I often need to phone the UK whilst I'm away from my apartment. If I call using my 12Call Mobile, then it's very expensive!

Can anyone suggest a cheaper way to call the UK from my Thai mobile? I imagine some form of 'call-back' service that is paid from my credit-card or something?

cheers - Simon

Dial 009 instead of 001 and it's way cheaper!

Unfortunately, the 009 service is pretty unreliable, from my own experience. In any case, it's more suitable for calls from a landline.

Unfortunately, the 009 service is pretty unreliable, from my own experience.  In any case, it's more suitable for calls from a landline.

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The use 008 instead. Still a good price.

I thought both 009 and 008 were VOIP services = totally unreliable..... I've tried these prefixes many times and end up with disconnected calls or failure to connect right from the start.

It's a call-back service I need - let me do some more googling....

I use the "009" prefix, from my 1-2-Call pre-paid and DTAC post-paid mobile phones at least twice daily for int'l calls to the U.S. and elsewhere with 100% reliability and excellent quality at least equal to a call to another Thai mobile. Actually the call connection to the U.S. is 99.99% while my call connection to an out-of-network mobile provider within Thailand (1-2-Call calling DTAC) is usually closer to 50%. For calls to the U.S.A., I believe the total fee is 6 baht per minute (exclusive of VAT) when using the 009 (TOT), 9 baht per minute when using the 007 prefix (TOT) and 7 baht per minute when using the 008 prefic (TOT).

Calling cards and call-back services are available but you'll have to factor in the local minutes as well. You can Google or search here for those. They are usually more than these prefixes?

get the person to call you back....ask them to use one of these access numbers, they pay for the call...its normally 2p a minute sometimes 1p

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/callchecker/

Note that calling cards and call-back services will all try to minimize their operating costs, forgive me for stating the obvious, and thus will route your call over the same types of links (in some cases IP trunking) as do CAT and TOT for 007/008/009 services.

Is the OP satisified with 001 ("+) service (voice quality, call complettion)?

The various prefix numbers confuse me, easy to do! I buy a CAT Phonenet card, 6bt to the UK, and usually use my mobile. With a phonenet card you can use any phone, mobile, home phone, call box, anything.

The various prefix numbers confuse me, easy to do!  I buy a CAT Phonenet card, 6bt to the UK, and usually use my mobile.  With a phonenet card you can use any phone, mobile, home phone, call box, anything.

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009 is CAT (my first post here is in error) so dialing 009 44 costs 6 baht per minute, same same as your CAT phonenet card. Dialing 009 might be easier than dialing the numbers for the CAT phone card, buying the card, carrying it with you, losing it, keeping track of the usage and possibly getting cut-off in mid-conversation when your CAT phonecard expires? I agree the convenience of using any phone is a possible plus.

Are you happy with the quality and call completion using your CAT phonenet card? 009 calls are 'transported' over the same type of connections, AFAIK.

The various prefix numbers confuse me, easy to do!  I buy a CAT Phonenet card, 6bt to the UK, and usually use my mobile.  With a phonenet card you can use any phone, mobile, home phone, call box, anything.

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009 is CAT (my first post here is in error) so dialing 009 44 costs 6 baht per minute, same same as your CAT phonenet card. Dialing 009 might be easier than dialing the numbers for the CAT phone card, buying the card, carrying it with you, losing it, keeping track of the usage and possibly getting cut-off in mid-conversation when your CAT phonecard expires? I agree the convenience of using any phone is a possible plus.

Are you happy with the quality and call completion using your CAT phonenet card? 009 calls are 'transported' over the same type of connections, AFAIK.

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Usually the connection is ok, occasionally I get a bad line but no more often than using 001. Are there any other charges, levied by the mobile operator perhaps, for using 009 from a mobile, apart from the 6bt per minute?

As you say, it would be better than the problems of carrying a card, I have to dial something like 25 numbers if I want to call my Mum using a card!

Usually the connection is ok, occasionally I get a bad line but no more often than using 001.  Are there any other charges, levied by the mobile operator perhaps, for using 009 from a mobile, apart from the 6bt per minute?

As you say, it would be better than the problems of carrying a card, I have to dial something like 25 numbers if I want to call my Mum using a card!

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AFAIK, these figures are inclusive of local airtime charges but exclusive of VAT. So a call from a mobile to a UK number using CAT 009 would be 6.42 baht per minute all in, while TOT 008 would be 7.49 baht per minute all in. A regular DID (i.e 001 or "+") to the UK would be 19.26 baht per minute all in (18 baht pre VAT). The savings to the USA are a bit less as a DID call is only 9 baht per min (pre VAT) to begin with.

Note that after you enter all those access digits for the CAT Phonenet card you end up dialing 009 anyway!

Thanks Lomatopo, sometimes I have to send international faxes as well, which prefix works with that? Using 001 I pay for 1 minute even for a short fax...22bt + VAT, gets expensive!