UK Orange pre-paid SIM with roaming can't connect to any Thai service

[TheScribe]

I have a UK Orange pre-paid SIM in an old Nokia C2. I use it mostly for receiving authentication SMS's etc in Thailand, and general use on visits to the UK. Yesterday I received an SMS from Apple. Today I can't connect to any Thai service. Orange UK website confirms I have credit and roaming enabled.

Where can I begin to get his fixed?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Nokia C2 is 2G. Put the SIM in a 3G phone.

[TheScribe]

Nokia C2 is 2G. Put the SIM in a 3G phone.

Thanks for trying, but unfortunately that's not the right answer.

I put in a prepaid Swiss SIM in the Nokia. It connected to THA4 and showed a little "3G" symbol in the signal strength indicator.

So there must be either a block on Orange UK's side, or there is a Thai-wide block on the SIM.

I will try a local AIS or DTAC office and see if their systems show anything. Can't find a support number for Orange UK yet. Any other ideas?

[lonewolf99]

Had the same problem a few weeks ago. I have a dual SIM phone. It kept locking onto AIS here and then suddenly no signal at all.

Spoke to AIS...not interested.

I tried to contact EE (Orange UK now) got nowhere. I had 50 pounds credit on it as well. I believe lack of use and they just cut you off.

Unless i caught a plane back and kicked off in an EE shop back in the UK - doubt anything can be done.

If you get a result - post on here and let us know

cheers

[pluto72]

Same here bangkok area was working about 3 weeks ago as i had sms to make a call or get cut off so made a call and all ok. Ee website confirms my credit and roaming active. My simcard is an old one could be 20yrs thinking about it. Going back to uk for 5 weeks in 3 weeks time so will sort it and change to smaller sim card. Was using in samsung s2 3g fone works fine. Maybe was roaming on 2g even, i cant afford to use data with ee on roaming if i remember about 6£ a meg so not tried lol

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Nokia C2 is 2G. Put the SIM in a 3G phone.

Thanks for trying, but unfortunately that's not the right answer.

I put in a prepaid Swiss SIM in the Nokia. It connected to THA4 and showed a little "3G" symbol in the signal strength indicator.

So there must be either a block on Orange UK's side, or there is a Thai-wide block on the SIM.

I will try a local AIS or DTAC office and see if their systems show anything. Can't find a support number for Orange UK yet. Any other ideas?

Put it in a 3G phone. Remember that some networks here have lost their 2G bandwidth.

Put it in a 3G phone, but turn off Data Roaming beforehand.

As for Orange, you can try +44 1707 315 000, but that number might now be disabled. My T-Mobile SIMs work without issue.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Jiu-Jitsu

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Same here bangkok area was working about 3 weeks ago as i had sms to make a call or get cut off so made a call and all ok. Ee website confirms my credit and roaming active. My simcard is an old one could be 20yrs thinking about it. Going back to uk for 5 weeks in 3 weeks time so will sort it and change to smaller sim card. Was using in samsung s2 3g fone works fine. Maybe was roaming on 2g even, i cant afford to use data with ee on roaming if i remember about 6£ a meg so not tried lol

If your SIM is that old, similar issue. Get it upgraded to 3G/4G capable and it will work again. Just turn off Data Roaming. You'll still receive SMS and calls.

[Bantex]

I had 50 pounds credit on it as well. I believe lack of use and they just cut you off.

cheers

How long since the sim the last used ?

A relative used to have an O2 sim that was cut off after 3 months of non use but before it was cut off, I used to phone their number so the sim registered an incoming call even though it was not answered.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Had the same problem a few weeks ago. I have a dual SIM phone. It kept locking onto AIS here and then suddenly no signal at all.

Spoke to AIS...not interested.

I tried to contact EE (Orange UK now) got nowhere. I had 50 pounds credit on it as well. I believe lack of use and they just cut you off.

Unless i caught a plane back and kicked off in an EE shop back in the UK - doubt anything can be done.

If you get a result - post on here and let us know

cheers

Of course, as AIS lost their 2G concession in September. That's why they are moving everyone over to 3G/4G.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/881539-ais-to-suddenly-stop-1900-mh-phone-bandwidth-today-or-tomorrow/

ADVANCED Info Service has reached an agreement with Total Access Communication (DTAC) to roam AIS 2G subscribers on the latter’s 1,800MHz network as part of AIS’s attempt to prevent service disruption to 2G customers when it has to switch off its 900MHz service, AIS chief executive officer Somchai Lertsutiwong said.

So just get your SIM upgraded if possible and pop it into a 3G/4G capable phone.

[udon123]

I too have an orange prepaid sim card nad have the same problems as TheScribe. Mine is already 3G enabled and WAS working fine before in Thailand. The problem would then seem to be associated with the very useful quote from jui-jitsu i.e.

"ADVANCED Info Service has reached an agreement with Total Access Communication (DTAC) to roam AIS 2G subscribers on the latter’s 1,800MHz network as part of AIS’s attempt to prevent service disruption to 2G customers when it has to switch off its 900MHz service, AIS chief executive officer Somchai Lertsutiwong said.".

I too have suffered frustration talking to Orange on 07973 100 450... i may as well have been asking for help from those thai boys and girls staff roaming in vast numbers, but to almost useless effect, the Global hardware store shopping isles!

Returning to the issue.. It is vital I get roaming on my number restored as I too use it as part of ID identification and for business.

I think the only effective approach may be to effect a transfer of the UK orange number to (for example) a prepaid 3-Network UK sim: In my case I think i already have one successfully roaming within Thailand. However I'm not sure if this is possible while not within the UK.

Any other ideas others have would be most welcome.

On thing for sure.. it's not the phone that matters - I have more than 10 all 3G/4G enabled and have had no luck with any of them.

Also In line with Jui-Jitsu's quote, I had already established that AIS was the preferrred Orange connection network in Thailand.

And finally just to be clear, my Orange account is active and enabled for roaming. I have triple checked this.

So, in conclusion, the most likely explaination seems to be associated with the AIS changes mentioned.

[udon123]

Just to add some more detail to my investigation (above):

One of my android phones gives slightly more detailed info when doing an Android
"settings->more->network operators->manual search for networks"

With my valid Orange prepaid sim card inserted, this is what I get:

AIS GSM 2G(forbidden)
TRUE-H 3G(forbidden)
DTAC 3G(forbidden)
AIS 2100 3G
I-MOBILE 3GX 3G(forbidden)
TRUE-H 2100 3G(forbidden)
DTAC 2G(forbidden)

When I try to connect to the most promising candidate (AIS 2100 3G) I get the
"Can't connect to to the selected operator. Try again later" message,
as I do for all the other operators above.

So my feeling is that on the Orange UK side (or perhaps on the thai operator side) the roaming agreement, or user data associated with this, has either lapsed or is "not in good order" in some way.

Perhaps the seeming winding down of the Orange Uk operation and brand (since bought and incorporated in UK's "EE" operator) is partly to blame.

I can well imagine Orange, or EE, forgetting to renew or pay, or otherwise properly maintain, their roaming agreements or user data sets.

Or equally, perhaps he thai operators (DTAC taking on AIS's former role perhaps in this) dont understand that UK EE roaming agreements should maybe also cover the Orange "subset".{?)

Just HOW to get Orange to take appropriate action I do not know.

I don't think I can bear another Skype +44 7973100450 (option 2, then 4) session! Is anyone out there brave enough to take up this cudgel!

Again, it would be great to hear how others have resolved the problem with their orange sim cards in thailand.

Because UK Orange now operates on EE's network, the following is of interest..Does anyone have a UK EE sime card sucessfully roaming in thailand..if so which operator does it connect to?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Just to add some more detail to my investigation (above):

One of my android phones gives slightly more detailed info when doing an Android

"settings->more->network operators->manual search for networks"

With my valid Orange prepaid sim card inserted, this is what I get:

AIS GSM 2G(forbidden)

TRUE-H 3G(forbidden)

DTAC 3G(forbidden)

AIS 2100 3G

I-MOBILE 3GX 3G(forbidden)

TRUE-H 2100 3G(forbidden)

DTAC 2G(forbidden)

When I try to connect to the most promising candidate (AIS 2100 3G) I get the

"Can't connect to to the selected operator. Try again later" message,

as I do for all the other operators above.

So my feeling is that on the Orange UK side (or perhaps on the thai operator side) the roaming agreement, or user data associated with this, has either lapsed or is "not in good order" in some way.

Perhaps the seeming winding down of the Orange Uk operation and brand (since bought and incorporated in UK's "EE" operator) is partly to blame.

I can well imagine Orange, or EE, forgetting to renew or pay, or otherwise properly maintain, their roaming agreements or user data sets.

Or equally, perhaps he thai operators (DTAC taking on AIS's former role perhaps in this) dont understand that UK EE roaming agreements should maybe also cover the Orange "subset".{?)

Just HOW to get Orange to take appropriate action I do not know.

I don't think I can bear another Skype +44 7973100450 (option 2, then 4) session! Is anyone out there brave enough to take up this cudgel!

Again, it would be great to hear how others have resolved the problem with their orange sim cards in thailand.

Because UK Orange now operates on EE's network, the following is of interest..Does anyone have a UK EE sime card sucessfully roaming in thailand..if so which operator does it connect to?

As aforementioned, I have T-Mobile SIMs Roaming effectively here, currently on 520-3. Which I think is AIS 3G.

[billd766]

Nokia C2 is 2G. Put the SIM in a 3G phone.

Thanks for trying, but unfortunately that's not the right answer.

I put in a prepaid Swiss SIM in the Nokia. It connected to THA4 and showed a little "3G" symbol in the signal strength indicator.

So there must be either a block on Orange UK's side, or there is a Thai-wide block on the SIM.

I will try a local AIS or DTAC office and see if their systems show anything. Can't find a support number for Orange UK yet. Any other ideas?

Google is your friend.

Orange UK/Customer service

07973 100450

[udon123]

Just to keep all updated.

I went through the truely excrutiating business of contacting Orange support yesterday (+44 7973100450 choose option 2, then option 4, then ask to be put in contact with technical support-plus all th redials to make this work!). After ONLY about 30 gut-wrenching minutes of conversation with the "first level support", finally got though to "second level support" (back in the UK) and a level of intelligence and web access sufficient to view this thaivisa blog, and so better understand the problem we are experiencing in Thailand re Orange roaming.

Even then, for what is clearly a systematic, not individual, problem they still had to treat it is a "one off" for myself alone, with the raising of a personal problem ticket (EEIM 631403).

Nothing seems to have happened thus far. But let's give them the benefit of the doubt- they maybe need to wait to Monday to talk to the Thai side(?).

However, I have my doubts.

It looks like Orange and EE for that matter are effectively shot in the UK. After all they have contrived a problem reporting environment the very equal of any Soviet era government department.

For instance, there is no way for users to submit by email, or even by an online form, a complaint or problem description: The sneekily hidden online complaints form that does exist demands a "contract ID" for submission - which of course payg customers will generally NOT have. GOTCHA! So that surely means that they can report, for any given month "we received ZERO payg(prepaid) complaints forms - so we must be doing well..let's all go to the pub for a drink!". And when I asked for an email address to send a complaints/problem description I was met with an oh-so-cleverly-contrived silence (showing I think you will agree, an exquisitely honed level of training within the organisation!).

But heh, let's wait and see....

It might help if others phone (+44 7973100450 choose option 2, then option 4) quoting the above problem report reference (EEIM 631403), and thus add encouragement and momentum for the issue to be fixed.

[udon123]

For TheScribe and other long suffering orange payg customers in Thailand here is a further status update and advice on first tentative steps to get out of this mire we are in with seemingly decrepit and disfunctional EE and Orange!

I phoned +447973100450 option 2 then option 4 again, and again (circa Soviet era govenment ministries, with which I have in my previous blog drawn comparison) they were unable to tell me anything while consumming 10 minutes of telephone time. Well done comrades!

However I WAS able to get my 30 day valid PAC (Port Authorisation Code)- and that's the first step of getting my orange number transferred to a working UK SIM in my possession, in my case a 3-network payg sim. All this is well described at:

http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.DLL?Command=New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=Article,varset_cat=billing,varset_subcat=3772,Case=obj%283706%29

or just google "Bringing your number to Three".

I will give Orange one more day to act on resolving its Thai roaming problems, and then after being a 25yr+ faithful customer of Orange, go to the next step to effect transfer to the UK-three network, a procedure which looks like it should be possible to carry out while still abroad.

[maxtwo]

Iam having trouble on EE when I ring iPhone to iPhone from Thailand to uk 80% of the time I can't be heard.But ring any other make of phone no problem.So I reported it to EE the reply was I will make note on your records but no one will really see it.

[ThaiKneeTim]

I'm still getting a connection with EE, and I've recently had SMS's. I have a dual SIM phone with a DTAC SIM for local use.

EE are now majority owned by BT, there may be problems with renegotiating roaming partnerships.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

No problems with either my EE or T-Mobile SIM in Thailand. Didn't bring Orange SIM along, so cannot look into the issue further.

[udon123]

Just checked again, having just flown to bangkok. Despite my earlier fault report orange still does not roam in thailand....

I accessed my orange voice mail via skype and noticed the orange technical team had tried to access me via my not roaming orange number. Doh!!!! This was despite promising to use email to contact me. I suspect they have now closed down the fault report on the basis of no phone contact. Well done comrades.. You really are now truely the equal of any soviet era government ministry!!!

Methinks the orange and now even EE ship is holed and sinking...its got to be time to and abandon ship..!!!

[pluto72]

Going back to uk next week so going to convert my orange sim to ee paug keep no and credit 40 odd quid tariffs are a little cheeper lol. Will try and get assurances from them will work on roaming in thailand. Also i be bringing with me a paug sim or sims from diff networks just in case lol

[Moti24]

Interesting reading - I have had an Orange UK number for the past 24 years, and have been using it in Thailand for the past 11 years. Last September, it suddenly stopped working. After numerous calls to their customer service centre in India, including contact with the technical department, a new sim was sent to my UK address, which was forwarded to me in Thailand; it didn't work. More calls to the same, but to no avail. So, I finally decided enough was enough, and asked for a port code. Two days after giving me the port code, the sim started working, but only for 12 hours, then off again.

Meanwhile, I had arranged a Three UK sim to be posted to my UK address. I got a family member to take it to a Three shop (His phone is locked on Orange) and register it, and I checked it worked OK while he was in the Three shop. It was then sent to me in Thailand. Roaming is automatically activated on all Three sims, so it worked as soon as I put it into my phone. I could make/receive calls/texts. First problem - Unable to register online for MY3 account; after Live Chat with customer service centre in, yes, you've guessed it, India, the matter was resolved, and the service representative also arranged for my Orange UK number to be ported - takes about 2 days. Orange number ported OK, as confirmed on MY3 online account. Second problem - Since number has been ported, sim is showing as registered on True network, with roaming, but I'm unable to make/receive calls/texts. Another Live Chat, and was told that I would receive text messages in a few hours, after that it should work. The next day, still nothing. Three UK's partners in Thailand ar Dtac and Real Future (a True Company - ahhh!). I can only connect with True, Dtac (Forbidden). Last time I tried to re-register a Thai network, got True again, but this time, I received a message from True that I couldn't use my sim because roaming was turned off before I left my home network (UK). I can only presume that the problem was caused by porting my Orange UK number to a previously registered sim card. Last Friday, March 11th, I sent an email to customer services, and waiting for response, which should be within 5 days. I'll post any further information as and when.

After 24 years with Orange UK, I must admit that Three UK's customer service is by far superior to Orange UK's. There are options to Live Chat, email and call centre, and I find the service representatives are a pleasure to talk to, and appear to really try and solve your problems.

Just for information - If you want to have a sim card sent from the UK with Royal Mail registered post, it costs £7.25 and takes 8-10 days. However, my letters have an address label in English and Thai; my last letter was received in 5 days.

Moti

[udon123]

Ah! what a relief1

To pun a previous long ago Orange advert campaign..

" The future's bright, it's now DEFINITELY NOT "Orange", but ""THREE" ".

When you buy a UK THREE network payg sim (e.g. 99p at W H Smith's) you can download the THREE application on your smartphone, and from there, with consummate ease, have your Orange number ported to your new payg THREE SIM, replacing the new payg THREE SIM number. It happens on the second working day after the request is submitted.

I did this on my last trip to the UK 2 weeks ago. It all worked very smoothly. However I do not think you have to do this all in the UK.

Instead I think you can just ask your friend in the UK to buy the 99p THREE payg sim (eg either at Tesco,W H Smith etc); check that it works in their phone, then post the tiny sim alone by ordinary mail to Thailand (It's after all very cheap and no security risk, as your friend will not have registered it, but rather just checked that the 444 top-up line works..). I am not 100% certain, but I think it is sufficient to do the rest (in porting your orange number to your new payg THREE SIM) in Thailand.

​The only human interaction involved is a 1 minute call to 44 7973 100 450 (choose option2 then option 4), to talk to the operator at Orange and get your "PAC" code which you then quote on the THREE phone app porting form (this takes only about 30secs to 1 minute to fill in and submit).. btw Giving you your PAC code is about all that Orange can seemingly do competently today, it seems!

Btw, note that this 450 number given above is for Orange payg customers: For Orange contract customers it's 44 7973 100 150, I think.

So ends a 25+ year relationship with Orange!

Ah... what a relief!

It had been getting madder and madder!

I can confirm my new THREE uk payg sim, now answering to my ported previous Orange number, works fine in Thailand (voice and SMS), and as the previous entry above states, that the roaming was automatic- I did not need to request it.

Hope this helps the other very frustrated Orange users out there. Please don't waste your time trying to get Orange to fix things. As I found out, they won't or can't, and you'll end up wasting EONS of your time. Same probably goes for T-Mobile and EE, as they are under the same umbrella and therefore presumably "operational philosophy" (i.e. let's be REALLY useless but just instead adopt a very silly "Tony Blair style" stupid and very specious rhetoric to pretend we both DO care and deliver!).Ughh! Ugggghhhh!! UUggggghhhhhh!!! ​

[Moti24]

Further to my last post - #21

I received a reply from my email query, bang-on 5 days. I was a bit surprised, as all it said was that they have checked my account, and roaming is switch on, and all I have to do was manually search for Dtac or Real Future network, and my phone will work. After explaining the problems I was having, it seems nobody at Three gives a damn either. However, I am now able to make/receive calls, and also send text messages, but can't receive any text replies. So, I can do those things that cost money, but I can't receive free texts, although I did receive texts from Three, asking me to do a survey which consisted of 5 texts and 5 replies. Also in the email, it stated, "If you have any further problems, you can call the call centre (at international rates) and speak with a customer service representative"; another service that I have to pay for.

I somehow think that it may have something to do with the Real Future (True) network. Well, TiT, isn't it!

[SteveB2]

OK - So it's now nearly 5 months later. My own Orange number also does not log on to any networks any more. (It usually logged on to DTAC)

 

So I have also contacted the Orange support line on  44 7973 100 450 (choose option 2 then option 4) to obtain the PAC number to Port my old Orange number onto a new UK network who's roaming actually works in Thailand.

 

Strangely, after neatly side-stepping the Orange reps insistence that I change to a new EE SIM card and that "it will work in Thailand" and being given the PAC number, my orange phone immediately started to work and I have received a pile of SMS's over orange.

 

I have no idea what is going on at Orange/DTAC - likely they fixed something during the PAC number reqest session - obviously their roaming system is  simply not reliable in Thailand - thus I am away to Network operators new - and all this after 15 years with Orange.

 

I'll try porting to THREE as per user Moti24 above and see how that goes 

 

[MissAndry]

I have a 3 SIM ...... and it doesn't work in Thailand either, works in Laos but not Thailand.

So I don't see any point in you porting to 3.

Edited August 30, 2016 by MissAndry