Mother of all phone bills: Businessman billed THB14 million for data roaming

[webfact]

Mother of all phone bills: Businessman billed THB14 million for data roaming
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- After being blamed for a series of ridiculous phone bill charges, Cookie Run isn’t the villain in today’s big-bill story.

A businessman filed a complaint yesterday after receiving a THB14-million mobile phone bill for data roaming charges.

In a complaint to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the unidentified man said he attempted to use his mobile phone while traveling abroad for one month, but it wouldn’t work despite restarting the device many times.

Saying it shouldn’t be possible to run up a bill THB14-million bill, commission secretary-general Takorn Tantasith asked DTAC, True Move and AIS to inspect the man’s mobile phone and explain what happened. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/06/25/mother-all-phone-bills-businessman-billed-thb14-million-data-roaming

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-06-25

[Mango Bob]

I don't understand how this can happen. My bill from AIS shows I have a credit limit of 1,000 baht. So I would think any thing over 1,000 baht spent during the month would cause bells to ring.

[Thailand]

I don't understand how this can happen. My bill from AIS shows I have a credit limit of 1,000 baht. So I would think any thing over 1,000 baht spent during the month would cause bells to ring.

I prepay so if I accidentally leave mobile data/data roaming on by mistake I am limited to the amount in the phone which is rarely more than THB 3-400.

But I believe the businessman said the bells were not ringing!

[casualbiker]

I don't understand how this can happen. My bill from AIS shows I have a credit limit of 1,000 baht. So I would think any thing over 1,000 baht spent during the month would cause bells to ring.

In Thailand that is supposedly true BUT it depends on how often the system updates accounts, many only update overnight. Foreign roaming is a different thing entirely the Thai company would have to wait for the information from the foreign mobile companies. That's why with smartphones it's best to turn off ALL internet and auto updates etc. As they will be charged at roaming rates (which can be huge)

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited June 25, 2014 by casualbiker

[Amir]

^{True Corporate contract = 333 THB /day for unlimited 3G internet Roaming for roaming in ASEAN countries + other countries 499 THB more for all other countries. Not possible to get over 100,000 THB.... Otherwise it is 80 THB/MB and when it reaches 333 THB is switches auto to Unlimited package....}

[airconsult]

I don't understand how this can happen. My bill from AIS shows I have a credit limit of 1,000 baht. So I would think any thing over 1,000 baht spent during the month would cause bells to ring.

Years ago when I first moved to AIS it showed a credit limit of 2,500thb - then I did notice 3 months later when it showed 7,000 as credit limit.

A year or so later the credit limit disappeared. Sometimes I wish it was still there as I ran up a 10K bill recently between trips in Malaysia, Laos and Myanmar, but they tell me if I wish I can ask to have a hard limit reinstated.

[UbonRatch]

I need media coverage to succinctly bring advantages to my ill-marketed company.

Currently, my S4 data usage signal for the last 5 seconds displays 1.1 MMMMEGb per second, and my bill is rising, as data usage cycles are measured by my device with AIS at 5 second intervals.

My service provider may account for data usage differently, so a source from AIS Dubai tells me.

Thus, I estimate approximately a bill of Thaksin standards, at something like the rice scam, at 500 billion baht.

I now know what cookie run is.... and hope to explain my bill to AIS at my first opportunity. However, first I must get to level 108.

[Cuchulainn]

Chicken-feed compared to the bills the missus runs up in our household!! Yakkety yak yakkety yak.....

Sent from my 2 tin cans using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited June 25, 2014 by Cuchulainn

[UbonRatch]

Chicken-feed compared to the bills the missus runs up in our household!! Yakkety yak yakkety yak.....

Sent from my 2 tin cans using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Fishmeal... perhaps?

[catterwell]

I know the charges are high but Bt 14 million over one month seems impossible to me. That's Bt 4-500,000 per day. The story would be more credible with a copy of the invoice.

[lee b]

Wow thats not steep, ITS VERTICAL ! God help him when he gets his water and electric bill if this is how lucky he is !

[UbonRatch]

Wow thats not steep, ITS VERTICAL ! God help him when he gets his water and electric bill if this is how lucky he is !

Not quite vertical, na. Geometric? 555

[GinBoy2]

I'm not quite sure in what cave this dude has been living, but it's not like most users haven't heard the horror stories of data roaming. If this guy is a businessman' I hope he knows a little bit more about his business than his smartphone!

[Bluespunk]

Wow thats not steep, ITS VERTICAL ! God help him when he gets his water and electric bill if this is how lucky he is !

Why? Did he leave them on while away as well?

[worgeordie]

With some people it turns out the phones are smarter than they are,

Some people should not be let loose with such Hi Tech equipment

regards Worgeordie

[phil2]

About 12 yrs ago, each time I topped up my dtac prepay sim, my credit would evaporate within half an hour, so I called them up and was told they left the floodgate open, and that I still owe them almost a thousand.

It was their fault, but they'd still send the bill.

[saltandpepper]

I can imagine my missus reaction if she received that kind of bill.

First my phone will learn to fly from the 11th floor, then I might follow it closely.....that's for starters.

Then Dtac would be under siege until the credit note has been issued!

[UbonRatch]

With some people it turns out the phones are smarter than they are,

Some people should not be let loose with such Hi Tech equipment

regards Worgeordie

Have you read the latest warning, in small print on the end of condoms, warning about Hi-Tech equipment?

No?

You obviously don't roll them back as far as I have to, then. sanuk na krap.

[marinediscoking]

My friend last year visited Nepal with his AIS sim roaming on an Iphone for 10 days. He was only checking emails and later got a 175,000 baht bill from AIS.

After calling them they would not reduce the bill. Luckily he works for a rather large international company and his boss paid it but he was not happy to do it.

[Bpuumike]

Wow thats not steep, ITS VERTICAL ! God help him when he gets his water and electric bill if this is how lucky he is !

Not quite vertical, na. Geometric? 555

Na, hyperbolic.

Think that means he has large ones.

[marko kok prong]

That's a hell of a conversation with his mia noi.

[MaiChai]

AIS has become a very devious company overcharging users. Its all over Thai social media. Get a pay as you go. I have not had prepaid anywhere for about 5 years now as i don't trust mobile companies.

[ezzra]

That will never happen to me, I still use 2 tin cans and a piece of string to communicate....

no monthly bills...

[jacko45k]

Blimey, I think I shall stick with my prepaid, Pay and Go arrangement.

That reminds me though, time to put a few million baht credit on there!

[Neeranam]

Dtac cut me off if I am over 7000 baht

[Swiss1960]

Wow... with that amount.. one can only hope that he at least enjoyed the (maybe xxx) movies that he (probably) downloaded...

[rebelplatoon]

Had the same thing once occurring. Traveled abroad. Upon arriving changed to a local SIM. Back in Thailand got a bill from AIS of 23.000B (not 14 MIL) complained and said they'd lose a customer that had been with them for (at that time) 20 years. They didn't give a hoot. I never paid, changed provider (True) and lived happily ever after, all phone bills are way lower now anyway. I have a business account and they would be an average of 3000 to 6000 B. Now it's a steady 1600B. Weird how they don't care about losing good customers.

[skippybangkok]

the 14 Mb was a DTAC bill i believe, old story.

[phantomfiddler]

AIS = Thaksin = Ripoff

[Sandman77]

Simple don't pay the bill!

I cannot imagine that Thai mobile operators have a international operated money collecting office,

This can only happen when owner

Of mobile number agree to remove limits by hotline operator!