US cell phone in Thailand

[juancarlos]

Haven't been to LOS in 10 years, but just made arrangements to fly in on June 21st for 10 days. I've seen discussions talking around the issue of cell phone use, but what is the current recommendation for the best and easiest way to handle that? International roaming? Get a sim card? Just rent or buy a cheap throwaway phone?

I am coming from the US and have a samsung blackjack (cingular) which lets me view e-mail. If I knew my e-mail access would work, I may not bring a laptop. Any recommendations?

[rxpharm]

I would not recommend roaming. Charges are excessive and not worth it. You did not mention what kind of e-mail service you can access with your phone - is it web based or pop3? If all you want to do is contact people in Thailand you can just buy a sim card to use in your phone if it is a) unlocked (that is open for any phone provider SIM card) and b) it is at least tri-band, as the US mobile phones use a different system than in Thailand.

Prepaid phone cards are cheap in Thailand, and you can buy used mobile for around 500 Baht, if your phone won't work over there.

You can buy a SIM card pretty much anywhere, including the 7/11. MBK has a big section of shops that sell used mobile phones.

[divertwo]

If your phone is not unlocked, it will only work with USA carriers. If you've been a customer for a year or more, many USA carriers will unlock it for you. If not, you can also locate a person on E-bay that will unlock for a few $$ if you want to hit Thailand with an unlocked phone and be ready to go at the airport as I did. Buy a new sim card at the airport approx 350 baht, but a few minutes of time...100-300Baht(you'll see the kiosk on your way to baggage claim...and you'll be talking before you get to your baggage claim.

[Road Runner]

You can get your phone unblocked at MBK  -  the huge shopping mall next to the National Stadium BTS (Skytrain/Rapid Transit) station.

Go to the 4th floor and find nearly any shop/stall selling mobile phones.  They will disappear with your phone  (don't worry    ) and return after about 10 minutes with it unblocked.

The cost is about 300-500Baht ($7.50 - $12.50) depending on the phone.

RR.

[stogie bear]

Who does your email? GMail have a great little mobile program for checking your email wherever you are.

[juancarlos]

Thanks for all the good information. See you at the Guess Bar on the 23rd. My e-mail access is web-based - done through the company where I work.

I got my phone just recently, so will need to get it unlocked. But don't mind doing that. I assume once I get a sim card, I will be accessing web data through the Thai carrier, and at a relatively moderate price. Correct?

[Naja Tom]

ALL Cingular phones are "blocked" and if you call them they will try to help you get the code to unblock it before you go. But as much as we tried with my Nokia, they finally told me the model I had could not be unblocked. I have since bought a real nice Nokia 6151 in Thailand, just switch out the SIM cards when I am back home. Works just fine here, have downloaded software updates for the phone with the computer cable I purchased here in the States, got the internet connectivity working with the Nokia Asia downloads. It's very simple to get a Thai phone, which is TOTALLY UNBLOCKED as opposed to US phones, to work here and be completely updated and able to sync with your computer. Mine also has a memory card in it like a digital camera so I can store the phone numbers and pictures taken there as well and download them to the PC.

[Road Runner]

(juancarlos @ Jun. 10 2007,00:21) I assume once I get a sim card, I will be accessing web data through the Thai carrier, and at a relatively moderate price.  Correct?

Hello Juan Carlos,

Yes you've got it.

AIS certainly did allow web data - but since it was sold about 8-9 months ago I know there are access problems with it.

Just let this thread run a bit longer and I'm sure someone will come up with a good carrier at the present time.

RR.

[Road Runner]

(Naja Tom @ Jun. 10 2007,00:55) ALL Cingular phones are "blocked" and if you call them they will try to help you get the code to unblock it before you go.  But as much as we tried with my Nokia, they finally told me the model I had could not be unblocked.

Hello Tom,

I'm surprised that you could not get your phone unblocked.  It's only a quick flash of the bios with a computer.
Somewhere in MBK in Bangkok is a computer with just about every phone bios on it.  I bet they make a fortune with it!

As you say though you can buy a phone in MBK for less than the US or Europe and it will be unblocked anyway.

One thing to note though is that the UK police say that 20% of all phones stolen in the UK end up being sold in Thailand.  I don't know what the figures for the US are.

RR.

[Guest]

(juancarlos @ Jun. 10 2007,08:21) Thanks for all the good information. See you at the Guess Bar on the 23rd. My e-mail access is web-based - done through the company where I work.

I got my phone just recently, so will need to get it unlocked. But don't mind doing that. I assume once I get a sim card, I will be accessing web data through the Thai carrier, and at a relatively moderate price. Correct?

FWIW. I couldn't access the web with my Cingular branded phone while in LOS. Best I could come up with, after I got home, was that I didn't change the setting on the phone to use the AIS portal instead of Cingular's.

[stogie bear]

One thing to note though is that the UK police say that 20% of all phones stolen in the UK end up being sold in Thailand.

I have my doubts about that.

[Road Runner]

Hello Stogie,

It was on a news report more than a year ago so I don't have a source to show.

As I recall the great majority of phone thefts were from kids and young persons.
Most were then sold to buy drugs.
Quite a large proportion were used for criminal activites  ie. drugs deals etc.
About 20% of those stolen ended up in Thailand sold as second hand.
They did not say what finally happened to the other 80%.

At that time the only UK company that had a way of blocking stolen phones was Orange.  I they all can do it now.

RR.

[Guest]

(Naja Tom @ Jun. 10 2007,00:55) But as much as we tried with my Nokia, they finally told me the model I had could not be unblocked.

When I had my SonyEricsson W300i unlocked, firstly the phone had to be "unbranded" ie having all the operators software removed and reverting it to a generic model, only then could the phone be unlocked. It may be the same with your Nokia.

[Naja Tom]

Well, RR, I bought a brand new out of the box Nokia 6151 at a Nokia store in one of the malls in BKK my last trip. I get to write it off my taxes as an expense anyway so it doesn't matter to me. I can always use a decuction. The phones I get from Cingular now are freebies for staying with them and they aren't near as good as what I got in Thailand. I love the 6151. My girl sticks with Nokia also, but I bought her a better one than mine and, of course, more expensive.

I don't really care to mess with the Cingular phone anymore. I pretty much just use the 6151 and will switch out SIM cards before I land so my GF can call me and tell me where to find her after I clear immigration.