Thai Sim Cards Yet Another Question

[Talbotman]

I HAVE A motorolla phone which i bought in patong i only use it when i come to thailand i bought the curent sim card which i s in it (one to call) on april 21st this year i am returning to thailand on november 23rd thats 7 and a half months after the phone has last been used the question is will i need another sim card for the phone or can i just put credit on it ?

[ThaiLearner]

Originally Posted by Talbotman

I HAVE A motorolla phone which i bought in patong i only use it when i come to thailand i bought the curent sim card which i s in it (one to call) on april 21st this year i am returning to thailand on november 23rd thats 7 and a half months after the phone has last been used the question is will i need another sim card for the phone or can i just put credit on it ?

You will probably find that you will need a new sim, mine has expired which i got in March as I tried to us it yesterday and it did not work but it work in England when I came home.

[butterflyblonde]

Iv'e seen this question aksed a few times but can't remember what was said.

I usally throw them away as they are very cheap. In june I brought a Happy D-Tac card for 49 baht from TukCom/South road in pattaya.

[dizbuster]

I bought one in Patong in April and was told the credit lasted for 6 months. The SIM card is probably only valid whilst there is credit.

Here in Singapore it's different, as you have to give your passport number (and they photocopy your details page) in order to get a SIM. A prepaid top-up card generally gives 6 months until any remaining credit lapses, but the SIM stays yours afterwards.

No doubt Thailand do it differently !! Probably best to use the rule of thumb "this is Thailand !!"

[IRISH JONNY]

Yes Tommy............a New Card Is What You Want..only 500b.......
Usually You Get 4 Months With 500b Credit........

[Dodger]

Depends what promotion you were on, my one lasts 1 year. Denpar was using some weird promotion and only got one month before his sim expired, we changed it recently, now he gets one year as well.

[seven]

i have a new sony e w200i wich is "locked" to netcom,can they (were i would by a sim), unlock it so i can use a thai simcard?
Sorry for a little hijack TM simrelated thread

7

[Dodger]

Yes, well almost certain yes, had my own sim locked and some guy in BKK unlocked it and sorted out my new sim, think it cost me about 500 baht, but would not swear to that as long time ago and memory is not what it used to be.

[seven]

Originally Posted by Dodger

Yes, well almost certain yes, had my own sim locked and some guy in BKK unlocked it and sorted out my new sim, think it cost me about 500 baht, but would not swear to that as long time ago and memory is not what it used to be.

Thank`s Dodger

I`m sure your memory is fine...... Alzheimer is many years away

7

[K2]

If you had any credit left on the service - chances are the SIM will still be OK ... if not a new SIM is pretty cheap as others have posted.

To unblock any phone here costs about 500 Baht in Phuket City.

[Peter.g]

If you use 12call you can get changed so it is valid for a year. I did it in Pattaya in July. You hv to pay ca 40 baht to do it n you pay more per minute to use it. I asked on of the shops (Telwitz) to do it for me.
Peter.g

[nelsonone]

good question TM...I have a 1 2 call prepaid SIM card with credit on it....but it says it is valid until mid Sept (when I dial up the credit on it)...which is 6 monts after I last put credit on it.....so I wonder whether just the credit will expire or the whole service/SIM expires then.....I won't be back until Xmas now so it will be a pain is the @ss to have to get a new number and then put all my local numbers into it....save to phone etc....boring!

[MrDK]

I was not aware of the option to extend the life of the SIM card for a fee and higher call rates. Anyone knows how much more?

If you do not opt for that option, but for the default. The SIM card you purchase (1-2-Call) costs ~300 baht and includes 50 baht of talk time. That card has an expiration date (must be activated by). Once activated the default is 30 days for the talk time until it expire. Topping up with 100 baht extend the expiry date by 7 days and 300 baht by 30 days. There are higher denominations, but I do not know how much the extend the expiry date. This again is based on the default setup.

[charlie5005]

last year i had my 300 bahts for 30 days plan converted to the one yr
expiry plan at one of the phone shops at central. i believe that talk time
costs more but the convenience or not having really to keep track and there
is no necessity to have a large balance to cover the time while away far
outweighs.
no idea if the promotion is still on but then i had to pay, i think, 40 bahts
for conversion. small charge to the solve the problem.

[Talbotman]

AS nelson says its not really the cost its the hassle of letting everyone know you have yet another new number !

[bayleaf]

Originally Posted by Talbotman

I HAVE A motorolla phone which i bought in patong i only use it when i come to thailand i bought the curent sim card which i s in it (one to call) on april 21st this year i am returning to thailand on november 23rd thats 7 and a half months after the phone has last been used the question is will i need another sim card for the phone or can i just put credit on it ?

Some (all?) network providers routinely disconnect your number if you don't make at least one call during a period of say 90 days even if you have credit on the phone.

The provider may reconnect your disconnected number for an administration fee?

It may be possible to top up online or by phoning the provider keeping the phone 'in credit' so the number will not be disconnected; in conjunction with making at least one call in specified time periods, eg once a month or every 90 days until you return to LOS.

I don't know the specifics of one 2 call but the above are common terms for providers.

[Dojoden]

This just happened to me this last trip. I had a sim from the trip b4 with credit still in it. I can understand the credit expiring but the sim too? Thats a pain in the arsse to have to change your number all over again.

[nelsonone]

sent a txt to a mate of mine on my Thai SIM last night just to see if it is still working....no problem as yet....still have about bht400 on it

will try again on the expiry date to see what happens

[perky]

Originally Posted by MrDK

I was not aware of the option to extend the life of the SIM card for a fee and higher call rates. Anyone knows how much more?

If you do not opt for that option, but for the default. The SIM card you purchase (1-2-Call) costs ~300 baht and includes 50 baht of talk time. That card has an expiration date (must be activated by). Once activated the default is 30 days for the talk time until it expire. Topping up with 100 baht extend the expiry date by 7 days and 300 baht by 30 days. There are higher denominations, but I do not know how much the extend the expiry date. This again is based on the default setup.

Yep I had that problem (with 1-2-call) as I really only use the phone for text messages and the odd call, my credit kept expiring before I could use it. I called customer service and they upgraded me to the other system where the credit does not expire for a year regardless of how much I have in there. I assume that means the sim card doesn't expire either even if I don't put credit on it. I don't remember what they charged for the upgrade, but it was minimal and the change in rates is also not much. I don't think my text message charges have changed at all. Definitely worth doing if you don't use the phone enough to spend your credit in the allotted time.

[Dodger]

It is simply the phone promotion type you are on. It does not cost any extra to change the promotion and will probably work out calls per minute are less than the one you have.

So you need to telephone the provider and ask for your promotion to be changes to one where the expiry date of the calling card lasts for one year. It is much simpler to get your tg to do this for you as the operators english is not usually very good. You then need to go buy another 50 baht of credit and heh presto you get 1 year credit period.

I tried to do this for Denpar but it failed, decided it was my lack of Thai and a non understanding, so got my gf to do it for me and simple, he now has 1 year credit for however much credit he buys, 50bht or 300bht.

[kiro]

If I am not mistaken you can enter *121# hit <send> and it will get you a message back with card balance and expiration date. It is not a regular text and will cost you nothing. At least this works for me.