I Got An Iphone

[cathyy]

Last week we trekked into BKK to get me an iPhone. Because I wanted a white one, we had to go to three different shops before we found one where the white phones weren't sold out. Either there wasn't much stock of white ones, or they are quite popular here!

The paperwork was a cluster****. The short story was that we bought the phone outright, using the promotion as an existing True (television) customer. We were unable to get the 1-year contract for unlimited service at 599 baht a month, because we don't have a credit card. We got instead unlimited WiFi, 3G, Edge, and GPRS for 450 baht a month, postpay, with telephone calls being 2 baht a minute. Since it takes us 6 to 9 months or even more to go through a 300 baht calling card we figure we'll save money as compared to the contract! It took 3 days to get it all set up and fully functional.

I didn't let them register my phone when they tried to do so for me, telling them, truthfully, I already have an Apple ID because I own a Mac, and I'll register it at home. What I didn't tell them is that my Mac is registered to a US address and credit card so that I can use the US iTunes store and now App store for the iPhone.

Service is good, phone quality is good, and my happiness meter is pegged.

[nikster]

Did you have to choose a True plan at all if you bought the phone outright? 450 is OK but without included minutes it's basically just for EDGE which seems steep. Could you have just taken the phone and put in your prepaid DTAC card?

[sniffdog]

450 baht for unlimited GPRS/3G/Edge is a steal. On DTAC's prepaid card you'll pay over 1 baht per minute or 60 baht per hour. Use it 10 hours and you'll already saved 150 baht.

[BangnaBound]

When did True start providing 3G service?

[mc2]

i am jealous.

[BigSnake]

Phone One is better, and cheaper.

[mdechgan]

What was the price you paid outright?

[Sabum]

Phone One is better, and cheaper.

No its not, dear lord, not even the same ball park, cheaper yes, like all inferior products should be.

[dave_boo]

450 baht for unlimited GPRS/3G/Edge is a steal. On DTAC's prepaid card you'll pay over 1 baht per minute or 60 baht per hour. Use it 10 hours and you'll already saved 150 baht.

You're quite right; it's 1/2 the price you'd pay for AIS unlimited EDGE/GPRS....although I'd have to question True's coverage.

[livinthailandos]

same here got me an iphone 2 days ago, but didn't get any contract, what the deal is

1. Had to walk over to true corp ( its across from siam center )

2. As long as I had some form of true service ( i have ubc ) did not have to get contract

3. Had to provide though passport, work permit and had to have my thai wife give me her ID number

4. I am using dtac for my coverage, true internet a deal you are right but since I make a lot of international calls dtac only charges me 4 baht a min. Plus coverage with true for phone here on samui is so so

5. Paid for a 16GB Black iphone total cost 30,495. but no contract with true.

6. talk with many thai's who told me about buying the phone, but for most people I think here in thailand its about 2 things

a. ease of use

b. fashion statement

7. Have warranty good for 1 year here in thailand ( note as long as you don't hack the phone )

8. Considering apple finally got its act together and put lots of applications on its store there finally doing something right at least. ( note I'd never pay for applications though )

apple did something that microsoft can never do with its windows mobile, just make the phone work, be innovative, less bugs and crashes. Although I believe this phone is over hyped. I am glad I have one at least.

still waiting for the day when there is a linux touch based phone that runs ubuntu / mandriva where I would have access to thousands of applications.

[sniffdog]

Another peculiar thing in Thailand ... the need for a work permit. I am retired and have a 1 year non immigrant-o but apparently nor DTAC, True and AIS have the flexibility to accept it.

[cathyy]

If you are on a retirement visa, you don't need to show a work permit. They will want 2 forms of ID, such as your passport and Thai driver's license. I wonder if a certificate of residency would work? They had to get am email with the official rules in order to figure this one out for me.

The price is right where it ought to be. The cheap prices in other countries are based on the service contracts covering the rest of the cost of the phone. Where you are able to buy them without a contract they do run $700-$800US.

I have unlimited internet on my household LAN. I only need the True plan for when I go into town, usually The Mall or nearby, so the True WiFi is there. That's the main reason I didn't just go with some other plan; I wanted to be able to use the True WiFi I knew existed in town.