Coming To Koh Samui - A Few Questions

[OKF]

Hi @ all

I am coming to the island next week and I would like to know whether 3G is available so I could use my iPad and IPhone. If so what would be the best to buy and where could I buy it. At the airport they sometimes hand out Phone Cards, are those useful or are they expensive in use? However are there prepay or top up cards of any kind available in Micro Sim for IPhone? Actually i would prefer a card which is valid longer then3 months so when I return I keep my number.

Thanks & regards

Oliver

[starcandle]

If you need a standard sim card you can buy at any 7/11 store, AIS one to call is a very good service.

If your Ipad Iphone is one of the micro sized sim cards then a trip to the AIS shop inside Tesco at Chaweng will be order of the day.

while in there they will inform you of the best tariffs, there's one you pre pay for a small sum and you get x amount of texts, x amount of air-time for internet, and x amount of call time.

cards at the airport ain't the best.

[robsamui]

I am coming to the island next week and I would like to know whether 3G is available so I could use my iPad and IPhone. If so what would be the best to buy and where could I buy it

THE BEST what to buy?? No sort of G at all here - best you can do is EDGE.

At the airport they sometimes hand out Phone Cards, are those useful or are they expensive in use?

Have no idea what these cards are are but my instinct says do not touch. Some sort of Phone Card, I guess . Whatever it is at the airport tourist rips-offs, you can get it cheaper somewhere else at 20% of the price.

However are there prepay or top up cards of any kind available in Micro Sim for IPhone?

<deleted> is "Micro Sim for Iphone"? Do you mean a SIM card to make phone calls with? Yes of course. For iPhone? To make phone calls from your IPhone - voice calls??? Hee hee - not sure what you want to do! - This is Thailand. Slow down - too many muddled questions!

Come here with your Ithings and find places where there is WiFi. Use this. WiFi is good and is the best UR gonna get right now!

But yes, Starcandle is quite right. Take the whole bag to Teso AIS close to Fuji Japanese restaurant, and ask for Khun Nam Waan, the Regional Manager for AIS. Speaks perfect English, is right up to date with what's available, and will no doubt understand exactly what U want and be able to help you with different options and tarrifs . . .

... but remember if your hardware is locked to an SP like Verizon or TT&T then you are on a loser if you want to go down this path . . .

Good luck!

R

Edited November 22, 2011 by robsamui

[smokie36]

In addition to what Rob has said you can extend the AIS card by speaking to the lassie in Tesco. I think it costs a few hundred Baht to extend the SIM for a while....and keep your number.

[Boater]

I am coming to the island next week and I would like to know whether 3G is available so I could use my iPad and IPhone. If so what would be the best to buy and where could I buy it

THE BEST what to buy?? No sort of G at all here - best you can do is EDGE.

At the airport they sometimes hand out Phone Cards, are those useful or are they expensive in use?

Have no idea what these cards are are but my instinct says do not touch. Some sort of Phone Card, I guess . Whatever it is at the airport tourist rips-offs, you can get it cheaper somewhere else at 20% of the price.

However are there prepay or top up cards of any kind available in Micro Sim for IPhone?

<deleted> is "Micro Sim for Iphone"? Do you mean a SIM card to make phone calls with? Yes of course. For iPhone? To make phone calls from your IPhone - voice calls??? Hee hee - not sure what you want to do! - This is Thailand. Slow down - too many muddled questions!

Come here with your Ithings and find places where there is WiFi. Use this. WiFi is good and is the best UR gonna get right now!

But yes, Starcandle is quite right. Take the whole bag to Teso AIS close to Fuji Japanese restaurant, and ask for Khun Nam Waan, the Regional Manager for AIS. Speaks perfect English, is right up to date with what's available, and will no doubt understand exactly what U want and be able to help you with different options and tarrifs . . .

... but remember if your hardware is locked to an SP like Verizon or TT&T then you are on a loser if you want to go down this path . . .

Good luck!

R

just to update from this post,

The sim cards at the airport are probably the only thing there that isnt a Con or Rip off !, they are supplied by True, and come with 50 THB top up

<deleted> is "Micro Sim

New phones now run on Micro Sims, i have new nokia which is micro sim, but you have to get these sims from a retailer

But to the OP, dont expect the Speed you get at the moment, samui, and thailand, isnt 3G yet.... shocking i know !

[John 1]

Yes 3G is available on Samui and other locations in Thailand not all areas of Samui are covered so come and find out where.

[sketcher]

Not sure if worth starting a new thread but where in Samui does have this 3g (Not Cat CDMA, I wouldnt class that as 3g)?

And i really want to hear from users not people who have read it in some advertising garbage somwhere!

[Slaps]

I had True 3G in BKK for the ipad, walked into Tesco here and True were promoting True H, I changed over to H for free and get 3G pretty much everywhere

[samuijimmy]

Not sure if worth starting a new thread but where in Samui does have this 3g (Not Cat CDMA, I wouldnt class that as 3g)?

And i really want to hear from users not people who have read it in some advertising garbage somwhere!

Some areas of Samui have 3g.(so I have heard) but from my experience with Ipad 2 ....it was extremely limited and frustrating... so I sold the Ipad... was not going to wait until it finally arrived....(next month, next month too many times! )

I used three different sim cards, True, AIS and Dtac... all where hopeless unless one was close to ring road or perhaps Chawang?

So it depends on your location... you may be lucky, but then maybe not!

[starcandle]

I am coming to the island next week and I would like to know whether 3G is available so I could use my iPad and IPhone. If so what would be the best to buy and where could I buy it

THE BEST what to buy?? No sort of G at all here - best you can do is EDGE.

At the airport they sometimes hand out Phone Cards, are those useful or are they expensive in use?

Have no idea what these cards are are but my instinct says do not touch. Some sort of Phone Card, I guess . Whatever it is at the airport tourist rips-offs, you can get it cheaper somewhere else at 20% of the price.

However are there prepay or top up cards of any kind available in Micro Sim for IPhone?

<deleted> is "Micro Sim for Iphone"? Do you mean a SIM card to make phone calls with? Yes of course. For iPhone? To make phone calls from your IPhone - voice calls??? Hee hee - not sure what you want to do! - This is Thailand. Slow down - too many muddled questions!

Come here with your Ithings and find places where there is WiFi. Use this. WiFi is good and is the best UR gonna get right now!

But yes, Starcandle is quite right. Take the whole bag to Teso AIS close to Fuji Japanese restaurant, and ask for Khun Nam Waan, the Regional Manager for AIS. Speaks perfect English, is right up to date with what's available, and will no doubt understand exactly what U want and be able to help you with different options and tarrifs . . .

... but remember if your hardware is locked to an SP like Verizon or TT&T then you are on a loser if you want to go down this path . . .

Good luck!

R

A micro sim is what Iphone and ipads use. ie not a standard sized sim.

[OKF]

Thanks. So to keep it simple because still unclear, are there Micro SIM Cards widely available (e.g. Family Mart) as used in iPhone or other new phones or do I have to go to Tesco for that?

[Rooo]

You have AIS & True both @ Tesco.As I understand from all the replies these are the only 2 places you can buy them.

[BusyBee123]

Many hotels and bars have free wifi which is the only imo useful way of operating your iphone4 and ipad on Samui. There is a shop on the far right of tesco lamai next to the toilets which can hook up a micro sim for your phone but it took a few return visits before they got it right for me but that was because the phone wasn't broken and still on my o2 tariff at home. Bangkok was the only place i could pick up 3G that actually worked.

[BangrakBob]

I've got a True 3G Sim and it works great in my iPhone, the speed is good, uploading pics is good. watched videos without much buffering. I've tethered to my computer when my home network has been down and it still works a treat.

Not many places on the island i haven't been able to use 3G.

I'd go with it

[phetphet]

If you are heading to Samui via Suvarnabhumi airport, there are phone kiosks for AIS and DTAC in the arrivals area after you exit Customs.

AIS can supply MicroSims for iPhone. I find it easier to do here whilst between flights. It means you have phone service straight away, and avoids a trip to Tesco.