Sim cards?

[dummy_plug]

I think I've read that most 7-11s sell SIM cards that I can buy for my phone (I'm bringing my unlocked phone from the states). Is there a particular brand/carrier I should look out for? Also, is it as easy as just buying the SIM and sticking it in? I think I read on BKK Tonite's forum regarding something about registering the SIM with a passport number. The thread wasn't that helpful, so any help here would be appreciated!

[BAM]

What kind of model of phone do you have? The reason I ask is because the US uses the 1900MHz band while Thailand uses the 1800MHz / 900MHz bands. You need to make sure your phone is dual or tri band to work in Thailand if it's a phone from a US provider.

As for registering the SIM with a passport number thats something I've not yet heard of but if it's true just get your thai girlfriend for the night to buy it for you.

[Snick]

If you have an unlocked triband USA phone that uses a sim card, then yes you can use it (but thats a rare kind of phone for USA)

As for getting a SIM card the best place is MBK mall or any place that sells phones. 7-11 carries top-up cards to put money on your phone, but they don't always carry new SIM cards.

You do have to register your phone now, it is a new law. Like everything else here enforcement is spotty. DO NOT pay anything extra to register, that is a new scam I heard about.

For carries either go with DPrompt or AIS-123.

[dummy_plug]

I'm using a Motorola V3 RAZR. I've been told its a tri-band global phone that should work anywhere in the world that uses SIM technology. If anyone on the board that has this phone has heard/experienced otherwise, please let me know. The Motorla website says the phone uses: "Bands4 : CDMA 1X and EVDO with aGPS 800/1900", so I assume it will work in Thailand.

As for the registering of SIM cards, apparently it has something to do with Thaksin (I assume some government official) declaring SIM cards need to be connected to an individual due to the use of cell phones to remotely detonate bombs. This is from the BKK Tonite forum, so not sure if this is really so.

Thx Bam & Snick for the info.

[BAM]

There are 2 versions of the Motorola V3 RAZR phone model being GSM & CDMA. If the one you have uses a SIM card then you have the GSM version and the V3 RAZR runs on all world bands GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz so it will work fine in Thailand.

As for these new laws regarding registering SIM cards to keep them out of the hands of Terrorists this will never work. I use to buy SIM's on my trips to Australia at a local Dick Smiths store. Well 3 years ago I go in there and they can't sell me a Vodaphone SIM without a driver's license. So I show her my Canadian license and she tries to put the number in the computer and it didn't want to take... being it's not an Australia drivers license. So the manager asked to see my Passport... I didn't have it with me so we just left. My mate tells me he knows a guy that can get me a SIM. So we go to this Pub and meet this dude... he takes me out to his car and he's got like 50 packs of Voda SIM's all brand new packs. I buy one off of him and activated it right there.... no problem, no Passport, no ID at all. Now that just goes to show you if I can buy a SIM so easily from some dude on the street I don't even know... what's to stop a terrorist? And that was in Oz... Can you imagine Thailand?

[BAM]

As for getting a SIM card the best place is MBK mall or any place that sells phones. 7-11 carries top-up cards to put money on your phone, but they don't always carry new SIM cards.

I always bought SIM cards from a phone shop just down the road from Nana Plaza. It's on the same side. They can unlock your phone in there too is there is a provider lock set.

[rob69in]

I have had a Thai SIM on DTAC & Orange for about 5 years now & never had them registered & they worked fine, & did on my last visit, Nov / Dec. If you re-charge them with a minimum of 300baht just prior to your leaving it gives about a one year active on Orange & about 6 months on DTAC, but this, ONLY happened AFTER I got them both registered, prior to that, loading them up with even a 1000baht was only giving them around 6 months & 3 months respectively.

Registering the SIM was easy & did not cost anything, the hard part was finding the right palce to do it, as it seems you have to go the actual DTAC & Orange Shop not a franchise. I managed to sort mine in one afternoon in Bangkok.

Asking at the shops, I was told in both places that the party line is any un-registered SIM will be "turned off" on 31st December 05 / 1st January 06. Personally I will believe it when i see it, as I reckon that will turn millions of people off Thais & visitors alike & the amount of revenue lost will be herrendous. The intention is good if it is the terrorist thing, but after just asking casual questions of the LB's & GG's if there SIMs where registered, most did not seem interested or even understood what i was talking about!

We will see what happens at the end of the year

[BAM]

un-registered SIM will be "turned off" on 31st December 05 / 1st January 06.

Just you wait and see.... on 1st January 06 everyone will be without a working cell phone.... except the Terrorists since they will be using Satellite phones. Geezzzz no one thought of that one  

They better register everyone who has an alarm clock too since I heard you can use one of them wind up clocks to set off a bomb too.    



Now is it the red wire we cut or the blue wire?

[Guest]

Cutting off service to unregistered numbers would only affect Prepaid customers, which would not cause loss of revenue for the cellular provider since those customers have already paid for their top-ups.  Providers will probably not care about other businesses losing revenue if their customers can no longer contact them via mobile phone, therefore a 1-January-06 cutoff date could be realistic.

Malaysia is also starting to require registration of Prepaid SIM cards, although on a relaxed schedule compared to Thailand.

http://www.digi.com.my/products/prep...gistration.jsp

I think one reason for Malaysia to do so is to try to cut down on the number of illegal residents presently able to use Prepaid service because no ID was required.  But that will undoubtedly not be effective, as was already pointed out.  I suspect mobile phone shops (roughly every third shop in Malacca, where I lived for 3.5 years) will just start charging a "fee" to provide a Prepaid SIM card without ID check somehow.

Regards, Joe