3G Or 2G Big Data Sim For Tourists?

[zanny]

Hi, just got back to LOS last night, staying in Siam atm. I have a dtac sim i am typing this message from on my iphone 3gs, but i just went to truemove store and got knocked back from free size as apparently it is for residents only.

I am here for two months and want to tether to ipad hence need big data and wifi would be nice. Will be bkk, pattaya, chiang mai predominantly.

Should i stick with dtac happy 2g or is there a better option, maybe including calls and texts would be nice. Please help as i would this sorted today before my dtac credit runs out (suprised i had any left!)

[raro]

there is no 3G in Thailand. Guess that answers your question by limiting your choices

[lomatopo]

Not sure if this is an option?

http://truemove.com/en/prepay-hispeed-net-sim-volumn-base.htm

TRUE does have the most 3G coverage. DTAC and AIS have trials in specific towns and malls.

Edited December 10, 2010 by lomatopo

[Jiu-Jitsu]

there is no 3G in Thailand. Guess that answers your question by limiting your choices

What are you talking? You should know better. The info is plastered all over the forums.

[Digitalbanana]

there is no 3G in Thailand. Guess that answers your question by limiting your choices

I'm surprised as a moderator you would post such a comment.

[NanLaew]

Come on guys, let's face it, their IS NO USABLE 3G connectivity in Thailand.

If you consider the very limited coverage that some carriers have rolled out as being significant, then maybe you have overlooked the ongoing saga of the on again, off again 3G auctions. I seriously doubt that a 2-month visitor or an internet businessman is going to be happy limiting his Thailand residential and travel choices to where these 'patches' are.

Compared to Thailand's immediate neighbours, the 3G situation is LAUGHABLE.

To the OP; get your existing DTAC service upgraded. It's 2G but that's all you can expect without juggling. I think that number portability is now enabled if you do feel that another carrier will serve you better and you need to keep your number.

[zanny]

I don't know what I wrote that triggered this thread to degenerate into yet another whinge about 3G in Thailand in general. I was after practical on the ground advice.

In the end I walked across to a different True Move store and they had no problems with me signing up to postpay on the spot, using my Hostel as my address, and I did not even have a passport on me! I used my aussie drivers license. She also did not ask me for credit card details, I had to actually request that I should fill out the DD form, otherwise they were just going to send a bill to my hostel LOL!

So now I have the free size plan and it is 3G here in BKK, definitely speed wise it is 3G as I can tell pretty easily as I have used mobile data a lot in the past.

I had no problem tethering my iPad using PDANet.

Only issue so far is that I cannot reply to topics on thaivisa using my ipad - the keyboard does not pop up.

So just pretend you are an ex-pat, whack any address in there and you should be good to go! 600 baht for all those calls, SMS and unlimited data is much better then my DTAC SIM. Wish I knew about this last time I was here.

[Spoonman]

jeebus that sounds like it will get real expensive real quick, surely a pre paid 690b unlimited data plan on Dtac would have sufficed....not 3g though.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Spoonman

[zanny]

I dont know what you mean by "getting expensive", the data is unlimited..... Plus 300 minutes of calls and 300 sms - it shits all over dtac

[Spoonman]

I dont know what you mean by "getting expensive", the data is unlimited..... Plus 300 minutes of calls and 300 sms - it shits all over dtac

so your post pay plan is free is it.......go on hit up some massive downloads then come back and tell us the final figure.

as for shitting all over Dtac, yeah that I can believe, Iam on 1 to call umlimited data, awesome speeds even up here in the sticks, cant complain for the fixed prepaid price.

[lomatopo]

TRUEmove's Free Size program does have unlimited data, but with a fair use policy which limits speed after 3 GB.

http://www.truemove.com/iphone/en/price.html

I'd like to hear more about the details of the OP's experience rather than a cat-fight.

Did you have to buy a SIM? Was it a micro-SIM? Did you have to pay any money up front?

Your posts are a bit confusing.

And I have to admit I can't figure out if this Free Size promotion is for post-paid, pre-paid or both? And what is a DD form?

Sharing a lot more details, with clarity, might help others.

Edited December 10, 2010 by lomatopo

[Jiu-Jitsu]

I think the post is quite clear. Clearer than most on the subject.

DD is Direct Debit.

[lomatopo]

I think the post is quite clear. Clearer than most on the subject.

DD is Direct Debit.

OK, we'll I'm glad you understand this plan, maybe you could explain it to me?

My take on this True Free Size plan is that it is targeted at citizens/residents/long-stay foreigners who have an iPhone and are currently with another service provider, like DTAC or AIS. If they make the change to True (with or without porting their number: local number portability) then they can get this package. The T's & C's are only available on-line in Thai, my potentially inaccurate translation indicates that the contract term is 18 months and that the cancellation charge is 4,000 baht. I assume this DD form uses a bank account or credit card to guarantee payment(s)? Maybe the OP has a copy of the contract in English?

DTAC also offers post-paid contracts to foreigners (without work-permits) and they require a credit card, from which they take 4 months service charge up front.

This Free Size package/promotion seems excellent for iPhone users in Bangkok.

Edited December 11, 2010 by lomatopo

[nikster]

I dont know what you mean by "getting expensive", the data is unlimited..... Plus 300 minutes of calls and 300 sms - it shits all over dtac

Yup. The amount of disinformation by locals here is quite astounding.

I have been using True 3G for almost a year now. It works everywhere in Chiang Mai. It works in those places in BKK where I tried - downtown and the airport. Tethering my laptop off the iPhone every day. It's a fantastic service at a fantastic price. It's near flawless, and depending on location reasonably fast - same as 3G anywhere else in the world. It doesn't live up to it's promises, e.g. 7Mbit downloads - but it usually delivers a very usable 1Mbit reliably.

Whine about the so-called lack of 3G in Thailand all you want. The rest of us enjoy the excellent 3G service True offers. By the way CAT CDMA is another almost nation-wide 3G service too.

[nikster]

TRUEmove's Free Size program does have unlimited data, but with a fair use policy which limits speed after 3 GB.

http://www.truemove.com/iphone/en/price.html

^^ Very interesting, seen this for the first time. So there's a 3 GB cap, and after that they slow you down to 256kbit/s (maybe EDGE?).

But, if you had the unlimited 3G from before, bought with the iPhone 3GS or 3G at True, then your plan is grandfathered, and fair use policy doesn't apply! Lucky me, that's exactly what I have. Can't believe they don't cap it, actually ... that's unique world-wide.

I am never giving back my True number...

[lomatopo]

I am never giving back my True number...

Now I'm considering getting a Samsung Captivate (Galaxy S version for AT&T in the U.S.) as it has a 3g 850 radio, so that True Ready Smartphone Unlimted post-paid plan (649 baht/mo) looks good, and I can use it in the U.S. too on AT&T 3G.

True's 3G Fair Use Policy, Q&A

Edited December 11, 2010 by lomatopo

[Spoonman]

I dont know what you mean by "getting expensive", the data is unlimited..... Plus 300 minutes of calls and 300 sms - it shits all over dtac

Yup. The amount of disinformation by locals here is quite astounding.

I have been using True 3G for almost a year now. It works everywhere in Chiang Mai. It works in those places in BKK where I tried - downtown and the airport. Tethering my laptop off the iPhone every day. It's a fantastic service at a fantastic price. It's near flawless, and depending on location reasonably fast - same as 3G anywhere else in the world. It doesn't live up to it's promises, e.g. 7Mbit downloads - but it usually delivers a very usable 1Mbit reliably.

Whine about the so-called lack of 3G in Thailand all you want. The rest of us enjoy the excellent 3G service True offers. By the way CAT CDMA is another almost nation-wide 3G service too.

How about informing us disinformed locals of some actual costs please.

[Digitalbanana]

7Mbit downloads - but it usually delivers a very usable 1Mbit reliably.

I was getting higher speeds than that from CAT CDMA (last yr when I was using it) which was unlimited and not entailed any fair use clause in the fine print. Seeing as the GSM 3G's are all trial plans anyway, anything could change in future.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Digitalbanana

[Digitalbanana]

Seeing as the GSM 3G's are all trial plans anyway, anything could change in future.

All except TOT3G.

[lomatopo]

Seeing as the GSM 3G's are all trial plans anyway, anything could change in future.

All except TOT3G.

Thanks for that prompt. TOT 3G have 500+ 2100 MHz base stations (four of which blanket my home). I think I may try their pre-paid offer. Much better coverage than I knew about.

[lomatopo]

Not sure if this is an option?

http://truemove.com/en/prepay-hispeed-net-sim-volumn-base.htm

TRUE does have the most 3G coverage. DTAC and AIS have trials in specific towns and malls.

Not sure what happened ultimately to the OP but I do believe he would have been better off with a True pre-paid Hi Speed Net Sim (but realize this is not a microSIM) and one of the volume packages, like the 399 THB or 699 THB offer?

Edited December 13, 2010 by lomatopo

[thaitar]

Please post speed tests results to US servers (not major hubs please). Thank you!

[Phil Conners]

Seeing as the GSM 3G's are all trial plans anyway, anything could change in future.

All except TOT3G.

Thanks for that prompt. TOT 3G have 500+ 2100 MHz base stations (four of which blanket my home). I think I may try their pre-paid offer. Much better coverage than I knew about.

Pardon a perhaps dumb question, but how do you get access to TOT3G? Do you need to subscribe through TOT or is it a service that somehow is offered to the mobile provicers (DTAC, AIS, True) ?

[lomatopo]

Pardon a perhaps dumb question, but how do you get access to TOT3G? Do you need to subscribe through TOT or is it a service that somehow is offered to the mobile provicers (DTAC, AIS, True) ?

Also resold through http://www.imobile3gx.com/ and http://www.i-kool.net/th/index.php

Edited December 26, 2010 by lomatopo

[Phatcharanan]

there is no 3G in Thailand. Guess that answers your question by limiting your choices

No offence mate but you really need to know your facts before posting such misleading information.

[Phatcharanan]

Come on guys, let's face it, their IS NO USABLE 3G connectivity in Thailand.

the 3G situation is LAUGHABLE.

How can you say such a thing? You are clearly misinformed. Jeeez. You must be in a bad location or with the wrong company.

My 3G works as it should. So does plenty of other posters.

[zanny]

As an update to my OP, i spent nearly 2 months using the True plan I signed up for in bangkok. In central Pattaya, central Chiang Mai and bangkok the 3g performed great.

The 2g when i was in a place not covered like Sukhotai, Koh Chang was noticably slower than the 2g sim I had on my last trip with Dtac.

Day before i left i went to tesco in Pattaya and the true move shop cancelled my postpaid plan for me, i used my drivers license or a passport photocopy but they would prefer passport to cancel. I got no suprises with the bill, to finish off my plan I paid 850 baht in person. In two months i got one debit on my credit card for 600 baht.

I had to sign a form and put "moving overseas" as my reason. All up very easy process if you are in LOS for more than 6 weeks and need cheap 3g in those cities where True has deployed it.

[zanny]

I reread the thread and there is lota of whinging to to summarise: where i got 3g it was good, i did not download over 3 gigabytes and get capped because i had wifi occaisionally at hotels for my torrents.

Oh yeah and the cheap voip calls which true offer are great, i had to go back to the store with passport and sign a seperate form to authorise it on my account, but then i could dial 00600 followed by the aussie landline i wanted and it was only 1 baht a minute, cheaper than skypeout and only a little more expensive than nimbuzzout. Details on their website.

So 600 a month and then about 3 hours on very reliable voip to home. No cancellation penalties, as even though i was on a postpaid "contract" i confirmed early on via phone suppprt that the contract has no early termination fees, which was confusing coming from a western country, but it is all good now

Edited February 13, 2011 by zanny