Usa, Please Help An Aussie Travelling To The Staes

[bloody tiger]

Greetings to all my American friends and to any other nice people who can help me out.

I am travelling to the staes this thursday, the 2nd july, and would like some info regarding mobile phones/calling back home(thailand).

Basically I havn't spent more than a day away from my family for the last 5 years and thus I will be eager to call them everyday, probably more than once! so i'm after cheap call solutions.

I've done some time on the net researching but havn't attained all the answers. i do know my cellphone is compatible with the US system.

Can I buy just a sim card in the states?

If so, where would buy it?

Or should I just buy one of these cheap (?$25?) throwaway phones?

My main option, if available, would be to buy a sim card and then buy a calling card (800 number) to make my calls back here to thailand.

At he end of the day, I will pay whatever the cost to stay in touch with the kids and missus.....but I would much prefer not to spending hundreds of bucks from hotel room phones.

Hope you can help out, thanks in advance.

Bloody Tiger....about to be uncaged...

PS I visited the states a half a dozen times in the 80's & once in 2000. I am really looking forward to the american hospitality which i found on every previous trip

[Lopburi99]

Greetings to all my American friends and to any other nice people who can help me out.

I am travelling to the staes this thursday, the 2nd july, and would like some info regarding mobile phones/calling back home(thailand).

Basically I havn't spent more than a day away from my family for the last 5 years and thus I will be eager to call them everyday, probably more than once! so i'm after cheap call solutions.

I've done some time on the net researching but havn't attained all the answers. i do know my cellphone is compatible with the US system.

Can I buy just a sim card in the states?

If so, where would buy it?

Or should I just buy one of these cheap (?$25?) throwaway phones?

My main option, if available, would be to buy a sim card and then buy a calling card (800 number) to make my calls back here to thailand.

At he end of the day, I will pay whatever the cost to stay in touch with the kids and missus.....but I would much prefer not to spending hundreds of bucks from hotel room phones.

Hope you can help out, thanks in advance.

Bloody Tiger....about to be uncaged...

PS I visited the states a half a dozen times in the 80's & once in 2000. I am really looking forward to the american hospitality which i found on every previous trip

I recommend you buy "Mega Clean & Stable" from Uniontelecard.com. Just use any phone to dial their 800 number then enter your PIN. Calls to Thailand are only 2.5 cents per minute - dirt cheap. For only $10 you can gab with the kids and your lovely Thai lady for 399 minutes! Works for me.

You can buy a sim card at any store which sells mobile phones. They are everywhere.

Enjoy your stay in the States.

P.S. I am currently in Michigan for my annual visit to see my daughter. The weather is fantastic - cool and low humidity!

Edited June 30, 2009 by Lopburi99

[slapout]

Most areas have various overseas calling card. When last there we used this system on regular phone and found cost to Thailand was under 5 cent/minute, anytime of day.

[anothertorres]

you might look into a pay-as-you-go phone through AT&T. it's called a 'Go Phone'. check it out: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-ser...arted/index.jsp

[Kf6vci]

Do you take a laptop? Then you can buy the Skype out world package and call home, call U.S. numbers and call Thailand. It's about $ 13 a month.

6 hours a day / 50 numbers limits apply.

Forget cell phones, they are pricey, as are normal calls.

If you only care to call one country, you can choose Thailand for some $ 4.

Good luck!

Chris

[Lopburi99]

Whatever you do don't buy an international calling card from SPRINT. They are sold at drug stores like CVS, gas stations and convenience stores everywhere. I bought one when I first got here last week because I didn't have internet access for the first day and wanted to call my wife. They mention something like 4 or 5 cents per minute to some countries but of course didn't include a list because they wanted to deceive me into paying an exorbitant rate. Sure enough, when I called Thailand, the cost turned out to be about 55 cents per minute! About 20 times more than UnionTelecard! Shifty stinkin' bastards Sprint!

I had a similar experience with an AT&T international calling card which I used when I went to China years ago. I couldn't even determine the cost of calling the states from China from AT&T's website despite going through countless website menus. I finally gave up and just used the card anyway. The calls were billed to my credit card. After getting back to the states, I noticed the dozen or so calls from the China were outrageously expensive. I was so pissed I disputed all the charges via my bank. AT&T never bothered to contest the disputes and I ultimately received more than $200 credit.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Lopburi99

[bloody tiger]

Thanks for all the replies and info. Thx Lopburi for lettin me now about those "dicey ones".

I think I'll try the uniontelecard

BTW, i take it you live in lopburi. My wife has relies there and we like to get down there (from changers) at least once a year. Its a good spot, not to far from BKK or the beach as well.

[Lopburi99]

Thanks for all the replies and info. Thx Lopburi for lettin me now about those "dicey ones".

I think I'll try the uniontelecard

BTW, i take it you live in lopburi. My wife has relies there and we like to get down there (from changers) at least once a year. Its a good spot, not to far from BKK or the beach as well.

My wife had a home there when I met her. Personally I prefer being closer to the seashore, in a quieter setting. Lopburi is ok but has too many cars and motorcycles to suit me, multitudes of them everywhere. We're letting her kids live in the Lopburi house while we build a small house elsewhere, hopefully somewhere near Chanthaburi. I like Chao Lao Beach a lot (lived in a resort there for four months) but land is too expensive there for our budget unfortunately.

Once again, I hope you have a pleasant time in the States.

[INDI12]

I use mobivox .com to call thailand from the states 2.1 c min....

[Beachbunny]

you might look into a pay-as-you-go phone through AT&T. it's called a 'Go Phone'. check it out: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-ser...arted/index.jsp

My nephew bought me a go phone from AT&T for my visit last year...(he works for them) It was almost totally useless except in big cities. No coverage.

If you want cheap cellphone with good coverage area use a tracfone. Buy at Best Buy and you can even pick up refill cards at dollar stores, 7/11 type stores etc.

Tracfone

Skype is good too, but then you either have to have a U.S. wireless account or hook up to the internet. I think skype out to anywhere in the world is approx. 1 cent per minute.

Computers in internet cafes should have skype, just log into your account. I buy skype out for 10 dollars, to use from Thailand. Cost 2 cents a minute to the states, double. Still

last for months.

Beachbunny

P.S. If you want lots of minutes for $5 U.S. go to an asian market (especially in CA, but you can use in other states)and buy a phone card to call thailand, you can use regular or cell phone. I got hundreds of minutes for $5, lasted almost the whole month calling home everyday, sometimes more than once.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Beachbunny