A heads up for the great Thai AIS telephone robbery.

[johnnybgood]

Some times this bladdy place just wears me down.

I have a spare Nokia I keep in the house for UK numbers only. (Banks, business & family)

The other day I noticed a message saying I had 160 baht credit and if I did not use it by the following day it would be wiped.

I've seen these messages before on my other phone but the expiry date always seemed to be months away.

Sure enough yesterday the money was gone and I would only be allowed incoming calls.

The next message then said my phone number would be wiped if I did not top up within 4 weeks.

So pre-paid units can be stolen back and a number which is registered, bought and paid for can also be stolen back.

At least the text was in English and they didn't use a gun.

Of course a phone in constant use and burning phone cards would never have this problem.

Seems prudence is despised here just as it is in the West?

[Rooo]

Nothing new. Always been the case.

[HooHaa]

the terms are clear form the outset, you are informed of validity period every time you top up.

And you say you received clear notification of what was going to happen but did not act.

where is the prudence you speak of?

[johnnybgood]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

Edited November 20, 2015 by johnnybgood

[trd]

You can increase your validity for one month for 30 baht if you don't want to add additional finds using the Mao Mao service.

Just dial *500*9#

You can do it multiple times. Useful if you are going out of the country for a long time but don't want to lose your number.

[colinneil]

Simple thing to do to keep your number.

Go to any 7/11 outside they have orange top up machines, pay 12 baht and get 10 bahts worth of credit.

That will give you 30 days on your phone. If you dont use your phone that is how you stop them stealing your number.

[Orac]

I have found the AIS app very useful for keeping track of credits, validity and internet use. I use the iOS version on an iPad but I assume the android version is the same.

[KhunBENQ]

The great robbery? I would call it annoying fine-print.

Thanks for headup no. xxx.

It is discussed in the forum about once a month how to keep a number alive as cheap as possible.

The conditions are set clearly and there is no free unused SIM forever.

Post #6 shows one of the methods.

Top up 10 Baht, 2 Baht fee for one month.

For me that is reasonable.

At AIS service centers they have self-service machines without the fee.

But recently raised the minimum top-up to 20 Baht.

Edited November 20, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[HooHaa]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

you did not buy the number. you bought the right to use the number according to terms and conditions which you failed to meet.

prudence would dictate you ahere to those terms if you want to retain the number. telphone numbers are not finite, and telcos need to purge and ressaign inactive numbers, makes sense to me.

[FritsSikkink]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

you don't buy the number, you rent it. AIS makes the rules, you should know them before you join.

[TheCruncher]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

Same rules apply in any western country I'm aware of.

Prepaid cards expire if they are not topped up before a certain date.

[WhizBang]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

At a cost of 30 baht off your existing credit, you could have extended the validity by 30 days by dialing *500*9#

In any event not stolen.

[FritsSikkink]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

It isn't a polite warning, you talk about robbery and theft.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

OP AIS didn't steal from you, you neglected to use the service you bought. Its like a cheap airplane ticket you buy and don't use, while the terms and conditions says you lose your money if you don't use the ticket. So next time kick yourself instead of ranting. .

[bark]

I see that he has stopped answering everyone.

At, 160 bt that equals about one call of less then 20 -30 minutes. I sure that same amount has been the same for at least a month !

Do you not have anyone you would like to call for a whole month. Mom, Dad, kids, ex wive(s). No friends ?

Normally they give more then one day; same as if you owe month for a monthly bill.

The rules for AIS have been the same for the last 12 years that I have lived here.

Time to man up big boy and stop crying.

As you have found out; there is no one here to give you a tissue for your fake tears

[maderaroja]

I use a phone for emergencies. Each month, I go to 7/11 and put 10 baht into the account. It costs 12 baht to do it, but it keeps the phone alive. I now have about 300 baht that I haven't used, but could in an emergency.

[whatproblem]

I tried to cancel a AIS number that I pay monthly for ,the shop said I have to call1175 after 10 minutes I speak to someone who tells me I have to go the shop ,the shop says can't do it here have to travel 180 km round trip to do it ,never get AIS had problems before trying to cancel Internet ,learnt my lesson now

[NoshowJones]

Nothing new. Always been the case.

It's a capitalist world, and it stinks.

[Toany]

Wait until you try to move you number to another provider. AIS we do all that can to stop you moving your number. They changed my passport number twice to make sure it did not match. Eventually they said everything was fine and they would let the number be transferred. When another company applied hey refused again. AIS has the tactics of he person who created the company. Nothing honest about heir tactics at all.

[menzies233]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

I totally agree. Also, If I recall correctly (Please correct me if I am wrong) when I first came here and opened a bank account with Kasikorn back in about 2002, if you didn't make a payment in or a withdrawal out in a month they would deduct something like 50 Baht until they depleted and closed your account. Thieves!

[questionsreplies]

Yes, and everywhere in the world, but some people just landed on the planet it seems ;-)

Nothing new. Always been the case.

[Don Mega]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

I totally agree. Also, If I recall correctly (Please correct me if I am wrong) when I first came here and opened a bank account with Kasikorn back in about 2002, if you didn't make a payment in or a withdrawal out in a month they would deduct something like 50 Baht until they depleted and closed your account. Thieves!

That 50b per month deduction would have been in the terms and conditions that you agreed to.

How are they thieves ?

[menzies233]

Nothing new. Always been the case.

It's a capitalist world, and it stinks.

Would you prefer a communist world? It is turning into a left wing Fascist world if you ask me.

[questionsreplies]

▪500▪9#

Are you sure ? Not working for me.

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

At a cost of 30 baht off your existing credit, you could have extended the validity by 30 days by dialing *500*9#

In any event not stolen.

[swissbie]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

I totally agree. Also, If I recall correctly (Please correct me if I am wrong) when I first came here and opened a bank account with Kasikorn back in about 2002, if you didn't make a payment in or a withdrawal out in a month they would deduct something like 50 Baht until they depleted and closed your account. Thieves!

Correction, yes, because you're wrong. Every bank has a minimum amount, if you're below that, yes, yearly deductions until the account will be closed (sometimes the best way to close an account if you have moved to another province). If you are above, you don't need to make any payments. It's clearly written in every bankbook, so no robbery of the honest ones..

[TheCruncher]

Of course the terms are clear from the outset. This justifies theft?

The point is the potential loss of my number which I bought.

The prudence is of using units I have paid for in my phone when I want not when AIS want.

Apologies to you both for simply posting a polite warning which may be of interest to fellow OAPs

I totally agree. Also, If I recall correctly (Please correct me if I am wrong) when I first came here and opened a bank account with Kasikorn back in about 2002, if you didn't make a payment in or a withdrawal out in a month they would deduct something like 50 Baht until they depleted and closed your account. Thieves!

That 50b per month deduction would have been in the terms and conditions that you agreed to.

How are they thieves ?

First of all, do you read the multipage agreement that you sign at a bank?

Second, now it wasn't in the agreement that I signed at Kaskorn, because it was a rule they made many years after I opened my account with Kasikorn, and it actually applies to no movements in a year instead of a month, and only if your balance is below a certain limit.

Edited November 20, 2015 by TheCruncher

[swissbie]

I use two phones too and have to top them up, never mind if i use them or not. When i have too much unused credit, i just transfer some to my wife or my daughter, problem solved (they use it anyway).

[fxe1200]

A friend of mine comes to Thailand once a year and extends his prepaid phone for one year for free at the DTAC shop before he leaves. Why fool around with AIS?

[lostinisaan]

Nothing new. Always been the case.

It's a capitalist world, and it stinks.

Not necessarily true. I bought all my friends and also my wife. They're MINE until somebody else pays more for them.

Edited November 20, 2015 by lostinisaan

[NoshowJones]

Nothing new. Always been the case.

It's a capitalist world, and it stinks.

Would you prefer a communist world? It is turning into a left wing Fascist world if you ask me.

No I would not, and your second sentence, I understand where you are coming from.

Capitalism is OK, but only up to a point, If someone becomes a self made millionaire, he is cheating, yes

he has a good business brain, but he is cheating his customers. He has what people need, and he takes full advantage.

Think about the mobile phone industry, how many millionaires has that made.

Think about the profit margins involved. The banks ditto. 200 Bt to draw money from an ATM

if you have a foreign debit card.