100 international calls per day

[polakup]

Hi I'm 32 years old and considering moving to Bangkok for a while. I work for myself in telesales calling customers (making about 100 calls per day) on landlines throughout Australia. My biggest concern is a clear, reliable and cheap phone service that I can call from my apartment in Bangkok into Australia. What is my best bet? Voip phone? International Simcard? Any suggestions?...

Thanks in advance

polakup

[Jiu-Jitsu]

You want us to help you to annoy people with your calls??

[polakup]

You want us to help you to annoy people with your calls??

Someone's gotta do it. :-) I've been in the business for nearly 10 years now and have quite a big customer database , all built on rapport. Whether its in Australia or in Bangkok, ill be doing it either way. Bkk will just be a lifestyle change for me. ;-)

[tolsti]

How is the boiler shop industry these days?

[lomatopo]

What is your budget per call? Per minute?

Most VoIP service providers tend to cap/limit/prohibit telesales (many calls, or long duration).

There are many boiler-rooms here, they get busted every few months so your "patterns" might highlight you for extra scrutiny?

Maybe best to stay in Australia? Since you will be on the phone for the bulk of your day I'm not certain how much life-style you'll be able to enjoy. Just come here on vacation for the "life-style"?

[polakup]

What is your budget per call? Per minute?

Most VoIP service providers tend to cap/limit/prohibit telesales (many calls, or long duration).

There are many boiler-rooms here, they get busted every few months so your "patterns" might highlight you for extra scrutiny?

Maybe best to stay in Australia? Since you will be on the phone for the bulk of your day I'm not certain how much life-style you'll be able to enjoy. Just come here on vacation for the "life-style"?

100 calls is maximum per day, it could be 20, maximum talk time would be 1 1/2-2 hours. I'm prepared to pay for a clear and reliable phone line, probably the most I'd pay is around 10000 baht per month. I sell printing consumables to companies Australia wide, and I work for myself, so not exactly boiler room. Plus I need to work within Aussie business hours, so the latest I can work til is 4pm local Bangkok time, Monday-Friday. I plan to rent a 2 bdr apartment and Setup an office in the 2 bedroom. Besides the phone everything else is Internet based. :-)

[Pib]

Seems using a VOIP service would probably be your best bet. And if using a VOIP service it would probably be best to sign-up for an Australian based VOIP service before you move just so you will also have an OZ phone number for your customers to call you versus them having to call an international number.

Probably a bad example for using a VOIP approach, but I'm from the U.S. and have a NetTalk VOIP account which gives me a U.S. phone number and my family/friends can just call that U.S. number....basically this little NetTalk VOIP adapter hooks between my internet router and my cordless phone...no care and feeding required....it just works....costs me $30/year ($2.50/mo)....now it's for residential use only and I thing the fine print says once you start using more than 3000 (three thousand) minutes per month they will figure you are really not a residential user and possibly terminate your service. I'm live in Bangkok, on a True cable internet (14Mb speed plan), and my calls to/from the U.S. east coast (half way around the world, 12 times zones away) on the NetTalk service sound like the people are calling from across the soi...and some of these calls gone on for up to two hours. Once again, just using this as an example of how a OZ VOIP service may be best (or not).

[polakup]

Seems using a VOIP service would probably be your best bet. And if using a VOIP service it would probably be best to sign-up for an Australian based VOIP service before you move just so you will also have an OZ phone number for your customers to call you versus them having to call an international number.

Probably a bad example for using a VOIP approach, but I'm from the U.S. and have a NetTalk VOIP account which gives me a U.S. phone number and my family/friends can just call that U.S. number....basically this little NetTalk VOIP adapter hooks between my internet router and my cordless phone...no care and feeding required....it just works....costs me $30/year ($2.50/mo)....now it's for residential use only and I thing the fine print says once you start using more than 3000 (three thousand) minutes per month they will figure you are really not a residential user and possibly terminate your service. I'm live in Bangkok, on a True cable internet (14Mb speed plan), and my calls to/from the U.S. east coast (half way around the world, 12 times zones away) on the NetTalk service sound like the people are calling from across the soi...and some of these calls gone on for up to two hours. Once again, just using this as an example of how a OZ VOIP service may be best (or not).

Thanks for that. I will look into that. Very helpful. ;-)

[Commander Tamson]

Seems using a VOIP service would probably be your best bet. And if using a VOIP service it would probably be best to sign-up for an Australian based VOIP service before you move just so you will also have an OZ phone number for your customers to call you versus them having to call an international number.

Probably a bad example for using a VOIP approach, but I'm from the U.S. and have a NetTalk VOIP account which gives me a U.S. phone number and my family/friends can just call that U.S. number....basically this little NetTalk VOIP adapter hooks between my internet router and my cordless phone...no care and feeding required....it just works....costs me $30/year ($2.50/mo)....now it's for residential use only and I thing the fine print says once you start using more than 3000 (three thousand) minutes per month they will figure you are really not a residential user and possibly terminate your service. I'm live in Bangkok, on a True cable internet (14Mb speed plan), and my calls to/from the U.S. east coast (half way around the world, 12 times zones away) on the NetTalk service sound like the people are calling from across the soi...and some of these calls gone on for up to two hours. Once again, just using this as an example of how a OZ VOIP service may be best (or not).

I think that's great advice for any and all farangs who call home regularly. Thanks for sharing that Pib

[TobiasML]

Maybe you consider to use Skype. They have available monthly plans from app. USD 5 up. Usually 10.000 minutes included. You would just need to have a reliable Internet connection which is the biggest issue. I am using Skype and other VoIP services quite often and the quality spends on the connection I am receiving. With Skype you can get as well an Australian phone number, which s n advantage because your customers will see this number when you call.

You could as well consider true intersim as an alternative. Their rates to landlines start at THB 1 per minute. Using it as well and connection is quite good.

There was as well a VoIP provider in Bangkok. I think it was Voip-Thailand.com but not sure.

[lomatopo]

An Australian-based VoIP service provider would be ideal, you may even be able to port in one of your current numbers, and customers could ring you back on an Australian number, and they'd see your Australian number on caller ID.

You'll need a decent, dedicated broadband connection here in Thailand, a multi-port router, a VoIP adapater/ATA and an analog telephone.

Maybe look around on some technical/telephony/VoIP forums in Australia for recommendations on service providers? You could even be using this same provider today, in Australia, to manage your calling costs.

Edited August 21, 2013 by lomatopo

[pdwarf1]

Maybe you should also consider that you will require a work permit here, especially if you are making that many calls per month it will be visible.

[muratremix]

Maybe you should also consider that you will require a work permit here, especially if you are making that many calls per month it will be visible.

Visible to who? Voip calls are not monitored and neither excessive international calls. This is Thailand, not Big brother Usa.

[Torrens54]

Do you have an Indian accent? I understand that is a MUST before you can even start to become a pain in the backside of people who have a home phone.

[muratremix]

There is an alternative way of calling people via VOIP. I don't know about current rates of Australian cellular operators, but if there is one with unlimited calls or if you can get a landline phone with unlimited calls, you can use a GSM over IP (for cellular) or sip ata adapter with FXO port (for landline) device. GSM over IP (Goip) can have several ports (price multiple accordingly) and you can connect from Thailand to your home network (or friend's home network where GOIP is connected) and make calls from this device using your calling plan. It may be cheaper and safer than voip, or not.

I use goip the otherway, it forwards incoming calls via voip to my Thai number. But it can also be used to call others via voip. Of course, it all depends on calling rate / packages. Usually voip rates are much cheaper in per minute. But, unlimited calls (even if limited to 3000 minutes/month fair usage) packages can be cheaper than voip.