Best Place To Buy Prepaid Sim Card On Arrival In Thailand?

[Taggart]

Hi,

Need some help, please.

Both my Thai wife and I are retirees and know nothing much about cell or mobile phones (whichever you want to call them). About a year ago she bought an LG Optimus Chic here in Canada. Haven't used it since, but wants to take it to Thailand, so I have some way of contacting her and she'll have a means of contacting relatives and friends within Thailand during her stay. It only costs me about 2 cents a minute to phone from Canada to Thailand, so the rates are pretty cheap. She's leaving for Thailand in a few weeks, and will be staying over there for three months. She'll be in all the regions of Thailand during her stay (central, south, north and northeast), mostly in the major towns and cities.

According to the blurb about the above phone, it's compatible with dual band HSPA 850/1900, and quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies. She only wants to use the phone for voice contact, nothing else.

Should she purchase a prepaid sim card at the airport when she arrives, or wait until she gets into Bangkok where she can get one from a 7-11 or somewhere else that sells them? Will she need to obtain a different sim card for each region in Thailand?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Taggart

[aussieguy130]

You can pick up a pre-paid SIM at the Airport. AIS and I think it's DTAC both have shops on the arrivals level. The SIM is very cheap, 100 THB from memory. THey can load it up with some credit, otherwise easy enough to buy top up cards at 7-11 etc. That SIM will work anywhere in Thailand.

[I Like Thai]

Before you go, check with the canadian operator to ensure that the handset isn't network locked. If it is the canadian operator may give the unlocking code, if not, it is usually possible for a Thai phone shop to unlock it

[Taggart]

Before you go, check with the canadian operator to ensure that the handset isn't network locked. If it is the canadian operator may give the unlocking code, if not, it is usually possible for a Thai phone shop to unlock it

Thanks, but I had the phone unlocked through a vendor on e-bay, shortly after it's purchase.

[Daewoo]

Before you go, check with the canadian operator to ensure that the handset isn't network locked. If it is the canadian operator may give the unlocking code, if not, it is usually possible for a Thai phone shop to unlock it

This is the most important... buying the SIM in Bangkok is easy... any 7/11, most convenience stores, even the bookshop in the airport sell them... Prices are fixed, so no matter where she buys it, the price and services is the same...

I always buy a 'Happy SIM', which works on the DTAC network... My mates in the industry say that DTAC has the best coverage, and that is about as much research as I can be bothered doing...

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/ or http://www.dtac.co.th/en/postpaid/products/ShortStayVisitors.html

You need ensure that your phone is not locked to your network, buy calling or going into a store and asking them to check... then check yourself by installing the SIM card from a friend or something who is on a different network...

You also need to check whether your phone will work on GSM. The networks in Thailand are either GSM, or UMTS, and I think Bell Canada, for example, is a CDMA network, not a GSM network, and the phone may not be compatible...

I think the DTAC network is GSM 800 and 1800 and UMTS 850...

You also need to make sure you know the PIN number that the phone may ask for if you put a new SIM card in it... you will find out if it will ask for one when you do the test run at home with another SIM...

[Taggart]

You can pick up a pre-paid SIM at the Airport. AIS and I think it's DTAC both have shops on the arrivals level. The SIM is very cheap, 100 THB from memory. THey can load it up with some credit, otherwise easy enough to buy top up cards at 7-11 etc. That SIM will work anywhere in Thailand.

Thanks. Both DTAC and AIS give my wife two possibilities at the airport. She can test it out to a relative's phone from there.

[Taggart]

This is the most important... buying the SIM in Bangkok is easy... any 7/11, most convenience stores, even the bookshop in the airport sell them... Prices are fixed, so no matter where she buys it, the price and services is the same...

I always buy a 'Happy SIM', which works on the DTAC network... My mates in the industry say that DTAC has the best coverage, and that is about as much research as I can be bothered doing...

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/ or http://www.dtac.co.t...ayVisitors.html

Thanks. I'll pass on the information about DTAC to my wife.

You need ensure that your phone is not locked to your network, buy calling or going into a store and asking them to check... then check yourself by installing the SIM card from a friend or something who is on a different network...

When I went through an outside vendor, I got a message on the phone saying it was unlocked.

You also need to check whether your phone will work on GSM. The networks in Thailand are either GSM, or UMTS, and I think Bell Canada, for example, is a CDMA network, not a GSM network, and the phone may not be compatible...

I think the DTAC network is GSM 800 and 1800 and UMTS 850...

As mentioned in my post above, yes, the phone has GSM.

You also need to make sure you know the PIN number that the phone may ask for if you put a new SIM card in it... you will find out if it will ask for one when you do the test run at home with another SIM...

I got a cheap phone just to be used in the car for emergencies only a few weeks ago. I had to activate both the phone and sim over the internet. I obtained the pin number during the activation process. In my wife's case, aside from unlocking it, the phone has never been activated anywhere.