What Is It With Thailand And It's Telephone 'promotions'?

[maya23]

Some time ago I bought one of True Moves 49baht sim cards for 1 baht per minute overseas calls. 3 baht for inland, which I thought more cost effective than the CAT 450 baht you MUST pay, regardless of whether you use the calls INSIDE Thailand, or not.

True Lying Inter Sim worked for precisely FOUR weeks. And then. When my husband was rushed to hospital and all he had was this sim on his mobile, the damned thing would give a ring tone when dialled - rarely - but then when the caller picked up, no sound other than an awful bloody electric racket. This went on over the course of FOUR days, ALL day and evening.

You just try contacting their Customer Careless - what a joke!

Really. After all this time you'd think they would get the hint that if they can't get the damned thing to work, insofar as they are so bloody inept at running a piss up in the proverbial brewery, WHY DO THEY BOTHER?! Do they think no one will notice?

When will they GROW UP!!!

[opalhort]

When my husband was rushed to hospital and all he had was this sim on his mobile, the damned thing would give a ring tone when dialled - rarely - but then when the caller picked up, no sound other than an awful bloody electric racket.

Did the problem only happen while calling from inside the hospital?

Many hospitals have installed mobile phone signal blockers (or whatever they are called) to avoid problems with their medical equipment.

opalhort

[ArthurPewty]

I too have an Intersim. It sort of works. I have never been able to use the A grade line when I phone home.

Having said that, my regular True sim has worked very well for years and is a lot cheaper than calls in the UK.

[Tywais]

Many hospitals have installed mobile phone signal blockers (or whatever they are called) to avoid problems with their medical equipment.

Are you sure about that? I would think anything strong enough to block mobile phone signals would in itself be an even bigger interference problem for medical equipment.

[opalhort]

Many hospitals have installed mobile phone signal blockers (or whatever they are called) to avoid problems with their medical equipment.

Are you sure about that? I would think anything strong enough to block mobile phone signals would in itself be an even bigger interference problem for medical equipment.

No I'm not 100% sure but deduced it from the fact that last year when I had reason to visit the ICU of a large private hospital in our area there was a sign on the door leading to the ICU stating "Your mobile phone will not work on this floor"

opalhort

[maya23]

When my husband was rushed to hospital and all he had was this sim on his mobile, the damned thing would give a ring tone when dialled - rarely - but then when the caller picked up, no sound other than an awful bloody electric racket.

Did the problem only happen while calling from inside the hospital?

Many hospitals have installed mobile phone signal blockers (or whatever they are called) to avoid problems with their medical equipment.

opalhort

I have absolutely no idea where you get the idea that there are mobile phone blockers inside Thai hospitals, or Thai anywhere for that matter. And, No. When I eventually got there, bloody mobiles going off everywhere.

[Tywais]

"Your mobile phone will not work on this floor"

It just got my technical curiosity up as to how they can do it safely. Now, if they just distribute that technology to all movie theaters and restaurants in Thailand ....

//edit - to the OP, possibly a fault with the phone itself such as weak receiver? Some brand/model phones do not behave well in some environments.

[maya23]

"Your mobile phone will not work on this floor"

It just got my technical curiosity up as to how they can do it safely. Now, if they just distribute that technology to all movie theaters and restaurants in Thailand ....

//edit - to the OP, possibly a fault with the phone itself such as weak receiver? Some brand/model phones do not behave well in some environments.

I agree with you about the movie theaters - that's why I never go.

As to the model of the 'phone - he had two 'phones with TWO of these sim cards (just in case) and neither of them worked. One of them did for the four weeks, but did not with either 'phone, and the second brand new sim, NEVER worked AT ALL!

[Meridian007]

It isn't that they have "signal blockers" in the hospital to protect their machinery, it's the machinery that radiates enough stray noise to kill your reception. That coupled with the fact that hospitals are generally built solidly, (I don't know if they are built more solidly than regular buildings here, but it would be nice to think that one could trust the construction of them more), is guaranteed to kill your signal.

Some phones seem to work okay though all of this, but I think it is hit and miss. Not only does the ability to access certain towers with your sim card affect your signal, but also the quality of your receiver, antenna, and even the battery power left in your phone. That being said, I tend to get better a signal with AIS than True.