A real newbie mobile phone question here. I have Nokia GSM that I am told will work in Switzerland, which I will be visiting tomorrow. Here are my two questions:

1. If I use it to listen to the radio, will I be hit by expensive mobile roaming charges?

2. If I turn my phone on to check for calls/messages, will I get hit up for charges? I remember hearing that the mere act of turning on your cell phone can lead to roaming charges as your phone contacts the local system to check for calls. I would like to be able to check to see who called me, so I can note the numbers and then use Skype or whatever to call them if need be.

I really want to know because I once had to travel to Sri Lanka for an emergency, during which I used my phone to make a number of overseas calls. The bill ended up being $1200!

Thanks in advance for anyone who can provide any advice!

I assume you mean internet radio, accessed using GPRS/Edge/3G. Yes, this will be outrageously expensive. As will be checking e-mails.

Incoming SMS messages will also be billed to you, regular missed calls not, but if the system sends you an sms to tell you you have a missed call (as is often done when your phone is off), you'll be billed for it the second you receive such a message.

Just turning on your phone does not get charged, problem is, if people send you sms messages and your phone is off, then the moment you turn your phone on, all the messages come through in one time (and you'll get billed for them).

It is the very principle of how roaming works and gets billed. It is not the fault of the people calling you (or sending SMS messages to you) that you are abroad, so they will be billed the regular domestic rate (right up to the Thai border if you like), but you'll get billed for the part from the Thai border to wherever you might be!

A real newbie mobile phone question here. I have Nokia GSM that I am told will work in Switzerland, which I will be visiting tomorrow. Here are my two questions:

1. If I use it to listen to the radio, will I be hit by expensive mobile roaming charges?

2. If I turn my phone on to check for calls/messages, will I get hit up for charges? I remember hearing that the mere act of turning on your cell phone can lead to roaming charges as your phone contacts the local system to check for calls. I would like to be able to check to see who called me, so I can note the numbers and then use Skype or whatever to call them if need be.

I really want to know because I once had to travel to Sri Lanka for an emergency, during which I used my phone to make a number of overseas calls. The bill ended up being $1200!

Thanks in advance for anyone who can provide any advice!

Wow, as I feared, but good to know. Thanks much for your reply!

Hi, If your phone has an FM radio built in then it will not cost you to listen. It will only cost you to receive, make calls or send / receive sms messages.

Prices are so extortionate for roaming data usage I disable it all together by adding erroneous characters to the Access Point names on the phone.

If it's really necessary to use data while on the move I'd see what SIM cards are available for it at your destination.

Vector ya current fone to VM, when ya land buy a prepaid SIM, use it.

BR>Jack

Similar subject. I'm off to Australia next week. Will a pre-paid SIM card work in my Thai phone? I need to be able to access the internet during the day and don't want to incur those charges. Cheers.

Yessir!!

BR>Jack

Yes it will.

Thai phones are not sim locked, so should work anywhere.

Just make sure you get a sim card of a provider using the GSM network and check what data plans they offer on their pre-paid simcards.

Thailand is really cheap compared to other places!

Similar subject. I'm off to Australia next week. Will a pre-paid SIM card work in my Thai phone? I need to be able to access the internet during the day and don't want to incur those charges. Cheers.