Cheapest Good Device & Internet Provider Plan For Skype Video Calls?

[simonb]

Hi Everyone

I would like my partner in Thailand (Pattaya) to be able to call me (and answer me) with Skype video, wherever she is (work, home, shopping, etc) - for maybe 1-2 hours per day.

She does not know how to use a computer, so laptop is not really an option (too big and bulky too). She does not have WiFi at home, or work.

I think a smartphone would be the best option, but the iPhone is too expensive. Tablets are probably a bit too big for carrying round all day.

What do you think is the cheapest good device & internet provider plan to get? The device doesn't necessarily have to be a phone - she already has a (non-smart) mobile phone (pay-as-you-go)

Thanks for any suggestions

Simon

[simonb]

The best list of officially supported non-Apple devices I can find is this, from 2011 ! - http://www.pcworld.com/article/237289/skype_finally_brings_video_chat_to_most_android_phones.html

[sumrit]

Hi Simon,

You'll need a dual camera smart phone which automatically pushes the price up a bit but the i-mobile IQ1 and IQ6, both @ under 10,000 baht, have good reviews. Personally I have an HTC Rhyme which, I believe, has now gone down to 12.900 baht and I can definitely recommend that as well.

If you're not sure which phones have front facing cameras you can check the spec (but not an accurate price) of most smart phones here. http://www.gsmarena.com/

If you're going to use it on skype a lot you'll need a plan with a high monthly 3G allowance. Although all providers have monthly (PAYG and Pre paid) unlimited internet access plans none of them have totally unlimited 3G speeds. The best you'll get is 3/4/5 gig @ 3G speeds per month with the speed dropping to 2G if/once your 3G allowance has been used up. All the providers have similar plans costing around 800-1000 baht per month.

Personally I find that, only when going between two smart phones/Tabs, using Tango instead of Skype usually gives better quality and more stable video when phoning the UK from Thailand. You can download Tango on a PC but all you get is a virtual phone in the middle of the screen and the picture quality is crap. It also hijacks your PC's webcam so you can't use it for other calls on Skype.

Edited February 16, 2013 by sumrit

[simonb]

Many thanks sumrit

You've given me a couple of things I hadn't considered !

Simon

[Annonymous]

Skype (or any other VOIP) calls over 3G aren't great because of the latency (ping) of the 3G technology.

If you still decide to go ahead with this, then you'll want a volume-based plan (offered at max speed) rather than a time-based plan (low speed).

Here is an example for AIS (One-2-Call): http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/simcard-one2call-netsim-3G.html

So for 799 bahts (plus taxes) you get 3 GB of max speed, and whenever you have used all of the 3 GB of data then it automatically switches to low speed (384 Kpbs).

That's what they call unlimited.

For plans that are not "unlimited", like the one at 550 bahts (plus taxes) which offers 2 GB of data at max speed, whenever you have reached the 2 GB of data downloaded/uploaded then you pay extra for each additional MB used (2 bahts per MB), but speed isn't reduced.

It's very simple to subscribe to these plans, just buy any AIS sim card at any 7/11 store and then fill it up with 1000 bahts for example (filling only 800 bahts isn't enough for the plan at 799 because you need to add taxes), and then dial the code of the plan directly and press "send" (i.e. for the 799 bahts package the code is *133*43# ).

If you're using the SIM in a tablet or a laptop and don't have access to a dial pad then put the SIM in your phone, dial the code to activate the package, and only then put the SIM card in your tablet or laptop. You'll have to put the SIM in a phone everytime you want to subscribe to another package or want to check the remaining volume.

The "Wifi" option offered with these plans is bullshit, there are very few hotspots available and most of them are very very slow so you better keep with your purchased 3G data.

The main competitor to AIS is TrueMove, they offer about the same packages, and the process is exactly the same to subscribe, however their website is in Thai only and is non-translatable as it's all images, no actual "text": http://truemove.com/th/prepay-hispeed-net-sim-con.htm

From the above link I'm still able to guess that the 699 bahts plan is a data (volume-based) plan which offers 3.5 GB of downloaded/uploaded data at max speed. And my understanding is that to subscribe to this plan you can either send "V3" by SMS to 9789, or simply dial *900*42# from any TrueMove SIM card with enough credit on it.

You'll be able to get EDGE speed almost anywhere in Thailand, however 3G speed is not available in most areas of Thailand, it is available only in some cities including Bangkok and Pattaya.

I think it would be a better idea to get your girlfriend go to an Internet Shop for 20 or 30 bahts an hour, there are Internet Shops almost everywhere in Thailand, most of them have headsets and microphones on each computer and almost always have Skype already installed. I believe the receptionist can help your girlfriend connect to a Skype account (that you could have created for her and provided her the logins by SMS), it's pretty common in Thailand.

Also, if you can do without video, you can call her Thai cellphone directly from Skype, they have an "Unlimited World" subscription that costs 13.99 USD per month (plus taxes) and which allows you to make unlimited calls to mobile phones in Thailand: http://www.skype.com/en/rates/

I hope that helps!

Edited February 22, 2013 by Annonymous

[simonb]

Hi Annonymous

This is such great info. Many thanks.

The AIS page showing their Volume-based and Time-based Plans wasn't obvious to find, but it is currently at http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/promotion_special.html

Simon