How AIS is taking your money and what you can do about it

[japio]

I use an iphone with prepaid sim from AIS. recently I noticed that my balance went down very quick, while not using my telephone and with cellular data switched off.

when I visited the AIS shop, they, after a lot of discussion confided me that each time you use your smartphone on the internet via any wifi (so also your private wifi at home) they take some Bht from your account. since I use my iphone on the internet regularly this cost me about 50 Bht per day.

you can block this, but in that case you cannot use your phone with cellular data.

following are the codes to check if active, to block or to unblock.

Check *129#

Block *129*1#

Unblock *129*2#

blocking is active immediately

After unblocking you have to switch off and restart your smartphone.

there is also a privacy issue involved: AIS staff can see any time you log in at the internet when the option is active.

[Jay1]

I would seriously consider getting a new phone number or even network provider, if I were you.

I use AIS and don't have this problem

iPhone also

Edited March 22, 2016 by Jay1

[shunter]

Some 10 years or so back a friend had a similar problem with A.I.S. who to their credit spent some time trying to solve the problem which they finally did.The most baffling point was there were no records of traffic with A.I.S. Now it was at that point that some bright person at A.I.S. recognised .the phone had been adapted but it still reported back to its original number in the U.K and as a result the account was subject to levies for services.

Seems as if the phone my friend was using which was in those days connected to the internet via laptop was the one he had brought over from the U.K. and although ''modified'' the data was being sent back to the U.K to I think Orange in the U.K and they had access to the balance and so monies were deducted.

Solution. New phone.,Problem solved A.I.S. it seems plugged a gap in their system and my friend carried on using his laptop via his phone until such time as he was able to get a home internet connection installed.

[KhunBENQ]

after a lot of discussion confided me that each time you use your smartphone on the internet via any wifi (so also your private wifi at home) they take some Bht from your account. since I use my iphone on the internet regularly this cost me about 50 Bht per day.

Most nidicolous nonsense I read in a long time.

No idea what your discussion was about.

These *129 codes seem to be about international data roaming and only described in Thai language.

Using your private WiFi and being charged by a mobile operator. No way.

If you use AIS public WiFi then this might occur, of course.

Seems as if the phone my friend was using which was in those days connected to the internet via laptop was the one he had brought over from the U.K. and although ''modified'' the data was being sent back to the U.K to I think Orange in the U.K and they had access to the balance and so monies were deducted.

At least comes close to what these *129 codes seem to be about, data roaming.

Edited March 22, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[steve187]

I agree with KhunBENQ a load of rubbish, maybe the extra charges you get are chargeable text messages

[KhunBENQ]

I tried to understand the Thai text about this *129 codes.

Might simply be an on/off for automatically switching from WiFi to mobile internet?

This might lead to all kind of data usage through the mobile operator which you might be unaware of.

A function that most if not all smartphones implement internally (at least mine, calls it "Smart network switch").

Of course I have it disabled.

I always switch manually between WiFi and mobile data (which I am currently forced to use ).

Explanation in Thai:

http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/postpaid/close-open-data.aspx?language=th

Edited March 22, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

Just did this *129# and what is correct in the OP:

it says that your internet service is currently on.

So indeed these codes are "master switches" to turn off mobile internet at the provider level.

I never switched off, never used these codes and never got charged for using my private WiFi connection.

This is still rubbish. Nothing to do with each other.

The money drain has another reason!

Check your smartphone settings and find out who sucks your money while you are OFF the WiFi.

I control my mobile data on/off at the smartphone level.

Edited March 22, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[japio]

Thanks for the replies. let me first say that I did not invent this, by some called, nonsense. the staff at IAS showed me exactly, on the second, when I was using their service and what they charged, while I was 100% sure that my cellular data was turned off at those times. on my question that my phone might be infected by some virus or an application that took the money the answer was negative. They found no other explanation for taking the money even after extensively checking my phone.Also some calls from (overseas) phone scams that take your money could not be found.

since I blocked the internet service there were no more unexplained charges.

[Jay1]

Thanks for the replies. let me first say that I did not invent this, by some called, nonsense. the staff at IAS showed me exactly, on the second, when I was using their service and what they charged, while I was 100% sure that my cellular data was turned off at those times. on my question that my phone might be infected by some virus or an application that took the money the answer was negative. They found no other explanation for taking the money even after extensively checking my phone.Also some calls from (overseas) phone scams that take your money could not be found.

since I blocked the internet service there were no more unexplained charges.

That's all well and good, but having to block your internet service??

You pay all of that money for an iPhone and then you have to block the internet services? It's ridiculous!

I also have an iPhone, also use AIS, but do not have the problem that you have. I have a prepaid sim. I have a package that gives me 6gb of data for 700 baht per month. I top up 700 baht per month for this, and about 300 baht for calls.

When I use wifi or 3G/4G, no further deductions are made..ever.

There's something wrong with what's happening to your credit mate

[japio]

Thanks for the replies. let me first say that I did not invent this, by some called, nonsense. the staff at IAS showed me exactly, on the second, when I was using their service and what they charged, while I was 100% sure that my cellular data was turned off at those times. on my question that my phone might be infected by some virus or an application that took the money the answer was negative. They found no other explanation for taking the money even after extensively checking my phone.Also some calls from (overseas) phone scams that take your money could not be found.

since I blocked the internet service there were no more unexplained charges.

That's all well and good, but having to block your internet service??

You pay all of that money for an iPhone and then you have to block the internet services? It's ridiculous!

I also have an iPhone, also use AIS, but do not have the problem that you have. I have a prepaid sim. I have a package that gives me 6gb of data for 700 baht per month. I top up 700 baht per month for this, and about 300 baht for calls.

When I use wifi or 3G/4G, no further deductions are made..ever.

There's something wrong with what's happening to your credit mate

[japio]

i agree with you Jay1, it is ridiculous, I have it at the moment unblocked with cellular data off, will see what happens. i do not use this sim very much, only when I am in Thailand. have two others which I use without a oroblem in other countries.

[Jay1]

i agree with you Jay1, it is ridiculous, I have it at the moment unblocked with cellular data off, will see what happens. i do not use this sim very much, only when I am in Thailand. have two others which I use without a oroblem in other countries.

Might be worth getting yourself a new sim with a different network provider for when you are in Thailand

[Langsuan Man]

Don't for a minute think that this is limited to AIS,

DTAC has a similar system. Don't know the codes but had a problem with them and pushed the issue and they refunded part of the money that had been eaten up ( their MyDTAC web site does have usage statistics)

Started again and reported it and they replied that they have now blocked it so it would not happen again, of course my response, was why didn't they "block" it after the first incident

[Cheesekraft]

I have AIS, and I once had over 600 SMS messages sent to myself (back and forth)within a couple of minutes. I have no idea why this happened, but they insisted it was a virus (it was not). I ended up getting off only paying about 500 baht for it, but it would have cost much more without the staff slipping up and offering a 'discount'.