Email On My Hip

[eng911]

In Canada I use a Danger Hiptop GSM with GPRS for data. I have inquired and been told not to leave the GPRS activated while in Thailand. Due to the nature of the phone and the fact that it checks for new email every few minutes, the costs would be extreme, even in just a couple of weeks.

I'm spending a couple of days in BKK and then heading to Mugdahan for a week or so, before returning to BKK for a few days then leaving for home. I noticed some carriers rent at the airport. Does anyone know if I can get my hands on anything that will give me email on my hip for a couple of weeks while in Thailand?

Do they rent anything that has built in data? Do they have blackberrys or anything? I can then forward my gmail to it.

I know I can get Internet Cafes but I'm about 1/2 hour away from Mugdahan in the village. I would be willing to pay a couple of hundred to have email all the time.

I have a laptop I can bring if that helps.

Any suggestions?

Tony

PS - If anyone wants gmail post your address for an invite. I have 40.

Edited February 8, 2005 by eng911

[chanchao]

Assuming you will be with people you know there, you could get any one of them an AIS or DTAC subscription. Make sure you sign up for GPRS. AIS charges by the hour (boo hiss): 120 hours for 250 baht. DTAC gives you the option of hourly or by the MB. 99 baht gives you 12 hours (boo hiss) or 30 MB, which would be fine for email). Coverage in your neck of the woods could decide which one to get.

So then you get the SIM, put it in your phone and off you go.

IF: Your phone is tri-band (works with 900/1800 GSM band) and

IF: Your phone is not locked to your provider at home.

Your phone type is pretty particular so not sure if unlocking it is as easy as it would be for a Nokia.. So if any of this fails then you could just pick up a GPRS phone.. If you're using a laptop (get the Bluetooth dongle) then I'd recommend a Sony Ericsson one. T610/630 will do just fine. If you read email mostly on your phone then a Nokia Symbian phone is the way to go. (Bigger screen, more CPU power, more 'smart'phone. Perhaps a used 6600 would be a good option there. Or a new 6260.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[terdsak_12]

I use my Palm Treo 600, and a AIS monthly contract for my GPRS, 24 hour email where ever I go.

Beats lugging round a notebook.

[eng911]

I'm almost positive my phone is locked. How much am I looking at for those phones? Where can I get a used one? MBK? Do I have to sign a long term contract to get started?

Cheers,

Tony

[LivinLOS]

I believed I was told 1 baht per minute on 12Call GRPS ??

If the phone continually stays logged on ok that adds up.. But if it just goes on once every 10 minutes for less than 1 min.. we are talking about 6 baht per hour..

[chanchao]

Phones of the kind I described, like new T630 or used 6600 you're looking at 7000-9,000 baht or so.

[terdsak_12]

My Treo cost me around 20K, does a ###### of a lot more than making calls and emailing!!

[tchk]

Assuming you will be with people you know there, you could get any one of them an AIS or DTAC subscription.  Make sure you sign up for GPRS.  AIS charges by the hour (boo hiss): 120 hours for 250 baht.  DTAC gives you the option of hourly or by the MB.  99 baht gives you 12 hours (boo hiss) or 30 MB, which would be fine for email).  Coverage in your neck of the woods could decide which one to get.

......

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't need a subscription to do GPRS with AIS. I took my iBook (with built-in Bluetooth) and a T610 Sony-Ericsson with a 3 year old prepaid card to the AIS office at Thaphae Road in Chiang Mai. The young lady at the front desk proved extremely competent and cooperative and got me connected in a few minutes.

After trying the connection for a few days at 1 baht per minute I opted for the package with 20 hours per month which costs 100 baht. This is the largest package you can get on prepay and it gives me enough airtime to check my mail several times a day. I can even check my bank account once in a while and pay some urgent bills. Any excess time is billed at 1 baht per minute. The speed is about what you get with a standard modem. If I really want to surf the web I go to a webcafé.

In my eyes this is the ideal solution for people who travel to Thailand occasionally, and I wish the phone companies in other countries had similar solutions to offer.

I was told I could change my package at any time, even stop or restart it, by dialing the help line at *138. This is what I will do before leaving Thailand so my account won't go dry in my absence.