Keeping a DTAC phone number when I go to the US

[jackspade]

I want to hang onto my Thai SIM card and phone number so that when I return to Thailand, I can be reached at the same number.

In the US, you have to pay a maintenance fee to your provider (like AT&T) of around 12 USD a month. How does it work in Thailand? Any hassles to deal with? Do I have to "buy" my number from them or anything, or does it stay attached to my SIM card? It's my first time leaving Thailand and I want to make sure I stay contact-able.

Cheers

Edited July 11, 2015 by jackspade

[Farma]

Suggest you talk to DTAC as you haven't said if you have pre or post paid SIM. You may also need to activate it for use overseas.

I have 2 DTAC pre paid Sims that I use all the time. When I registered the Sims a couple of months ago I asked the validity of the Sims. The lady updated them for 12 months at no cost. I'm in and out of Thailand regularly but don't use them outside.

Be aware if you receive calls in the US on your DTAC Sim you may be charged the international leg of the call. The caller will pay local call rates if calling from Thailand.

[JLCrab]

seems you can do it from anywhere on this page:

https://store.dtac.co.th/en/irefill/

[Digitalbanana]

*113*180# extends the SIM validity 180 days for 12THB. Can do it up to maximum 1 year.

[JLCrab]

*113*180# extends the SIM validity 180 days for 12THB. Can do it up to maximum 1 year.

True --but with the above you can refill ex-Thailand even if your phone is still at your home in Thailand.

[zircon3035]

I've been using this method since I came back in January 2013. Just add the minimum amount (50 Baht) every month or so.

[KhunBENQ]

It's my first time leaving Thailand and I want to make sure I stay contact-able.

Just asking, how long do you plan to be out of the country?

What @Digitalbanana describes can be done in advance and is good for up to a year.

For a couple of weeks/months you don't have to worry then.

A bit more complicated if you are away for more than a year.

Then you need what @JLcrab describes.

Receiving/accepting calls in the US with a Thai prepaid SIM is crazy expensive.

I assume that you have already registered your SIM?

Very important!

My Thais get slowly nervous and most have done it now.

Seems like serious reminders have been brought up on television.

Edited July 11, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[jackspade]

Yes, my SIM has been registered for at least a year now, which is why I need to hold onto this number for when I return to Thailand.

I don't plan on actually using the number when I'm in the United States.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited July 11, 2015 by jackspade

[jackspade]

Suggest you talk to DTAC as you haven't said if you have pre or post paid SIM. You may also need to activate it for use overseas.

I have 2 DTAC pre paid Sims that I use all the time. When I registered the Sims a couple of months ago I asked the validity of the Sims. The lady updated them for 12 months at no cost. I'm in and out of Thailand regularly but don't use them outside.

Be aware if you receive calls in the US on your DTAC Sim you may be charged the international leg of the call. The caller will pay local call rates if calling from Thailand.

It's a postpaid SIM card on contract with DTAC. I don't even really need the number to be functional while I'm in the U.S. for 6 months, I just want to be able to restore it when I come back to Thailand.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[edwardflory]

I bought a AIS ( eBay ) sim BEFORE my trip to Th, called AIS FROM USA on land line, they activated number / sim while I was still in US - took 3 days, but was able to call and receive calls from Th.. NO extra charges besides ROAMING monies - not all that much. As to the overall charges, put 4000B on phone 17 months ago ( been back to US 2 times have RECEIVED calls while traveling in China and AIRPORT ONLY in Japan, call the US 4-5 times a month using ..... 005 001 XXX XXX XXX ... and still have 1237B on phone -Oh, NO data on plan, use WiFi only. Since I registered my sim, have had to put 100B on phone every 2 months

[The Fat Controller]

Register on the DTAC website, then you can see your options

https://my.dtac.co.th

You will need your phone with you to get the password which comes by SMS

Edited July 11, 2015 by The Fat Controller

[nithisa78]

seems you can do it from anywhere on this page:

https://store.dtac.co.th/en/irefill/

Thank you. Good information. Keep Calling is another place. When you buy minutes from them, you also aquire credits to use for International calls.

https://keepcalling.com/

[Bruce404]

Sending this code from your DTAC-pre-paid-service phone while in Thailand will result in a message from DTAC providing both the Baht balance in your account, as well as the date these baht (and their associated minutes) expire: *101*9# [sEND]

Buying more calling time, from ~B50 to about ~B500 will extend your validity before expiration, but not by much more than a month or so, at most.

For maximum extension of validity at a minimal price, without unnecessarily increasing the account balance for calls, you can purchase extensions. Wait until shortly before your current validity expires, then dial 1013 [sEND] and follow the prompts for the available options: 30 days (2 baht deducted from your balance), 60 days (4 baht) , 90 days (6 baht).

Of course, you will need to do this before the phone number goes dormant (which once happened to me, but a DTAC office was able in a few days to resurrect the number because it had not yet been "recycled" into a new SIM card put on the market). Also, you may need to do so before you leave the country if you have not yet signed up for international roaming (free to sign up, although not free when used overseas).

Once the phone works overseas, it is convenient for doing online banking and other web transactions with Thai institutions that require entry of a one-time password (OTP), sent by SMS text message to your Thai mobile phone number. So when outside Thailand, I turn on the Thai phone (or put the Thai SIM card into a spare GSM phone) just a minute or so before initiating the web transaction, and the passcode number arrives just as it would were I in Thailand. Then the phone goes off, or SIM card out, to reduce any usage of the baht balance.

The above does not apply to post-paid accounts, about which I have no information. But I assume if you keep paying for the monthly service that is billed to you, your phone number will never expire (but your calling balance might). (Mobile-phone billing practices are a real rip-off world wide -- imagine if the fuel you just bought for your vehicle would automatically evaporate and disappear from your tank if you don't drive the vehicle and use it all within a few weeks.)

Edited July 11, 2015 by Bruce404

[mrfaroukh]

It is now compulsory to for everyone to register their phone number. You can do it at their office, 7/11 etc. If you don't after certain time it will be deactivated. If you want to keep the sim then register it. Put some money in it and find out how long it is valid. You can find that out when you check the balance. To keep it active before the expiry date you must add some more money. You can do that online from the companies site or else.

[mrfaroukh]

I remember earlier when I use to transfer money to my sim I use to get the validity up to a month or little more. Some one told me instead of putting a 500 Baht in you phone divide into 5 times 100 Baht. If you do so in the same day then the validity will be around a year. I did and it worked. Now even if I put 100 Baht in my account I get extension for almost a year.

[pomchop]

I do this every year.

Just stop into any DTAC office and they will extend your number for you for a year and the charge is either zero or a few baht. Takes a couple of minutes for them to punch a bunch of numbers in and then your phone number will still be yours when you come back to Thailand.

[hawker9000]

I've had a prepaid DTAC sim, which I only use in-country, for a few years now.

I also have a bank account in Thailand, and via that bank's website I can "top up" my prepaid DTAC sim online. Many things done via the website require a OTP, and that's set up to be sent via SMS to the Thai cellphone, but just topping up like this is not one of those things. And as others have said, each time you top up your sim, you also extend the validity, which (at least on my DTAC sim) can be up to 365 days. Providing you registered your sim (I believe the deadline for that was 1 JULY), and assuming the rules don't change, I don't see why you couldn't keep your Thai phone no. for at least a year; more if you have some way to top it up remotely.

The AIS sim I have for mobile wifi is a different story. The prepaid data plans last 30d, and if you go 60d with it inactive (i.e., expired with no renewal), you lose it and would have to purchase a new one - no way to reactivate the old sim or keep that number after the 60 days.

[jacko45k]

In Thailand the number comes with the SIM, although it can be transferred.

You only need to keep it active, and will have to check with DTAC what is required.

They probably have a web site which allows you to send top-ups with it, and of course a pre-paid plan would best serve your purpose.

You may be required to make billable usage once every six months.

Paying Top-Ups is trivially easy with a Thai bank account and internet/mobile banking set up. But there are other ways to get top-ups, I have seen them on Ebay!

Enable roaming too so the phone can get onto a USA Network... but make sure data connection is off!

[KhunBENQ]

Paying Top-Ups is trivially easy with a Thai bank account and internet/mobile banking set up

I had considered to mention that, but you might need an OTP sent to your Thai mobile number.

So it might become a "catch-22".

Its not possible to have the OTP sent to a foreign country mobile number.

[chrisinth]

Suggest you talk to DTAC as you haven't said if you have pre or post paid SIM. You may also need to activate it for use overseas.

I have 2 DTAC pre paid Sims that I use all the time. When I registered the Sims a couple of months ago I asked the validity of the Sims. The lady updated them for 12 months at no cost. I'm in and out of Thailand regularly but don't use them outside.

Be aware if you receive calls in the US on your DTAC Sim you may be charged the international leg of the call. The caller will pay local call rates if calling from Thailand.

It's a postpaid SIM card on contract with DTAC. I don't even really need the number to be functional while I'm in the U.S. for 6 months, I just want to be able to restore it when I come back to Thailand.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Most of the advice here is referring to pre-paid (topup) SIMs. I am not sure if there is a maintenance fee with a contracted SIM? It would be best to visit any DTAC office and ask them directly f you are still in country.

If you are on contract, there is no problem with registering, that is already done when you sign the contract.

[louse1953]

I remember earlier when I use to transfer money to my sim I use to get the validity up to a month or little more. Some one told me instead of putting a 500 Baht in you phone divide into 5 times 100 Baht. If you do so in the same day then the validity will be around a year. I did and it worked. Now even if I put 100 Baht in my account I get extension for almost a year.

Just done the same thing with AIS,20bahtx5,got me out to Jan 16.

[bamnutsak]

With DTAC it's called Day Give Away, via USSD or IVR.

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/services/happynumber.html

Day Give-Away Service

Direct Number (USSD)*113*number of days you need 30, 90, 180*9#

IVR*1013 Press 9

You can carry a maximum 366 day expiry.

Dial *1013 or press *113 *desired extension days (30/90/180 days)*9# Read more

Application instructions

Direct number (USSD) press *113 *desired extension days (30/90/180 days) *9#

Automated reply system IVR dial *100

Automated reply system IVR dial *1013

mydtac eService

Service rates

2 THB service fee for 30 day extension

6 THB service fee for 90 day extension

12 THB service fee for 180 day extension

Service rates above are VAT inclusive. System will send notification SMS upon successful service activation,

Service terms and conditions

Customers must activate SIM for at least 90 consecutive days or have accumulated service usage of at least 200 THB. Customers must maintain active status with at least 1 day of usage credit balance on service activation date.

Customers can accumulate usage days up to 365 days after service usage.

Customers that previously use this service must return borrowed amount and service fees and there is no outstanding debt before this service usage.

Service Provider reserves the right to cancel service if customers do not make or receive calls for 3 months after service application.

http://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/services/jai-dee.html

You can also enable International Roaming, it works in the U.S. (assuming coverage and a compatible phone) so easy to monitor calls/texts if you need to, on a second phone.

You can also ask someone in Thailand to add 10 baht to your number each month at a top-up machine (total fee is 12 baht). I maintain ~ 8 SIMs for friends.

In the U.S. it is relatively easy to maintain some pre-paid numbers. With T-Mobile I top-up $10 every 90 days; or you can pay a $3/month maintenance fee.

Edited July 13, 2015 by bamnutsak

[Jonmarleesco]

IF it's post-paid, register for roaming. Use it from time to time - or just check on incoming calls - and use a local SIM for most calls. It should still be valid when you come back to LoS.

[bamnutsak]

It's a postpaid SIM card on contract with DTAC.

Sorry, I missed this.

You can convert to pre-paid, then arrange 12 months expiry, this will save money and you won't have to arrange monthly post-paid payments. You can convert back to post-paid when you return, if you want. But maybe talk to DTAC, as a post-paid customer - especially if you have satisfied at least one term of your contract - there may be ways to "suspend" your contract for a period, possibly with a small fee. DTAC used to have a "suspend post-paid accounts" web page, but I get a 404 now on that page.

[onera1961]

I don't understand. How does it work. Every time I go to their website to log into my account, they send me a SMS onetime code to log inot my account. If I am in the USA, am I going to receive the SMS? Can someone please explain the logistics of how to log into their website from USA to add money. 

[mtls2005]

Assuming you have a working pre-paid SIM, with international roaming enabled, and a phone which supports an AT&T or T-mobile frequency, a signal from one of these, then you should be able to receive an OTP SMS from DTAC sent to your SIM which is roaming in the U.S.

 

It might simpler to extend your expiry out to 365 days before you leave Thailand, or ask someone in Thailand to add 10 baht to your account via a top-up machine (10 baht minimum, plus 2 baht service fee, 12 baht for 30 days, 144 baht for 360 days, with 120 baht of usable balance.

 

[gzu88bv]

1 hour ago, onera1961 said:

I don't understand. How does it work. Every time I go to their website to log into my account, they send me a SMS onetime code to log inot my account. If I am in the USA, am I going to receive the SMS? Can someone please explain the logistics of how to log into their website from USA to add money. 

Dtac Prepaid

 

To log-into a Dtac account, the Dtac SIM has to be in phone itself.

 

Once you are in Thailand go to a Dtac shop and check, even double-check that your Dtac SIM allows roaming. Quite amazing some shops even do no know what roaming means.

 

By the way OTP, needed for some Thai Online Banking works like a charm in Switzerland and will certainly do so in the US, if above is set up.