True Move 3G/4G USB Aircard?

[seancho]

Hi. I arrive in Bangkok mid November. 1st time Thailand, and I'll be in the country for about 6 weeks. I'll be doing some remote work, so I'm looking at mobile internet for my laptop. I'm wondering if I should bother buying a USB modem here in the States before I arrive.

From what I gather, True has the best network in Thailand. Looking around on their site is a bit confusing, but I see some aircards for sale. eg...

http://store.truecorp.co.th/shopping/14?ln=en

4G ones for 2190 baht, including 990 baht worth of data. And 3G ones for 899 baht with 990 baht worth of data. I'm not totally sure from the site if these promotions require some sort of plan? And 990 baht equals 5gbs of data?

So essentially my question boils down to.. can I buy these True USB modems in the airport or at some retail location in Bangkok and load them up pre-paid? And if so, how much are they?

True site claims 4g is available in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. That's where I'll be most of the time. Is it worth messing with 4g?

Anyone have anything good or bad to say about True Move internet in Thailand? Are there better options?

[lomatopo]

I wouldn't futz with 4G/LTE.

Purchase any unlocked USB aircard which supports 850 MHz 3G - some models are 890 - 990 baht, purchase a TrueMove H SIM, add value, subscribe to a plan. Done.

Do you, or will you have a smartphone? If so, details please.

You can buy air cards, SIMs pretty much anywhere here. TrueMove H, DTAC and AIS all do have shops at the airport.

http://www.totalaircard.com/categories/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%81-Aircard-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2/DTAC-3G-Aircard/

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/3g/packages/iplay/all

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/3g/shopping/14

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/3g/toppings/iplay/entry/654

Edited October 28, 2013 by lomatopo

[Ticketmaster]

If you purchase the air-card int US, just make sure it is UNLOCKED! I purchased a Sierra Shockwave card in the US. They are marketed through AT&T. The ones sold on Amazon were locked to AT&T. I found an unlocked one on eBay. As another poster said, any unlocked card that works with 850 MHz will work with True.

True pretty much sucks. I have never been able to just browse the internet without getting a lot of gratuitous pages injected into the experience by True. It is annoying as hell. A good provider is invisible. True is NOT invisible.

[seancho]

Thanks. That would suck if True interjects web pages, but if so I can just configure my firewall to block any pages from their server.

I should clear customs around 7am. Probably none of the airport cell provider shops are open at that hour? Any place better than others downtown to buy an aircard? I'll be headed for the Samsen Rd. area.

The 899 promotion for the 3G aircard including 990 worth of data looks pretty good.. The modem is essentially free. Whats the catch? Can I buy this on the street with no contract hassles, etc?

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/product/detail/1401/SURF_II_7.2_Mbps_ManU#promotion

The only smart phone I have is CDMA.. useless in Asia. I'm considering buying a cheap GSM android phone for the gps and maps. Would that come in handy in Thailand?

[lomatopo]

I've never had any issues - with True interjecting web-pages - using a TrueMove H SIM in a USB air-card (D-Link DWM-156), or in an Android phone which can act as a router/hot-spot allowing one to share the mobile data connection with up to five (5) locally WiFi-attached devices.

The True shop at SBIA/BKK should be open when you clear Customs.

Not sure about that Man U/promotional package. Any "catch" might be revealed in the T's and C's. You might have to purchase that in a True Shop - and they may not have it at the airport. Typically these promotions involve benefits granted over many months, a quick review using Google Translate indicates that for pre-paid customers the 990 baht has to be matched by you first.

I think you may be better off purchasing an air-card, or Android phone (which minimally supports 850 and 2100 MHz 3G), and then a SIM, maybe from TrueMove H. Try it out for 1 day, if you are satisfied add value and subscribe to a mobile data plan.

[Bpuumike]

Thanks. That would suck if True interjects web pages, but if so I can just configure my firewall to block any pages from their server.

I should clear customs around 7am. Probably none of the airport cell provider shops are open at that hour? Any place better than others downtown to buy an aircard? I'll be headed for the Samsen Rd. area.

The 899 promotion for the 3G aircard including 990 worth of data looks pretty good.. The modem is essentially free. Whats the catch? Can I buy this on the street with no contract hassles, etc?

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/product/detail/1401/SURF_II_7.2_Mbps_ManU#promotion

The only smart phone I have is CDMA.. useless in Asia. I'm considering buying a cheap GSM android phone for the gps and maps. Would that come in handy in Thailand?

Don't worry they will be open. That time and earlier is when most of the European and Middle East flights arrive so they don't want to miss business. 24/7 basically.

I use a Huawei unlocked aircard and then it's up to you, DTAC, True, AIS. Try to get some advice on coverage for your intended location, they do vary a lot.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Bpuumike

[seancho]

Don't worry they will be open. That time and earlier is when most of the European and Middle East flights arrive so they don't want to miss business. 24/7 basically.

I use a Huawei unlocked aircard and then it's up to you, DTAC, True, AIS. Try to get some advice on coverage for your intended location, they do vary a lot.

Ah, cool. That's good to know. Thanks. I don't really know for sure where I'll be headed. Bangkok and Chiang Mai for a while, then wandering around and checking stuff out. So I guess I'll use whoever has the best overall 3G coverage. I've heard a couple people say that is True?

So if I buy a USB card from True, or one of the other providers at BKK, will it be locked to that provider or can I just swap out the SIM and try different one? Unlocked would obvioulsy be better. Maybe I buy one here. Anyone know which brand USB cards give the best connection?

Actually, more that I think about it, I may just buy a cheap $100 smart phone and tether it to the computer. Only downside being that its just one more thing I have to keep charged up. Anyone have any experience with tethered-smartphone vs. USB modem for 3G connection quality?

[Bpuumike]

Probably best buy your aircard unlocked at home. I think those you buy in Arrivals are locked to each provider and always better to have your choice of SIM.

Can't really say which would be the best provider, I find them pretty much the same; coverage can vary in out-of-the-way places.

There is wifi all over Bangkok, don't know about elsewhere. I use a laptop for ease of typing but depends what you want to be doing. I use DTAC for my regular phone, AIS for my smart phone and True for my laptop aircard. Yeah, go figure

True are pretty good for 3G.

4G - forget it, not yet.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Bpuumike

[FloorKrapper]

i got a huawei 303 aircard branded with ais packaging. pull my sim out of my phone and used apn:internet and number *99***1# and yes aircard connected under my phone gprs internet package and gave me a whopping approx 1 MB/hour download speed. yeah you read it right.

so i am wondering if i must use a different dial number and apn will i get into the 3g signal that my phone shows is also available. or must i use the new sim card that comes with the aircard package to get an acceptable speed?

using my 3G phone as cable connected modem for my netbook also gives very poor speed in this location thats one reason i bought the air card.

however using just the phone alone to surf pages, the page download speed under the gprs speed is acceptable.

look at ais website? yeah good luck with that. critical pages are in thai only. search function is a dogs breakfast..

Edited November 4, 2013 by FloorKrapper

[lomatopo]

Most people over-think/obsess on this issue to the point of failure when it is incredibly simple and straight-forward.

All of the branded service provider USB Aircards I've had to support/trouble-shoot have been unlocked, meaning you can use any SIM.

That said, I always recommend an unbranded, unlocked aircard which supports (minimally) 3G: 850 and 2100 MHz. Branded cards come with their own SW/UI which can sometimes be self-defeating.

Unbranded, unlocked aircards can be purchased everywhere here for 1,000 - 2,000 baht.

Step 1. Buy an unbranded, unlocked aircard which supports 3G: 850/2100 MHz - it will also support GSM for 2G (EDGE/GPRS) by default.

Step 2. Buy a SIM from TrueMove H, AIS/2100 MHz, DTAC Tri-NET (50 baht).

Step 3. Add value

Step 4, Subscribe to a mobile data plan

Step 5. Configure your device as required

Step 6. Use

Most issues arise when folks don't have coverage - less of an issue these days, have not subscribed to a plan, have a device which does not support 850 or 2100 MHz 3G, have improperly configured their device.

We've had nationwide 3G for well over two years now, and one should be able to 5 Mbps/1 Mbps easily. I average 20/3 with any/all three service providers.

The websites eventually get translated and have English versions, we are in the midst of a big swing from concession to auction, so various sites/pages are only in Thai. But often, with just a little bit of common sense one can figure out what they mean.

[seancho]

Most people over-think/obsess on this issue to the point of failure when it is incredibly simple and straight-forward.

We've had nationwide 3G for well over two years now, and one should be able to 5 Mbps/1 Mbps easily. I average 20/3 with any/all three service providers.

Ha. Ain't that the truth. I'm sure that all of this will get sorted out in about a half-hour once I am over there. But the thing is, I have almost 2 weeks till I kiss North America goodbye, and I have nothing better to do to kill time than obsess over tiny technology details.

So you routinely get 20mbs with one of these 3G USB sticks? I'm looking at a few of the ones on ebay that operate on 850 and 2100 and it seems like specs say they max out at 7 or 8mbs. This, for instance...

http://consumer.huawei.com/en/portable-internet/data-card/tech-specs/e173-en.htm

Is there really that much variation in speed from one 3G stick to the next?

[lomatopo]

If I were purchasing a new device today I might opt for the ZTE MF70, which is a new generation of USB form-factor devices which can also double as a stand-along MiFi router, with power provided by a simple USB charger, or even a portable battery pack.

This device supports rates to 21 down/5.76 up Mbps and costs less than 2,000 baht here.

[ultramarine]

Most people over-think/obsess on this issue to the point of failure when it is incredibly simple and straight-forward.

All of the branded service provider USB Aircards I've had to support/trouble-shoot have been unlocked, meaning you can use any SIM.

That said, I always recommend an unbranded, unlocked aircard which supports (minimally) 3G: 850 and 2100 MHz. Branded cards come with their own SW/UI which can sometimes be self-defeating.

Unbranded, unlocked aircards can be purchased everywhere here for 1,000 - 2,000 baht.

Step 1. Buy an unbranded, unlocked aircard which supports 3G: 850/2100 MHz - it will also support GSM for 2G (EDGE/GPRS) by default.

Step 2. Buy a SIM from TrueMove H, AIS/2100 MHz, DTAC Tri-NET (50 baht).

Step 3. Add value

Step 4, Subscribe to a mobile data plan

Step 5. Configure your device as required

Step 6. Use

Most issues arise when folks don't have coverage - less of an issue these days, have not subscribed to a plan, have a device which does not support 850 or 2100 MHz 3G, have improperly configured their device.

We've had nationwide 3G for well over two years now, and one should be able to 5 Mbps/1 Mbps easily. I average 20/3 with any/all three service providers.

The websites eventually get translated and have English versions, we are in the midst of a big swing from concession to auction, so various sites/pages are only in Thai. But often, with just a little bit of common sense one can figure out what they mean.

Thanks for the info lomatopo. You are a veritable fountain of wisdom! I feel a bit stupid asking this, but why do I need a SIM card for my laptop? Do I need to install it on my laptop?

I'm confused because last year I borrowed a friend's TrueMove branded aircard for a week before my condo got connected for broadband. All I did was plug the aircard in my USB port and type in his code in the appropriate field. He initially paid for it but I have no idea if he had a SIM. I would have thought that branded aircards would obviate the need for a separate SIM in order to keep track of data usage, etc.

Can you clarify how this process works?

I'm coming to Thailand for the winter again this year and I am considering only using an aircard this time around.

[RichCor]

[...] I borrowed a friend's TrueMove branded aircard for a week before my condo got connected for broadband. All I did was plug the aircard in my USB port and type in his code in the appropriate field. He initially paid for it but I have no idea if he had a SIM. I would have thought that branded aircards would obviate the need for a separate SIM in order to keep track of data usage, etc.

Can you clarify how this process works?

I'm coming to Thailand for the winter again this year and I am considering only using an aircard this time around.

The USB Aircard you borrowed already had a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module usually associated with a telephone number) installed. If you had removed or slid-open the plastic cover you would have seen it.

[ultramarine]

[...] I borrowed a friend's TrueMove branded aircard for a week before my condo got connected for broadband. All I did was plug the aircard in my USB port and type in his code in the appropriate field. He initially paid for it but I have no idea if he had a SIM. I would have thought that branded aircards would obviate the need for a separate SIM in order to keep track of data usage, etc.

Can you clarify how this process works?

I'm coming to Thailand for the winter again this year and I am considering only using an aircard this time around.

The USB Aircard you borrowed already had a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module usually associated with a telephone number) installed. If you had removed or slid-open the plastic cover you would have seen it.

Thanks -- that makes sense. So the branded aircards already have SIMs inside. The unbranded ones do not hence the need to buy one.