Best Long Expiry Sim These Days

[bmanly]

I spend 4 or 5 Months a year in Thailand and everytime I come back I find myself having to buy a new SIM with new number as the old one expires. I also note that different plans come out fairly regularly so at this point in time who is best for a long expiry plan? I use my phone sparingly, like maybe 100 baht a Month. Mostly need it for emergencies and sending sms's back home to farangland.

I just can't justify pre loading my sim say 3,000 baht just to keep my sim active for a year as I am a low user. Any thoughts or recommendations?

(I read a thread dating back to 2007 but I think it might be old news now.)

[wdr]

I use True. After any payment valid for 1 year. Minimum load as far I know is 90 THB and last for me - sparingly use - for 1 month. Top up at any 7Eleven

[Darrel]

I have a True SIM purchased in December 2010 with 50B on it. I topped it up in November 2011 with another 50B and it's still going strong. I will put on another 50B this November.

Can also be used internationally.

[bmanly]

Thanks wdr and Darrel. So do I need to go to a "True" shop or can I buy it anywhere. Also, does it have it's own network or does it use dtac or 12call network?

[WhizBang]

I would avoid True at all costs. Just a lousy network. Poor signal strength, poor coverage, dropped calls, many sms problems and no coverage in the US.

I had True and went back to AIS.

To the OP: You can buy a sim for 50 baht. Use it for the duration of your stay, then toss it. Buy a new sim next visit.

[wdr]

As far I remember you can buy the SIM card at any mobile shop. Better buy at True shop and make sure the SIM is valid for 1 year. True charge 1,5 THB/min. I use my TRUE SIM already for more than 2 years and had no trouble at all.

[wdr]

"I would avoid True at all costs. Just a lousy network. Poor signal strength, poor coverage, dropped calls, many sms problems and no coverage in the US."

I traveling a lot in Tailand and always the covering has been good. Never had a dropped call and never a SMS got lost. For what reason I need coverage in US when I use in Thailand? International calls to Germany, Italy, China, Singapore, Uruguay - no problem.

When I used AIS and DTAC, I had a lot of problems so I changed to TRUE 2 1/2 year ago and be happy with them.

[lomatopo]

There have been a ton of threads on this subject but I'm too lazy to search for them now. I think all service providers offer some sort of low-cost option for extending expiration dates, perhaps as a result of some sort of consumer advocacy law.

Be aware that most service providers have a requirement for you to make a call or top-up at least once in any 90 day period. While some may have been lax on this requirement one should not be surprised that this starts to be enforced owing to the lack of numbers.

[Sateev]

With DTAC, you can trade credit for time - I think I extended to a year for, like, 50 baht - a couple of years ago. The little folded-up instruction sheet that everyone tosses has all the info.

Sorry, I tossed mine.

[Guest]

DTAC have an paid service, which allows to extend the SIM expiration time for a few bath.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/337888-extending-the-validity-of-your-dtac-sim-card/

You can also register your pre-paid SIM, which will help to recover the number in case you loose your SIM someday.

I have been happy for DTAC service and coverage.

[Darrel]

The True "InterSIM" is specifically marketed as being valid for 1 year from the last top-up, and as having low call rates.

I have no problems at all with connectivity in Pattaya and have never lost an SMS (my Thai banks send them all the time).

It is the only SIM card that I found that was suitable for my requirements as other cards required significantly higher payments to remain valid.

Available at all 7/11s etc.

[tfc]

I went with True for a while but the constant need to top up annoyed me so I went to the AIS shop and they gave me a sim plus a 6 month expiry on my credit for 80 baht all up (50 baht SIM + 30 Baht credit).

[UbonOz]

I have used DTAC for a long time, no problem with their service.

Use this link - http://eservice.dtac.co.th/bp3/bin/DpromptIndex?lang=E

Register and then you can use the "Day Give-Away Service" to extend the validity to 30, 90 or 180 days at the cost of 2baht/30 days, so,

2, 6 or 12 baht respectively.

I am on Happy Sim, 40satang/minute, 1.8 baht first minute, excluding 7% VAT, calls to any network.

You can change plans if you wish, on the above website.

Not sure if you would get the SMS message overseas to activate any changes. So best to pay 12baht before you depart Thailand and return within 180 days.

[Darrel]

I went with True for a while but the constant need to top up annoyed me ....

True InterSIM is valid for 1 year from the last 50B top-up. As far as I know it is the only SIM to have this validity in Thailand.

[bmanly]

The True "InterSIM" is specifically marketed as being valid for 1 year from the last top-up, and as having low call rates.

I have no problems at all with connectivity in Pattaya and have never lost an SMS (my Thai banks send them all the time).

It is the only SIM card that I found that was suitable for my requirements as other cards required significantly higher payments to remain valid.

Available at all 7/11s etc.

Hi Darrel, I think I will get one of these. I need the long expiry and I will be opening a Kasikorn Bank Account too. It will be the right one for me as I will be able to receive sms codes for banking when I am back home in Australia too. Thanks for the tip.

[GreenSnapper]

I went with True for a while but the constant need to top up annoyed me ....

True InterSIM is valid for 1 year from the last 50B top-up. As far as I know it is the only SIM to have this validity in Thailand.

Same with my DTAC Happy. Just choose the right package.

[Darrel]

I went with True for a while but the constant need to top up annoyed me ....

True InterSIM is valid for 1 year from the last 50B top-up. As far as I know it is the only SIM to have this validity in Thailand.

Same with my DTAC Happy. Just choose the right package.

Maybe I wasnt clear. I have no package. I top-up with 50B per year and that's my total expenditure on the phone every year. My 50B credit doesnt expire as long as I top up again before 12 months. So at the moment I'm on my second year and have spent a total of 100B, and have about 60B remaining.

I'm not aware that any other SIM offers this in Thailand.

[lomatopo]

The True InterSIM provides 365 days validity for top-ups as low as 10 baht, so maybe no need to be so extravagant with a 50 baht top-up .

10. Participants of this sales promotion will get 365 days service validity immediately by topping up value from 10 baht to 1,000 baht. The subscriber can only collect service validity up to 365 days.

You can review the terms and conditions here: http://www.truemove.com/en/Inter-SIM-Prepay-condition-1.rails

(Note that they are a only good through 3/31/12, but service providers here are generally accommodating at honoring previous T's and C's, and there are still all lot of these SIM in the sales channels. TrueMove used to give these away free at some international airports here.)

I wouldn't necessarily expect international SMSes to be delivered on this particular SIM/promotion/package (referring to the need for OTOP SMSes) from Thailand to Australia. This would require enabling of international roaming which I believe might effectively cancel this promotion reverting one back to standard expiration dates.

Also note item #11:

11. Subscribers who do not make call or top up TrueMove Prepay credit within 90 days, True Move has the right to temporarily suspend the service for 18 days and service will be automatically terminated on day 19th.

[bangkokburning]

Go with DTAC, after a certain time period you can extend up to 90 days simply by calling *113*90# - I think it is about B12. You must have had the sim for XX days or have put BXXX on the sim. My sim is years old.

CAT runs specials for calls to US, cheap as does DTAC.

Internet package for DTAC has been 20 hours for about B110 for years.

Yeah, go ahead and get that True sim. You can travel to BKK, Phuket and Chaing Mai :-). Also, while that Intersim seems to never die - the promotion validity last time I checked was 2011 or 12.

Edited April 30, 2012 by bangkokburning

[lomatopo]

The Happy (DTAC) Simple SIM may be a better choice for some? Each top-up receives 90 days validity; the minimum top-up is 20 baht. So for 80 baht you have nearly 1 year.

http://www.happy.co.th/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91&Itemid=64〈=en

I use the Happy Kong Kra Pun SIM which never expires, but you do have to use it at least once every 1,000 hours (~ 41 days).

[Darrel]

The True InterSIM provides 365 days validity for top-ups as low as 10 baht, so maybe no need to be so extravagant with a 50 baht top-up

Sometimes I like to be a big spender.

[Darrel]

The Happy (DTAC) Simple SIM may be a better choice for some? Each top-up receives 90 days validity; the minimum top-up is 20 baht. So for 80 baht you have nearly 1 year.

Maybe not so convenient for someone who is outside the country for an period of more than 90 days? This would probably include most people like the OP who just come here on holiday.

We have already established that the True InterSIM is valid for 365 days for just 10B (50B in my case) with no extra payment, notification or usage requirement etc etc and to me this still seems like the best deal available.

All the other SIMs that I know of involve extra requirements or costs in order to acheive 365 day validity.

[Darrel]

I wouldn't necessarily expect international SMSes to be delivered on this particular SIM/promotion/package (referring to the need for OTOP SMSes) from Thailand to Australia.

I got an SMS from my Thai bank whilst I was in the UK recently. I did activate the roaming function before leaving here but it didnt cost anything and I'm not aware that my account has changed in any way.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Darrel

[lomatopo]

I wouldn't necessarily expect international SMSes to be delivered on this particular SIM/promotion/package (referring to the need for OTOP SMSes) from Thailand to Australia.

I got an SMS from my Thai bank whilst I was in the UK recently. I did activate the roaming function before leaving here but it didnt cost anything and I'm not aware that my account has changed in any way.

Did you receive an OTP SMS? Were you able to successfully access and initiate internet banking options? (This is what one poster on this thread was specifically asking about.)

The Happy (DTAC) Simple SIM may be a better choice for some? Each top-up receives 90 days validity; the minimum top-up is 20 baht. So for 80 baht you have nearly 1 year.

Maybe not so convenient for someone who is outside the country for an period of more than 90 days? This would probably include most people like the OP who just come here on holiday.

We have already established that the True InterSIM is valid for 365 days for just 10B (50B in my case) with no extra payment, notification or usage requirement etc etc and to me this still seems like the best deal available.

All the other SIMs that I know of involve extra requirements or costs in order to acheive 365 day validity.

Well. four (4) top-ups at 20 baht for 90 days each should equal 360 days and a total of 80 baht, so as convenient as anything I imagine? There are many more services which can be layered onto the Happy SIM, but I do understand you are passionate about the True InterSIM.

Additionally, DTAC/Happy have a validity extension service called Day-Giveaway, which gives 30 days for 2 baht; so 24 baht for 12 months. (This may be in one of the links to another TV thread above?)

http://www.happy.co.th/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=84〈=en

I assume One-2-Call have something similar, so plenty of options available for the OP.

Edited April 30, 2012 by lomatopo

[barryw52]

As you can top up online via carrier web site from anywhere at least with 12call and AIS you can on via credit card. I would think TRUE and DTAC would have the same facilities. It does not really matter where you are to keep the Sim current there just a question of who has the best deal to keep active.

My spin on coverage and I am using both AIS (private) and True (work)

1. AIS

2. TRUE

3. DTAC

I have staff here who keep their phones near the windows as DTAC have no in building coverage and we are on high floor near US Embassy not up county!!! with AIS and TRUE no issues.

[Darrel]

Did you receive an OTP SMS? Were you able to successfully access and initiate internet banking options? (This is what one poster on this thread was specifically asking about.)

The SMS I got was the usual one that my bank sends me to indicate account activity (someone deposited a small sum). I dont know whether this is the same system as that used for internet banking.

Well. four (4) top-ups at 20 baht for 90 days each should equal 360 days and a total of 80 baht, so as convenient as anything I imagine? There are many more services which can be layered onto the Happy SIM, but I do understand you are passionate about the True InterSIM.

Additionally, DTAC/Happy have a validity extension service called Day-Giveaway, which gives 30 days for 2 baht; so 24 baht for 12 months. (This may be in one of the links to another TV thread above?)

It just all seems unnecessarily complex compared to just buying one 10B or 50B top-up once a year at a 7/11. If outside Thailand he may run into problems or extra costs when trying to do those 4 90-day top-ups you mention.

[meand]

^ I agree and appreciate the posts. It is much more convenient for me to just fill up once a year, and only have to worry about refilling if I needed some more minutes (I rarely use my phone). I liken it to having to do visa runs..... you wanna run out 4 times a year or one I am gonna switch to true because of this thread.

I have asked this before, maybe more success with this group.... anybody know how to put a stop to these annoying, unwanted texts?? Assuming you can't filter them, are they bad with true??

[Darrel]

I have asked this before, maybe more success with this group.... anybody know how to put a stop to these annoying, unwanted texts?? Assuming you can't filter them, are they bad with true??

Grrrr. I get about 10 of these a week, all in Thai and all completely incomprehensible.

Some of them come from True, some from other companies that I suspect are affiliated with True, and some I suspect are from companies that one of my banks has sold my number to.