Gprs - Is Prepaid Available

[JackFrost]

Hello,

I lived in Phuket and Bkk in 2004 and used a GPRS mobile to connect to the internet. Worked perfectly. I had a mate (now left) set it up for me. I want to come back and use pre-paid if it is available. Is it? If not how can I get 3 months or longer without getting married

Regards

Jack

[jezchesters]

1-2-Call from AIS do very reasonable prepay GPRS

Jez

[Totster]

1-2-Call from AIS do very reasonable prepay GPRS

Jez

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use 1-2-call and am happy with it. I am using the 200hrs package for bt500 but they also do a 400hrs for bt900 ( they also do cheaper packages if you are a light user )

Just pop into a Telewiz store and they will set it all up for you, very helpful indeed.

I also understand that D-tac do a good package also, unlimited for bt1000 i think, but i could be wrong.

totster

[JackFrost]

Thanks folks. I absolutely MUST have net that is stable and the GPRS was great last time. I used to pay 1200 a month.

Will be over in a week or so.

Thanks again

Jack

Now I just have to find somewhere to live ...

[PFV]

Hello,

I lived in Phuket and Bkk in 2004 and used a GPRS mobile to connect to the internet. Worked perfectly. I had a mate (now left) set it up for me. I want to come back and use pre-paid if it is available. Is it? If not how can I get 3 months or longer without getting married

Regards

Jack

I use DTAC prepaid. GPRS costs 1.07 Baht per minute. Service is good unless the tower is very busy (early evening hours). No problem in downloading e-mails with 1/2 MByte attachments, but anything more can lead to time outs (if you are sending/receiving to/from multiple maiboxes it pays to do them one at the time). Browsing is another matter, a trip to the nearest Internet Cafe' is a much more rewarding experience and use of baht.

One word of advice, If you need help setting up your pc/phone with DTAC, go to their Bangkok store in the Central World Plaza shopping mall. There is a guy there who speeks English and will set everything up for you, including IR and Bluetooth. The DTAC offices in the provinces are much less knowledgeable.

Good luck,

Paul

[Florin]

Yeah, the DTAC Center in Central World Plaza rocks, they once went at it for 2 hours setting up an extremely finicky cellphone/PDA Bluetooth connection for GPRS...by the time it was finally working, the 2 techs did a "hi-five"

[jezchesters]

Hello,

I lived in Phuket and Bkk in 2004 and used a GPRS mobile to connect to the internet. Worked perfectly. I had a mate (now left) set it up for me. I want to come back and use pre-paid if it is available. Is it? If not how can I get 3 months or longer without getting married

Regards

Jack

I use DTAC prepaid. GPRS costs 1.07 Baht per minute. Service is good unless the tower is very busy (early evening hours). No problem in downloading e-mails with 1/2 MByte attachments, but anything more can lead to time outs (if you are sending/receiving to/from multiple maiboxes it pays to do them one at the time). Browsing is another matter, a trip to the nearest Internet Cafe' is a much more rewarding experience and use of baht.

One word of advice, If you need help setting up your pc/phone with DTAC, go to their Bangkok store in the Central World Plaza shopping mall. There is a guy there who speeks English and will set everything up for you, including IR and Bluetooth. The DTAC offices in the provinces are much less knowledgeable.

Good luck,

Paul

I'd go with 1 to call - 200hrs@500B = 0.04B per minute - about 25 times cheaper than DTAC. Never had a time-out once and have downloaded 5 meg files no problem and seem to be able to browse faster than dialup...

Might be cause I've got a class 10 datacard? Not sure

Jez

[ernst42]

I'd go with 1 to call - 200hrs@500B = 0.04B per minute - about 25 times cheaper than DTAC. Never had a time-out once and have downloaded 5 meg files no problem and seem to be able to browse faster than dialup...

Might be cause I've got a class 10 datacard? Not sure

Jez

Can I use this with an ordinary 1-2-call prepaid card?

I assume I need to buy a GPRS topup for 500B ?

Can you recommend a phone shop where they speak good English and would sell me the right thing or even might help setting it up?

Cheers, Ernie.

[jezchesters]

I'd go with 1 to call - 200hrs@500B = 0.04B per minute - about 25 times cheaper than DTAC. Never had a time-out once and have downloaded 5 meg files no problem and seem to be able to browse faster than dialup...

Might be cause I've got a class 10 datacard? Not sure

Jez

Can I use this with an ordinary 1-2-call prepaid card?

I assume I need to buy a GPRS topup for 500B ?

Can you recommend a phone shop where they speak good English and would sell me the right thing or even might help setting it up?

Cheers, Ernie.

Hi Ernie!

Yes - you can use it with your usual 1-2-call SIM. Top-up with 500B then call *138 and press 1 for English. Select GPRS packages and you will be talked through the set up.

Next you either need to use your phone as a modem, or buy a datacard. The setup on your phone depends on the manufacturer, but if you go to MBK 4th floor there will be hundreds of people there who will be able to help.

Cheers!

Jez

[Totster]

I'd go with 1 to call - 200hrs@500B = 0.04B per minute - about 25 times cheaper than DTAC. Never had a time-out once and have downloaded 5 meg files no problem and seem to be able to browse faster than dialup...

Might be cause I've got a class 10 datacard? Not sure

Jez

Can I use this with an ordinary 1-2-call prepaid card?

I assume I need to buy a GPRS topup for 500B ?

Can you recommend a phone shop where they speak good English and would sell me the right thing or even might help setting it up?

Cheers, Ernie.

Hi Ernie!

Yes - you can use it with your usual 1-2-call SIM. Top-up with 500B then call *138 and press 1 for English. Select GPRS packages and you will be talked through the set up.

Next you either need to use your phone as a modem, or buy a datacard. The setup on your phone depends on the manufacturer, but if you go to MBK 4th floor there will be hundreds of people there who will be able to help.

Cheers!

Jez

I went into Telewiz, they did everything for me, including the top up, very very helpful, and they didn't speak good english, but still managed to understand what I needed, i had the wife with me also, which prolly helped

totster

Edited January 12, 2006 by Totster

[ernst42]

Yes - you can use it with your usual 1-2-call SIM. Top-up with 500B then call *138 and press 1 for English. Select GPRS packages and you will be talked through the set up.

Great stuff!

Is that 500 Baht top-up a special GPRS top-up, or just an ordinary top-up card available everywhere?

[patsfangr]

Would I be better off to buy a GPRS device here in the US; or wait until I get to Thailand?

[monty]

George,

What mobile phone you use now?

Lots of them have gprs built in already and are easy to hook up to the PC.

I guess in your case it'll be only temporary until you'll be able to get something better set-up like adsl.

Even dial-up is better/more stable then gprs, so once you have phone line you'd better move to dial-up...

If nothing else available, I have several friends living close to where your house is and they are using Hutch. 7000 Baht for the modem, and 890 Baht/month. Speeds are about triple of what you would get through modem or gprs... In my opinion better then to invest in a gprs datacard (for Pattaya anyway, reception upcountry is non existent for Hutch)

Might make you feel good as well since Hutch uses the American CDMA system, much superior for data then the European used GSM system

[Totster]

Yes - you can use it with your usual 1-2-call SIM. Top-up with 500B then call *138 and press 1 for English. Select GPRS packages and you will be talked through the set up.

Great stuff!

Is that 500 Baht top-up a special GPRS top-up, or just an ordinary top-up card available everywhere?

Just a normal top up

totster

[patsfangr]

George,

What mobile phone you use now?

Lots of them have gprs built in already and are easy to hook up to the PC.

I guess in your case it'll be only temporary until you'll be able to get something better set-up like adsl.

Even dial-up is better/more stable then gprs, so once you have phone line you'd better move to dial-up...

If nothing else available, I have several friends living close to where your house is and they are using Hutch. 7000 Baht for the modem, and 890 Baht/month. Speeds are about triple of what you would get through modem or gprs... In my opinion better then to invest in a gprs datacard (for Pattaya anyway, reception upcountry is non existent for Hutch)

Might make you feel good as well since Hutch uses the American CDMA system, much superior for data then the European used GSM system

Thanks for the help, Monty.

Although I realize that I may be violating a social law here in the U.S., I do not own a cell phone! That's why I was asking about something GPRS capable here or there.

Now, my actual equipment situation is this. I own, and will take with me when I fly in, a Dell Inspiron laptop. I can use it at any WiFi location. But, of course, I will have to travel to a place that has WiFi. When at home, until I get the fastest connection I can find (ADSL, I hope!), I may at least be able to get to email via some kind of GPRS device. So, what do you think? Should I buy a GPRS capable device here, or there? Either way, any specific brand/model recommendation?

A related question is another possibility for wireless connection with my laptop. I have a home network setup here, with my desktop ADSL connection opened to my laptop via a router. If I found someone willing to do it, could MY router be used in a nearby house to use the internet connection of that person? Is simultaneous use of a connection possible? In other words, could 2 people actually operate off of one internet connection at the same time? (I have no idea how this stuff works. I just use it!)

[udon]

Curious to know what make & model mobiles you folk use with your pc/laptops (GPRS)

I keep hearing good reports about the Nokia 6230i.

[Totster]

I use a Sony Ericcson K500i... my next phone will also be an SE, good phones all round

totster

[patsfangr]

I use a Sony Ericcson K500i... my next phone will also be an SE, good phones all round

totster

Totster, Did you buy that phone in Thailand, or elsewhere? May I ask what it cost?

[roiet]

I have gprs built in already and I am using 1-2 call prepaid for normal phone calls. When I bought the phone at Telewiz they set it up for me. Whenever I start GPRS I get the message we will now deduct THB 30 for set up. And THB 30 is really deducted from my normal prepaid phone card.Asking Telewiz to rectify this they said you wanted it, we can not change anymore. If you want to use separate prepaid GPRS services we will have to sell you a new sim card first and then we will install prepaid separate GPRS for you.

Thats it.

[Totster]

I use a Sony Ericcson K500i... my next phone will also be an SE, good phones all round

totster

Totster, Did you buy that phone in Thailand, or elsewhere? May I ask what it cost?

Hi George..

I bought the phone in the UK for the equivilent of approx bt5000.

There are newer better models available now.. namely the K750i which is on sale in the UK for approx bt8000-bt10000

These are available worldwide, the US may be an exception due to the different systems

totster

[Tywais]

Hi George..

I bought the phone in the UK for the equivilent of approx bt5000.

There are newer better models available now.. namely the K750i which is on sale in the UK for approx bt8000-bt10000

These are available worldwide, the US may be an exception due to the different systems

totster

I just bought a k750i from shop4thai.com for about 15k, little expensive here if those UK prices are correct. Just activated the GPRS service (DTAC) on it. Asked my secretary to do it and what she did was sit down at the computer connect to the DTAC site, entered my phone number and model and a few seconds later got an SMS message that it was now active. Next time will do it myself.

[Totster]

Hi George..

I bought the phone in the UK for the equivilent of approx bt5000.

There are newer better models available now.. namely the K750i which is on sale in the UK for approx bt8000-bt10000

These are available worldwide, the US may be an exception due to the different systems

totster

I just bought a k750i from shop4thai.com for about 15k, little expensive here if those UK prices are correct. Just activated the GPRS service (DTAC) on it. Asked my secretary to do it and what she did was sit down at the computer connect to the DTAC site, entered my phone number and model and a few seconds later got an SMS message that it was now active. Next time will do it myself.

Good phone right ..?

Well... to be honest.. i have depreciated the price slightly from when i was last in UK.. but if you shop around you could prolly get the price I quoted.. the K700i is definately around bt8000 now

totster

Edited January 14, 2006 by Totster

[Tywais]

Good phone right ..?

Fantastic phone. Used to have a SE Z600 (clamshell style) until my wife dropped it into the dog's water dish. But this is a significant upgrade to that model.

Well... to be honest.. i have depreciated the price slightly from when i was last in UK.. but if you shop around you could prolly get the price I quoted.. the K700i is definately around bt8000 now

totster

Oh well, money spent already but I'm quite happy with it and the wife's not allowed to take it out of the house now.

Just realized I made a mistake in my earlier post, ordered it from tohome.com - Did recently see it a little cheaper (14K+) here in Chiangmai.

Edited January 14, 2006 by tywais

[patsfangr]

Hi George..

I bought the phone in the UK for the equivilent of approx bt5000.

There are newer better models available now.. namely the K750i which is on sale in the UK for approx bt8000-bt10000

These are available worldwide, the US may be an exception due to the different systems

totster

By "different systems", I assume you mean a charger with a 110 vs a 220 input, right? The phones are the same, aren't they? I may check some at a store here for that model to see what it costs. If the charger input is the only problem, I can just plug in through a step down transformer, since I'll be bringing a couple with me for some other elecrical items.

[Totster]

Hi George..

I bought the phone in the UK for the equivilent of approx bt5000.

There are newer better models available now.. namely the K750i which is on sale in the UK for approx bt8000-bt10000

These are available worldwide, the US may be an exception due to the different systems

totster

By "different systems", I assume you mean a charger with a 110 vs a 220 input, right? The phones are the same, aren't they? I may check some at a store here for that model to see what it costs. If the charger input is the only problem, I can just plug in through a step down transformer, since I'll be bringing a couple with me for some other elecrical items.

By different systems I mean ....

Where Europe and the majority of the world uses the GSM system at a frequency of 900mhz and 1800mhz, the US without thinking about the future implemented a number of different systems such as CDMA and TDMA, the phones sold that are compatible with these systems are useless outside the US as everyone else uses GSM

The US did later adopt the GSM system as well, but at a different frequency of 1900mhz, so again, alot of GSM phones in the US can only use that frequency and therefore useless outside the US.

The best way to overcome this is purchase a triband handset, which can operate at 900mhz, 1800mhz and 1900mhz.

totster

[jezchesters]

Not relevant to this thread but I thought I'd share this info -

Bought a Sony Ericsson K750i in the UK just before they brought out the W800 (Same phone but with a Sony Walkman/Ipod thingy built in)

Had a problem with the phone so took it to MBK to get it sorted - as the K750i and W800 are essentially the same handset, they offered to upgrade the firmware whilst they were fixing it and - hey presto - now have the newer W800 version with walkman facilities

Jez

[ernst42]

I have gprs built in already and I am using 1-2 call prepaid for normal phone calls. When I bought the phone at Telewiz they set it up for me. Whenever I start GPRS I get the message we will now deduct THB 30 for set up. And THB 30 is really deducted from my normal prepaid phone card.Asking Telewiz to rectify this they said you wanted it, we can not change anymore. If you want to use separate prepaid GPRS services we will have to sell you a new sim card first and then we will install prepaid separate GPRS for you.

Thats it.

Sorry guys I still don't quite get it:

If I wanna do GPRS with a prepaid 1-2-call SIM do I need to get a special GPRS SIM card to get around this expensive 30 Baht charge for each use?

Where can I get these?

Can anybody recommend a AIS service center or other phone shop in BKK where people speak good English and would know what I need and how to set it up?

Cheers, Ernie.

[croftrobin]

You dont pay 30 baht per connection !

Follow these instructions:

Jusat call *138 and press 1 for English. Select your GPRS package and then you will be talked through the set up.

Just make sure you have sufficient credit in your phone for them to deduct the monthly fee (according to which package you select)

You can upgrade the package by calling them but it takes about 12 - 24 hours for the upgrade to go through

[Ken]

You dont pay 30 baht per connection !

Follow these instructions:

Jusat call *138 and press 1 for English. Select your GPRS package and then you will be talked through the set up.

Just make sure you have sufficient credit in your phone for them to deduct the monthly fee (according to which package you select)

You can upgrade the package by calling them but it takes about 12 - 24 hours for the upgrade to go through

I helped someone set this up a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't remember the *138 at the time (to many Chang's, maybe ), so I called the service number....1175 . I chose the package (in this case 200 Baht for 60 hours) and the lady said it would take about 15 minutes to set it up. Less than 5 minutes later, it was done and an SMS message confirmed it.

Edit: Oh, yea. Udon. I've been using a motorola V555 for about a year now. Cost in Thailand was about 7,500 Baht.

Edited January 15, 2006 by Ken

[Totster]

Can anybody recommend a AIS service center or other phone shop in BKK where people speak good English and would know what I need and how to set it up?

Cheers, Ernie.

As I have said previously... the Telewiz stores are good in my experience.

totster