Current Best Sim For Overseas Calls?

[Trevor25222]

Can residents please advise which is the most-economical brand of PAYG Thai SIM-card for making overseas calls?

Also, which is the best overseas prefix to use, in terms of reasonable quality and economy?

Domestic call charges are not an issue as so cheap! Thanks.

Edited November 4, 2012 by Trevor25222

[IamNotaNumber]

AFAIK True InterSIM is still the cheapest per minute and also the one that has the longest validity for the least cost (365 days for 0 Baht).

[davejones]

AFAIK True InterSIM is still the cheapest per minute and also the one that has the longest validity for the least cost (365 days for 0 Baht).

And what is the per minute cost?

[CNXSTEVE]

AIS with 00500 prefix are 6/7 Baht a minute to the UK with good sound.

You can check the rate on *005*0*country code#

[endure]

AFAIK True InterSIM is still the cheapest per minute and also the one that has the longest validity for the least cost (365 days for 0 Baht).

And what is the per minute cost?

http://www.truemove.com/en/Inter-SIM-Prepay.rails

[pgthompson]

I use True Move international sim card and use the 00600 prefix, never had a problem with the quality. As stated, it keeps live for a year after each top up.

[WalterTP]

True international Sim is 1 baht/ min to usa

[lomatopo]

Many countries have unique and varied termination fees, which can also vary for fixed and mobile lines, which affect your per minute cost regardless of what SIM, prefix, or calling card you might use.

You can use many calling cards from any SIM, some with free access and/or call-back so you won;t be paying any local access charges.

This chart gives you a feel for the different rates, It is not meant to be definitive, or represent the absolute lowest rates. The U.S., among other countries, has some of the lowest termination fees. Some countries have reasonable termination fees for fixed lines - perhaps as a legacy of state-owned telecomms, while the termination fees for mobile lines is quite a bit more.

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

[NHJ]

All sim cards will be equal as you won't use them to make the oversea call but will use one of the providers 001 004 ETC check the rates online.

[lomatopo]

All sim cards will be equal as you won't use them to make the oversea call but will use one of the providers 001 004 ETC check the rates online.

The CAT/009 and TOT/008 prefixes are available to all.

Each mobile service provider offers their own "proprietary" prefixes, 004, 005/00500, 006 which may or may not have different rates.

I am pretty sure the TrueMove 00600 is the most cost-effective prefix, which might match calling card rates?

Thailand:

1 - CAT Telecom Premium Service

9 - CAT Telecom Low Cost via VOIP Network

7 - TOT Public Company Limited Premium Service

8 - TOT Public Company Limited Low Cost via VOIP Network

5, 500 - Advanced Info Service

4 - Total Access Communication PLC (dtac)

6 (premium), 600 (low cost) - True Move

Edited November 7, 2012 by lomatopo

[Trevor25222]

(OP) I just installed a True Inter SIM, with a nice number, picked up on arrival at the airport (passengers were dumping them on the a/c vents). It seems to be charging about ฿3 per minute to the UK via 00600, rather than the optimal ฿1 mentioned above. Quality is reasonable but not as clear as more-expensive numbers, such as a UK SIM like Asda's at £1.40 pm. I'm not sure whether the elusive ฿1 rate to primary western destinations is still available. Could be the current rates for 00600+ & 006+ are the same.

[lomatopo]

(OP) I just installed a True Inter SIM, . It seems to be charging about ฿3 per minute to the UK via 00600, rather than the optimal ฿1 mentioned above. Quality is reasonable but not as clear as more-expensive numbers, such as a UK SIM like Asda's at £1.40 pm. I'm not sure whether the elusive ฿1 rate to primary western destinations is still available. Could be the current rates for 00600+ & 006+ are the same.

I believe the rate to a fixed line in the U.K. would be 1.07 baht/min, while the rate to a mobile in the U.K. would be 3.21 baht/min.

I think the elusive 1.07 baht/min charge is available for Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.A. and Canada - for both fixed and mobile called numbers.

Rates for 00600 should be much better than 006 but TrueMove no longer publishes the rate tables, at least as far as I can find, but I think you can get then via USSD and IVR?

[Litlos]

A variation on the original request is a phone card. I use CAT Phonenet pin card which has a freecall number in Thailand, then 009 prefix. Works out 2 baht per minute to a landline in Aust, I believe 1 baht per minute for UK and USA. Good quality and vary rare for problems having been using this for about 7 years now. The cards can be purchased from some 7/11 and Family mart, but I have an online account at. http://www.thaitelephone.com/EN/

I also use the I-Talk card to ring back to Thailand when I am traveling. Good cheap service and has a local number to call for connection in lots of different city's and countries.

Cheers

[Trevor25222]

Last time I was here in 2010, the party in the UK was able to make BT landline calls at £0.01 or £0.02 per minute to my Thai mobile via cheap access numbers at http://callchecker.m...-mobile/bt/easy

This visit, using a True Inter-SIM picked up at the airport (rather than bought in a shop), the UK party hears a recorded message from the Thai side saying the number called is not recognised or registered. Being the suspicious person I am, thoughts ran to these free-giveaway SIMs being blocked from receiving overseas calls. Works fine for domestic use though, as well as calling the UK. I can also call my Thai mobile via VOIP from my Mac using hotel wifi.

Maybe worth buying a local SIM pack from a shop to see if the UK party can get through?

Edited November 12, 2012 by Trevor25222

[Trevor25222]

Addendum: My SIM was not blocked; the UK party simply couldn't get through on a 1 p per minute connection number but could on a 3 ppm one! I suspect the cheapo UK access numbers will only connect to Thai landlines.

I accurately timed a call to the UK with True (00600-prefix): it cost ฿1.65 per minute, a rate not listed anywhere. Pretty good deal.

[lomatopo]

I accurately timed a call to the UK with True (00600-prefix): it cost ฿1.65 per minute, a rate not listed anywhere. Pretty good deal.

Calls get rounded up to the next minute, and 7% VAT added. Did you call a fixed line or mobile?

I am pretty sure you can verify the 00600 rates to the UK with *600*44# SEND/CALL, you should get a service reply with the rates.

[Trevor25222]

Yes, that tallies: ฿1.5 per minute + VAT to landlines and ฿6 per minute + VAT to UK mobiles. Thanks.

UK VAT rates started at 10% in 1973 and are now 20%; most of Europe is similar. This is how the globalists control the elected puppets and incrementally fleece the public to keep them in financial servitude. Fortunately the Thais have been able to resist this trend so far at a modest VAT rate of 7% -- but don't hold your breath.