International Sim Card?

[palomnik]

Can anybody tell me where I can get an international SIM card in Chiangmai?

Many thanks.

[Jayman]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

[JimShortz]

Get the True Intersim from 7-11 for a huge 49 Baht!

[palomnik]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

[dddave]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

Edited August 23, 2012 by dddave

[lomatopo]

I think there are quite a few international SIMs available. As mentioned rates tend to be on the high side, not sure how they handle in-coming calls?

http://www.gosim.com/?gosimrow

http://www.travelsim.net.au/

http://www.thaitelephone.com/EN/simcard/index.php

Many service providers, including those based in Thailand do allow for international roaming. I have pre-paid SIMs from One-2-Call (AIS) and Happy (DTAC), both have international roaming enabled, and they work in the U.S. You simply have to request that international roaming be enabled, via email, call center, web.

[JimShortz]

Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I'm shocked. The USA has a system incompatible with other countries, they are usually so good at fitting in with worldwide standards...

[lomatopo]

Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I'm shocked. The USA has a system incompatible with other countries, they are usually so good at fitting in with worldwide standards...

Both T-Mobile and AT&T offer GSM, i.e. worldwide, OK, ITU, standards, mobile services in the U.S. Not sure what dddave and JimShortz seem to be prattling on about?

There are also MVNOs reselling pre-paid services on these GSM networks.

Edited August 24, 2012 by lomatopo

[Thongdum]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I've just bought an Iphone here in Thailand and I'm now wondering if an Australian sim card can be used it in for Australia. I'm aware that sim cards need to be cut down to size to fit an Iphone here in Thailand but the chip on the Australian sim card is more narrow and wider that the Thai version.

Any help from someone who's experienced the same thing and knows how to get around it would be appreciated.

[Gary A]

I enabled roaming on my AIS SIM and got one call while I was in the US so it does work. I had about 300 baht of credit on my AIS SIM so that's what it cost me. I was glad that I didn't have a post paid account. The charges are just insane.

[insertmembernamehere]

Four years ago I was in the USA and my AIS service worked fine. Last year I was in the same USA and could not get a signal at all. It was the same SIM card and I have international roaming activated (I checked today). Last week I was in Japan and no signal or anything.

So I go to AIS in Tesco Chaweng and they said, "You have international roaming service already. There is nothing we can do. If you are in another country and get no signal, you can call our help line on another phone and we can see if we can fix the problem."

I said that I am here now and if there is a problem, and there clearly is, you should be able to figure it out before I am in a different country and have no signal. Nope.

This is like taking your car to a mechanic and saying, "It breaks down when it's really cold weather outside, can you fix this?" And the guy says, "No, you can drive it to some cold weather place, let it break down, then find another car and drive back and tell us and we will see if we can fix it."

[CBR250]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I've just bought an Iphone here in Thailand and I'm now wondering if an Australian sim card can be used it in for Australia. I'm aware that sim cards need to be cut down to size to fit an Iphone here in Thailand but the chip on the Australian sim card is more narrow and wider that the Thai version.

Any help from someone who's experienced the same thing and knows how to get around it would be appreciated.

I have an iPhone purchased in Australia and use it with both the cut-down Thai sim and Oz micro-sim. No problems.

[lomatopo]

Four years ago I was in the USA and my AIS service worked fine. Last year I was in the same USA and could not get a signal at all. It was the same SIM card and I have international roaming activated (I checked today). Last week I was in Japan and no signal or anything.

Can you share any details re: your phone, please be exact with make, model, variant.

Do you have AIS/post-paid or One-2-Call/Pre-paid?

With my One-2-Call pre-paid SIM and IR enabled I do get service in Japan from SoftBank on 3G/2100 MHz, and in the U.S. on either/both T-Mobile and ATT.

[Jayman]

Four years ago I was in the USA and my AIS service worked fine. Last year I was in the same USA and could not get a signal at all. It was the same SIM card and I have international roaming activated (I checked today). Last week I was in Japan and no signal or anything.

You mention the sim was the same but no mention of the phone. Is like telling your mechanic what octane gas you used but forgetting to tell him what kinda car you have.

Whether you have a signal or not is dependent on what frequencies are being used by the operators as well as can be received by your device.

Whether you have service or not has to do with your sim card provider and the roaming agreements they have with the local carriers.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Jayman

[David006]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I've just bought an Iphone here in Thailand and I'm now wondering if an Australian sim card can be used it in for Australia. I'm aware that sim cards need to be cut down to size to fit an Iphone here in Thailand but the chip on the Australian sim card is more narrow and wider that the Thai version.

Any help from someone who's experienced the same thing and knows how to get around it would be appreciated.

been using my Aussie SIM ( Telstra) for intl roaming for years..cheaper than prepaid SIMS you can buy in NA by far.

Not sure to what you refer re size...I don't have an I phone but..are the card slots a different size....seems illogical?

[Jayman]

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I've just bought an Iphone here in Thailand and I'm now wondering if an Australian sim card can be used it in for Australia. I'm aware that sim cards need to be cut down to size to fit an Iphone here in Thailand but the chip on the Australian sim card is more narrow and wider that the Thai version.

Any help from someone who's experienced the same thing and knows how to get around it would be appreciated.

been using my Aussie SIM ( Telstra) for intl roaming for years..cheaper than prepaid SIMS you can buy in NA by far.

Not sure to what you refer re size...I don't have an I phone but..are the card slots a different size....seems illogical?

Yes.. some phones now have a smaller sim slot (micro sim). The chip is the same size but the card has been sized down. They can easily be cut to size with a cheap device like this

Edited September 7, 2012 by Jayman

[David006]

Yes.. some phones now have a smaller sim slot (micro sim). The chip is the same size but the card has been sized down. They can easily be cut to size with a cheap device like this

oh! well that is good to know and check if looking at a replacement phone.thanks for that...

d

[Remen songalli]

The best way is to download a micro chip pattern from the internet and trace on your SIM card and cut it. You will easy get your micro SIM card.

[hyperdimension]

been using my Aussie SIM ( Telstra) for intl roaming for years..cheaper than prepaid SIMS you can buy in NA by far.

Not sure to what you refer re size...I don't have an I phone but..are the card slots a different size....seems illogical?

Is it really cheaper to use International Roaming than buying and using a local SIM?

Edited March 7, 2013 by hyperdimension

[Remen songalli]

Hyperdimension you are absolutely right it is very cheap and affordable to use an international SIM card. There are many international SIM card companies which provide free international roaming this will save your money.

[lomatopo]

Hyperdimension you are absolutely right it is very cheap and affordable to use an international SIM card. There are many international SIM card companies which provide free international roaming this will save your money.

Can you share any specific recommendations?

[Remen songalli]

I am using the Tsim International SIM card from last 6 months. They provide free roaming in most the countries. I think this will be helpful to you if you are looking for an International SIM card.

[Dork]

Are you just looking for a sim card you can use in thailand to make international calls? Just about any sim will do. Personally I use AIS one 2 call. You can get one from 7/11.

Thanks, Jayman. What I need is a SIM card that I can use to makes calls from any country.

With most SIM cards, including AIS (1-2 Call) you can stop at their airport kiosk (arrivals level) and arrange for calling in your destination countries if it is available...You will pay very high roaming charges.

AFAIK, there is as yet no universal "International SIM". Every country has it's own carriers and rate structure and some systems are incompatible with others, the USA for instance.

I've just bought an Iphone here in Thailand and I'm now wondering if an Australian sim card can be used it in for Australia. I'm aware that sim cards need to be cut down to size to fit an Iphone here in Thailand but the chip on the Australian sim card is more narrow and wider that the Thai version.

Any help from someone who's experienced the same thing and knows how to get around it would be appreciated.

Older SIM cards can't be cut because as you say the chip is too big. I have had an Aussie SIM for several years and had to change it. Telstra swapped it for free. Had the same situation with an NZ SIM too.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Dork

[Dork]

Four years ago I was in the USA and my AIS service worked fine. Last year I was in the same USA and could not get a signal at all. It was the same SIM card and I have international roaming activated (I checked today). Last week I was in Japan and no signal or anything.

So I go to AIS in Tesco Chaweng and they said, "You have international roaming service already. There is nothing we can do. If you are in another country and get no signal, you can call our help line on another phone and we can see if we can fix the problem."

I said that I am here now and if there is a problem, and there clearly is, you should be able to figure it out before I am in a different country and have no signal. Nope.

This is like taking your car to a mechanic and saying, "It breaks down when it's really cold weather outside, can you fix this?" And the guy says, "No, you can drive it to some cold weather place, let it break down, then find another car and drive back and tell us and we will see if we can fix it."

As far as I know, only 3G phones from Thailand are capable of roaming in Japan - at least that used to be the case.

Before 3G came along AIS & DTAC would lend you a handset for use in Japan. From memory, it was the same with South Korea.

[Dork]

I enabled roaming on my AIS SIM and got one call while I was in the US so it does work. I had about 300 baht of credit on my AIS SIM so that's what it cost me. I was glad that I didn't have a post paid account. The charges are just insane.

You're right they often are insane though it has got a bit better in recent years. I recall a (not too worldly) Thai friend that visited the US for the first time about 15 years ago. When he got back home, his bill arrived. Over THB100,000. He told AIS he wasn't paying, and believe it or not, they cut the bill in half.

Nowadays in most countries I visit, I divert my phone to voicemail. Not because I want voice messages but because every time someone tries to call me the system sends an SMS saying which number called even if they hang up immediately. Then I can decide whether it's important enough to call back, usually with a local SIM card (in another handset) from that country. Of course I still pay for those SMS's but it's a fraction of the cost that receiving the calls would be.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Dork

[Remen songalli]

Yes Dock you are right the chip of the SIM card are of different sizes. But still you can cut them to fit in your phone.