Yahoo Im Voice Vs. Skype

[Thee_Rak]

Okay I'm in the US and speak most every day (since January) with someone on a cell in BKK. I've been using Cloncom "Super Quick Card" $20usd gives me 4 hours and 4 minutes. The service is reasonably good but sometimes I've got to call back once to get a good line. This doesn't happen that often and if it does I only have to call one more time. Basically the service is on par with what I'd expect using a cell phone in the us to call a cell phone in thailand. Oh they advertise that card rate at 6 cents a minute but at 244 minutes for $20 that's actually 8.2 cents a minute... anyway

Over the past months I'd say I average 4 cards a month ($80) plus I have to keep an eye on my cell phone minutes so I don't go over!! Okay so I don't have a land-line phone at home and at work I don't have a private office (so can't use my desk phone all that often)

We SMS about 5 times a day too. With T-Mobile I pay for both the sent (15 cents) and the received (10 cents) so there's another $1.25 a day (let's say another $35 a month). This only applies to international SMS. I have unlimited domestic but it seems no US providers have unlimited international SMS packages.

THIS IS NEARLY $1,400 A YEAR

Here's where I think I am...

Reduce cell phone SMS by using ThaiVisa SMS (although only slightly cheaper) as I'm at a computer more than I'm not and it's also easier to type on a keyboard than a phone.

Reduce cost for voice calls by using Yahoo IM with Voice. I just installed it and bought $10 worth. My first call was pretty good. My friend said they could hear me about the same as the cell and since I had a headset on I'd have to say that I could hear them better. So a 30 minute call was $1.47 or 4.9 cents a minute. That same call on the Super Quick Card would have cost $2.46

Any other ideas...

At this rate if I could find a totally free way to have this same level of communication I could pay for another US-BKK return ticket a year.

[Maestro]

Okay I'm in the US and speak most every day (since January) with someone on a cell in BKK.

...

So a 30 minute call was $1.47 or 4.9 cents a minute. That same call on the Super Quick Card would have cost $2.46

SkypeOut would cost you 11.3 cents per minute and therefore not be more economical.

--------------

Maestro

[MaiTai]

Check out VoipDiscount - it should be FREE for you to call from your computer to her cell phone. FREE means $10 for 3 months. Great deal I use it all the time.

MaiTai

[calibanjr.]

Probably a little more involved than you want to be, but if you're in for the long haul, you could invest in setting up Vonage or something similar. Your friend needs to have hi-speed internet (590 THB mo w/true) then you'd have to fedex the telephone router. Once setup though, you're looking at 24.99/mo. unlimited calling to you, and you can call them at a local US number (though I'm sure your cell has free LDistance). Just a thought.

[Thaiquila]

Probably a little more involved than you want to be, but if you're in for the long haul, you could invest in setting up Vonage or something similar. Your friend needs to have hi-speed internet (590 THB mo w/true) then you'd have to fedex the telephone router. Once setup though, you're looking at 24.99/mo. unlimited calling to you, and you can call them at a local US number (though I'm sure your cell has free LDistance). Just a thought.

Vonage also has a metered rate. 500 minutes for 14.99/month and something like 4 cents a minute after that. But wait, theres more. Incoming calls are not counted. And if the both people have Vonage, either are outgoing calls. The only problem I see with Vonage is the will likely get eaten some day by the big boys like Comcast.

[zzdocxx]

Have her go to an internet cafe that is set up for vid and phone chat. It is cheap. You can get online at the same time and chat away, if this type of solution would be convenient enough for you.

Just a suggestion, I did that with a lady friend for a few months (she worked in a nice hotel, not a lady of the evening). An adequate solution at the time.

Good luck!

[newyorker]

I live in new york and use FABULOSO New York calling card to call a mobile in thailand.

5$ card gives me 4 hrs 46 minutes. Probably one of the best rates around. I know there are other fabuloso cards for different states... just another way to save money.

Line quality on fabuloso is about 1 in 3 calls has noise. Redialing before she picks up will allow you another call without charge. (noise is obvious instantly)

She has an aircard for her laptop so that allows us to webcam on msn as well.

But i think the aircard was a bit pricey from what i remember.

Edited July 30, 2006 by newyorker

[unforgiven]

Okay I'm in the US and speak most every day (since January) with someone on a cell in BKK. I've been using Cloncom "Super Quick Card" $20usd gives me 4 hours and 4 minutes. The service is reasonably good but sometimes I've got to call back once to get a good line. This doesn't happen that often and if it does I only have to call one more time. Basically the service is on par with what I'd expect using a cell phone in the us to call a cell phone in thailand. Oh they advertise that card rate at 6 cents a minute but at 244 minutes for $20 that's actually 8.2 cents a minute... anyway

Over the past months I'd say I average 4 cards a month ($80) plus I have to keep an eye on my cell phone minutes so I don't go over!! Okay so I don't have a land-line phone at home and at work I don't have a private office (so can't use my desk phone all that often)

We SMS about 5 times a day too. With T-Mobile I pay for both the sent (15 cents) and the received (10 cents) so there's another $1.25 a day (let's say another $35 a month). This only applies to international SMS. I have unlimited domestic but it seems no US providers have unlimited international SMS packages.

THIS IS NEARLY $1,400 A YEAR

Here's where I think I am...

Reduce cell phone SMS by using ThaiVisa SMS (although only slightly cheaper) as I'm at a computer more than I'm not and it's also easier to type on a keyboard than a phone.

Reduce cost for voice calls by using Yahoo IM with Voice. I just installed it and bought $10 worth. My first call was pretty good. My friend said they could hear me about the same as the cell and since I had a headset on I'd have to say that I could hear them better. So a 30 minute call was $1.47 or 4.9 cents a minute. That same call on the Super Quick Card would have cost $2.46

Any other ideas...

At this rate if I could find a totally free way to have this same level of communication I could pay for another US-BKK return ticket a year.

to expensive

[egeefay]

I've been using WebCallDirect

http://www.webcalldirect.com/en/index.php

It's 1 cents a minute from US to a Thai landline

It's 2 cents a minute from US to a Thai cel phone.

Only other charge is a 3 cents per call connection charge.

So, for example, a 60 minute call from the US to a Thai land line runs 63 cents

and a 60 minute call from the US to a Thai cel phone runs $1.23

It doesn't matter what time of day you call...the rate is the same.

You need a computer to dial...but after that it rings your phone and the phone in Thailand and after that....you talk phone to phone.

There is about a second delay in the voice so you have to get used to talking and listening without interrupting mid sentence. That's the biggest downside to the service. (That and the fact that you have to dial from an internet connected computer)

Othewise, I like it a lot...and save a lot over the calling cards...especially if you like talking for hours.

You can buy minutes in 12 dollar increments and you need to use it or lose it after 90 days

Edited August 1, 2006 by egeefay