tel 1234 more than 200 km.

Monday to Friday from 07.00-18.00 8 Baht/minute

Monday to Friday from 18.00-22.00 4 Baht/minute

Monday to Friday from 22.00-07.00 3 Baht/minute

Saturday/Sunday from 07.00-18.00 6 Baht/minute

Saturday/Sunday from 18.00-22.00 3 Baht/minute

Saturday/Sunday from 22.00-07.00 2 Baht/minute

[call_king]

Hi Sothex,

I'm sticking to my guns with this one.  As I say (quite incredibly) the TOT don't seem to want us farangs to know about their special offer.  The rates you see on their website are the old prices which they don't want to update.  

The national rate is between ) 0.5 and 2 baht per minute for all palces at all times.  If you would like further confirmation give the TOT a call on 02-505-1000.

[Roger13]

I use a USB phone on a tot line to call Australia, US and UK

call price around 1.9 baht per minute to most of them but USA is cheaper.

Please Educate me:

What is a USB phone?

Is there a website you can direct us to?

Roger

[Roger13]

I use PCPhone at

http://www.iconnecthere.com/

On PCPhone for 100bht I can speak to UK

for 38 minutes ( US$0.06 per minute)

Roger

[Thetyim]

Please Educate me:

What is a USB phone?

Is there a website you can direct us to?

A USB Phone is a phone that connects to the USB socket on your computer.

You can get all the websites you want if you just do a Google on USB Phone, should take all of 0.2 seconds.

[sothex]

Hi Sothex,

I'm sticking to my guns with this one.  As I say (quite incredibly) the TOT don't seem to want us farangs to know about their special offer.  The rates you see on their website are the old prices which they don't want to update.  

The national rate is between ) 0.5 and 2 baht per minute for all palces at all times.  If you would like further confirmation give the TOT a call on 02-505-1000.

Call King,

Yes TOT confirm this rates from 0.5 to 2 Baht but only on August 30 + 31 other days normall tariff.

[call_king]

YOU WROTE:  Yes TOT confirm this rates from 0.5 to 2 Baht but only on August 30 + 31 other days normall tariff.

Sothex, Thanks again.

The Y-TEL 1234 service comprises of two deals.  The first is the deal you can find on their site (and mine) which you quoted for me before.  They also have another offer which has been running for the last 4 months and is guarenteed to continue until at least December 31st 2003.  They tend not to publicise this 2nd offer.    

This second offer caps the rate at A MAXIMUM of 2 baht per minute at ALL times, to ALL Destinations.  

YOU WROTE:  TOT confirm this rates from 0.5 to 2 Baht but only on August 30 + 31 other days normall tariff

The offer was due to expire on September 1st, however, the TOT has exptended the offer, as they always do.  You checked with the TOT before September 1st.  The person you spoke with may have not realised that the offer would extend.  You can call to re-confirm this if you wish.

Best wishes,

Martin

[sothex]

Hi Call King,

Today I received my invoice from TOT, I call on 28/08/46

on 09.01.42 via 1234 to Bangkok (more as 200 km)

price 8 Baht/minute and not so as you write 2 Baht/minute.

[call_king]

Hi Sothex,

Thanks for the message.  I'm very interested in what may have happened with you.  I'd like to chase things up with the TOT on your behalf.  Please PM me with your contact information so that I can take some more details from you.