Refused purchase of new sim card

[Dumbastheycome]

Was given a new pocket wifi unit. Went to local Telewhiz to buy sim card for and buy an internet package. Made request and as expected asked if I had an id card or my passport? Yes, have passport. Ah , ok.Oh no. now not good sorry. Do you have an ID card? No, only my passport. No good. Why? Sorry, no good. But I have used my passport here before. Yes, I know. no good. Get your wife to come with ID card .

Is this something local or what? I was going to try at a 7/11 to test but my wife went immediately and did the business for me.

Just curious to know if anyone has had similar.? Maybe this Telewhiz has been slapped for doing something wrong. The manager came out and confirmedwhat her staff were insisting. Very pleasantly apologetically but adamantly.

[tonray]

Never heard of that. I have purchased both an AIS SIM and a DTAC SIM within the past 3 weeks and both times asked for passport and I produced my USA Passport ID card (only good for travel in North America) and they happily registered the SIMS with a smile.

[mesquite]

Never heard of that. I have purchased both an AIS SIM and a DTAC SIM within the past 3 weeks and both times asked for passport and I produced my USA Passport ID card (only good for travel in North America) and they happily registered the SIMS with a smile.

I once used my Passport card here in Thailand, explaining what it really was. The Thai clerk nodded his head and then told told me it was my national ID card. It's nice dealing with people who know everything.

[Dumbastheycome]

Maybe I should have tried with my Drivers Licence. Not Thai. But looks much like a Thai ID card.

[KhunBENQ]

Next shop.

Lazy, stupid....

Edited April 26, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[patrick1968]

_{Every 2nd shops ... they sould have an stupid ,,,,with no brain working there ,,,yes it happend to me month ago ,,just want to another shop no problems ,,,,,, thailand}

[Tywais]

Maybe I should have tried with my Drivers Licence. Not Thai. But looks much like a Thai ID card.

I registered my sim with a Thai DL and that is effectively what they want it for when you buy a new one. Actually, several members had the same experience registering with a Thai DL. Foreign DL, 50/50.

[Pib]

Just go to another shop selling sims. Hard for some shops to deal with anything other than a Thai ID card for some reason. TIT.

[Jdietz]

Get hardware wherever

Get sim at the nearest 7-11. Hand over your passport and they'll know what to do.

[balo]

At any DTAC branch passport is accepted , I guess the staff have more brain power there.

Edited April 26, 2016 by balo

[Chicog]

If it's for data, pick the appropriate package and go to the phone company shop (AIS/DTAC/True, etc.).

Not some mickey mouse outfit flogging crap phones and stuff.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Chicog

[BrainLife]

Well at least all those on the side girlfriends will stop calling now.

Sorry couldn't resist, just joking around

[phetphet]

I was specifically asked for my passport in AIS to register my SIM.

[dotpoom]

Got mine with True Line and they accepted my passport. By the way. it started off great but now as slow as hell.

Wonder what people do that have no Thai wife as in your case?

[yankee99]

Ironically you can buy a sim in the USA with no ID at all!

[tonray]

Ironically you can buy a sim in the USA with no ID at all!

1) They come with free NSA monitoring

2) The vast majority of Thais cannot get a VISA to the USA

[realenglish1]

Typical uneducated Thai You only need a passport

[Monkeyrobot]

Just go another shop , it's like trying to open thai bank account , sooner or later you will find one that will service you.

[Patanawet]

If it's for data, pick the appropriate package and go to the phone company shop (AIS/DTAC/True, etc.).

Not some mickey mouse outfit flogging crap phones and stuff.

The OP said he went to Telewiz.

[seancbk]

Just go to another shop selling sims. Hard for some shops to deal with anything other than a Thai ID card for some reason. TIT.

Which is fine if the other shops have a number you like

[Alainpm]

3 weeks ago at my arrival at Swampy I bought a DTAC sim card with 1 month internet package. No ID, no passport asked.

[spoonzor]

last month i bought a card at 7/11, they denied my Thai DL and shouted a firm "passport!" at me, even though my other simcard was registered with my Thai DL (it even has my passport number on it).
So i gave them a passport, it took them 15 minutes and 3 different simcards and 5 staff to register it. Later it turned out the card was expired already and thus didn't work.

We went to DTAC shop in the mall, they gave us a new card (we had to pay again) but this time it took only 3 minutes and Thai DL was fine.

[nahkit]

I went into AIS two weeks ago to change my monthly package with them - same sim, same number, just a different monthly amount. Despite the sim being already registered in my name they still wanted my passport and wouldn't accept a copy nor would they accept my thai driving licence.

[Acharn]

At any DTAC branch passport is accepted , I guess the staff have more brain power there.

Maybe better training?

[ChoakMyDee]

I used my passport to register a True-H SIM at a "mom-and-pop" shop in a small town in Isaan, no problems.

[tonray]

This is the only report I can recall of a passport being refused to register a SIM. Is there something wrong with your passport ? Everyone else seems to have been able to use successfully. Overstay Stamp ? Valid for staying in Thailand as of the date you were in the shop ?

[laolover88]

Pretty sure you need a degree from prestigious Thai University to sell Sim cards.

[bluesofa]

It does make me wonder if there was some misunderstanding of the type of account you wanted for the sim?

For a PAYG sim, most types of ID are sufficient,

However, if the assistant thought you wanted it on a monthly post-paid account, that would be different.

You'd need to produce a work permit and passport for that. Maybe that's what the assistant was getting at, asking for an ID card - probably meaning specifically a Thai ID card?

[sumrit]

It does make me wonder if there was some misunderstanding of the type of account you wanted for the sim?

For a PAYG sim, most types of ID are sufficient,

However, if the assistant thought you wanted it on a monthly post-paid account, that would be different.

You'd need to produce a work permit and passport for that. Maybe that's what the assistant was getting at, asking for an ID card - probably meaning specifically a Thai ID card?

Those of use that are retired don't have a work permit.

To open a monthly post paid account for a sim at the AIS shop a few years ago I just used my Thai driving licence. A friend, also retired, used his passport about six months ago at AIS to obtain a sim on a similar monthly contract.

[bluesofa]

It does make me wonder if there was some misunderstanding of the type of account you wanted for the sim?

For a PAYG sim, most types of ID are sufficient,

However, if the assistant thought you wanted it on a monthly post-paid account, that would be different.

You'd need to produce a work permit and passport for that. Maybe that's what the assistant was getting at, asking for an ID card - probably meaning specifically a Thai ID card?

Those of use that are retired don't have a work permit.

To open a monthly post paid account for a sim at the AIS shop a few years ago I just used my Thai driving licence. A friend, also retired, used his passport about six months ago at AIS to obtain a sim on a similar monthly contract.

OK, that's good.Hopefully things have changed for the better now. Although we all know that different staff in the same company will interpret the same rules differently.

When I opened my post-paid account over ten years ago, the AIS call centre told me I would need the two items I mentioned before. I went into the Telewiz shop with them.The assistant refused point blank, as "I was a ferang" (her words). Bit of an argument, culminating with me calling AIS again. A different person I spoke to still said I just needed those same two documents. I asked her to speak to the Telewiz staff member about it.

Resulted in a loss of face for the Telewiz staff, who had to process my application, very grumpily.

Later that day told an American friend about it. He said he had a post-paid account in his name but didn't have a work permit. The staff in the Telewiz shop told him if he deposited a 30,000 Baht guarantee with AIS that would be acceptable - and he did that!

About five years ago someone took over a TOT landline in a house I had been renting. TOT also insisted on a work permit to change the account into his name.