How to keep AIS pre-paid phone active while outside country

[derble]

Other than constantly buying more credit, are there any alternatives?

Thanks

[Aachen]

use maomao to get 1 month.. you can do from everywhere in the world, if you have enough credit. you can transfer from TH bankaccount or buy enough slips of 50bt at 7-11 etc...

[KhunBENQ]

My method:

you can top-up for up to one year ahead (if thats enough?).

It does not need more than 10 (resp. 12) Baht per month times 12 = 120 (144) Baht.

And this money is actual credit, not lost and can be used for calls when you return.

Described in this thread (post):

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/843844-is-there-any-way-to-extend-ais-prepaid-expiry-without-paying-30bht/#entry9676549

As also described in post #12 in this thread: anyone (friend/mate) in Thailand can do this top-up (extend for more than a year).

No need to have SIM card at hand / switched on.

Edited October 15, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[ehs818]

Each time you top up your AIS account with the cards or receipts you buy at a 7-11, you extend the life of your account by a month. What I do is buy a number of 50 baht top ups, key them in one at a time, and I watch my cancel date move away. Right now I've got about 300 baht in there, but it does not expire until the end of 2016. That's 2016. not 2015.

[KhunBENQ]

What I do is buy a number of 50 baht top ups, key them in one at a time, and I watch my cancel date move away

And it also works with just 10 Baht top-up per month (for the purpose of extending validity) at the self service machines outside the shops.

As described in the other thread.

Edited October 15, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Suradit69]

Each time you top up your AIS account with the cards or receipts you buy at a 7-11, you extend the life of your account by a month. What I do is buy a number of 50 baht top ups, key them in one at a time, and I watch my cancel date move away. Right now I've got about 300 baht in there, but it does not expire until the end of 2016. That's 2016. not 2015.

"Each time you top up your AIS account with the cards or receipts you buy at a 7-11, you extend the life of your account by a month. "

Depends on which AIS service you have. Mine gives me validity for one year from any single top up. Just did a top up this morning and the message I received states it's valid until 11 Oct 2016. (Not sure why it's a few days short of a full year, but essentially it's another year).

I do think there has to be some minimum activity though. Something like at least one incoming or outgoing call in 3 months or whatever the restriction is.

[jomcondo]

just topping up to extend your time won't work

I had one disconnected with one year 600 baht balance.

[Raesum]

I phoned them about the thing called Maomao. Its cost me 350THB but it gave me a year on my phone. Now when I top up, the expiry date is sometime in 2016.

[TPUBON]

AIS used to allow me to use a credit card from the U.S. to top off. This worked well when I was in the U,S, It kept the account in good standing. A few years ago they stopped accepting credit cards from outside of Thailand. Seemed to me like a pretty stupid move on their part. Now I just have a friend add baht to my account.

[RichCor]

How to keep AIS pre-paid phone active while outside country

Other than constantly buying more credit, are there any alternatives? Thanks

If you are looking for alternative ways to extend the 'validity' of a SIM phone number...

AIS 3G One-2-Call! subscribers can transfer validity or transfer credit between AIS 3G One-2-Call! numbers easily through a variety of channels. You just need someone in Thailand willing to transfer to you.

Service Terms & Conditions

The transfer fee is 3 Baht/transaction (7% VAT included)

The transferor and receiver numbers must be AIS 3G One-2-Call! numbers with an "active" status.

Both AIS 3G One-2-Call! subscribers transferor and receiver numbers must have been activated for at least 90 days.

Only subscribers who have been using our service for more than 30 days may dial *140 to transfer their validity days.

Only subscribers who have been using our service for more than 90 days may dial *140 to transfer their balance amount.

Any AIS Shop nationwide [can also assist in performing a Balance or Validity Transfer]

The receiver’s validity balance can accumulate the validity days up to 365 days.

Q & A

QUESTION: In case of not topping up or having no usage, how long can I keep my number?

ANSWER: In case there is no usage e.g., calling out, receiving calls, using Internet, SMS, etc. or no top up for 90 consecutive days, with no remaining validity, the number will be automatically terminated.

[jacko45k]

Each time you top up your AIS account with the cards or receipts you buy at a 7-11, you extend the life of your account by a month. What I do is buy a number of 50 baht top ups, key them in one at a time, and I watch my cancel date move away. Right now I've got about 300 baht in there, but it does not expire until the end of 2016. That's 2016. not 2015.

"Each time you top up your AIS account with the cards or receipts you buy at a 7-11, you extend the life of your account by a month. "

Depends on which AIS service you have. Mine gives me validity for one year from any single top up. Just did a top up this morning and the message I received states it's valid until 11 Oct 2016. (Not sure why it's a few days short of a full year, but essentially it's another year).

I do think there has to be some minimum activity though. Something like at least one incoming or outgoing call in 3 months or whatever the restriction is.

It sounds like you are still on a very old plan, is that true?

I had one that seemed similar from 11 years ago, but when I made several long calls to distant Thailand regions, on another network, I saw that the per minute rate was very high, relative to other available plans. I switched and ended up with the shorter validity arrangement. (And no going back...)

Edited October 15, 2015 by jacko45k

[Langsuan Man]

With number portability being the norm now in Thailand I would change carriers to DTAC

All I do is pay them 40 THB for a year of validity ( 20THB per 6 months) and I don't have to worry about my SIM ever expiring, add an additional 20 THB and I have International roaming with which I can receive SMS messages from Thailand in the US for free

[SooKee]

Depends how much you use it and how much credit you need / use. If you buy your credit in 500 baht top ups they extend the life for 3 or 6 months each time. I used to come here often and used the credit for the 7 or 30 days data packages. Didn't take me long to get well over 1 year lifespan. Of course you need to be using it enough and often enough to warrant that. I was. So it suited me.

[RichCor]

From another post:

Is there any way to extend AIS prepaid expiry without paying 30BHT?

Started by Howitzer, 2015-07-28 08:07

This may be the AIS / One-2-Call Pre-Pay validity scheme operating under the new AWN subsidiary.

AIS / One-2-Call FAQ pages also discuss an 800 baht TopUp that gives 100 days validity, but I've never seen this on a scratch-off card or terminal printed TopUp code slip.