So we just arrived in Thailand last week. Its great here. Now we need a cell phone.

How does this work? In teh US we just buy a plan and you get a sim, minutes and a phone.

Here it seems different. We want to be able to make/get local calls and make international calls (to the US) as well.

We went to a store and gathered we need to buy a sim... but which one? Do some offer different services?

We are going to buy the cheapest phone possible, but do we have to buy a plan also? Will we have to buy a prepaid phone card to make international calls?

Thanks a ton for the help and sorry for the "newbie" questions.

DTAC is my recommendation. You can buy a SIM card at any 7/11 store. NO NEED for a plan. Stored value cards start at 50 Baht+++

Why I vote for DTAC?

You can extend your remaining credit up to 1 year. If you return back to Thailand within a year you can still use your old phone number.

DTAC is my recommendation. You can buy a SIM card at any 7/11 store. NO NEED for a plan. Stored value cards start at 50 Baht+++

Why I vote for DTAC?

You can extend your remaining credit up to 1 year. If you return back to Thailand within a year you can still use your old phone number.

Thanks you!! We are planing on staying in thailand for a year so this may be the best bet... so using DTAC, I can make both local and international calls? Is it like a prepaid system?

DTAC is my recommendation. You can buy a SIM card at any 7/11 store. NO NEED for a plan. Stored value cards start at 50 Baht+++

Why I vote for DTAC?

You can extend your remaining credit up to 1 year. If you return back to Thailand within a year you can still use your old phone number.

Thanks you!! We are planing on staying in thailand for a year so this may be the best bet... so using DTAC, I can make both local and international calls? Is it like a prepaid system?

Yeah same! You can call to any country you like with that prepaid SIM/phone card. No problems! Enjoy your stay

Yup, it's a regular pre-pay SIM. Load cash onto it (buy load cards at the seven or use an ATM if you have a local bank account), call until it's gone, rinse and repeat

It may be wise to talk to you neighbours if outside the main conurbations as coverage from different providers can be spotty. I use One2Call 'coz it just happened to be what the local 7eleven had in stock

Note, don't know if it's still the same, but I had to get international enabled on my SIM, there's a code to type in (all in the Thai instructions). The cutie at the local phone shop did it for free and a nice smile

There are also a number of different international access numbers with various call rates, 001 (or what you get if you use +), dashed expensive but pretty well guaranteed to work, through 009 (was the cheapest), VOIP system (so no SMS's) was very cheap at one time.

Forgot to mention AIS. Thats the other major provider. When it comes to Greater Bangkok I suggest DTAC.

AIS might cover slightly better upcountries. Try it out. A SIM card will cost 50 Baht...

Yup, it's a regular pre-pay SIM. Load cash onto it, call until it's gone, rinse and repeat

It may be wise to talk to you neighbours if outside the main conurbations as coverage from different providers can be spotty. I use One2Call 'coz it just happened to be what the local 7eleven had in stock

Sorry Crossy, you've been faster with your response...

Yup, it's a regular pre-pay SIM. Load cash onto it, call until it's gone, rinse and repeat

It may be wise to talk to you neighbours if outside the main conurbations as coverage from different providers can be spotty. I use One2Call 'coz it just happened to be what the local 7eleven had in stock

Sorry Crossy, you've been faster with your response...

Confirmation of information (poet but didn't know it) is always useful

@bneth360: you should know this as well to avoid any confusion

DTAC = prepaid service is called "Happy DPrompt"

AIS = prepaid service is called "One2Call"