head to thailand shortly, bringing my iphone and want to know which provider to buy a sim card from?

- looking for something i can make cheap calls on and has internet data allowance so i can use facebook on my phone for communication and access maps

- what do the sims cost and how expensive is credit?

- my mobile is unlocked but do i need to turn of any features to stop it chewing thru the data usage allowance - i saw this alluded to somewhere and wasnt sure what one had to adjust on the phones settings

- will making calls to landlines and mobiles in my home country of australia be exspensive

thanks guys

The best provider depends on your location. It's not likely that you will find any provider that will work in all locations.

A Thai sim that will work in your phone will only cost $2 to $3 USD. you can get a month of unlimited Internet data for $20 to $30 USD, depending on carrier and promotion at the time. The three main carriers in Thailand are AIS, D-Tac and True. My opinion, and most people i know, the quality of service is in the order I listed them.

At BKK airport once you pass through the customs area with your baggage you will enter the outer airport hall and you will pass kiosks of each of the above mentioned providers there that can quickly provide a sim for you and set up the call/data plane you require, your Thai number will be up a working in short order for your stay. You can add credit (top-up) at any 7-11 or Family Mart which are littered throughout the cities and towns of Thailand. Below are the websites, you can have a look at the various promotions and see what you like the best.

www.ais.co.th

www.dtac.co.th

www.truemove.com

***For your calls back home, pick up an international calling card like "Took Dee" at any 7-11 or Family Mart and you will have the cheapest direct call back. If you are set on making calls from your SIM without the bother of entering a calling card number, check out True's "Inter Sim" it will be your cheapest direct call back home and you can add a data plan to it.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/573846-what-works-where-2g-3g-coverage-maps-thailand/

What make/model is your phone? This can be important if you require 3G.

How much data, in MB, do you foresee using each 30 days?

How you control data usage is dependent on the make/model, applications and type of data plan. Generally speaking a volume-based plan is recommended over a time-based plan. Most/all phones have a way to turn mobile data on/off.

Besides the aforementioned calling card option, the CAT 009 rate may be the lowest straight-shot? 6.42 baht/min to Australia (fixed or mobile).