Purchasing A Phone & Minutes

[TheTechChik]

I went to the Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Center to buy a phone today. I thought choosing a phone was going to be the hard part but not so. The difficulty began when I asked about purchasing minutes. She started to explain that calls to other phones on the same network were one price, while calls to phones not on the same network were another price. Now maybe I misunderstood her but I'd swear she said 24 per minute and 99 per minute. What??? That's when it occurred to me that there is likely some kind of plan that they sell to unsuspecting foreigners, we'll call it the "screw the foreigner" plan. Well, I left the store immediately and decided I would ask for some advice before heading back to make my purchase. Any thoughts? Is there a particular company I should be buying minutes from? A particular plan to look for... or to watch out for? Thanks for the much needed advice.

Edited November 17, 2012 by TheTechChik

[rics21]

Google ais, dtac and truemove.

Sent from my XT910 using Thaivisa Connect App

[endure]

I don't think the major telecoms companies have got round to designing tariffs simply to screw the few foreigners who happen to be in Thailand. After all they have 60 million Thais as a target audience.

[TheTechChik]

I don't think the major telecoms companies have got round to designing tariffs simply to screw the few foreigners who happen to be in Thailand. After all they have 60 million Thais as a target audience.

So all minutes are the same? If so, then I will go back to the store tomorrow and buy them. I just thought there might be different packages with different prices. Especially after she said 24 per minute in network and 99 per minute out of network. That really made me wonder. But if you're certain that they are all the same, I'll go ahead and buy whatever she recommends.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

There are hundreds of different plans, pre-paid and post, so many variable it will make your head spin.

But unless you chat endlessly on the thing like a teenage girl you'll probably find you use like me between USD $10 and 20 a month.

The SIM card itself is just a couple hundred at most, get a few and try them out, really hardly worth the effort of doing a lot of research unless you're a heavy user.

[DP25]

Go buy a sim card at 7-11 instead of from her. Doesn't really matter which one. Buy your top up cards there too.

[endure]

I don't think the major telecoms companies have got round to designing tariffs simply to screw the few foreigners who happen to be in Thailand. After all they have 60 million Thais as a target audience.

So all minutes are the same? If so, then I will go back to the store tomorrow and buy them. I just thought there might be different packages with different prices. Especially after she said 24 per minute in network and 99 per minute out of network. That really made me wonder. But if you're certain that they are all the same, I'll go ahead and buy whatever she recommends.

There are different packages but I don't think they're designed to rip foreigners off specifically. The True Intersim is reasonable. The first time you top it up it becomes valid for a year.

http://www.truemove....IM-Prepay.rails

[barefoot1988]

its 24 satang per minute, 99 satang per minute. for my dtac

[TheTechChik]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the telecom was creating packages to rip off foreigners. What I meant was that there was perhaps some much more expensive plans that the salespeople would try to sell to people they considered naive. That definitely happens here all the time. Taxi drivers who don't turn on the meter... etc.

[tinfoilhat]

true or AIS(one 2 call)

AIS still has a small edge on coverage areas, but not a big one.

[CharlieH]

Think something got lost in translation, as one post above suggests its satang not baht in reference to the 24 and 99.

Generally the cost is between 1 - 1.25 baht per minute depending on package mix.All the main players have websites in English.

Sim cards themselves are generally between 49 baht and 99 baht.

Edited November 17, 2012 by CharlieH

[BigJohnnyBKK]

One key distinguishing factor is how long your balance remains valid if you don't use it, especially for those that leave the kingdom for months at a time.

[rene123]

One key distinguishing factor is how long your balance remains valid if you don't use it, especially for those that leave the kingdom for months at a time.

That is correct.

Unless you are some silly twit who jabbers on a phone constantly, or uses it for business on a continual basis, it is better to go with a "pay as you go" plan where you only use the phone for a few minutes at a time, but need it operational over a long time period. With DTAC I have the plan for a year and just put 500 baht on the account. That will last me for ages. I can replace the sim card when I go back to Canada and do the same when I return to Thailand within a year.

[robblok]

One key distinguishing factor is how long your balance remains valid if you don't use it, especially for those that leave the kingdom for months at a time.

That is correct.

Unless you are some silly twit who jabbers on a phone constantly, or uses it for business on a continual basis, it is better to go with a "pay as you go" plan where you only use the phone for a few minutes at a time, but need it operational over a long time period. With DTAC I have the plan for a year and just put 500 baht on the account. That will last me for ages. I can replace the sim card when I go back to Canada and do the same when I return to Thailand within a year.

Your plan also rules out the more modern people with smart phones. For them a plan is often useful. I pay 599 or 699 a month. Not sure actually, includes unlimted internet and loads of sms and some call minutes.

If you just have an ordinary phone then what you say might be ok. I found the top up thing annoying as i always found out i had no money on it when i needed it. Also i was never sure how long it stayed on.

[lomatopo]

I would separate the phone purchase from a SIM/service provider/plan purchase. All phones are sold unlocked here.

Depending on your requirements, specifically as it pertains to mobile broadband, you may want to choose the service provider first, and then a phone which will work on that service provider's 3G network.

If you can share any of your requirements: be very specific re: your desired phone make/model, and your calling/data requirements and budget, validity/expiration - more details rather than fewer will yield better recommendations, maybe we can point you in the right direction? Pre-paid I assume?

Generally, and for budgeting, calls/SMSes will cost 1 baht/min, 1 baht/SMS from any network to any network (within Thailand), but you can reduce these costs somewhat with special promotions, buffet packages.

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/

http://www.truemove.com/en/prepay-newcustomer-sim.rails (No 3G from the TrueMove brand)

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/shopping/155 (TrueMove H brand has 3G, website blows)

[CharlieH]

I think its worth pointing out too to keep an eye on your package and whats available. They change frequently and the phone company dont tell you.

I was paying a monthly for 150 mins & 200mb data, carried on a few months, thought I would increase the data and what do I find, the package I am paying has now changed, to 200 mins and 700mb data and its the same price !!! but unless you ask to change to the latest one, they'll leave you paying the same for less.

So, watch the packages guys they change frequently and you may be paying more than you need to.

Edited November 18, 2012 by CharlieH

[Gary A]

I think all the providers offer some promotions. My wife switched from Dtac to AIS because most of her friends use AIS. AIS to AIS is sometimes free or nearly free during certain hours. I leave my AIS phone at home and she calls that phone if she knows I'm at home. My Android phone has Truemove-H and that's the one I carry when I am out and about.

I seldom make calls and when I do, they are always brief. The price difference for me would not be worth the effort. If you make many calls and talk for a long time, it may be worth while for you to check the promotions.

[ignis]

promotions and packages are a nightmare, and that is not for just us, but Thais alike..

2003 and 4 both phones were on AIS, my private one never a problem as low use, the the business one a nightmare even back then.. 1,600 baht a month package often would have a bill for 3 - 4,600 baht per month.........

Changed to Hutch for both phones, all appeared straight forward, very rarely was the Business phone over the promotion of 1,299 baht month. then had to change as Hutch became True H....... Billing was so so, but coverage was very very bad and not good for Business thankfully only signed for 6 months.........

Back to AIS coverage fine, but billing crazy, Bill arrived yesterday 2,980 baht, my Partner spent hours checking all the pages of AIS plans, + calls to AIS, outcome bad head and non the wiser..

It would appear that there are loads of different charges, what network your calling ? what area your calling? what time of day your calling ? and so on...[also something about opening SMS messages is a charge?] Both our phones have the same number as years ago as we moved to the new network with the same number so how can anyone tell what network your calling ?

Guess if your a low user and live anywhere near a shop that sell the top ups then maybe that is the best option. I also on the private mobile tried for 2 months the top up thing found annoying and not practical where I live.

Both phones are used only for phone....... No internet ever used or SMS

[lomatopo]

I think its worth pointing out too to keep an eye on your package and whats available. They change frequently and the phone company dont tell you.

I was paying a monthly for 150 mins & 200mb data, carried on a few months, thought I would increase the data and what do I find, the package I am paying has now changed, to 200 mins and 700mb data and its the same price !!! but unless you ask to change to the latest one, they'll leave you paying the same for less.

So, watch the packages guys they change frequently and you may be paying more than you need to.

Which provider? Pre-paid? Or Post-paid? Generally post-paid services require you to enter into a contract which may, or may not, offer price/volume protection in the case subsequent changes.

On the flip side here, service providers here tend to honor existing plans ad infinitum even if there is a price increase.

Going froward one should expect there to be some downward pricing pressure owing to regulatory and competitive factors, so maybe best not to get locked into any longer term post-paid contracts unless the discounting represents a significant savings.