Ais Net Sim

[richsilver]

I purchased a new iPad 3G the other day and went to a phone store where they sold me a Net SIM card from AIS for 500 baht, telling me I will get 30 hours of 3G.

Does this 30 hours expire? How do I renew it?

How does a "Net SIM" differ from a regular SIM? Is there some way to check the balance in the iPad without taking the SIM out and putting it into a phone?

[jackbox]

That was the wrong sim to buy. Things like iPhones, iPads, Android phones, etc. are on the internet almost 24/7. Your 30 hours will be up in two days and then whatever money you have on the sim will be gone fast as AIS will charge you 1 baht per minute and your device will be on the net every minute it is on. You need to get a sim with a volume package. A device like an iPad needs as much data as you can afford as it used a lot. Here is the page with AIS's Netsim 3G packages. This is what you should be looking at.

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/simcard-one2call-netsim-3G.html

.Also, AIS is the wrong company to use with this device. If I am correct you will only get 2G service with AIS. You need to get DTAC, TrueMove or TOT3G to get 3G speeds with this device due to the 3G band support in the radio.

[richsilver]

That was the wrong sim to buy. Things like iPhones, iPads, Android phones, etc. are on the internet almost 24/7. Your 30 hours will be up in two days and then whatever money you have on the sim will be gone fast as AIS will charge you 1 baht per minute and your device will be on the net every minute it is on. You need to get a sim with a volume package. A device like an iPad needs as much data as you can afford as it used a lot. Here is the page with AIS's Netsim 3G packages. This is what you should be looking at.

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/simcard-one2call-netsim-3G.html

.Also, AIS is the wrong company to use with this device. If I am correct you will only get 2G service with AIS. You need to get DTAC, TrueMove or TOT3G to get 3G speeds with this device due to the 3G band support in the radio.

Thanks for the reply, but I should have explained that I'm mostly using 3G in those few places where I cannot get WiFi; I keep it turned off almost all the time so it will not drain.

The link to the AIS site is somewhat helpful, but does not answer my question about the expiration of the 30 hour SIM I purchased nor how to check the balance.

You are not up to date with the AIS 3G (at least here in Pattaya): it works just fine on the iPad/iPhone throughout most of Pattaya, although not as fast as one would like. I asked several vendors before buying the SIM and they all said AIS has the best 3G coverage here in Pattaya.

[monty]

do you know if there exists an app which allows you to send ussd requests?

On AIS, *139# gives you your data status, i.e. how many hours or MB left...

Regarding the netsim, not sure of the current promo, but on mine they automatically deduct 99 Baht/month (+ 7% vat), which activates the 30 hours.

If you go over, they deduct 1 Baht/minute.

However, if you do need more, you can just slap on an additional package, as per the AIS link posted above.

I think the promo lasts for 1 year after activation. You'll get an sms everytime they do an automatic deduction, or another one if it failed due to insuficient credit, so you'll know ezactly what is happening!

[lomatopo]

I think you paid a bit above market value for that SIM, but without more details it is challenging to determine. Maybe the 500 baht was your initial balance? In theory a SIM should be 49 baht, and your monthly pre-paid, recurring fee for 30 hours/month would be 150 baht/month (exclusive of 7% VAT).

So my guess is that the 30 hours "expires" in 30 days, then will automatically renew provided you have enough balance. You can add money to your account in a variety of ways, I find an ATM to be the simplest.

You can check the balance using the eServices web-based platform; AIS may have some iPnnnn application? Or there may be a 3rd party app for tracking usage.

I agree that a volume-based plan is almost always preferable to a time-based one. The first time you forget to toggle off data you may come to agree with this position?

I think the earlier version of the 3G iPad may have only supported 850/1900/2100 Mhz 3G while the iPad 2 supports 850/900/1900/2100 Mhz 3G, hence the confusion?

[monty]

not sure what the regular price of the netsim is, but much more then the regular 49 Baht freedom sim.

You basically save a bit every month, as you pay only 99 baht for 30 hours, whereas it used to be 100 Baht for 20 hours (old Edge packages, not sure with the new 3G packages)

Agree, for mobile devices volume based is the way to go.