Why do you need a phone with you on holiday ?? Tell your friends to use email and go to an internet cafe each day. Taking a phone with you means having to keep it safe at all times so it's not stolen. If you want to make calls, again, go to an internet cafe and use their phones, but remember to shop around as prices do vary greatly, I paid 10baht a minute for a call to the UK when I was over there in November.
I always leave mine at home, why worry about what's going on back home - enjoy your holiday
