rhinoboy Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hello, Does anyone know if I can use my samsung Galaxy purchased here in Thailand in the USA with one of these sim cards? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinoboy Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Sorry I mean one of the sim cards I buy in the states. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Yes. T-Mobile/U.S.A. has a roaming agreement here with AIS. My pre-paid T-Mo/US SIM does work fine here, but I haven't used it since the bombing. Not sure how the authorities plan to deal with foreign SIMs roaming here in Thailand. Obviously tens of thousands of diplomats, VIPs, business people need to come to Thailand and have their phones roam. But then I can see the Junta cracking down on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinoboy Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 actually, I am going to the states and want to use my local phone there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualbiker Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) What is the exact model of your Samsung? Can probably check here: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/sim-card#modal_CheckYourPhone Edited August 25, 2015 by casualbiker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualbiker Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Looking at the T-Mobile wiki. I would say NO. Your phone doesn't have the required frequency. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_US Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualbiker Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Looks like At&t are your only choice, presuming you have an 850mhz 3g (band5) phone.. But I could be wrong. Information from Internet.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) actually, I am going to the states and want to use my local phone there. OK. I think I understand now. You have a Samsung Galaxy phone? What is the exact model number? You have a pre-paid T-Mobile SIM? (Has it been activated yet?) Assuming you have a mid/upper range SGS, which supports 2G (1900) and 3G (850 and/or 1900), and you are in a relatively populated area, then yes, it will work. (Unless you have a specific variant, it will not work on T-Mo's AWS/4G network: 1700x2100.) T-Mo has grand-fathered some old plans; I still have my $3/day plan, so the newer PAYG plans are a bit more expensive. If you're there for more than 3 2 weeks it might be best to go with a monthly plan - $50 (plus $3.13 tax) gets you unlimited calls, texts and 3 GB of data. Otherwise you're looking at $3/month (30 min of voice only, then ten cents per min) plus $5/day for data. Both SIMPLE and StraightTalk resell T-Mo service as well. T-Mo is probably a much better option than AT&T, especially after AT&T had to turn over so much 1900 spectrum to T-Mo as a result of the failed merger. I get T-Mo 3G (1900) in most metropolitan areas I visit (LA, SF, Chi, DC, NYC, BOS). I modded my Nexus 4, so it does run on T-Mo's AWS/4G network. Edited August 25, 2015 by bamnutsak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyB Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I have an older Galaxy Geo with four bands I use here in Thailand. When in the States, I stop at the T-Mobile and get a SIM to use for that trip. We go for about 7 weeks once every year and a half, so I don't need that number active forever. I forward the phone number from our Skype account, and that is the number I give out to most people. That way, they can contact us when we're in Thailand also. The key is having a four-band phone. It will NOT work with Verizon. I have a separate Verizon phone I take back with me just in case. They're a "special" (read that "pain in the neck") carrier. I hope this has been of some help to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehs818 Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Just stop into Best Buy or Walmart and buy a SIM card for your phone that uses one of the many carriers there. Walmart has their own brand. I usually use PayLo by Virgin Mobile. Your phone will work fine there. Just ask one of the employees about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiWai Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I used my US iPhone that I use here and went to T-Mobile and the put in a sim with phone and data for about $60. Expensive for 30 days. I originally tried www.simconcierge.com who claim to deliver a sim to you when you step off the plane at JFK more affordably. Unfortunately, when I got through customs they were not there (claimed they were but that was BS) the did refund me. Walking through the airport though I did see a sim vending machine. I think I will do that next time because T Mobile is a rip off. If you don't need your phone working the minute you get there (I did) you can use a source like black wireless.com. They can mail the card to any address in the US and they are usually cheap. I would email them about your phone specs first. They also have live chat support on their website. Another, readysim.com ship internationally as another option. Try a google search for "USA sim card service" and there is a wealth of info. Please do post your success or failure as it will I am sure be of interest to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) You can buy a T-Mo prepaid SIM on eBay for ~ $4. These are quire easy to activate (via a web-browser and an internet connection), you'll need a credit card to add value, or you can buy top-up cards on eBay. It is very easy to manage your account via the T-Mo web portal. I purchased five T-Mo SIMs (activate by April, 2017) for friends going from Thailand to the U.S.; I activated two of those during a quick trip back for July 4. It's all quite simple. Simple and StraightTalk are T-Mo MVNOs, and they have some decent plans. But in the end, the T-Mo $50 plan seemed best. Once we know the exact model of the OP's phone we can progress to recommendations. But assuming it supports 2G/1900 and/or 3G/850/1900 (and many phones do) it should be fine. T-Mo has decent coverage, but it is not 100% geographic. I've been a T-Mo customer for ~ 12 + years. Note that in the U.S. you pay for both outgoing calls and incoming calls. Virgin Mobile is a Sprint MVNO in the U.S.; this would NOT be an option for the OP unless they get another handset (and they don't support BYOD). Edited August 25, 2015 by bamnutsak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likeke Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 The answer is yes, you can use your Thailand unlocked Gallaxy phone in the USA buy getting a SIM card. I go back every year and the first thing I do is head to a store. I like the pre'paid monthly programs with unlimited phone/ text and 5 GB of mobile data. T-Mobile is good, but there are many smaller carriers out there as well. I used Go Smart Mobile my last trip home. Paid $40 for the month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapom Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thailand phone service works on same bandwidth as ATT and T MOBILE, plus some minor carriers that buy service from the former, Net 10 or Tracphone as example. If your Samsung was used in Thailand it will work in the US with the correct network SIM card. My Amazon Fire phone which uses ATT works in Thailand. I use DTac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidstipek Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) Okay, here is your answer... If you purchased Phone in Thailand. and can use any of the Thai simcards (carriers) this is telling me your Samsung is unlocked!!! okay? I know for a on file fact, that you can go to ATT, T-Mobile and other carrier that operate on GSM Net Work.... (Use Sim Cards) and your phone will work!! The trick is it must be unlocked. If you bought phone outright and can use any Sim from any carrier here in Thailand.... Phone is unlocked Over the past 12 years I have done this with multiple phones purchased here.... O2 XDA Flame Samsung Net (Tablet/Phone from Big C) 1+1 Cyanogen (Purchased from China online - Google Phone) (Now being sold in USA) Apple 3, 4, 5, 6 all worked! Tablets and I-Phones Verizon is a CDMA network (I retired from them as Senior Cellphone Tech) and their phone will not work here unless specific procedures followed. As phones have no simcard, they might be able to roam here under specific procedures. But 99.9% of the Phones / Tablet combos purchased here and can be used with different Carrier GSM Sim Cards will work in USA and yes you can buy a Monthly card or add sim to existing Account. Again if phone was purchased here (Thailand) with an account and you are paying monthly for service, 98% chance your phone is locked to use with this specific Carrier. You must insure phone is paid for 100% then you can get it unlocked, it will then be able to use Sim from anywhere in the World> I Hope This Answers your Question! Edited August 25, 2015 by davidstipek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualbiker Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Okay, here is your answer... If you purchased Phone in Thailand. and can use any of the Thai simcards (carriers) this is telling me your Samsung is unlocked!!! okay? I know for a on file fact, that you can go to ATT, T-Mobile and other carrier that operate on GSM Net Work.... (Use Sim Cards) and your phone will work!! The trick is it must be unlocked. If you bought phone outright and can use any Sim from any carrier here in Thailand.... Phone is unlocked Over the past 12 years I have done this with multiple phones purchased here.... O2 XDA Flame Samsung Net (Tablet/Phone from Big C) 1+1 Cyanogen (Purchased from China online - Google Phone) (Now being sold in USA) Apple 3, 4, 5, 6 all worked! Tablets and I-Phones Verizon is a CDMA network (I retired from them as Senior Cellphone Tech) and their phone will not work here unless specific procedures followed. As phones have no simcard, they might be able to roam here under specific procedures. But 99.9% of the Phones / Tablet combos purchased here and can be used with different Carrier GSM Sim Cards will work in USA and yes you can buy a Monthly card or add sim to existing Account. Again if phone was purchased here (Thailand) with an account and you are paying monthly for service, 98% chance your phone is locked to use with this specific Carrier. You must insure phone is paid for 100% then you can get it unlocked, it will then be able to use Sim from anywhere in the World> I Hope This Answers your Question! As a senior cellphone tech.. Could you tell us the 3g frequencys used by those US cell companies. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul406 Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi you should be fine using a Sim Card from USA I bought an unlocked phone in Thailand, Samsung S3 I use it in America with ATT Sim card. never had a problem regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericthai Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 You need to make sure you phone is unlocked. As advised best is to go to walmart they have several carries they work with and sure they will be able to find a network that will work with your phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericthai Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Okay, here is your answer... If you purchased Phone in Thailand. and can use any of the Thai simcards (carriers) this is telling me your Samsung is unlocked!!! okay? I know for a on file fact, that you can go to ATT, T-Mobile and other carrier that operate on GSM Net Work.... (Use Sim Cards) and your phone will work!! The trick is it must be unlocked. If you bought phone outright and can use any Sim from any carrier here in Thailand.... Phone is unlocked Over the past 12 years I have done this with multiple phones purchased here.... O2 XDA Flame Samsung Net (Tablet/Phone from Big C) 1+1 Cyanogen (Purchased from China online - Google Phone) (Now being sold in USA) Apple 3, 4, 5, 6 all worked! Tablets and I-Phones Verizon is a CDMA network (I retired from them as Senior Cellphone Tech) and their phone will not work here unless specific procedures followed. As phones have no simcard, they might be able to roam here under specific procedures. But 99.9% of the Phones / Tablet combos purchased here and can be used with different Carrier GSM Sim Cards will work in USA and yes you can buy a Monthly card or add sim to existing Account. Again if phone was purchased here (Thailand) with an account and you are paying monthly for service, 98% chance your phone is locked to use with this specific Carrier. You must insure phone is paid for 100% then you can get it unlocked, it will then be able to use Sim from anywhere in the World> I Hope This Answers your Question! Seems you might have retired several years ago, as Verizon now uses sims cards in the USA. All the carriers now use sims cards and some have started with with micro and nano sim cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Sorry I mean one of the sim cards I buy in the states. Thanks Yes you can ! I know because I did it myself , I have brought with me Galaxy SIII to the US , to the state of Nevada. My phone was unlocked. I went to the nearest T-mobile store and bought a sim activation kit for $10 . Then I could choose between several plans . Since I were staying in the US for 3 weeks I purchased a 30 day plan , that also gave me unlimited internet access with 3G/4G speed. Total price for the simcard and 30 day plan was around $55 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinoboy Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Network Technology GSM / HSPA Launch Announced 2015, January Status Available. Released 2015, February Body Dimensions 129 x 68.2 x 8.9 mm (5.08 x 2.69 x 0.35 in) Weight 122 g (4.30 oz) SIM Optional Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by) Display Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 4.3 inches (~59.8% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution 480 x 800 pixels (~217 ppi pixel density) Multitouch Yes Platform OS Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat) Chipset Spreadtrum CPU Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 GPU Mali-400 Memory Card slot microSD, up to 128 GB Internal 4 GB, 512 MB RAM Camera Primary 5 MP, 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection Video 720p@30fps Secondary 2 MP Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker Yes 3.5mm jack Yes Comms WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS Radio FM radio with RDS; recording USB microUSB v2.0 Features Sensors Accelerometer, proximity Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM Browser HTML Java No - MP4/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/Flac player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer Battery Li-Ion 1850 mAh battery Stand-by Talk time Up to 10 h (3G) Music play Up to 40 h Misc Colors White, Black, Blue SAR US 0.65 W/kg (head) 0.87 W/kg (body) SAR EU 0.57 W/kg (head) 0.77 W/kg (body) Price group 3/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I used Go Smart Mobile my last trip home. GoSmart is a T-MO MVNO, as are Simple, Straighttalk and about a dozen other companies. MVNOs resell service to target/select customers (college campuses, elderly, int'l travelers) geographies and sometimes (not so much these days) offer lower prices. The only options (for those going from Thailand to the U.S. wishing to use their current device) remain AT&T and T-Mobile as these providers offer the broadest standard GSM (850/1900) coverage. Those with iPhones may have more options as those may support some CDMA and U.S./LTE frequencies. So Sprint, Verizon and AT&T (LTE) become options, although they have fewer PAYG options, and fewer MVNO partners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinoboy Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 The phone is a new Galaxy J1, I also have a Gaaxy S3 which I had the screen replaced and teh guy cooked some of the micrpocessors and screwed it up some. Still worls but volume is real low and some other quirks. Thanks for all the ansers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Network Technology GSM / HSPA Launch Announced 2015 All these specs are peachy but can you just provide the model? Settings, About phone, Model number. Is it SMJ-100F? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Well the SGS3 would be better, if it worked. The SM-J100F not so much. It will work on T-Mo (and AT&T) 2G/GSM1900 networks. So fine for voice and text, but slow for data. How long will you be in the U.S.? In metropolitan areas? Do you need/want higher speed mobile data? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualbiker Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Network Technology GSM / HSPA Launch Announced 2015, January Status Available. Released 2015, February Body Dimensions 129 x 68.2 x 8.9 mm (5.08 x 2.69 x 0.35 in) Weight 122 g (4.30 oz) SIM Optional Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by) Display Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 4.3 inches (~59.8% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution 480 x 800 pixels (~217 ppi pixel density) Multitouch Yes Platform OS Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat) Chipset Spreadtrum CPU Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 GPU Mali-400 Memory Card slot microSD, up to 128 GB Internal 4 GB, 512 MB RAM Camera Primary 5 MP, 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection Video 720p@30fps Secondary 2 MP Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker Yes 3.5mm jack Yes Comms WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS Radio FM radio with RDS; recording USB microUSB v2.0 Features Sensors Accelerometer, proximity Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM Browser HTML Java No - MP4/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/Flac player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer Battery Li-Ion 1850 mAh battery Stand-by Talk time Up to 10 h (3G) Music play Up to 40 h Misc Colors White, Black, Blue SAR US 0.65 W/kg (head) 0.87 W/kg (body) SAR EU 0.57 W/kg (head) 0.77 W/kg (body) Price group 3/10 All that and you still missed the model number. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenon Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 T-Mobile and ATT are the only mobile companies in America that use GSM phones so they have common international frequencies. You should be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) I go to the US frequently...sometimes almost once a month but often with more than 30 days between trips. My stays are very short, usually no more than 3 days and I do not need to make or receive many calls, usually just a few. I found most AT&T & T-Mobile plans too expensive to maintain for such usage. Most minutes expire in 30 days, especially when buying low use packages. Since I can usually get WiFi somewhere, I can do what I need to do on my smartphone, I do not need mobile data. I purchased a $10 "candy bar" Trackfone from Walmart and a $20, 400 minute call package which is good for 90 days and can be renewed online. TracFone has the only 90 day expiration I could find. All the other pre-pay plans were 30 day or required a new account to buy a 3 month plan to open the account. For those not making a lot of calls, I believe this to be the best option. PS: I suggest the OP make sure to remove his Thai SIM from his phone...just to be sure to prevent expensive SMS's and junk calls from appearing...Sometimes challenging to close off all data. Edited August 27, 2015 by dddave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamnutsak Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 You can add $10 every 90 days, so $40 for a year to "maintain" a T-Mo number/account. easy. I use the $3 day plan (unlimited voice, text and 4G data) - perfect for me and my frequent, short visits; I also have my T-Mo number linked to all my U.S.-based accounts- but that's no longer available for new customers, so you'll need to use the $5/day or $10/week (data) and pay $3/month (gives 30 minutes). If your stay is more than 2 weeks then get a 30 day plan. So it really depends on on what you need (voice, data), how long you visit, and what your budget is. The burner phones are good for calls, and they usually work on networks with really good coverage (Verizon AT&T Sprint), and they are really easy to maintain. But obviously useless for data, or BYOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Issanman Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 T-Mobile SIM is only $0.99 with code SIM99 at this link: T-Mobile SIM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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