I will be spending a year near Khon Kaen. Can anyone make a recommendation for a cell phone carrier for an iPhone 5C (talk, text,data)?

Dtac and AIS.

True has some holes in the coverage

I'd say it is best to get a local contact to check out the exact area. Paradoxically, True is better than the others for data in some rural locations, This is certainly the case in my village in neighbouring Mahasarakham province where I've been trying to work out which service is best. Also be aware that the three main providers all offer fast packages and slower packages, even in 3G. You therefore need somebody with one of the better packages to check how well it works in a particular area. Have a look here at packages available:

http://thaiprepaidcard.com/3g-data-plans-for-12call-dtac-and-true/

I'm with citizen on this. I use my phone majority of the time for data; streaming radio in the car, and skype for calls. True has IMHO still a far deeper penetration of 3G outside of the metro areas than either AIS or DTAC. If I had to rank AIS & DTAC; AIS #2, DTAC and very distant #3 for coverage.

All that being said, as many others will tell you, True can be a real pain in the ass if something goes wrong, but when it works it works well.

Always found A.I.S. to be effective,one encounters the odd blind spot where a signal cannot be reached however in my experience over the years this is indeed a very rare occurrence and often weather related or due to a terrain problem. True service is indeed a bit Iffy as is DTAC.

My advice for what it is worth is go for A.I.S..

Always found A.I.S. to be effective,one encounters the odd blind spot where a signal cannot be reached however in my experience over the years this is indeed a very rare occurrence and often weather related or due to a terrain problem. True service is indeed a bit Iffy as is DTAC.

My advice for what it is worth is go for A.I.S..

Agreed,

A.I.S. has been fine for us over the past few years. Can fail during really heavy storms but otherwise we haven't had any reception issues.

I live in Maha Sarakham and had really bad coverage to mostly no coverage with True. Dumped them and went to AIS and never have any problems always 3G (or so my phone tells me). Best bet would be to figure out where you will be livings and ask nearby residents what is working. Just ask any of the high school kids

Generally all three providers work in the major conurbations and fairly narrow corridors along major highways, but if you are in a village outside of those corridors you need to find which of the three has a good transmitter nearby. It is fantasy to say that AIS covers everywhere in these provinces with 3G. GPRS Edge, yes, but that is quite slow. There isn't much value in making global claims about which is best without checking out what works in the precise location.

Thanks to all for your advice. After a week in Bangkok, I'll be settling in Ban Phai, a little south of Khon Kaen but right along the highway. My friend in the US who was raised in Khon Kaen also recommends AIS. Good to know that there is general agreement.

Thanks to all for your advice. After a week in Bangkok, I'll be settling in Ban Phai, a little south of Khon Kaen but right along the highway. My friend in the US who was raised in Khon Kaen also recommends AIS. Good to know that there is general agreement.

I live in Ban Phai, as a lot of other farangs do.

If you like, PM me when here so we can meet.

Regards

Costas

After reading the post carefully , you already have a iphone5c (unlocked). Dtac will sell you just the nanosimm and minutes. Ais wants you to buy the phone.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Generally all three providers work in the major conurbations and fairly narrow corridors along major highways, but if you are in a village outside of those corridors you need to find which of the three has a good transmitter nearby. It is fantasy to say that AIS covers everywhere in these provinces with 3G. GPRS Edge, yes, but that is quite slow. There isn't much value in making global claims about which is best without checking out what works in the precise location.

Just wondering who here has been making global claims?

Generally all three providers work in the major conurbations and fairly narrow corridors along major highways, but if you are in a village outside of those corridors you need to find which of the three has a good transmitter nearby. It is fantasy to say that AIS covers everywhere in these provinces with 3G. GPRS Edge, yes, but that is quite slow. There isn't much value in making global claims about which is best without checking out what works in the precise location.

Just wondering who here has been making global claims?

People who say that one provider is clearly best without reference to reception in the local area or the fit of the packages provided with the user's needs? You obviously don't get off the beaten track much if you think there is AIS 3G coverage all over Mahasarakham province. I know a few Thais at MSU who carry two phones with different SIMs to try to get around the problem.

citizen 33 post # 13

People who say that one provider is clearly best without reference to reception in the local area or the fit of the packages provided with the user's needs? You obviously don't get off the beaten track much if you think there is AIS 3G coverage all over Mahasarakham province. I know a few Thais at MSU who carry two phones with different SIMs to try to get around the problem.

A valid point there citizen33, however there is no real need to carry two phones, purchase a 2 Sim card operating capability phone.

Generally all three providers work in the major conurbations and fairly narrow corridors along major highways, but if you are in a village outside of those corridors you need to find which of the three has a good transmitter nearby. It is fantasy to say that AIS covers everywhere in these provinces with 3G. GPRS Edge, yes, but that is quite slow. There isn't much value in making global claims about which is best without checking out what works in the precise location.

Just wondering who here has been making global claims?

People who say that one provider is clearly best without reference to reception in the local area or the fit of the packages provided with the user's needs? You obviously don't get off the beaten track much if you think there is AIS 3G coverage all over Mahasarakham province. I know a few Thais at MSU who carry two phones with different SIMs to try to get around the problem.

You seem to like to interpret what people say to fit your needs. I simply said I live in Sarakham,and had True. It didn't work for me so I switched to AIS and it works fine for me. I never said anything about it working all over the province (not sure where you got that from). That is exactly why I told the OP to figure out where he would be living and ask the residents there what works. I never said 1 service is better than another I simply stated what is working for me at the moment and maybe I am lucky and live near a cell tower