Spare Sim Card For The Same Number

[keestha]

Question for a just in case type of thing:

Businesslike I would be pretty much f+++d up if I would lose my mobile phone, customers wouldn't be able to reach me. I know you can get a replacement sim when you lose your phone, but this would take some time. Wondering if it would be possible to get a second sim card for the same number anyway? Should mention that my provider is AIS.

[H2oDunc]

I very much doubt it unless the technology has dramatically changed in the last few years. I am pretty sure though that your provider could divert calls to another number till they replace the SIM. Try calling 1175 or dropping into your local AIS shop.

I have used them for years and never had much trouble with them and always found them very helpful.

[Rabbi]

Do not see that you have a problem!!

Providing you keep your contact mumbers on the SIM card not on phone memory AIS/12Call can replace your SIMCard with same number, your contacts and any credit that you have. It takes about 20 minutes and I think 100Bht

Also an idea to back up your card & memory to computer anyway.

Cheers

[keestha]

Thanks Rabbi. But I am wondering if any card reader would be able to read my 12 years old sim card.

[richardt1808]

Hi,

AIS has a 'dual SIM' option, so the answer is yes.

The multi-SIM package allows you to have 2 SIM cards with the same number (designed for users of smart-phones who may also have an existing phone). Take a look at the AIS website or visit your nearest branch.

Cheers

[sulasno]

I saw a card reader that can read 3G sims

[Spoonman]

Hi,

AIS has a 'dual SIM' option, so the answer is yes.

The multi-SIM package allows you to have 2 SIM cards with the same number (designed for users of smart-phones who may also have an existing phone). Take a look at the AIS website or visit your nearest branch.

Cheers

Yeah the answer is actually no.

I have 2 smart phones and thought it would be awesome to have them on the same number so off I went to telewiz to hook meself up with a second sim with the same number.

Explained to the english speaking lady what I wanted and she said yep, no probs but can only use one phone at any given time...........

Get home and put the new sim into my phone, turn off my other and nada, calls blocked.

Ring up AIS and explain what i wanted and thought I had requested and they told me no cannot do, both sims have the same "number" but one is data and the other is voice...completely useless.

[mrclough]

Mostly all GSM networks work in the same way (although technology may have moved on) and in my past experience of working in Tech support for a major network in europe having 2 SIM's with the same number was never an option.

Each sim has a unique sarial number attached to it and networks check this serial number everytime you switch on your phone or make a call, in the same way your handset has it's unique IMEI number.

Having one phone number with sims attached would cause the network to be unable to recognise which sim was making calls.

Not a problem as it's my phone you may think until you consider that if you loose one of your phones you have no real way of proving you didn't make those calls to a foreign country running up your bill or using all your credit.

also factor in the fact that if you have two phones with the same number how is the network supposed to know which handset to route your calls to?

to sum up, unless the network technology has changed, which it doesn't appear to have even when 3G is fully up and running it's just too much hassle for the service providers and causes too many problems all round.

[dddave]

Mostly all GSM networks work in the same way (although technology may have moved on) and in my past experience of working in Tech support for a major network in europe having 2 SIM's with the same number was never an option.

Each sim has a unique sarial number attached to it and networks check this serial number everytime you switch on your phone or make a call, in the same way your handset has it's unique IMEI number.

Having one phone number with sims attached would cause the network to be unable to recognise which sim was making calls.

Not a problem as it's my phone you may think until you consider that if you loose one of your phones you have no real way of proving you didn't make those calls to a foreign country running up your bill or using all your credit.

also factor in the fact that if you have two phones with the same number how is the network supposed to know which handset to route your calls to?

to sum up, unless the network technology has changed, which it doesn't appear to have even when 3G is fully up and running it's just too much hassle for the service providers and causes too many problems all round.

Great reply and explanation; good to know.

[lomatopo]

Associating more than one SIM with the same telephone number is easily acheived. We're talking about highly-programmable, digital switch-based neworks. Not sure why people, other than richardt1808, seem so challenged by the concept?

Both AIS and DTAC offer the service, albeit to post-paid customers. Up to five (5) SIMs can be associated with a single number. More would be possible of course.

http://www.ais.co.th/gsmadvance/en/gsm_service_multi_sim.aspx

http://vas.dtac.co.th/th/communication_p9.htm

AIS also offer a "1 SIM/2Numbers" service

In general one can get a replacement SIM in just a few minutes, and it can be activated in less than 30 minutes.

[Spoonman]

Lomatopo, you had best asvise AIS that its possible as they told me its not, even after Telewiz said its possible hence I purchased the second sim (50baht) and am paying 20baht per month for it, it is useless for making calls from it simply does not work.

[mouse]

I have two AIS SIMS with the same number installed in two phone. One stays in my car and the other in the house. To switch between phones I active the desired phone by dialing *100# and then press enter. Been using this system for years without a hitch. Ask again.

[Spoonman]

I have two AIS SIMS with the same number installed in two phone. One stays in my car and the other in the house. To switch between phones I active the desired phone by dialing *100# and then press enter. Been using this system for years without a hitch. Ask again.

Mouse you are a dead set legend, you have done what neither AIS nor telewiz could do for me, neither suggested this, AIS over the phone or telewiz with both phones sitting in front of them.

Thanks mate, I owe ya a beer.

EDIT: Lomatopo, When I look at your links just now I see this is what is suggested to activate the sim........... fuc_ken dumbass AIS, simple question asked twice (English and then Thai)..............

Edited March 1, 2011 by Spoonman

[richard_smith237]

I have had 2 different numbers on one SIM before (not what the op asked) I had to dial a code when switching numbers.

I now have 2 sim's with the same number. One for the Phone and one for the iPad (so they bill on the same account). I don't know if I could make calls from the second sim.

What I do know is that after a lot of digging a lot of the 'cannots' in Thailand from people who are supposed to know are really 'I don't knows' from people who don't want to admit they don't know...

Dig deeper, ask at a different shop, ask at a serenade center, ask for a manager etc....

[lomatopo]

EDIT: Lomatopo, When I look at your links just now I see this is what is suggested to activate the sim........... fuc_ken dumbass AIS, simple question asked twice (English and then Thai)..............

Don't be so hard on yourself, you're probably not a dumbass. Just a communication problem which you'll get sorted out eventually. As a post-paid contract AIS customer you should be emailing or calling about issues like this, and not dealing at the shop level where knowledge is highly variable.

[Spoonman]

EDIT: Lomatopo, When I look at your links just now I see this is what is suggested to activate the sim........... fuc_ken dumbass AIS, simple question asked twice (English and then Thai)..............

Don't be so hard on yourself, you're probably not a dumbass. Just a communication problem which you'll get sorted out eventually. As a post-paid contract AIS customer you should be emailing or calling about issues like this, and not dealing at the shop level where knowledge is highly variable.

I called AIS, was told cannot be done, My missus called AIS was told the same, got lady at work to call AIS, she understood perfectly what I wanted (yeah my missus speaks English but sometimes does not understand what is being said) and after 40 minutes on the phone to various people at AIS was also told cannot be done.......... at that point I gave up.

Initially it was done at the store level with Telewiz, I told them what I wanted they said yep no probs but can only use phone at a time, I was happy with that so they set me up a second sim, when I got home it would not work that's when I called AIS, they were useless so I got the missus to call..same result.

Took both phones back to Telewiz and after them trying to sort it (they also called AIS) they also could not sort it.

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Two numbers on 1 sim card and 2 sim cards with the same number are available service at 12call website:

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/service-welcome-home.html

[Fgis]

Is this service free ?

Can you confirm that the second seem is only for data or is it possible to be called on both sim cards ?

Thanks.

[lomatopo]

Is this service free ?

Can you confirm that the second seem is only for data or is it possible to be called on both sim cards ?

Thanks.

Each service provider has different, and changing, offers. I think you can have to five (5) SIMs associated with a single number/plan/account. I think you can share data across all the SIMs, but maybe only have one SIM active for calls. You have to tell the network which SIM is active for calls, otherwise it wouldn't know which SIM to "ring".

http://www.dtac.co.t...ss/multisim.php

http://www.ais.co.th..._multi_sim.aspx

You can also have multiple numbers associated with one, single SIM.

Edited November 3, 2012 by lomatopo

[Sharp]

I have two AIS SIMS with the same number installed in two phone. One stays in my car and the other in the house. To switch between phones I active the desired phone by dialing *100# and then press enter. Been using this system for years without a hitch. Ask again.

Yeah me too...works no probs

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Awk]

Each service provider has different, and changing, offers. I think you can have to five (5) SIMs associated with a single number/plan/account. I think you can share data across all the SIMs, but maybe only have one SIM active for calls. You have to tell the network which SIM is active for calls, otherwise it wouldn't know which SIM to "ring".

Interesting to know, though rather more primitive than where I am currently working. A bit off topic as I am not in Thailand at the moment, but here I (unfortunately) have to carry a work phone with a phonenumber that is shared with several sim cards, all active in other phones. When that one phonenumber rings, all phones ring, and whoever is the first to answer, lives to see another day.

[TommoPhysicist]

With an android phone, you can back-up all your email and phone numbers on google.

Retrieving the information from any other android phone takes seconds, assuming you can remember your user-name and password.