AIS sim card balance drops 220 bht without any use

[Stekmer]

Has anyone else experienced anything like this - and/or - knows why it happens?

 

My AIS 12Call sim card, that I bought in February 2016 and used then, as well as on my second visit in October 2016, dropped in balance from 251 bht to 29 bht when I booted the phone (in Australia) today to send an sms to keep it active. The 251 bht balance was valid until July 2017.

 

This new sim card is a replacement for the one I had used for about 4 or 5 years that ceased to function due to not being registered under new system (that started from July 2015 - I think).

 

I've tried searching AIS site and a general Google search but cant find anything to explain the loss of over 220 bht.

I thought perhaps there is a roaming charge but thought that was unlikely.

I like having the same number but to use each time but if this is going to happen, I'd be better off just buying a new sim for 50 bht on each visit.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[kevc]

Check if you have mobile data switched on that would eat your money in no time at all.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, kevc said:

Check if you have mobile data switched on that would eat your money in no time at all.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

That is exactly what happened to me quite a few years ago, I had no idea at the time until it was pointed out to me.

[Stekmer]

1 hour ago, kevc said:

Check if you have mobile data switched on that would eat your money in no time at all.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Thanks  - the data connection was the first thing I checked and it was definitely turned off.

The phone has been turned off (since I got on a plane to home, late October) and the balance checked and recorded just before turning off.

Very strange .... and frustrating!!

I'm back in Thailand in early February 2017 - might leave the phone off until then.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Stekmer

[AlexRRR]

Strange things happen over there, I've never got use to the way they do things so i gave up, i just get a new sim every time i go there..

[KhunBENQ]

Why are you confident that there was no roaming charge?

You switched it on today in Australia and send an SMS.

 

What mobile phone operator does it connect to?

 

Maybe more feedback in the Mobile devices subforum.

I have moved the thread there.

 

[JamJar]

Ask them: https://aiscallcenter.ais.co.th

[Stekmer]

10 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Why are you confident that there was no roaming charge?

You switched it on today in Australia and send an SMS.

 

What mobile phone operator does it connect to?

 

Maybe more feedback in the Mobile devices subforum.

I have moved the thread there.

 

Thanks for the reply and for moving the thread to the correct section.

The AIS sim I had previously had no additional roaming charges (other than increased costs of calls in and out).

I asked about roaming at the time of buying this sim, no charges were mentioned.

So I've assumed (possibly wrongly) that the new sim would operate the same as the old one, as far as roaming surcharges went.

Optus is the local carrier. I have a sim from Indonesia that has roaming but no charges from the Optus side on that particular sim - or for the old AIS sim.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Stekmer

[Stekmer]

7 hours ago, JamJar said:

Ask them: https://aiscallcenter.ais.co.th

Thanks, the EN button (top right) doesn't work (in Chrome or Firefox) so I've sent a message via the AIS Call Center Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/aiscallcenter1175/)

I should have thought of this before

[GBK]

Just call 1175 and ask them. 

[Stekmer]

4 minutes ago, GBK said:

Just call 1175 and ask them. 

I'm in Australia for the next 6 weeks and assume that the 1175 number is only a free call from within Thailand.

[GBK]

PM me your Name and the number and I'll ask them for you. 

 

They may not tell me, but if I explain that you are in Australia, they might. 

 

Nothing to to lose except 3 minutes. 

[Stekmer]

5 minutes ago, GBK said:

PM me your Name and the number and I'll ask them for you. 

 

They may not tell me, but if I explain that you are in Australia, they might. 

 

Nothing to to lose except 3 minutes. 

Thanks GBK - PM sent

[IAMHERE]

If validity was  until July 2017, why would you have to turn it on to keep it active ?  The validity is the good until date isn't it?

I have AIS and it has always been good when I return because the validity date had not been passed. Last year for 5 months the phone sat in the 'Thailand' drawer not even charged until I got ready to return to Thailand.

Edited December 17, 2016 by IAMHERE
extra yack yack

[GordonP]

Similar thing happened to me. Now I dial *129*1 to turn off data connection and *129*2 to put in back on.

[mtls2005]

Drop an email to [email protected] and ask.

 

Hard to know what exactly happened; my best guess based on what little information is provided is that you had previously subscribed to some sort of recurring plan, like 199 baht, which hit one more time before your balance dipped below the threshold for that plan?

 

There are some stories recently re: providers recycling numbers based on no activity for 90 days - owing to a shortage of numbers - but these seem pretty rare, and technically against NBTC "laws".

 

Int'l roaming typically won't allow data now without a few warnings and consent, and that's ~ 280+ VAT per day so doubt that was the issue.

 

 

[zaZa9]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Drop an email to [email protected] and ask.

 

Hard to know what exactly happened; my best guess based on what little information is provided is that you had previously subscribed to some sort of recurring plan, like 199 baht, which hit one more time before your balance dipped below the threshold for that plan?

 

There are some stories recently re: providers recycling numbers based on no activity for 90 days - owing to a shortage of numbers - but these seem pretty rare, and technically against NBTC "laws".

 

Int'l roaming typically won't allow data now without a few warnings and consent, and that's ~ 280+ VAT per day so doubt that was the issue.

 

 

I bought a 12Call sim this year  and placed it in a spare phone to give/lend to friends or family when they came over because they never did as I asked and get one  themselves ... ( so I would constantly be calling their O/S numbers while they were in the same villiage as me !)

There was no mention of any 'plan' and the sim cost 200 baht IIRC , and I put on 300 of credit.

Daughter came over  and used about 80 bahts worth , and about every 2 weeks  after that , or so I turned it on. 

I started  to get messages saying I had to use it or the expirey date would diminish - so I started 'pranking' my own phone .

Obviously this didnt work , because I turned it on one day  and the message said that while I still had 199 baht credit , I had to go in and update the sim/arrangement ...

I let it lapse  because this was not the deal  I thought I'd made ...

 

[elgenon]

Why not pay for extension of valid time foe phone number before you leave Thailand? Easy and cheap. Avoid the problem.

[harrry]

Therre is  no need to be here to check.

Sign up o the ais site.

Make your query there.

[Stekmer]

2 minutes ago, elgenon said:

Why not pay for extension of valid time foe phone number before you leave Thailand? Easy and cheap. Avoid the problem.

When I left Thailand it had 251 bht credit with July 2017 expiry.

I was told that the sim would be cancelled if I did not at least send an sms every 90 days.

[elgordo38]

Ghosh and begorra I think it  might be the phone fairies. 

[Stekmer]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Drop an email to [email protected] and ask.

 

Hard to know what exactly happened; my best guess based on what little information is provided is that you had previously subscribed to some sort of recurring plan, like 199 baht, which hit one more time before your balance dipped below the threshold for that plan?

 

There are some stories recently re: providers recycling numbers based on no activity for 90 days - owing to a shortage of numbers - but these seem pretty rare, and technically against NBTC "laws".

 

Int'l roaming typically won't allow data now without a few warnings and consent, and that's ~ 280+ VAT per day so doubt that was the issue.

 

 

Ahh - a possibility.

I wonder if the 1 Gb data for 30 days at 199 (+GST),  that I set up in October tried to renew itself. The 220 baht drop would be just about the right amount.

[Stekmer]

8 minutes ago, elgenon said:

Why not pay for extension of valid time foe phone number before you leave Thailand? Easy and cheap. Avoid the problem.

It was valid to 15/7/17 with 251 baht credit but I was told to send an sms every 90 days to keep it active.

Hence I turn it on to send an sms ..... an expensive excercise to send a 9 baht sms back to Thailand :-(

[elgordo38]

I find these cards truly baffling that is why my g/f is in charge. She stops this and that from bleeding my bahts away. My biggest complaint is when I call someone and hear "Just a moment please" I know the baht bandits will be busy. 

[Stekmer]

3 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

If validity was  until July 2017, why would you have to turn it on to keep it active ?  The validity is the good until date isn't it?

I have AIS and it has always been good when I return because the validity date had not been passed. Last year for 5 months the phone sat in the 'Thailand' drawer not even charged until I got ready to return to Thailand.

I was told to use it every 90 days or it would become inactive, even if the expiry date was much longer.

 

[Stekmer]

Problem solved.

It seems that the 199 baht. 1 Gb data, 30 day plan was set to automatically renew.(I was told it would just expire)

GBK has very kindly helped to get the 213 bht charge reversed.

 

Thank you to everyone - and to GBK in particular.

My faith in Forums has been restored.

 

A Merry Christmas to everyone who has responded and offered options and suggestions :-)

[laislica]

5 hours ago, GordonP said:

Similar thing happened to me. Now I dial *129*1 to turn off data connection and *129*2 to put in back on.

Thanks but it didn't work for me. until I added the hash after the 1. *129*1#

AIS sent a text advising me that my internet service is now turned off.

 

I bought this new SIM on 16 Nov and it said a free internet  1GB for 7 days has been activated.

Mobile data was definitely switched off on the phone.
They said they gave me a free 15 baht bonus valid until 19 of the 12.
I made one brief phone call, where are you Darling and almost immediately I started getting messages that my balance was insufficient and it needed to be topped up.
So we added another hundred Bart and now I can see a message saying my Internet usage has reached 49 Bart at a max speed of 384 kb per second.
However thanks to your code my Internet service is now turned off and hopefully I will not be getting warnings about low balance any more.

Unlike many, my wife is not very clued up about phones so your post was a brilliant.
Thank you very very much.
Cheers

Edited December 17, 2016 by laislica

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, GBK said:

Just call 1175 and ask them. 

I doubt that would be free in Australia.

 

I suspect some roaming charge, be it data or call, I believe SMS would not incur charges,

There is also a possiblity the local network back charges.

I would also be interested to know which AIS Tariff and Bolt-Ons he is on, some are renewed on a monthly basis, if there is sufficient credit. I take my AIS card to the UK a few times a year, Data in Roaming blocked, calls on transfer to my lady, and I only incur the monthly tariff renewal charge. Mostly I leave it turned off, but some banking functions require me to turn it on.

 

I don't see why the  OP cannot log onto the  AIS site, a PIN will be sent to the phone, and to check charges, the passport number will be required. Also he will be able to see Tariff and Bolt-On details.

Edited December 17, 2016 by jacko45k

[tutsiwarrior]

there is a '.Dataonoff' contact loaded onto your contacts automatically with a new SIM card along with the other AIS service contacts...I just used it (*129# for off) and it immediately came back with a data off confirmation SMS and to say that *129*2# to be dialled to turn back on...

 

very handy...

 

 

Edited December 18, 2016 by tutsiwarrior

[Stekmer]

In addition to the help from GBK, the AIS email ([email protected]) and Facebook Messenger replies have been really quite good.

The data is now turned off (no more auto renewal) and I've also just found the automatically created ' .Dataonoff' codes in my AIS contacts - as mentioned by tutsiwarrior above.

Still waiting for the promised refund of the 213 bht.

 

A useful learning curve.

Try as I might - I cant find a way to register on the AIS website, other than for the newsletter and promotion updates - some pages only display in Thai (despite having an EN button option that doesn't seem to work).
I wonder if this is only possible from within Thailand?

Edited December 18, 2016 by Stekmer