1-2-call Cuts Phone Rates

[pautai]

CALL PROMOTION: AIS joins cell-phone price battle

Discount pre-paid rates from today

The 1-2-Call pre-paid phone service offered by Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) will today introduce heavily discounted tariffs.

AIS assistant vice president in charge of consumer marketing Titipong Khiewpaisal said yesterday that under the new promotion, 1-2-Call would charge Bt4 per minute as usual in the first minute, but the rate would drop to Bt3 per minute in the second minute and Bt2 per minute after that. He said 1-2-Call was looking to lure 100,000 new subscribers with the offer. The promotion continues until the end of June.

DTAC fired a new salvo in the ongoing mobile-phone price war last week when it lowered call rates for its Happy pre-paid service.

The promotion allows subscribers to make calls for Bt1 per minute from 11pm-5pm, with only the only exception being the first minute, which will be charged at Bt3.

The promotion is identical to that of No 3 cell-phone operator TA Orange, which began offering its discounted rates last year.

DTAC and TA Orange have eight million and 3.1 million subscribers respectively, while AIS has 15 million customers. Titipong said the battle between DTAC and TA Orange would make it easier for AIS to capture greater market share.

1-2-Call recorded 530,000 new subscribers in January this year, he said. A telecom industry observer said cell-phone operators were able to introduce reduced call charges now, because they were betting on interconnection charges not being introduced this year.

The national telecom regulator has scheduled imposition of the charges this year, and it requires all telecom operators to share a proportion of call revenue.

If such charges are introduced this year, all mobile operators are likely to hike their call charges to bolster revenue for their first instalment of the interconnection charge.

State and private parties generally agree the rate between carriers should be Bt1.08 per call-minute, but that is yet to be finalised.

--The Nation 2005-02-01

[udon]

DTAC fired a new salvo in the ongoing mobile-phone price war last week when it lowered call rates for its Happy pre-paid service.

The promotion allows subscribers to make calls for Bt1 per minute from 11pm-5pm, with only the only exception being the first minute, which will be charged at Bt3.

Nothing about this on the happydprompt website.

Any links to this promo please?

[sriracha john]

The 1-2-Call pre-paid phone service offered by Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) will today introduce heavily discounted tariffs.

1-2-Call would charge Bt4 per minute as usual in the first minute, but the rate would drop to Bt3 per minute in the second minute and Bt2 per minute after that.

DTAC fired a new salvo in the ongoing mobile-phone price war last week when it lowered call rates for its Happy pre-paid service.

The promotion allows subscribers to make calls for Bt1 per minute from 11pm-5pm, with only the only exception being the first minute, which will be charged at Bt3.

The promotion is identical to that of No 3 cell-phone operator TA Orange, which began offering its discounted rates last year.

Using the rates above:

a typical 3 minute call on AIS: 9 baht

a typical 3 minute call on DTAC/Orange: 5 baht

If AIS thinks charging almost double is competing, they need to look at their math.

They must be using pseudo-PhD Thaksin's figuring.

[ayakiawe]

This is a very important issuse for my family. Somehow my wife got on some program with AIS called "Freedom" and all mins are charged at 2.5 baht. Dont ask me more as I dont know how she did it or anything else but our phone charges are much less now. Its a prepaid card as well. Does anyone else know about this program? Its for every min, all day and night and anywhere in Thailand.

[ChiangMaiMike]

This is a very important issuse for my family. Somehow my wife got on some program with AIS called "Freedom" and all mins are charged at 2.5 baht. Dont ask me more as I dont know how she did it or anything else but our phone charges are much less now. Its a prepaid card as well. Does anyone else know about this program? Its for every min, all day and night and anywhere in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have that plan also... I think it's called Freedom Plus... It needs to be renewed (new card) every two weeks... although when I read about it the time was supposed to be good for up to 90 days... I've been on it now for about 3 months and have acummulated a credit of over 1,200 baht... Whereas before I'd run out of baht, but the account was good until like July of 2006...

May work well for you if you use your phone a lot... I guess I don't...

Mike

[maxisrael]

DTAC fired a new salvo in the ongoing mobile-phone price war last week when it lowered call rates for its Happy pre-paid service.

The promotion allows subscribers to make calls for Bt1 per minute from 11pm-5pm, with only the only exception being the first minute, which will be charged at Bt3.

Nothing about this on the happydprompt website.

Any links to this promo please?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Got a SMS from DTAC

Would you like to enjoy a solid 18 hours/day of the best network for 1 Baht/per minute? Dial *1003 to register into our special Happy promotion

Sender HAPPY

[udon]

Thanks Max,

I guess I'll get a message when I fire up when back in BKK

[tonybuxton]

This is a very important issuse for my family. Somehow my wife got on some program with AIS called "Freedom" and all mins are charged at 2.5 baht. Dont ask me more as I dont know how she did it or anything else but our phone charges are much less now. Its a prepaid card as well. Does anyone else know about this program? Its for every min, all day and night and anywhere in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To save on mobile phone calls you should open an account and subscribe to the Bt400

promotion. This gives you a lot of freetime and you can choose one number (i.e. your wife) and all calls to her are charged at Bt2 per minute any time of day. Also all calls between 9pm and 9 am are charged at bt. 2.5 per minute to anyone anywhere. This works very well if both you and your wife have mobile phones and then you can call each other any time for Bt2 per minute. This of course only works if your wife is Thai because a Thai identity card is required to open an account. She can of course open two accounts in her name one for her phone and one for yours. Using the above system we have cut both our phone bill down by more than 30%

[eljeque]

Orange:

My deal is 3 baht for the first minute and 1 baht for every minute after between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00pm (20 hours)

The rate between 6:0pm and 10:00pm is 3 baht for the first minute and for every minute after as well.

That is welll below any of Thaksin's offers and none of it goes to Thaksin.

[BlackJack]

[

Got a SMS from DTAC

Would you like to enjoy a solid 18 hours/day of the best network for 1 Baht/per minute? Dial *1003 to register into our special Happy promotion

Sender HAPPY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

are you working for DTAC as this number does not exist

[Phil Conners]

Only works from a DTAC mobile

[sriracha john]

Only works from a DTAC mobile

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

correct.... just changed my program to be EVEN LOWER than it already was when compared to

A.bhorent

I.nvestment

S.ystem

[thaitanic]

2 questions for those with their finger on the pulse about all this:

1. Do these new rates make them cheaper than my monthly billed AIS account? Should I be thinking of changing?

2. Can you take your number with you to a different network yet?

thanks

[monty]

Freedom Plus,

All calls 2.5 Baht/minute, only you get only 15 days airtime on a 300 BAht card instead of 30 days.

Total accumulated airtime (where you recharge if your credit is used up before you airtime) IS 90 days!

I'm not sure if you still can take it at the moment though

[monty]

Thaitanic,

You can only keep your number going from one2call to subscription but not the other way around!

You certainly can't keep your number moving to a different company...

[TizMe]

Price per minute is no issue for me. I hardly ever use my phone.

So what's the cheapest monthly minimum rate? Currently I have to spend 300 baht per month for my 12call pre paid. Is there any cheaper minimum?

[Udox]

Price per minute is no issue for me. I hardly ever use my phone.

So what's the cheapest monthly minimum rate? Currently I have to spend 300 baht per month for my 12call pre paid. Is there any cheaper minimum?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use sawasdee card - 150 baht per month - any money left carries over, but the time doesn't of course.

[tuky]

My wife and I cut our mobile phone bill by 100 percent.

We just chucked the bloody things out and do it the old fashioned way! (use her parents mobile)

[drummer]

[

Got a SMS from DTAC

Would you like to enjoy a solid 18 hours/day of the best network for 1 Baht/per minute? Dial *1003 to register into our special Happy promotion

Sender HAPPY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

are you working for DTAC as this number does not exist

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just called,. and signed up for that promo -= I get 1 BHT/Min from 11PM to 5PM now. Hope its a good as it sounds

[umathurman]

1-2-Call never sends me these kinds of kind sms! The only sms they send me at EVERY call or sms I make as from 55 Baht credit left, is: 'Sorry, your balance is getting low, you SHOULD refill your account soon'

And as if we can't read, they even SAY it before each call!

I HATE that voice by now!

[Robby nz]

Shows how much we are being ripped off here in NZ at almost 20bt per min

[yuyi]

Orange:

My deal is 3 baht for the first minute and 1 baht for every minute after between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00pm (20 hours)

The rate between 6:0pm and 10:00pm is 3 baht for the first minute and for every minute after as well.

That is well below any of Thaksin's offers and none of it goes to Thaksin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you can choose between 2 baht per minute between 10 pm and 6 pm or 1 baht per minute between 11 pm and 5 pm. Which meants that if you do not make most of your calls in that hour between 5 pm and 6 pm then the 1 baht option is much better.

Orange offers this great deal for many months already. I switched all my numbers to Orange, and even bought new numbers for some Thai friends, which are happy now, the difference of AIS 5 baht to Orange 1 baht is big.

It's great to use the phone for an hour, for only 63 baht, and that during business hours! I can't understand why someone would still use AIS for 5 baht. This new promotion is a joke, why would I want to pay them 3 baht, or even 2.5 baht, when Orange gives it to me for 1 baht per minute.

Well well, some people seem to have money to throw away.

And besides that, Orange has good reception everywhere, and no holes in the middle of Bangkok like with AIS, where you get a strong signal but you cannot make a call...

I like also Orange's new GPRS promotion, which gives you unlimited GPRS plus usage of their wireless hotspots in Bangkok.

[udon]

Shows how much we are being ripped off here in NZ at almost 20bt per min

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same-same in Aus.

25 cents flag fall (connection fee) + X per minute.

The biggest rip-off of all time, and the Aussie public put up with it!

Thai call fees are ok by me. Especially Dprompt.

[troy04]

a) i got a dtac prepaid card and since long time i use happy time (sign up fee= 50 baht, some other dtac cards 100baht) where i choosed the happy zone '9am to 3pm' (out of 4 time zones to choose from) and pay 2.50 baht a minute. in october to december 2004 i could have signed up a promotion for 100 baht to pay 1 baht a minute for that period, promotion ending dec. 31st.

if u would have bought a new sim card within that promotion for 199 baht you would have paid 1 baht a minute too. i dont know how much you would pay now after the promotion.

dtac had another promotion until end january 2005 where i pay for domestic sms 1 baht, sign up fee 30 baht. and for international sms 3 baht but that came automatically without signing up, as i understood. good deal. 1-2-call and orange charges 3/9 baht. i am not aware if it is back to 3/9b with my dtac card now.

i got as well an orange sim card / contract which is called 'buy1 get 1free'. i can choose between 500 and 800 baht a month minimum pay but call free for it. i pay one minute and get the next free. i pay the third and get the 4th free. i pay the 5th and get the 6th free.

not completely logically but still the best deal. you can even check the call duration on the display while calling and try to keep the calls within the 2/4/6/8/... minutes not to waste money. annoying i know.

the orange pre paid sim card, they say is 1 baht a minute. but actually the first 30 seconds cost you 2.50 baht and after it is 1 baht. but the great thing: they charge per second and not for each started minute. that means for the first minute it add up to 3 baht. for 1,25 minutes it would be 3.25 baht, for 1,50 minute 3.50 baht.

good deal if u call long time. if you finish calls within 2 minutes the contract is better (above).

c) a friend of mine knows very well about the many 1-2-call promotions like mentioned by others, 'freedom' and how ever they are named.

there are promotions from 1-2-call they cost you less than 1 baht a minute (with a contract with minimum pay). but i guess you need to be customer since long time and then blackmail them that you change to another provider. they wont tell you by themself. or you are a new customer and want to sign up, they might give you this deal. but i have to say that my friend complains that the bills do not show details and he is suspicious and dont belive he called for the amount they subtracted from his call plan.

as with all companies you can change a pre paid card to a contract, without loosing the number or getting a new one. when you got your minimum pay a month with 1-2-call u can choose a part of the amount, lets say 100baht for sms. that means the sms are within the call plan.

to compare with orange, sms and international calls are not included in the call plan.

d) if u live in bangkok and got a land line you can apply for PCT (just go to their shop, buy the phone and wait a day), it's a small phone looking like a mobile to carry with you, there are relais station allover and friends can call you from public phone for 1 baht for 3 minutes and you can call 02 numbers for 3 baht a call, doesn't matter how long.

between PCT numbers you can call completely free (as with your wife) and can also send sms free but the message size is very short.

and if you use your land line for internet you can still call out or people can call in. the phone number is the same just adding #1 as extension (with contract, 100/200/300baht minimum pay a month, with 300 you can call free for the whole amount)(also prepaid available, but you get different number and 300b refill required a month).

to call mobiles (whole thailand as everything mentioned above) you pay 1 baht a minute!!!

the latest phone it self cost list 2790 baht but 3 months ago the promotion was 1990 baht and in november they even sold you 2 phones for 1990 baht!! that is telecom asia. second hand in mbk you pay around 500 to 1000 baht.

any questions?

[sriracha john]

[

Got a SMS from DTAC

Would you like to enjoy a solid 18 hours/day of the best network for 1 Baht/per minute? Dial *1003 to register into our special Happy promotion

Sender HAPPY

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

are you working for DTAC as this number does not exist

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just called,. and signed up for that promo -= I get 1 BHT/Min from 11PM to 5PM now. Hope its a good as it sounds

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Verified mine by making timed calls and then calling "check balance"... COOL!

VERY tough to beat 1 baht/minute....

what say you, Thaksin?

[sriracha john]

1-2-Call never sends me these kinds of kind sms! The only sms they send me at EVERY call or sms I make as from 55 Baht credit left, is: 'Sorry, your balance is getting low, you SHOULD refill your account soon'

And as if we can't read, they even SAY it before each call!

I HATE that voice by now!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yet ANOTHER reason to dump AIS.....

[sriracha john]

a) i got a dtac prepaid card and since long time i use happy time (sign up fee= 50 baht, some other dtac cards 100baht) where i choosed the happy zone '9am to 3pm' (out of 4 time zones to choose from) and pay 2.50 baht a minute. in october to december 2004 i could have signed up a promotion for 100 baht to pay 1 baht a minute for that period, promotion ending dec. 31st.

like you, I had initially bought happy dtac SIM...and just successfully converted it to their 1 baht/minute for 18 hours a day... and that's the 18 waking hours for most people. I imagine you can do the same just as well. As I have mentioned, I don't think this deal can be beat. No minutes to track and virtually no time limitations for that rate (when most people sleep). Orange is in second place, because of their limited coverage area, which excludes many areas around here and many other places in Thailand.

[yuyi]

like you, I had initially bought happy dtac SIM...and just successfully converted it to their 1 baht/minute for 18 hours a day... and that's the 18 waking hours for most people. I imagine you can do the same just as well. As I have mentioned, I don't think this deal can be beat. No minutes to track and virtually no time limitations for that rate (when most people sleep). Orange is in second place, because of their limited coverage area, which excludes many areas around here and many other places in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hmm, I have not found a place here yet where I could not use orange. But I did find spots in BKK where AIS does give you a strong signal, but you cannot make a call, and if someone calls you, you cannot here the caller speaking, and it cuts after a short time. And that in the middle of BKK. And just where I had to stay for some time.

Many people say that AIS has the best coverage, but I assume that was looong ago. The others did catch up. And what does coverage help if it does not work anyway.

I also tested AIS GPRS and DTAC GPRS, and DTAC seems to be more reliable (still not perfect though. I will test Orange next.

Another thing I heard is that TOT is slow with new landlines because they got told to be slow. Someone powerful prefers the people to buy mobile phones

Overall, DTAC is fine, Orange is fine, but throw away AIS / 1-2-call.

[drummer]

like you, I had initially bought happy dtac SIM...and just successfully converted it to their 1 baht/minute for 18 hours a day... and that's the 18 waking hours for most people. I imagine you can do the same just as well. As I have mentioned, I don't think this deal can be beat. No minutes to track and virtually no time limitations for that rate (when most people sleep). Orange is in second place, because of their limited coverage area, which excludes many areas around here and many other places in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hmm, I have not found a place here yet where I could not use orange. But I did find spots in BKK where AIS does give you a strong signal, but you cannot make a call, and if someone calls you, you cannot here the caller speaking, and it cuts after a short time. And that in the middle of BKK. And just where I had to stay for some time.

Many people say that AIS has the best coverage, but I assume that was looong ago. The others did catch up. And what does coverage help if it does not work anyway.

I also tested AIS GPRS and DTAC GPRS, and DTAC seems to be more reliable (still not perfect though. I will test Orange next.

Another thing I heard is that TOT is slow with new landlines because they got told to be slow. Someone powerful prefers the people to buy mobile phones

Overall, DTAC is fine, Orange is fine, but throw away AIS / 1-2-call.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

oarnge is great in BKK, but if you tavel around at all, it sux. Wa sin Koih Samui and I couldn't make or recieve calls from my place. The highest reception I ever got was 3 bars (out of 5), and with that you never knew when you were actually on the network... If you nevr leave BKK orange is fine, though

A friend of mine is quite sad at the impending demise of Thai Mobile - seems he gets free unlimited text messages. Never EVER calls me,m but I do get some lengthy messages

[britmaveric]

Never had any problems with AIS/1-2 Talk! Thus far everywhere I've traveled in Thailand it seems to work.