How Does Pct Work In Thailand?

[opalhort]

I know from the past that PCT is like a mobile phone but number-linked to an existing landline.

Now my son keeps on telling me that most of his friends have a PCT which has an individual number not linked to any landline.

1: Is it correct that they now have PCT with stand-alone numbers?

He wants to buy one with a contract for 3,000.-Baht / year which he and his friends claim includes all call costs.

2: Is it true that the 3K is all he has to pay or are there any other bills coming later?

I did GOOGLE but not much info is available in English.

Thanks for any info.

opalhort

[Accor]

The only major cost for PCT service is for the handset. Calls made from PCT are at normal landline rates. Other services may cost extra. Note that at the moment PCT can make call to any number in BKK, around Thailand or International ONLY in the BKK area. There is NO service outside BKK as far as I know. I believe that up to 9 PCT handsets can use the same home phone number.

[MikeWill]

opalhort, maybe your son can check and tell where are the PCT offices are located or what are their contact numbers. I would also be glad to get a first hand info.

[Deke]

There are stand-alone PCT phones that have 10-digit phone numbers. I had one for awhile but let it expire because it was a rare event that I could get a network connection. Mine was a monthly charge but I wouldn't be surprised if TA doesn't have some kind of yearly promotion. If you live in the "downtown" part of Bangkok it might be workable.

Edit: Thinking about it, the number might have been 11 digits.

[mrgreg]

Sorry, what PCT stands for?

[Deke]

Sorry, what PCT stands for?

Good question. It is what True calls their implementation of the technology known as PHS (personal hanyphone system) in the rest of Asia. I have no idea what the letters "PCT" stand for though.

[opalhort]

PCT = Personal Communication Telephone

I think initially it was TOT which came up with this name in the early '90s.

opalhort

[lopburi3]

We had such a phone when first available here and it was a total disaster. Believe the phone handsets failing was the final blow. Often did not work even when access point close. They were mounted on phone poles so often blocked by buildings. Totally useless for more than play.

I was not aware they were even being promoted - have not seen and add in a decade or more. But if they work and children are happy with them it is likely cheaper than cellphone with the way they like to talk.

[opalhort]

But if they work and children are happy with them it is likely cheaper than cellphone with the way they like to talk.

This is exactly the point my son is making since his mobile phone bills are getting skyhigh.

The way he explains it is that if PCT signal is not available the newer sets will switch to the mobile network (never heard of that but guess a 16 yo knows a lot more these days than I do).

According to him everybody at his school has either a Blackberry or an i-phone AND a PCT to make cheap calls. So I guess I better belive him if it means he can save money in the long run.

opalhort

[lopburi3]

In his dreams.

Like the note I got last month:

I-Phone or Ipod Touch for my birthday

or both for Christmas day

hahaha

[opalhort]

^^^ You are right. But I'm not concerned about the cost of equipment since he has to pay for it out of his own pocket. He has been saving for it for quite some time. Of course I want to make sure he gets the best deal.

But I am concerned about the costs down the road because I fear he may misunderstand the PCT system.

His monthly allowance for cellphone costs is 500Baht, anything above that is on his account. In the past three months (he has a girlfriend now!) he went well over that limit (DTAC post-paid) so he felt the pinch in his purse.

As for PCT:

As far as I understand it now it is still linked to a landline number (02........) even if they don't actually install a line in your home.

If this is the case there would be the 100Baht + VAT per month and if he calls another 02.... number it would cost 3Baht per call, certainly cheaper than cellphone.

But if he uses the PCT to call a mobile number (08.......) it would probably be charged at 3Baht per Minute!

Have I got this right so far?

opalhort

[lopburi3]

I have no idea on the costs involved these days. There is some very cheap DTAC pre paid options available at times (.25 baht per minute). We provide the same 500 per month for the teenagers and one is always over and the other under.

Currently True has a 3 baht a call option for all landlines but that ends in August I believe. For now it is a very good deal.

As I recall now phone line used for PCT had to go through option for callers to select which they wanted so probably not something you want on your normal line if still the same method.

[opalhort]

As I recall now phone line used for PCT had to go through option for callers to select which they wanted so probably not something you want on your normal line if still the same method.

Yes this was the case in the past. Now you just dial an additional digit (like an extension number) and get direct to PCT.

We do have three landlines (2TOT, 1TRUE) but all are company registered so PCT was not an option.

Problem solved:

My son bought a PCT at MBK for 1,990.-Baht, single system so no handover to mobile system if out of PCT range.

Dual system handsets cost around 4K

On TRUE the first two months are free and after that it is 250.-Baht/month which includes all domestic calls to fixed and mobile lines.

For now he has a dynamic fixed line number (02...) so nobody can call him yet but he was told it will take 2-3 days to have a static number registered.

Let's wait and see.

He also traded his Nokia 5800 for 4,700.- and bought a Blackberry 8520 for 8,700.- registered with DTAC under his current number for 350.-/month.

opalhort

[opalhort]

Update:

My son got a static PCT number (11 digits starting with 02) yesterday and its working okay calling his PCT from mobile (DTAC)and TRUE land line, but it does NOT work if we call his number from a TOT land line or a TOT PCT!

opalhort