Ais Sim Ripoff At Phuket Airport

[Xircal]

Another example of how Thais screw those 'super rich farangs'.

One of the shops at Phuket airport which sells AIS 1-2-Call SIM cards charges 300 Baht for the "Max 99" SIM. According to the AIS official site this card sells for, as you've probably guessed, 99 Baht. The shop in question is located near the meeting point at the domestic arrivals hall.

I suspected as much at the time, but I'd arranged an airport pickup from the hotel I'd booked, but they hadn't turned up. So I wanted to call them to find out where my driver was but didn't have a SIM card which worked in Thailand.

I eventually gave up when I couldn't get anybody on the phone who spoke English and took a taxi-meter cab instead which turned out to be a lot cheaper at only 480 Baht. The hotel had quoted me 650 Baht.

As a sideline, the hotel in question is called "White's Patong" and is located in Soi Sansabai, Patong. It's described on their site as a 'boutique hotel', but turned out to be little more than a glorified backpackers hole. The power shower only supplied enough water if you turned the heating down to lukewarm and the windows weren't double glazed. Even with a room at the rear of the hotel facing the Jungceylon shopping centre, the noise at night from the bar at the end of the Soi on the corner of Bangla Road which plays live music until 5 O'clock in the morning was virtually intolerable. If you didn't manage to get to sleep before then, you were guaranteed to be kept awake when deliveries to Jungceylon began at 05:30. The only positive thing about the hotel was the bed which was very comfortable. But you'd expect that anyway if you were paying 1,800 Baht a night. The stairs are plain concrete with just a pebble dash effect and were grimy with beer and food stains which look like they'd been there for a millenium. There's no lift either. There's also a permanently open window in the bathroom which means you'll be plagued by mosquitos both day and night, airco or no airco. Avoid at all costs unless you've nowhere else to go.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Xircal

[jaiyenyen]

So, you had a good holiday then?

[nocturn]

wow, something on sale at an airport was more expensive than normal. Fancy that.

[Xircal]

So, you had a good holiday then?

haha... yes. I also managed to stub my toe coming out of the bathroom after not noticing the concrete lip. That became infected (see picture) and I ended the week going to Wattana Clinic to have my toenail removed. They didn't use an anaesthetic either which made the whole ordeal quite excructiating. What on earth is that brown disinfectant that they use in Thailand? The nurse insisted on cleaning the wound with it afterwards. It's nothing like Dettol and when they applied it, it felt like they were amputating a limb or something.

[taninthai]

you wanna try shopping at theiftrow sorry heathrow airport........................

i think most airports are super expensive not just thai

Edited September 26, 2010 by taninthai

[Xircal]

you wanna try shopping at theiftrow sorry heathrow airport........................

i think most airports are super expensive not just thai

Airports tend to charge the 'recommended retail price' less VAT. They have a captive audience and they know it, but charging three times the normal price is just pure extortion.

[Familyonthemove]

you wanna try shopping at theiftrow sorry heathrow airport........................

i think most airports are super expensive not just thai

Yep - there's a vending machine in Heathrow T3 arrivals - all the popular post-pay SIM cards are available for £10 each (480 THB) - but if you go to a local mobile shop - they are free!

[hearditallbefore]

Jeeeeeeez, what a claw, are you half human/ half aardvark?

So, you had a good holiday then?

haha... yes. I also managed to stub my toe coming out of the bathroom after not noticing the concrete lip. That became infected (see picture) and I ended the week going to Wattana Clinic to have my toenail removed. They didn't use an anaesthetic either which made the whole ordeal quite excructiating. What on earth is that brown disinfectant that they use in Thailand? The nurse insisted on cleaning the wound with it afterwards. It's nothing like Dettol and when they applied it, it felt like they were amputating a limb or something.

[geriatrickid]

I believe the "disinfectant" is Betadine or a variant thereof. It is a broad range antiseptic containing povidone-iodine. It's been in use since 1955.

In respect to your AIS card, welcome to the wonderful world of airports where everything is overpriced. Airport authorities are usually public or parapublic agencies. The intent of the high pricing is to collect as much revenue as possible from the users of a facility so that the local taxpayers are not obliged to subsidize 100% of the airport operating costs. The tenants in the airport are charged high rents and these tenants recoup the cost of those rents by charging crazy prices on everything. What you see at HKT isn't much different at CDG, MIA, FRA, KUL etc. This is the way it has been for the past 25 years.

[mrtoad]

TIP - That Is Phuket

[Xircal]

Jeeeeeeez, what a claw, are you half human/ half aardvark?

Yes, my toes are a funny shape I must admit. But they grip the road when I'm walking.

I believe the "disinfectant" is Betadine or a variant thereof. It is a broad range antiseptic containing povidone-iodine. It's been in use since 1955.

So not only do thais enjoy ripping people off financially, they also love to torture them too.

[khon kaen boy]

More than likely iodine

[Peterbigeyes]

More than likely iodine

QFT!

[Boater]

True give out Free Sim cards at samui Airport,

[PaulUSA302]

Thanks for the warning on the Airport Rip-off!

[Xircal]

True give out Free Sim cards at samui Airport,

Really? Where exactly?

Anybody know if the same service is available in BKK?

Actually, that question has already been answered in this thread:

Edited October 3, 2010 by Xircal