New To Thailand And Having Phone Issues

[Jelopi]

Hello everyone,

We've been living in Thailand for a couple of months and have bought a phone a while back just incase.

We have rarely used it. I now need to call Canada about my student loans but it doesn't matter which number

I dial, I usually get an automated Thai message that I can't understand. It obviously means that what I dialed

didn't work, because it hangs up later.

We are using the Samsung (mini/pocket galaxy?) we are using an AIS sim card.

I emailed the student loan site and they responded with this:

"If you are outside Canada and are unable to reach us using the global toll

free telephone number you can contact our office collect by dialing

905-306-2950. You must use the Canadian Operator number: 0800 096 0634 in

order to dial the Collect Phone Number."

I tried the "0800 096 0634" number, just as it shows, and it didn't work. I've tried it with the country code "66" and it says

that the number has not been assigned.

Anyways I am sorry for being so clueless about this, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't so urgent. I figured this would be the

best place to ask about it.

[lomatopo]

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/service-ain.html

[Chicog]

Try dialling: +19053062950 but make sure you have the credit.

The 0800 number probably only works inside North America.

[lomatopo]

I might try 009 905-306-2950 or 005 905-306-2950 as you will likely save some money over using the +1 prefix, but you can check the costs in the link I provided, remember to add 7% VAT, and round up to the next minute.

Assume you know you need to add value to your SIM? And are aware of the time difference?

[Shaktam]

Call from Skype if you have it on your PC, cheaper and they should have the international phone number link on their website, just one click to call.

[Shaktam]

Call from Skype if you have it on your PC, cheaper and they should have the international phone number link on their website, just one click to call.

[Crossy]

Get a Thai to tell you what the message says.

Have you enabled international calling on your phone account? You can get it done at any AIS counter or most phone shops will do it for a nominal fee.

+1 800 096 0634 may work but you'll still need international calling and credit on your phone.

[fatfather]

Get a Thai to tell you what the message says.

Have you enabled international calling on your phone account? You can get it done at any AIS counter or most phone shops will do it for a nominal fee.

+1 800 096 0634 may work but you'll still need international calling and credit on your phone.

The point is that you have to open your SIM Card for international calls. Easy to get it done at any telewiz shop. Take care that you have enough credit on your card because the "toll free" numbers won't work from here

Fatfather

[lomatopo]

I think several posters are confusing originating international calls with international roaming. AFAIK, one does not need “enable international calling”. One does need to register for international roaming, which gives the ability to use their AIS/One-2-Call Thai SIM when traveling in other countries, albeit at extremely high rates (~ 80 baht/min).

Some (few, not all) North American toll-free numbers (800/888 et al.) are enabled for international use. Here in Thailand the free (no local access charges, even from a mobile) AT&T international access number is 001 999 11111 or 1800 000 133 , after which you would enter an eligible toll free number. I use this quite frequently with great success everywhere from my mobile, even though I have both a magicJack device (requires me to be at home near my PC) and GrooVeIP (Android: free in-bound/out-bound calling to the U.S. and Canada via one's Google Voice account).

[Crossy]

It was some years back, but I definitely had to enable international calls on my pre-pay 12Call SIM.

Getting someone to listen to the recorded message is a first step

[Ginkas]

And for further information - you say in your penultimate paragraph that you used the country code "66".

This is the code for Thailand, people calling from overseas to Thailand would use that prefix to get to a Thai phone.

The country code for the USA and Canada is "1".

[Jelopi]

Wooow. It is so much more complicated here. Thats to be expected though, thank you everyone for your responses. I am going to head out and get the SIM card and see how I make out with that. I'll write back with whether it works out or not for other people that may have this same confusion in the future.