How to extend validity on Happy DTAC SIM

[skatewash]

I should preface this by saying that while I never use my phone, I recognize that it seems I *must* have one, and it would be nice to have one that was in working order I could dial in an emergency if I ever needed to use it. As you might expect of one who doesn't actually use his phone, I am completely ignorant about all the various issues surrounding validity.

Here is my situation, perhaps someone can take pity on me and advise me as to the simplest way to extend my validity to the maximum extent possible.

I foolishly put 500 Baht call credit on my phone when it was initially purchased approximately 8 months ago. The problem I seem to be having is that my validity keeps expiring and I don't seem to know the correct way to extend it. My current situation is this:

Remaining call-credit

415.95 Baht

Valid until 07 July 2013 (No remaining validity, please refill your account)

Can what I'm trying to do (extend the validity) be done online, or by phone? If so, how? If not, can a visit to a DTAC store help me out? Any advice on how I can navigate myself into having validity again would be most appreciated. I do appreciate the fact that validity has expired. Sorry if I'm using the wrong terminology. If I have to refill my account what is the minimum amount of money I would need to pay for doing so and still get the maximum period of validity? Can the money needed to extend my validity be taken out of my remaining call-credit balance?

Finally, separate from my current concern: what sort of plan should I, someone who uses the phone only for unforeseen emergencies, have purchased in the first place? Is there a better plan out there than DTAC Happy for someone like me? The most important feature to me is that I pay for it once, and then the phone is good for the rest of the year, and I can basically ignore it (I'm very good at that ;-). That is, where I don't need to be concerned with validity issues. Or is that asking too much, just not how things work here?

Thanks much in advance and apologies for asking such a ridiculous and unsophisticated question in the first place.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

*113*90#

buys you 90 days for 6 bht.

you can buy 360 days max

*112*number*money#

sends call credit 'money'bht to the phone 'number'

*110#

borrows 30bht from your next top-up if you run out of call time

Edited July 30, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Tywais]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/337888-extending-the-validity-of-your-dtac-sim-card/page-2

*113*180# Do it twice for nearly a full year extension.

[lomatopo]

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/services/freeday.html

Note the terms & conditions.

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/services/stayconnect.html

You should have been receiving SMSes re: validity expiration. You should be able to recover your account as you are within the initial 30 day window.

I would ring DTAC ASAP (1678) to sort out your account, and then extend the validity out to 180 or 360 days.

Service providers are cutting back on validity durations, and are enforcing usage requirements so you should probably complete a call, top-up (even 10 baht), send an SMS at elast once every 30 days to maintain any usage requirements.

[skatewash]

AnotherOneAmerican Tywais

Thank you AnotherOneAmerican and Tywais for your responses!

*113*180# Do it twice for nearly a full year extension.

When I try this I get the following:

Information

Ur validity has expired,pls refill

So, I'm getting the impression that this won't work if your validity is expired, which mine is.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

AnotherOneAmerican Tywais

Thank you AnotherOneAmerican and Tywais for your responses!

*113*180# Do it twice for nearly a full year extension.

When I try this I get the following:

Information

Ur validity has expired,pls refill

So, I'm getting the impression that this won't work if your validity is expired, which mine is.

An online top-up, or credit at any shop will get it started again.

Then you can buy the extra validity with 113.

I let my tablet SIM run out yesterday, 20bht at my local store got me going, then sent 50bht from my other phone, then extended my validity of a year.

Edited July 30, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[skatewash]

Thanks lomatopo for your response.

The procedures suggested by your first link "Account expiring soon? Request an extension." didn't work for me (probably because my validity has expired, rather than expiring soon).

The second link seems to apply to balance expiration which is, I think, not my immediate problem (as I have

Remaining call-credit

415.95 Baht). But no validity, validity having expired.

When I dial 1678 I get a short recorded message in Thai, which unfortunately I'm not able to understand.

I did indeed receive SMSes as you suggest regarding validity expiration. The last one I received is as follows:

Happy

Your credit has expired. Please refill your Happy number to extend credit validity period.

I know I'm being particularly dense, but how should I refill my Happy number so as to extend credit validity period? Is it something I can do online, over the phone? Only at a DTAC store? What is the least amount of money I can spend to do this and yet still extend my validity period to the maximum extent possible?

Thanks.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

call in to a 7-11, 60bht online

ow credit DTAC hok seep baht cap

then type your phone number in the keypad by the till.

[lomatopo]

When I dial 1678 I get a short recorded message in Thai, which unfortunately I'm not able to understand.

Dial 1678, where after a two second Thai greeting you will hear, in English, "Press 77 for English".

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/postpaid/services/dtacnumber.html

Edited July 30, 2013 by lomatopo

[skatewash]

AnotherOneAmerican Tywais

Thank you AnotherOneAmerican and Tywais for your responses!

*113*180# Do it twice for nearly a full year extension.

When I try this I get the following:

Information

Ur validity has expired,pls refill

So, I'm getting the impression that this won't work if your validity is expired, which mine is.

An online top-up, or credit at any shop will get it started again.

Then you can buy the extra validity with 113.

I let my tablet SIM run out yesterday, 20bht at my local store got me going, then sent 50bht from my other phone, then extended my validity of a year.

Thanks again for your reply AnotherOneAmerican!

Based on what you say it sounds like I could top-up at a local 7-11 with 20 Baht. This would reactivate my account for some brief period during which I would be able to use the 113 procedure outlined before. As I have a remaining call-credit balance of 415.95 Baht, I'm guessing it would not be necessary to transfer any Baht from my other phone, which would be wonderful because I don't have another phone ;-) Almost sorry I have this phone, lol.

This is what I shall try. Thanks for your help!

[lomatopo]

Personally I would just dial 1678, and yes, press 77 for English. They will sort everything out for you. They will reactivate your account, extend validity and deduct any charges from your balance.

I'm assuming that they will allow this call even though your account has expired.

If not then maybe a top-up is in order, or a trip to a nearby DTAC full-service shop.

[newatthis]

Hi Skatewash,

I had the same problem once.

I think 50 or 60 baht is the minimum top-up at 7/11.

You can hop on the DTAC homepage. Click on English then pre-paid. Follow it through to longer sim life.

All the info is there for you.

All the best

[briley]

Switch to the smile tarrif from DTAC - has a life of 365 days between top-ups.

Calls cost more but you seem to use the same number as me, almost zero a year, so that does not matter.

[Shurup]

Sorry for hijacking but is there similar ways to extend TrueH balance validity? Seems like they only give 60 days from the most recent top up.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lomatopo]

Sorry for hijacking but is there similar ways to extend TrueH balance validity? Seems like they only give 60 days from the most recent top up.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As far as I know, no, they do not. But you could contact them to confirm.

IME, any activity: top-up, originating an outbound (completed for 1 second) call or SMS extends validity out to a maximum of 60 days.