Do Dtac Prepaid Sims Remain Active If They Only Receive Calls?

[grahamb]

I'm thinking of getting a DTAC prepaid SIM to use for incoming calls only. If I do not make any calls out, will the SIM card go inactive after e.g. 30 days or are incoming calls enough to restart the clock?

Thanks

[lomatopo]

I'm thinking of getting a DTAC prepaid SIM to use for incoming calls only. If I do not make any calls out, will the SIM card go inactive after e.g. 30 days or are incoming calls enough to restart the clock?

Thanks

Pre-paid SIMs typically have an expiration date regardless of the types of calls you might make or receive. I imagine a starter-kit comes with 30 days? Topping up, or adding value to the SIM, extends the expiration date. The length of the extension is based on the value of the top-up. With 1-2-Call a 500 baht top-up adds 90 days to the expiration date, up to a maximum of 365 days.

[grahamb]

Pre-paid SIMs typically have an expiration date regardless of the types of calls you might make or receive. I imagine a starter-kit comes with 30 days? Topping up, or adding value to the SIM, extends the expiration date. The length of the extension is based on the value of the top-up. With 1-2-Call a 500 baht top-up adds 90 days to the expiration date, up to a maximum of 365 days.

Thanks for this info.

So topping up is the only way to extend the expiration date? I thought (obviously wrongly) that the expiration date was reset whenever a call was made.

[Firefoxx]

Yes, you need to top-off to extend the expiration. Doesn't matter if you make/receive a call or not. If you use up all the money, you can't make calls, but you can receive them until the expiry date.

The amount of time you get for your money depends on the particular promotion you subscribe to. For example, there are promotions which make your individual calls cheap, but give you very little time for your money. On the other end of the spectrum are those which charge you the maximum for your calls (5 baht/minute), but give you lots of time before expiry (2x). These are meant for people who don't make many calls. You can basically get 1 year of time for a little over a thousand baht.

[crabstix]

yes I agree. I would suggest phoning the call center and get forwarded to the promotions department. You may be forwarded to an automated message. The message will give you a list of promotions. You can change your promtion at the touch of a button but the 30 baht or so will be deducted from your sim for each time you switched promotions. I remember last month that Orange had a good deal where you could top up 90 baht and make it last a whole month (but the cost of making calls was about 2.5 baht per minute). I am sure Dtac will have a similar promotion as those two companies are always trying to either match or beat each other's promotions to encourage users. Good luck

[SoMeOnEnUlL]

Is there anyway for non-thai to apply monthly line from existing pre-paid SIM card. I mean I will still be using the old number. Anyone here expreienced? I am with Non-Immigrant Student(ED) here.

I know I should call their call center and ask.. But, just wanted to know from people who did that, sucessfully or not.

Thanks

[JCCR6]

I'm not sure if this is the same question, but I've got a 1-2-Call sim which I bought in March in Thailand, I've not used it since then (been back in the UK), but what I want to know is when I return will it still work (once its topped up).... so can I give people my number here before I leave, or is that SIM now dead?

Sorry if this is a bit of an OT.

Thanks in advance

[britmaveric]

I'm not sure if this is the same question, but I've got a 1-2-Call sim which I bought in March in Thailand, I've not used it since then (been back in the UK), but what I want to know is when I return will it still work (once its topped up).... so can I give people my number here before I leave, or is that SIM now dead?

Sorry if this is a bit of an OT.

Thanks in advance

Depends on the expiration date and when you are returning. How much dosh did you add to the mobile prior to leaving?

[JCCR6]

I'm not sure if this is the same question, but I've got a 1-2-Call sim which I bought in March in Thailand, I've not used it since then (been back in the UK), but what I want to know is when I return will it still work (once its topped up).... so can I give people my number here before I leave, or is that SIM now dead?

Sorry if this is a bit of an OT.

Thanks in advance

Depends on the expiration date and when you are returning. How much dosh did you add to the mobile prior to leaving?

Hmm.. from what I can remember I didn't add a huge amount, I used up most of it.. :S I'm returning in just under 3 weeks - and last time I used it would have been mid March. I realise the credit will probably have expired, but just wondering if the SIM would expire, so the number can no longer be used?

[mocean]

Hmm.. from what I can remember I didn't add a huge amount, I used up most of it.. :S I'm returning in just under 3 weeks - and last time I used it would have been mid March. I realise the credit will probably have expired, but just wondering if the SIM would expire, so the number can no longer be used?

If last time you put 500 baht on it or more, I guess the SIM will still work, doesn't make a difference if the amount is used in that time or not.

Every time you put money on the sim, you get a sms with the new expire date.

[Totster]

I'm not sure if this is the same question, but I've got a 1-2-Call sim which I bought in March in Thailand, I've not used it since then (been back in the UK), but what I want to know is when I return will it still work (once its topped up).... so can I give people my number here before I leave, or is that SIM now dead?

Sorry if this is a bit of an OT.

Thanks in advance

Depends on the expiration date and when you are returning. How much dosh did you add to the mobile prior to leaving?

Hmm.. from what I can remember I didn't add a huge amount, I used up most of it.. :S I'm returning in just under 3 weeks - and last time I used it would have been mid March. I realise the credit will probably have expired, but just wondering if the SIM would expire, so the number can no longer be used?

The SIM won't necessarly have expired.... it depends on how much credit was put on before you left, the service time is added accumulatively, so if you put on bt300 per week for a month you would get four months service ( assuming of course that you get one month/30 days for bt300 topup)

If you did not have enough service time to cover the time you are away from Thailand... I can confirm that the sim card will have expired and be useless... you will not be able to use that number again.

totster

[JCCR6]

Doh! I bought it a few days before I left, then added one lot of credit on top of the pack it came with.... oh well.... trip to MBK I guess then!

[lomatopo]

I'm not sure if this is the same question, but I've got a 1-2-Call sim which I bought in March in Thailand, I've not used it since then (been back in the UK), but what I want to know is when I return will it still work (once its topped up).... so can I give people my number here before I leave, or is that SIM now dead?

Sorry if this is a bit of an OT.

Thanks in advance

Not sure if you have to enable international roaming, which I've done, before you can do the following but give it a try:

Insert your 1-2-Call SIM in your phone in the U.K. now. (or in the phone you used in Thailand)

Turn it on.

Wait for it to get a signal, and to hook onto a provider. (Should even say "TH GSM" under the name of the local network provider.)

(You might even receive an SMS or three from AIS/1-2-Call.)

Enter *121# (Star, One, Two, One, Hash), hit send (or call)

You should get a "Service Reply" with the balance and expiration date, the same as you would when done here in Thailand.

This works for me in all the GSM countries I've visited recently: U.S.A., Germany, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. I can receive SMS'es (but not send them) and receive and make calls, although I don't do that as it is too expensive; I have local SIMs in a second phone.

If expired, you still may be able to "recover" the SIM/number upon arrival, but not the pre-paid amount that had remained.