Cheap Phone Calls from UK to Thailand - Info Please

[gerryX]

My wife uses a £5 phone card to ring those people who DO NOT have a smart phone, gets about 600 mins. Some have better quality calls than others.

With a SMART PHONE most people in Thailand seem to use 'LINE' app and they can use video, in fact I and my friends use it in the UK to communicate with video.

'LINE' is highly recomended as its a lot easier than skype, has a bank of cartoons, sends messages, photos and video in an instant.

You can pick up a Samsung smart phone in Thailand for about 4000baht. DONT be tempted to buy the cheap brands. I have made that mistake and found them to be very dissapointing. Scrapped them not long after and bought samsungs. (Buy cheap brands and pay more in the long run.)

You know what its like inThaland, cant return anything no matter what.

[CrummyJuggler]

Certainly there are grandchildren around that could set up a Line account and coach her through it.

[meltingpot2015]

OP: Oh, no!, Not Utility Warehouse. They are a bunch of crooks. Have a look on TrustPilot and reviewcentre :

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk

http://www.reviewcentre.com/Electricity-Suppliers/The-Utility-Warehouse-www-utilitywarehouse-co-uk-review_3587739

My personal experience with them was really unpleasant. Start off with low, supposedly unbeatable prices, give it two months and then the price hikes start.

The billing started to get shoddy, I had to contact them repeatedly to sort everything out.

It was a really stressful experience, because they were not consistent at all. Kept changing their story each time I phoned or emailed them.

Not really tough to work out they are a syndicate of some sort, maybe not officially but they are one.

You may have a difficult time leaving them also, so be warned.

Plusnet also starts off with a great introductory offer then ramps up the monthly rental, after the first year. Impossible to change to another provider also. Lots and lots of red-tape. By the way, they are owned (or partly owned) by BT.

BT, remember having lots of problems with them. Customer Services in particular.

To use a traditional phone for making international calls: Shop around for a company where you can open a "calling card" account. After you open this account, you will receive a freephone number and/or local rate number. YOu dial this number (or program it in to the phone, some phone companies actually provide this low-cost international service where you can press '9' or similar to start your low-cost international call), dial PIN number, then dial the international number.

You may have to work out the best plan that suits you by doing a bit of research. Note that some companies that offer this service have very low quality lines, so again keep a watch-out for this aspect also.

Edited August 21, 2015 by meltingpot2015

[Sabaidee Mai]

Lebara 3p per minute to call Thai mobile 1p per minute to call Thai landline

[AsiaCheese]

I've been using VOIPstunt for years now (http://www.voipstunt.com/dashboard) and the rates to landlines in Switzerland (which is where I'm calling regularly) are fabulous. A quick glimpse at UK rates showed a bit of a different picture: confusing for the ones-not-in-the-know and for some prefixes a tad expensive. By far and away the best solution is to have both sides on a WiFi-connected mobile and use Line or WhatsApp (or Skype or Hangouts or... lots of 'em about). Unfortunately, that doesn't work with my mom - at 101 years old, handling a mobile is a no-no

[meltingpot2015]

If you visit Thailand, don't be tempted to buy your mother-in-law a Samsung Galaxy Grand II from MBK Shopping centre. Not even from the Samsung dealer.

They are horrible phones. Really slow performance.

Everyone in Thailand will direct you to the MBK centre. Here you will find, not just grey-market but black-market goods, fakes, under the counter, back of a lorry goods, no problem, all done out in the open.

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Grand II from MBK Shopping Mall, and it turned out it is a black-market (in a previous post I said Grey Market, but its actually black market) phone that later we found had mismatching serial numbers (software serial number did not match sticker on back of phone). Did wonder if the performance problems were due to it being a black-market item, but I went to some Samsung dealers and tested the Grand II, it was the same, slooooooow.

When you leave UK, say good-bye to consumer protection, 1-year manufacturer's warranties as standard etc, because unless you go to somewhere like PowerBuy or Robinsons in Thailand, these facts-of-life you have in UK are non-existent in Thailand.

By the way, since it's your mother-in-law we are talking about, a Samsung Galaxy II from MBK centre might just be the ticket.

Edited August 21, 2015 by meltingpot2015

[Adeeos]

Why not use an Internet app which is free - no cost at all to call like Skype or Line. Line is popular in Thailand so easy to make phone or video calls with nearly everyone in Thailand.

I use LINE daily,, I call friends in the US,, and frequently call many friends here in BKK using it,, yes, sometimes a dropped call,, but so what?,,, call right back,,, It's completely free on 3G,, and wifi,,, Also use the video call option sometimes,, but best to use it over a WIFI connection,,,,

[Janner1]

Hey Samsingsong, pick up a Lebara mobile sym from the corner shop cost a pound, load it with a tenner and call any number in the world.

Works very well for Thailand, I use one in the UK for UK and Thailand

Free calls Lebara to Lebara in the UK and around 1p to Thailand, also because you top it up when you need to you are in control of expenditure.

Purchase a voucher from any corner shop for any amount from a fiver up and away you go.

If you don't like it or it's not what you want all you have lost is a pound

Hope this helps

[Janner1]

Samsingsong,I forgot to mention the Lebara sym will also let you use Line, Skype,or any of those types for free calls over the Internet using WiFi

If you have WiFi tethering you can use a mobile hotspot on another phone for the same free calls

[laislica]

Dear OP,

My wife calls many Thai mobile phones and land lines in Thailand and talks for hours daily.

We have wifi and Skype and a Subscription for about a hundred quid per year which gives all Thai mobiles and landlines world wide. (She called a friend in China and that worked free too but don't tell anyone LOL)

Restrictions are do not talk for more than two hours at a time.

If you want to talk more, Skype says hang up and call again for two more hours.....

Don't make repeated short calls to unfamiliar numbers - it looks like you are a business.

That's it.

I know the total cost for the whole year, no surprises and my wife is very happy to keep in contact with her family and friends.

By the way, we live in Spain so the free landline bit is also very useful to me to keep in contact with my family n friends.

Your comment about the door bell was priceless!

With this subscription she won't have to anything more than answer her mobile.

If something urgent comes up she can ring your mobile and you will reject the call and call her back.

Job done.

[lucifer666]

I used a Giff Gaff sim card last time i was in the UK, was around 2p a minute if I remember correctly.

[Chivas]

I just started using Giffgaff for calls rather than trying to find 1p a minute rates then you get connection charge etc. Flat rate 3p a minute from the Sim. Am sure others may be cheaper but is it worth the time for 30 Minutes a month ??

Rest of time I use Messenger, Line or Whatsapp. You could Viber as well I suppose

[ktm jeff]

I will second LOCALPHONE , 1.5 pence per minute from "3" mobile ( soon to be changed to Virgin ) too any Thai mobile , or 1 pence per minute to land lines . No connection charge . Never had any problems in years .

[Sabaidee Mai]

Line free on WiFi uses data on 3g-4g

[gerryX]

One downside to 'LINE' is that as it is free. My wife is talking Thai all the time with friends and family. Most of the day the phone is glued to her ear. Over the past 6 months her English language has suffered dramatically.

[chaam]

Try Virgin Media.1000 minutes for £4 a month. Calls to Thai mobiles or landlines.

[silverado]

skype ! or use a simcard same as Lycamobile , i don' know if lycamobile simcards are available in uk but must have similar.

[Sabaidee Mai]

Lebara mobile, Vectone mobile just google cheap call sim to Thailand, then take your pick

[briley]

I just started using Giffgaff for calls rather than trying to find 1p a minute rates then you get connection charge etc. Flat rate 3p a minute from the Sim. Am sure others may be cheaper but is it worth the time for 30 Minutes a month ??

Rest of time I use Messenger, Line or Whatsapp. You could Viber as well I suppose

How does GiffGaff do Thailand for 3p per minute to landline or mobile but 8p for a text and 10p per minute withing the UK - mobile or land line?

[Aussieroaming]

I see the ops point, my dad is in his 80s and he farks up every electronic devise he gets..so apps are out for him too

[CharlieH]

I just started using Giffgaff for calls rather than trying to find 1p a minute rates then you get connection charge etc. Flat rate 3p a minute from the Sim. Am sure others may be cheaper but is it worth the time for 30 Minutes a month ??

Rest of time I use Messenger, Line or Whatsapp. You could Viber as well I suppose

How does GiffGaff do Thailand for 3p per minute to landline or mobile but 8p for a text and 10p per minute withing the UK - mobile or land line?

Because they have "goodybags" that you buy when using within the uk where txts are FREE and call minutes are included in a monthly "goodybbag" plan of your choice, from £7.50 but International use cant come from the Goodybag, that comes from "call credit" you load on your phone when needed.

Example: https://www.giffgaff.com/goodybags/7.5pound-goodybag

[Chivas]

I just started using Giffgaff for calls rather than trying to find 1p a minute rates then you get connection charge etc. Flat rate 3p a minute from the Sim. Am sure others may be cheaper but is it worth the time for 30 Minutes a month ??

Rest of time I use Messenger, Line or Whatsapp. You could Viber as well I suppose

How does GiffGaff do Thailand for 3p per minute to landline or mobile but 8p for a text and 10p per minute withing the UK - mobile or land line?

Bonkers I totally agree !! Said exactly the same myself many times.

[CharlieH]

I just started using Giffgaff for calls rather than trying to find 1p a minute rates then you get connection charge etc. Flat rate 3p a minute from the Sim. Am sure others may be cheaper but is it worth the time for 30 Minutes a month ??

Rest of time I use Messenger, Line or Whatsapp. You could Viber as well I suppose

How does GiffGaff do Thailand for 3p per minute to landline or mobile but 8p for a text and 10p per minute withing the UK - mobile or land line?

Bonkers I totally agree !! Said exactly the same myself many times.

I can explain it for you, but I cant understand it for you.

[fasteddie]

Try this from the UK, try localphone from either landline or mobile, you register numbers you want to call from and then dial a local number with the same are code, 1p or 2p a minuite, plus connection charge depending on UK provider

https://www.localphone.com/

I use localphone, 1.5ppm and no connection charge.

Or go on the three network calls to Thailand are inclusive.

Edited August 24, 2015 by fasteddie

[samsingsong]

Many thanks for all your suggestions.

Just to recap on my original question: It was regarding phoning from the UK to an ordinary mobile phone in Thailand. No landline / smartphone available to the mother in law in Thailand. It would not be easy to teach her how to use a smartphone and no local help available.

The reason I was asking is because the 084 (Phonecheap.com) access number we had been using for years at 1p a minute had suddenly dramatically risen (I think now 9p). My phone company tell me this increase was imposed by Ofcom (the industry regulator) Apparently the info was in my June online bill but I didn't see it.

* So beware anybody else using these 084 access numbers with any phone company!

Our preferred choice, based on your suggestions, ended up between the Skype £10 per month pre-pay which would give unlimited calls, or a Lycamobile PAYG SIM with a £10 bundle for 1000 minutes over 30 days. We went for the Lyca SIM so my wife can call from anywhere and doesn't need the computer. She just made her first call to her mum (1hr 13) and the quality was excellent. With my Thai One2call SIM in a spare phone she can also call me here in the UK!

On checking the Lyca website I see I could have done even better. They have a bundle called 'Unlimited9.9' which gives 3000 minutes to Thailand, China etc. for only £9.9 with a free SIM & free delivery. (never mind... my wife would be on the phone for 100 minutes a day!)

I hope some of the info in this topic has been of use to others, and again thanks for your help.