Phone Rental Or Purchase At The Airport

[dantilley]

Is it possible to rent a phone upon arrival at the airport, complete with SIM card for a Thai network, and then return it when you depart? If so, does this service have a fee, or is it free (assuming the phone comes back undamaged)? Or, alternatively, can a cheap phone be bought outright at the airport, and then a SIM inserted?

[steve down under]

Why not take an unlocked mobile phone with you and just purchase a Thai pre-pay sim card and stick that in the phone when you get there ????

[dantilley]

It's not for me, by the way, but the person who's coming here doesn't have an unlocked phone, which is why he wants to see if a phone can be picked up at the airport.

[stoneyboy]

Buy one in lotus for 500 bht.

Grab a sim job done,with phones being so cheap for a basic Nokia I doubt it's possible to rent one,ive never seen them.

Edited February 8, 2012 by stoneyboy

[4evermaat]

Buy one in lotus for 500 bht.

Grab a sim job done,with phones being so cheap for a basic Nokia I doubt it's possible to rent one,ive never seen them.

+1. a very basic phone. You'd be surprised what you can buy for under 1500 baht if you do not need touch screen or android/bb/iphone. Sometimes tesco/big c they have 2 for 1 special, but it seems like the local phone shops check daily for the specials. When good phones go on deep discount, especially 2 for 1, they sell out quickly.

"2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app.

[dantilley]

Thanks, but I'm not talking about where to buy or rent phones in Bangkok in general, I'm asking specifically if this can be done at the airport.

[steve down under]

Ok mate just did a bit of googling and came up with this it might help

http://www.roaming.ais.co.th/phonerental.html

Edited February 8, 2012 by steve down under

[dantilley]

That looks good, thanks a lot! BTW I did try searching the AIS site before but it kept popping up error messages, and was impossible to get it into the English version. Hence asking here...

[stoneyboy]

Ok mate just did a bit of googling and came up with this it might help

http://www.roaming.ais.co.th/phonerental.html

Well looking at those prices you or your mate must have money to burn,I would like to know the logic behind renting a phone for 250/150 bht a day 2000/1000 bht a month as opposed to buying one for 500 bht.

It's a no brainer really.

Sent from stoney's iPad using ThaiVisa app

[dantilley]

Yeah, those prices are a bit steep, I wasn't expecting that. Should be free really (with a deposit, of course), or perhaps you have to buy a compulsory 1-2-call top-up card for 500 Baht or something - after all, you'll be making AIS phone calls on it, so why charge extra for the phone itself? They wouldn't have to rent out iPhones or whatever, crappy ones would do for most people I expect.

[impulse]

Yeah, those prices are a bit steep, I wasn't expecting that. Should be free really (with a deposit, of course), or perhaps you have to buy a compulsory 1-2-call top-up card for 500 Baht or something - after all, you'll be making AIS phone calls on it, so why charge extra for the phone itself?

You're not paying for the phone as much as for the rent on the kiosk in the airport. It's the same reason a 6 baht bottle of water costs 25-50 baht at the airport.

Edited February 9, 2012 by impulse

[lomatopo]

Also note the calling rates, which are quite high.

When Googling "phone rental" and Suvarnbhumi I did get some hits, a few of which seemed to indicate all three service providers: AIS, TrueMove and DTAC offered rentals on arrivals. All located on level 2, "Arrivals", in the areas of doors 5, 6 & 7. I'll try to remember to ask and then post back here.

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/indoor_map_mobile_en.php

[dantilley]

You're not paying for the phone as much as for the rent on the kiosk in the airport. It's the same reason a 6 baht bottle of water costs 25-50 baht at the airport.

Yes, true, you should never expect anything to be cheap at the airport I suppose.

[Gers1873]

OP wrote his service have a fee, or is it free (assuming the phone comes back undamaged)?

I understand there is a new car service at BKK airport. Two weeks free rental as long as the car comes back undamaged

[impulse]

OP wrote his service have a fee, or is it free (assuming the phone comes back undamaged)?

I understand there is a new car service at BKK airport. Two weeks free rental as long as the car comes back undamaged

The OP's expectation isn't so out of line.

I'd rent you my car for free as long as you fill it up with my brand of gasoline for $25 per gallon and use the minimum 10 gallons per day.(oh, and it comes back undamaged).

If you're paying for the cell company service (minutes plus daily minimum) at "airport rates", it's not unreasonable to think they'd loan you the $20 phone and encourage you to make all the calls you want. Thailand is different from most places in that the cell rates here are pretty reasonable even with no contract and long term obligation, but I wouldn't expect anyone fresh off the airplane to know that...

[nattydread]

get the phone unlocked at home before u fly for a few $ / £ then just buy a sim card with credit on it at the airport........its not rocket science is it?

[HerbalEd]

It's not for me, by the way, but the person who's coming here doesn't have an unlocked phone, which is why he wants to see if a phone can be picked up at the airport.

If it's for temporary use, why not buy a cheap, reconditioned unlocked mobile in your friends home country? It will be much cheaper and a lot less trouble. When they arrive in BKK they simply buy a SIM card and can prepay by the minute.

[dantilley]

If it's for temporary use, why not buy a cheap, reconditioned unlocked mobile in your friends home country? It will be much cheaper and a lot less trouble. When they arrive in BKK they simply buy a SIM card and can prepay by the minute.

Any idea of the approx. cost to buy such a phone in the UK and how easy is it to find one? It's not the kind of thing I've ever seen for sale in the UK (not that I've been specifically looking, though).

[stoneyboy]

Ebay,is the best place for unlocked phones,although I believe Tesco sell sim free phones for a tenner also.

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Edited February 12, 2012 by stoneyboy

[dantilley]

If they really are only a tenner in Tesco, that would be the best bet I think. Sounds too good to be true though...??? Would this be in any major branch, in any major city, e.g. London?

[stoneyboy]

Yes.

http://direct.tesco.com/homepage/phones.aspx

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[dantilley]

Excellent, looks good. Thanks!