Using Google Voice to Call USA from BKK, what number shows on caller ID and cost ?

[BKKdreaming]

I have a Google Voice number that I only use for messages ,

But I would like to call back to the USA from Thailand on my Laptop , and have my Google Voice number show up on Caller ID,

is this possible ? I do not need them to call me back so I can answer in BKK , if it goes to voicemail that is OK,

And is it Free to call the USA ? land lines and mobile that do not use Google Voice ?

I looked at the Google Voice webpage but it got me even more confused !

thanks for your help....

[lomatopo]

IME, the ten digit GV number gets passed as CPID. Hence if registering a new credit card, assuming your GV number is associated with your account, you could use the IVR system.

Calls are free to/from the U.S., to any number: fixed or mobile.

FWIW, you can also receive/originate SMSes on your GV number, these are instantaneous and get delivered via gmail. Handy for OTOPs.

I use GrooVeIP on my Android phone, which gives a handy, portable, flexible interface to GV.

[TwentyBaht]

Yes, I'm told by the people I call in the US that my Google Voice number shows up on their caller ID.

To make free calls, via your laptop, to the US (landlines, mobile numbers) from Thailand you would need to use a VPN. But, only until the dialing box appears on your Gmail screen.. Then, the VPN can be disconnected.

Unanswered calls from the US will go to your voicemail.

And, you can answer calls from the US, on your laptop. Although, to hear the phone ringing, you might have to adjust the audio settings (playback devices) if using an external USB phone. And, obviously, your Gmail must be up and running at the time.

Personally, have a Obihai device (via Google Voice) for home. Clear calls to the US. (Rarely use laptop, anymore.)

And, also there is the Groove-IP app (via Google Voice) for Android smartphones. But, varied call quality with this app, in my case.

Cheers

[BKKdreaming]

Hi

thanks for the info

is there a free VPN to use for this ?

I assume that if a Thai ISP shows that Google Voice will not work , or will it work but you have to pay a little which would be OK with me ,

I just need to show a USA phone number when I call , so if they are not there they can return my call and get the voicemail.

[lomatopo]

^ I confess I only use Google Voice via GrooVeIP, and have never used it on/with a PC. I also mainly use it on WiFi, but have used it on 3G a few times - I have the paid version of GrooVeIP.

I keep thinking about getting an Obi100 - given how inexpensive they are, but I already have a magicJack at home. IMO, Google Voice is much better than mJ given the SMS options, and speech to text for vmail.

For me, Google Voice + GrooVeIP is brilliant. I've transitioned a lot of contacts from mJ to GV. I'd gladly pay for GV.

FWIW, there is another GV ATA that looks interesting: GVMate.

http://www.gvmate.com/

http://www.amazon.com/GVMate-Adapter-Optional-Telephone-facebook/dp/B00AWJYJ1U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372130742&sr=8-4&keywords=obi100

Edited June 25, 2013 by lomatopo

[HAL9000]

You only need a VPN to sign up for Google Voice as it is only available for US customers. Once your Google Voice number is established, you can use it from here without a VPN. I use SIPdroid. It was a little bit of a bear to configure, so maybe GrooVeIP would work better for you.

[BKKdreaming]

You only need a VPN to sign up for Google Voice as it is only available for US customers. Once your Google Voice number is established, you can use it from here without a VPN. I use SIPdroid. It was a little bit of a bear to configure, so maybe GrooVeIP would work better for you.

I will only be using it on my Windows computer...

if I am dialing the USA on google voice from BKK do I use the normal dialing 1-area code-xxx-xxxx

and what if I wanted to dial the UK, from a regular USA phone it would be 01144-then the UK number,

thanks

[lomatopo]

With Google Voice, if calling the U.S. or Canada you can dial just the area code and number, no need for the leading "1". It also works if you use the leading "1".

Dialing the UK from Google Voice you would dial 011 44 nnnnnnnnnn, but you will have to have added money to your account as you will have to pay for that call. You can check the rates here: https://www.google.com/voice/rates Looks like ten U.S. pennies per minute to a mobile, and two U.S> pennies per minute to a fixed line.

[bangarang]

I actually use Skype and pay for a USA number. Its pretty cheap if you pay for 1 year at a time because you get big discount. When I call home my family sees a local number plus when they call that number its a free local call for them and their call goes directly through to my computer.

[yankee99]

Groove ip for android. Send and receive calls to and from usa with usa caller id absolutely free. What more could you want.

[BKKdreaming]

Thanks for the info.....

I have a USB phone here that I will try and get to work on my laptop ,

If that does not work out I think I have a headset that has the 2 small plugs for sound and mic.

I normally just use my Thai phone with True sim , it is real cheap to call the USA but it does show the Thai number ,

I did send a Text message from Google voice to my USA mobile phone and it went thru OK.......

Now to get the USB phone to work

[sgtsabai]

Just remember NSA and any number of other "initials" will be listening and waiting for you to say the 'wrong thing' whatever that is. Oh but don't worry, it's for your own good.

[OldChinaHam]

You only need a VPN to sign up for Google Voice as it is only available for US customers. Once your Google Voice number is established, you can use it from here without a VPN. I use SIPdroid. It was a little bit of a bear to configure, so maybe GrooVeIP would work better for you.

HAL, does this mean that you can use Google Voice if you are a US customer, even if you are not calling from the US?

Once you have signed up for Google Voice then you could call land lines in the US from other countries at no charge?

Or might anyone else know?

If you only need to be a US customer, then why not ask a friend to sign up for you, and then just use this established account which your friend set up?

[jcnbkk]

You only need a VPN to sign up for Google Voice as it is only available for US customers. Once your Google Voice number is established, you can use it from here without a VPN. I use SIPdroid. It was a little bit of a bear to configure, so maybe GrooVeIP would work better for you.

HAL, does this mean that you can use Google Voice if you are a US customer, even if you are not calling from the US?

Once you have signed up for Google Voice then you could call land lines in the US from other countries at no charge?

Or might anyone else know?

If you only need to be a US customer, then why not ask a friend to sign up for you, and then just use this established account which your friend set up?

That should work. Once you have the acc. name and password you can call from anywhere to US free. You can also change your password later. Just remembered- GV is associated with a gmail acc. Your friend would need to have your gmail acc. name and password.

[JDGRUEN]

If you are not hung up on Google voice... Viber works well on Smartphones, iPads and PC's or a mix of these ...

[OldChinaHam]

You only need a VPN to sign up for Google Voice as it is only available for US customers. Once your Google Voice number is established, you can use it from here without a VPN. I use SIPdroid. It was a little bit of a bear to configure, so maybe GrooVeIP would work better for you.

HAL, does this mean that you can use Google Voice if you are a US customer, even if you are not calling from the US?

Once you have signed up for Google Voice then you could call land lines in the US from other countries at no charge?

Or might anyone else know?

If you only need to be a US customer, then why not ask a friend to sign up for you, and then just use this established account which your friend set up?

That should work. Once you have the acc. name and password you can call from anywhere to US free. You can also change your password later. Just remembered- GV is associated with a gmail acc. Your friend would need to have your gmail acc. name and password.

Thanks. I will have a member of my family do it.

[lomatopo]

HAL, does this mean that you can use Google Voice if you are a US customer, even if you are not calling from the US?

Once you have signed up for Google Voice then you could call land lines in the US from other countries at no charge?

Yes. And yes.

If you are not hung up on Google voice... Viber works well on Smartphones, iPads and PC's or a mix of these ...

I'm not certain you understand what GV actually does? Viber is nothing at all like GV, and is not an alternative for the OP. With Google voice you get a real ten digit telephone number in the U.S. You can make free calls to/within the U.S., or people anywhere can dial your 10 digit telephone number and reach you. There are also myriad text (SMS), messaging, voice-mail (with speech to text) features as well. All still free through 2013, at a minimum.

[sunshine51]

Just remember this too...the NSA will be listening in.

[BKKdreaming]

if you have google voice and are in Tokyo and I call you with my google voice from BKK , going PC to PC ( or smart phone) is it free on both sides ?

[yankee99]

if you have google voice and are in Tokyo and I call you with my google voice from BKK , going PC to PC ( or smart phone) is it free on both sides ?

No. Thats what skype is for

[OldChinaHam]

"I'm not certain you understand what GV actually does? Viber is nothing at all like GV, and is not an alternative for the OP. With Google voice you get a real ten digit telephone number in the U.S. You can make free calls to/within the U.S., or people anywhere can dial your 10 digit telephone number and reach you. There are also myriad text (SMS), messaging, voice-mail (with speech to text) features as well. All still free through 2013, at a minimum."

This is an important point. It would not really be all that worthwhile if you registered for a free Google call-free-to-land-line account IF the free period of the promotion will end in 1013.

I already have a Skype telephone number but it costs a few dollars per month.

Will Google not go the same way and begin charging rates about the same as Microsoft's Skype??

[lomatopo]

if you have google voice and are in Tokyo and I call you with my google voice from BKK , going PC to PC ( or smart phone) is it free on both sides ?

Yes. I suspect Yankee99 is confused or otherwise unfamiliar with GV? (If you assume that any associated network costs are free.) If you are a GV customer, and I am GV customer, we can call each other, by dialing our U.S. ten digit telephone numbers, no matter where we are. We could both be in Bangkok.

This is an important point. It would not really be all that worthwhile if you registered for a free Google call-free-to-land-line account IF the free period of the promotion will end in 1013.

Google Voice has been free since its inception - not sure how many years I've had it now - even though they pay for the real ten digit telephone number. That said, I would be willing to pay for Google Voice. Not sure what Google plans to do re: charging for a telephone number and/or calls in the U.S.

[yankee99]

if you have google voice and are in Tokyo and I call you with my google voice from BKK , going PC to PC ( or smart phone) is it free on both sides ?

Yes. I suspect Yankee99 is confused or otherwise unfamiliar with GV? (If you assume that any associated network costs are free.) If you are a GV customer, and I am GV customer, we can call each other, by dialing our U.S. ten digit telephone numbers, no matter where we are. We could both be in Bangkok.

This is an important point. It would not really be all that worthwhile if you registered for a free Google call-free-to-land-line account IF the free period of the promotion will end in 1013.

Google Voice has been free since its inception - not sure how many years I've had it now - even though they pay for the real ten digit telephone number. That said, I would be willing to pay for Google Voice. Not sure what Google plans to do re: charging for a telephone number and/or calls in the U.S.

You are correct as i misread the question. If you call any usa telphone with google voice then its free. I have had this service for at least 3 years and groove ip for quite sometime too.

[lomatopo]

If you call any usa telphone with google voice then its free.

And let's not forget our neighbors to the north.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Groove IP for the Android smartphones is, as Loma stated, a great and easy app for making voice calls via your U.S.-based Google Voice account (which allows pretty much unlimited free voice calls to all U.S. and Canadian phones, whether landline or mobile).

I use it all the time using my home wifi as the Internet connection. Excellent call quality and stability.

Viber is a great Android app too, and now they also have a desktop version for Windows PCs.... But the difference is... you can use Viber for free calls or text messages other Viber members, on whatever device they may have Viber installed and wherever they may be. But you cannot use Viber to call regular non-Viber phones like a landline phone or a mobile phone that doesn't have Viber installed.

[phreakphish]

Google Voice works fine in Thailand. I have been to Thailand 3 separate times using GV. I've been to over 25+ countries using GV with no issues. Been using it for over 2 years now.

[BKKdreaming]

Hi

can someone walk me thru what I need to get Google voice working ,

I am in Bangkok now trying to use GV on a Windows XP notebook,

When I go to the GV page I see "call" at the top left ,

I press that , get pop-up for number to call and fill in my number at home that I know is good,

When I press Connect it seems to try and says calling you but nothing happens,

So is google voice trying to call me and the number I called will be on the line ?

Do I need to change the settings on my GV account ? right now it only goes to voicemail....

thanks for your help , I would like to get this to work !

[phreakphish]

When I use GVoice I make sure to have the GVoice page open and my GMail page open at the same time. I call the number on GVoice then it calls me back (this is the way GVoice works...it must call you first in order to make the phone call to an outside line) via my GMAIL on MY GVoice number. I answer the phone then it calls the number I was calling. No need to change settings.

[justsumhelp]

After reading this decided to try out Google Voice, and It works amazing. Here is how I set it up.

Logged into Google via a US based VPN.

Setup Google Voice using with the help of a friend. This is because Google Voice requires a US based phone number to verify the account. Google will call and then give your friend the code displayed by Google.

Then selected a number from the area code I wanted.

Next disabled the Call forwarding to my friends number, turned off call screening, and recored a voice mail greeting.

Next on my Iphone downloaded Talkatone and set that up.

Thats it I have a fully working US phone number that can receive and make calls and send and receive SMS. It also shows up the Google Voice number I selected.

All for free

[BKKdreaming]

I am still not able to get this to work ,

I turned off call screening , its is not forwarding to any number ,

I tried to add a voicemail greeting which needs to call back and that did not go thru ,

When it tries to call you back what do you see / hear ? is it a pop-up , a phone "ringing" or ????

I do have a pop-up blocker but it does not show a block ,

Does it matter that I am using Internet Explorer 8 ?

thanks again.....