Hello,

My mobile phone has recently broken so am using an old one.

But I am going to get a new one. Should I get it in the UK before I come out or wait until I arrive in Bangkok and get one then?

Either way I just want a £50-ish one on pay-as-you-go (unless contracts are very cheap out in Thailand?).

Thanks.

Wait until you get to Thailand.

Phones from less than Bt1000 but a long life Nokia with 1020mAh battery (can take the biggest charge so gives the best battery life) is less than Bt2000.

I'd go on Happy DTAC. Loads of cheap packages and you can do everything on the net including change package and review the last 2 month's calls and SMSs. 12cal is crap on the service side.

All phones are unlocked in Thailand.

http://www.happy.co.th/en/low/11_online_index.php (home page)

http://www.happy.co.th/en/low/09_simshop_index.php (different SIMs)

http://www.happy.co.th/en/low/02_1003_index.php (price plans)

Hello,

My mobile phone has recently broken so am using an old one.

But I am going to get a new one. Should I get it in the UK before I come out or wait until I arrive in Bangkok and get one then?

Either way I just want a £50-ish one on pay-as-you-go (unless contracts are very cheap out in Thailand?).

Thanks.

Simply purchase a cheap phone when you arrive, put in an AIS One to Call or Happy (DTAC) SIM card and pay as you go. Top up cards can be easily bought at many many shops.

You don't say that visa you will have. I doubt that as a tourist you would get a contract, only a pay as you go.

Thanks. Will wait until I get out here!

Will have (hopefully) a 12 month. Pay as you go is fine for me to be honest.

The pay as you go ones are fine if you're a regular user but will generally force money out of you if you don't use their service much. Beware Happy taking money for undelivered messages.

But yeah, grab an old Nokia here. You would also invariably need to get a UK mobile unlocked if you wanted to use a local sim.

The pay as you go ones are fine if you're a regular user but will generally force money out of you if you don't use their service much. Beware Happy taking money for undelivered messages.

But yeah, grab an old Nokia here. You would also invariably need to get a UK mobile unlocked if you wanted to use a local sim.

New Nokia is less than Bt1000, decent one for less than Bt2000. NO need for 2nd hand.

Nothing wrong with Happy, loads better than 12call. Register online, change your plan, extend validity online etc.

Old as in model, not second hand.

I reiterate, beware Happy removing credit for undelivered messages. They are also adept at extracting baht for seemingly decent packages which you have no real option other than to go on because of dramatic changes to existing packages. I guess they all do this though.

Don't suppose iphones are spectacularly cheap out there?

I have a friend who is coming to retire here. During the 3 months or so before he gets his Retirement visa - can he buy a phone here to use pay-as-you-go - and sign up with One-2-Call. He may only have a Tourist Visa - although he may get a Non-Imm O from Hull before he comes.

Thanks for your help

There are plenty of phone of all prices everywhere in Thailand.

There are plenty of phone of all prices everywhere in Thailand.

Thanks for the feedback.

You misunderstood my question I think, I did not explain myself too well. I believe that for 'security' reasons the last time I wanted to sign up for a phone/service - I had to prove my identity etc... This involved seeing my passport, my visa and proving my address. It may be that we don't have to do that any more, is that the case?? Can anyone get a phone and sign up for any service on any visa without proving their identity etc...???

Come to think of it, it was about 4 years ago I last signed up to a new service, so I suspect this law no longer applies - does it???

Thanks for the advice.

We went down to the One2Call office in Carrefour today and I have obviously got confused with all this somewhere. In case anyone else reads this thread and you are here on a tourist visa, then if you want to buy a mobile phone in Thailand and get a One2Call 'pay as you go' service, all you need is your passport. Simple as that.