Availability Of Post-Paid Cell Service

[Genericnic]

Hi all. I searched the forum and didn't find a definitive answer so here goes.

I will be arriving in Thailand the first week of Feb., 2011, on a Non-imm O-A visa. I will be in Bangkok for the first week and then head to Chiang Mai, where I will be for the indefinite future. I would like to get post-paid, as opposed to prepaid, service if possible. One the various threads, the information seems to indicate that you can only get post-paid service if you have a work permit. Obviously, if I am retired, I won't be working. Are there any retirees who can give me a correct answer based on their experience?

Also, as a related question, is the phone number you get tied to a particular carrier? In the U.S., you can move the cell number with you if you change to another carrier (though not to a different area code). Is there something similar to this in Thailand?

I have other questions but will do them in separate topics.

Thanks

David

[lomatopo]

Maybe best to get a pre-paid SIM from One-2-Call (AIS) or DTAC to cover your immediate requirements until you get the lay of the land, then try to transition that to post-paid with the same operator if you must. Why do you need a post-paid account? There is no local number portability (moving a number from one operator to another) here; each operator bought blocks of numbers initially and have kept them.

[bubba1]

according to DTAC you can get a post paid if you give them your credit card number. I am not sure if it is really cheaper or not.

http://www.dtac.co.th/english/postpaid.html

[lothda]

DTAC will open a post-paid account for you, no problem - credit card and passport required. Also check their many price plans, you may consider getting a data package etc. As for why post-paid: calls and text messages are much cheaper than with pre-paid.

[Genericnic]

Maybe best to get a pre-paid SIM from One-2-Call (AIS) or DTAC to cover your immediate requirements until you get the lay of the land, then try to transition that to post-paid with the same operator if you must. Why do you need a post-paid account? There is no local number portability (moving a number from one operator to another) here; each operator bought blocks of numbers initially and have kept them.

Thanks for the reply lomatopo.

I will most likely get the pre-paid to start with. The more I think about it, the less I think I need the post-paid account.

I didn't think they had the portability capability but wasn't sure.

[Genericnic]

DTAC will open a post-paid account for you, no problem - credit card and passport required. Also check their many price plans, you may consider getting a data package etc. As for why post-paid: calls and text messages are much cheaper than with pre-paid.

lothda, thanks for the reply. Cheaper calls and texts is a good reason. I may or not need the data package. Good thing I have 5 months to get everything sorted out before I head back that way.

[monty]

post paid is not really cheaper. On pre-paid you also have many sets of promotions, depending on your calling needs.

Example for dtac:

http://www.happy.co.th/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=68〈=en

[lomatopo]

post paid is not really cheaper.

Agreed. You can usually match or beat any post-paid rates with a pre-paid promotion, especially for new users. No reason to cough up your credit card, and any foreign purchase surcharges, until you identify your calling (and mobile data) requirements.

A few years ago I did move a DTAC pre-paid number to post-paid and was able to keep the same number. I'm not sure if you can still do this, nor do I know if you can do it with One-2-Call/AIS.

Happy/DTAC

One-2-Call/AIS

Unlike the U.S., most people here (~90%) are on pre-paid plans.

[Pib]

You can do a DTAC post-paid with an O-A, credit card, etc. DTAC provides excellent service, web site in English, and a variety of post-paid and pre-paid plans. Many plans (post or pre paid) can come with a lot of "fine print"/confusing talk as to their actual costs, especially after you have used X amount of minutes. Be sure to read the details/fine print of the plans. DTAC just came out with a new plan called Simple One which costs one baht per minute 24/7, whether on network (DTAC) or calling a non-DTAC number (i.e., land line, AIS, True, etc). http://www.dtac.co.th/2009/eng/package/one.html The plan costs 200 Baht/month and comes with 200 free minutes; after the 200 minutes you get charge one baht per minute. The plan has some options you can add on for a price if calling a lot of on-network (DTAC) numbers. The wife and I may switch to the plan but right now we have an older DTAC post paid plan we've had for about 2 years that basically prices out to be the same with our calling habits.

Recently the government mandated that all the cell phone carriers had to start offering plans with the "same price per minute" whether making an "on-network or off-network call" as a lot of people on certain plans complained (for years) about the higher charges per minute to off network numbers when they "thought" their plan covered all networks---they didn't read the fine print/read close enough. By off network I mean calling a landline or another cell phone carrier number; by on-network I mean calls to numbers of your cell phone carrier. By reviewing the DTAC web site you can get an idea of cell phone "rules of the game" in Thailand.

Pre-paid has some disadvantages is terms of validity of number time frame, maintaining a call balance, toppling up, etc.; you don't have these issues with a post-paid as long as you pay your monthly bill within a reasonable time plus you usually have to sign up for a years contract which can be a disadvantage if you are not sure of the service/your length of stay. What ever plan you go with be sure you read and understand the fine print and "can be confusing" advertisement of the plan. And watch out for the use of the word "free" as a lot of times "free" means x-amount of free minutes per month "after" you pay a charge.

[naboo]

Number portability is coming. The 1st of next month (or was it this?) was mentioned, so it may be done by Feb next year.

[UberBraun]

I got a True Move post pay SIm a while back.  No credit card required (don't have one anyway).  Did need to show my passport and visa.  Definately not cheaper than prepay, but a lot more convenient.

But in my case I also have a land line with them, which I have had for years.

[Pib]

I got a True Move post pay SIm a while back. No credit card required (don't have one anyway). Did need to show my passport and visa. Definately not cheaper than prepay, but a lot more convenient.

But in my case I also have a land line with them, which I have had for years.

I got a TrueMove cell phone post pay Sim when I signed up for TrueVisions Plantium TV package. Ended up cancelling the TrueMove cell service after six months because after I got the first monthly TrueMove bill I would never get anymore...would always have to go to a TrueMove service center to pay the bill...really couldn't pay it anywhere else since I didn't get a bill with the customer reference numbers/bar code on it. This got old. TrueMove keep blaming the post office although all my bills, including the TrueVisions bill, have no problem finding my mail box every month. True Service center confirmed several times in their system that my address was as it should be and it matched with the TrueVisions billing address. Obviously there was some glitch in their billing system they never could figure out/fix for my account. So, I canceled...switched to DTAC post pay.

Sure wish I could cancel/switch my overpriced TrueVisions TV package, but there really ain't no other caparative service in Thailand to switch to with as many English language shows/movies/news/etc. Oh, I have my C Band free to view system too but few English languages programs there. Some day, some day.

[naboo]

I got a TrueMove cell phone post pay Sim when I signed up for TrueVisions Plantium TV package.   Ended up cancelling the TrueMove cell service after six months because after I got the first monthly TrueMove bill I would never get anymore...would always have to go to a TrueMove service center to pay the bill...really couldn't pay it anywhere else since I didn't get a bill with the customer reference numbers/bar code on it.   This got old.  TrueMove keep blaming the post office although all my bills, including the TrueVisions bill, have no problem finding my mail box every month.  True Service center confirmed several times in their system that my address was as it should be and it matched with the TrueVisions billing address.  Obviously there was some glitch in their billing system they never could figure out/fix for my account.   So, I canceled...switched to DTAC post pay.   

Sure wish I could cancel/switch my  overpriced TrueVisions TV package, but there really ain't no other caparative service in Thailand to switch to with as many English language shows/movies/news/etc.  Oh, I have my C Band free to view system too but few English languages programs there.   Some day, some day.  

True have an auto payment service (at least for TV). If you go to their website, truevisionstv.com, and sign up, go to online services and on the left you'll be able to set up payments to come off a debit/credit card. Gives a small discount as well.

[Pib]

Nope, no automatic payments for me in Thailand. Too many stories of incorrect bills (overcharging)...old bills paid being charged again, etc. I have got bills from various Thai companies that are incorrect. Send me the bill, then if I agree with the bill I log onto my Bangkok Bank online/internet banking and pay the bill. Plus, this gives me an online record of payments for all bills in one place. If the bill is incorrect, I get with the company and straighten things (them) out.

[RKASA]

I once had a post pay bill from AIS that was 12,000+. You won't get them like that with pre paid which are easy to top up. It took 6 hours in their office to get 10,000 back, my blood sugar ran low and I had to leave.

[Pib]

A good example as to why not to choose automatic payment....seems to be too many examples of such misbillings in Thailand. But for cell phone service in Thailand, it all comes down to a person's calling habits/needs and indivdual situation as to whether a pre-pay or post-pay plan is best for them.

[Genericnic]

Thanks for all the great information. It will give me more to think about on the 18 hour flight from LAX to BKK.