Should I buy a cell phone in Thailand? Or before I leave the USA?

[TerrenceLee]

As I understand it, Thailand uses GSM based cellular technology that utilizes cell phones with interchangeable SIM cards. My current phone here in Maine uses CDMA instead of GSM which means my phone doesn't have a SIM card. Trying to determine if I'd be better off picking up a GSM phone before I leave, then buy a SIM card upon arrival, or if I should wait and buy a pay-as-you-go phone in Thailand. I will be spending three months in Thailand later this year and I would be grateful for your feedback and suggestions.

[Johpa]

Simple phones and SIM cards are inexpensive in Thailand. If you want a "smart phone" then perhaps look for an older unlocked model on your local Craig's List. T-mobile phones are GSM based phones. You can also find out how to unlock models online, or take a US locked phone to any tech computer/IT arcade in Thailand and it won't cost much to have someone unlock it for you.

One warning up north on using basic phones: in some rural areas they are upgrading to 3G and not necessarily making the upgrades backwardly compatible to older technologies.

[naboo]

Buy here.

[heybruce]

If you want a cheap, simple phone for use during your three months in Thailand, I recommend you buy here.

If you are asking if you can get a better deal on a 'latest and greatest' international GSM smartphone in Thailand than in the US, no.

[TerrenceLee]

Yeah, heybruce - A simple cell phone is all I'm looking for while I'm there, so a local Thai purchase seems the most sensible. ..............Thanks

[Tywais]

Many shops will have 2nd hand models at reasonable prices if you want something cheap for temporary use.

[masuk]

Many shops will have 2nd hand models at reasonable prices if you want something cheap for temporary use.

yes, there is a tendency for folk to want the latest model mobile phone, and as others have suggested, there's a good range of used phones around.

I've recently been told that there might me slight frequency differences, but I'm out of my depth there.

[PHP87]

What US carrier is still using CDMA?

Perhaps a few non-contract providers, but they are all shifting to GSM banded phones by the end of the year at the latest.

Metro PCS is a good non-contract provider and they have the ZTE Zmax phone on sale for $99.00 in corporate stores.

5.7" screen, 1.25GHz Quad Core CPU, 2GB RAM, 12GB of on-board storage, provision for a 32GB SD Card, 8MP Camera, Android 4.4.4, etc..

A steal at $99.00 as I bought one earlier this month.

You will have to have it activated and pay for the first month of service ($40.00) and then take it to Thailand with you and just buy a GSM SIM card once you arrive.

If you want to keep the same phone number (You can port your number over to Metro PCS) just pay the monthly bill while you are gone so that way, you still have the same phone number when you get back.

BTW, Metro was bought out by T-Mobile a couple of years ago and Metro is running on the T-Mobile network, fastest 4G LTE in the US

I get about 30-35 MBPS here in the SF Bay Area. I pay $40.00 a month for Unlimited Data and I use over 1GB of data per day.

If you want a smaller phone, I would recommend the Samsung Avant which is $49.00 thru MPCS as well, but I'm told these sales are ending on April 5th.

And no, I don't work for MPCS but I got tired of paying AT&T nearly 2x as much for unlimited data and dropped calls, not to mention being handcuffed to a 2-year contract so I went with the best non-contract provider available.

Or you can opt to buy an inexpensive GSM phone in Thailand and then bring it back with you and use it when your carrier switches over to GSM although $49.00 for a new Samsung smart phone with a 4.5" screen is also a bargain.

Regardless of who your carrier is, you will likely have to switch over to a GSM phone in the coming months.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Buy here.

That's obviously wrong advice, he should by *here* instead!