USA Mobile Partners of Thai Service Providers

[MMan]

AIS is my mobile service provider and I have their 3G service on my android smartphone. It works fairly well throughout most of Thailand.

Last month I went to the USA, and before going I arranged for International roaming and data packages with them.

Their USA mobile partner is, unfortunately, T-Mobile. It worked reasonably well in some big cities, and very poorly in some smaller towns and rural areas (I'm not talking about desert lands or remote mountains either).

For example, I had no signal at all in the arrival hall of LAX airport, the country's main port of entry on the west coast. Signal quality was also poor in central Texas, and very poor in a town of 30,000 people along a main interstate highway in Ohio.

Does anyone know who DTAC's USA mobile partner is? True?

Thanks!

[Langsuan Man]

DTAC uses AT&T and I have never had a problem with it, but then again I don't use data, either in Thailand or the US. I keep my extra Thai phone charged so that my Thai banks (SCB and BB) can send me free SMS when I log in and do transactions but I have a US SIM in my smart phone for US voice use

[Chicog]

I don't think they are tied to one provider.

They can establish roaming agreements with whoever they like.

http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/th/3g-postpaid/package-rate/5/America/7/USA

[NomadJoe]

You're right about T-Mobile. They don't have nearly the network as some others. Verizon is probably the best. No idea about Thai partners. Sorry.

[pmarlin]

DTAC uses AT&T and I have never had a problem with it, but then again I don't use data, either in Thailand or the US. I keep my extra Thai phone charged so that my Thai banks (SCB and BB) can send me free SMS when I log in and do transactions but I have a US SIM in my smart phone for US voice use

also True uses AT&T

[dddave]

Isn't Verizon still CDMA, thus unavailable to GSM phones?

Easy to purchase US pre-pay SIMS online, have it delivered to your first location. Can also buy at Radio Shack, Wallmart or any electronics store.

[WhizBang]

True have no USA partners. At least they didn't when I was on True. Just one of the many reasons I dumped them for AIS.

I don't think True have much connectivity outside Thailand.

[BKKdreaming]

can you text back and forth from Thailand with a Thai sim in the USA ?

what is the cost per SMS ? and do they see your normal thai cell number ?

thanks

[Langsuan Man]

can you text back and forth from Thailand with a Thai sim in the USA ?

what is the cost per SMS ? and do they see your normal thai cell number ?

thanks

Yes, you can but I have never checked my balance before and after so I can't tell you how much. I do know that receiving is still free for both parties

I primarily use outbound, from the US , to notify my TG to check her email or Line account for "free" and longer messages

[dddave]

If you have an AIS or DTAC account, you will get an SMS after landing in the US if you turn your phone on. it will detail the SMS and calling charges and offer you several plans. As I remember, with AIS, receiving SMS's was free.

Never had TRUE so don't know if they do the same.

[Langsuan Man]

If you have an AIS or DTAC account, you will get an SMS after landing in the US if you turn your phone on. it will detail the SMS and calling charges and offer you several plans. As I remember, with AIS, receiving SMS's was free.

Never had TRUE so don't know if they do the same.

Only if you have roaming enabled by either DTAC or AIS before you leave Thailand

If memory serves me correctly it was a one time fee of 20 THB with DTAC

[MMan]

If you have an AIS or DTAC account, you will get an SMS after landing in the US if you turn your phone on. it will detail the SMS and calling charges and offer you several plans. As I remember, with AIS, receiving SMS's was free.

The message I got from AIS after arriving USA and turning my phone on (I had arranged for international roaming before my trip):

AIS:

"New! One Zone One Rate. Roaming conveniently with one rate across the same zone. Call from USA (North America Zone) to Thailand is 30 B/min and to other countries 60 B/min. Receive a call, Send SMS, Make a local call with one rate worldwide at 40 B/min, 12B/SMS, 25 B/min respectively."

AIS then gives you a number to dial to apply for it.

[MMan]

Following up on my above post, if you plan to use your phone with the Thailand SIM you can avoid the expensive per minute charges by signing up for one of various 'packages'. I forget what I paid but I bought a package of 'x minutes' send/receive calls valid over a 7 day period. Because I was in the US 2 weeks I pre-purchased 2 such packages.