Can I Get A 3G Sim Card At Chiang Mai Airport?

[dahlia90]

Hi guys! Will I be able to get a 3G SIM card at Chiang Mai airport at 12am? Hoping to get one at the airport quickly.

I've been reading this forum and people are saying that the AIS 12call is the one that tourists should get right? I'll be in Chiangmai for 2-3 weeks, hoping to using my Huawei E585 dongle there to feed internet to my laptop and iPad. I'm reluctant to use the wifi at my hotel because they're charging 800baht/day.

[nikster]

I don't think so - but most certainly not at 12:00 am. Chiang Mai airport is small and sleepy and by that time everyone's gone to bed.

So for the first night you'll probably be out of luck. Next day you can get SIM cards anywhere, easiest maybe at Central Airport or Central Khad Sun Khao. AIS 3G is really fast in Chiang Mai at the moment, and they sell special net sims for use in a USB dongle. Even if yours doesn't work for some reason, a new dongle is 1,500 - 1,800 baht, very cheap nowadays. The net sim is a prepaid SIM card with only data. If you have a phone, prepaid cards with phone+data are also pretty cheap. I just got one for 69 baht + 350 baht for 1GB.

Another thing I love about Thailand: You hand over the money, and you get the SIM card. None of that orwellian BS where you have to provide your photo ID like in the west. They don't even ask your name.

PS if you had a 3G iPad you could use that as personal hotspot for the laptop....

Edited August 11, 2011 by nikster

[lomatopo]

The Huawei E585 comes in a variety of "flavors", supporting different 3G frequencies. I've seen some specs that say 2100 Mhz only, while others say 900/2100 Mhz. To use with AIS 3G you will need 900 Mhz.

AIS is peddling this Mifi device http://www.ais.co.th/mobileinternet/aircard/pocket-wifi/

The 3G NetSIM might be a decent option? http://www.ais.co.th/mobileinternet/netsim/smart-phone/

What are your voice/calling requirements? Did you want to get a 2nd SIM for that? If not, you could get a regular One-2-Call (the pre-paid marketing arm of AIS) pre-paid SIM, add money, layer a 3G plan, then swap that SIM from your phone to your E585 as required.

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/sim-card.html Freedom SIM, 50 baht, is a good, basic SIM.

http://www.ais.co.th/mobileinternet/3g/package/

Back in 2006, perhaps as a result of the flare up of the troubles in the South, everyone did have to register their SIM here with a photo ID. That requirement was dropped ~ 2007. I just bought 5 AT&T pre-paid SIMs in the U.S.A. last month, all that was required was cash, so not sure where this "Orwellian BS" is happening?