Phuket

Dizzydog · #1 28-11-2007, 17:12

I am pretty positive my cel phone wont work when im in Phuket, what is the best way to call back to the states once im there?

LivinLOS · #2 28-11-2007, 17:52

Buy a pre paid cell card..

Easy and fairly cheap.

Dizzydog · #3 28-11-2007, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Buy a pre paid cell card..

Easy and fairly cheap.

Here or there? Will my T-mobile work there?

LivinLOS · #4 28-11-2007, 18:54

Depends on if you have international roaming set up and if you have a GSM phone that works on the 900 and 1800 bands ??

But still cheaper to get a local line as roaming fees are very high.. Mobiles are very cheap here, you can get a basic handset for 1500 baht or so.

Dizzydog · #5 28-11-2007, 21:22

yea i just have a Razr. dont think its GSM. all i know if last time i checked my voicemail from the bahamas it cost me like $30. i guess ill be buying a card there and using public phones or something.

pablo · #6 28-11-2007, 22:31

I would bet anything, that your "T-Mobile" phone is (locked). Most all American phones are!

Otherwise, you could purchase and install a Thai sim card, then use the prepaid phone cards for cheap calling.

Perhaps it's possible to get your phone (unlocked) by a shop in Thailand?

Lot's of posting on this subject, before. Try using the search engine (above), for more info.

Raval · #7 28-11-2007, 22:45

And as an alternative you can open an Skype and/or VoipBuster account, put a few bugs on it and use that for calling home (from internet shop). Last time I was there I did it this way to call with my brother in Holland. And I also bought a sim-only in a 7/11 shop... also very cheap, but u have to make sure your mobile is simlock free.

Cheers,

Raval

Caerphilly · #8 29-11-2007, 02:17

either get your phone unlocked before you go or buy a cheap "holiday" phone in Phuket and use local sim cards.....by means of cost saving potential

2005 UK phone use in Thailand approx $150 with not many calls
2006 UK unlocked phone with purchase of thai sim plus a lot more calls and texts about $60

Also helps that when you leave you can forget about contact from those 1 night stands and keep control of the numbers you want to retain contact with

MrDK · #9 29-11-2007, 07:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caerphilly

either get your phone unlocked before you go or buy a cheap "holiday" phone in Phuket and use local sim cards.....by means of cost saving potential

Also helps that when you leave you can forget about contact from those 1 night stands and keep control of the numbers you want to retain contact with

Pretty much what I was going to write. Just wasn't to add to the importance of cheap local calls and SMS. I often find myself making ~20 calls or SMS in a day.
I have a cheap phone that I have dedicated to Thailand. Keep a lot of girl contacts in there and while some come and go it has shown to be great value.

Bello Uomo · #10 29-11-2007, 11:59

As mentioned, just buy a cheap holiday phone for around $US40. You'll be back in Thailand more than once. And more than likely, it will be compatible for use in Europe, Australia etc too if you ever visit those places.

fotonut · #11 29-11-2007, 13:04

Welcome Dizzy,

I bought a used phone at one of the top floors in MBK while in BKK for about $30 (absolutely no frills) with charger. I've used DTAC service for years with many phones with no problems but there are other services. You can also buy an unlocked phone on ebay fairly easily, just make sure you either get a quad band phone or at least one with the 900 and 1800 bands. I used a tri-band phone (US model) once that did not have the 900 band and the service was not consistent (hence the purchase of the phone at MBK). Also, many years ago one of the little shops unlocked my locked phone for me but it took a very helpful clerk to negotiate the task with the service tech.

Dizzydog · #12 29-11-2007, 20:40

Thanks guys. Im actually in Hong Kong right now and will check and see if i can nab something here before heading down to Phuket. If not no big deal, email has been working well so far.

jimholio · #13 29-11-2007, 22:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dizzydog

Here or there? Will my T-mobile work there?

Roaming will most likely work, however very expensive.

If you want to unlock the phone.

Depending on if its a BB5 phone or not, Nokia 6280 and up. Older models can be unlocked by simply providing the imei code. To find out what imei code you simply press *#06# and call/send.

Send me a PM with the imei, phone model and operator and ill see what i can do.

If you dont feel comfortable with that for some reason, go to a phone shop in Thailand and have it unlocked for a price way above market price

Ray O'Light · #14 30-11-2007, 01:56

My UK vodafone phone lets me phone from/in Thailand but very expensive.
Could I buy a sim card in Thailand and put it in that phone and would I still be limited to the same vodafone system or would a new sim card let me use a Thai netwok?

dawsey · #15 30-11-2007, 02:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray O'Light

My UK vodafone phone lets me phone from/in Thailand but very expensive.
Could I buy a sim card in Thailand and put it in that phone and would I still be limited to the same vodafone system or would a new sim card let me use a Thai netwok?

First your phone would have to be unlocked to use the thai sim card. The new sim would use the thai network. As you have found out, using any UK sim card is very expensive abroad.

Ray O'Light · #16 30-11-2007, 03:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsey

First your phone would have to be unlocked to use the thai sim card. The new sim would use the thai network. As you have found out, using any UK sim card is very expensive abroad.

Thanks. New basic Thai phone it is then when next in LOS(Xmas!).
I bet Alexander Graham Bell never had these problems!

Dizzydog · #17 30-11-2007, 03:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimholio

Roaming will most likely work, however very expensive.

If you want to unlock the phone.

Depending on if its a BB5 phone or not, Nokia 6280 and up. Older models can be unlocked by simply providing the imei code. To find out what imei code you simply press *#06# and call/send.

Send me a PM with the imei, phone model and operator and ill see what i can do.

If you dont feel comfortable with that for some reason, go to a phone shop in Thailand and have it unlocked for a price way above market price

Its a 6 month old Motorola Rzr. Can you hel me unlock it? What exactly will unlocking it do for me? Then i need to get a thai sim card after its unlockec?

dawsey · #18 30-11-2007, 04:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dizzydog

What exactly will unlocking it do for me? Then i need to get a thai sim card after its unlockec?

By unlocking your phone, you can use a local sim card wherever you happen to be. This also saves you money by not using your own phone providers roaming charges which can be very high.

Just go into any 7/11 in LOS and pickup a local sim card and your phone will then work and you will pay the (much cheaper) local rate.

If Jimholio cannot unlock your phone for you, there are a multitude of phone unlockers on the web who will do it for you (Google "free phone unlocking").

Are there no places near you that provide this service? It can be done in the UK at local market stalls for around £10 ($20 US).

dawsey · #19 30-11-2007, 04:13

Re unlocking Motorola Razor mobile phones. Have a quick read here and it tells you how to do it.
I see a US unlocker too can do it for you.

dawsey · #20 30-11-2007, 04:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray O'Light

Thanks. New basic Thai phone it is then when next in LOS(Xmas!).
I bet Alexander Graham Bell never had these problems!

To be honest, I wouldn't buy a new thai mobile. They are no cheaper, and if it packs up, the guarantee will be no good to you. Why not just pay £10 and unlock your own? It will accept all UK sims then.

If you need a new mobile, get a new one on ebay (preferably unlocked BTW O2 phones will accept any UK simcard), get it unlocked at a shop or your local market and you are ready to use a thai sim.

Be careful however that some of the very latest Sony and Nokias are not able to be unlocked yet (for instance Nokia N95 only this month)

Ray O'Light · #21 30-11-2007, 05:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsey

To be honest, I wouldn't buy a new thai mobile. They are no cheaper, and if it packs up, the guarantee will be no good to you. Why not just pay £10 and unlock your own? It will accept all UK sims then.

If you need a new mobile, get a new one on ebay (preferably unlocked BTW O2 phones will accept any UK simcard), get it unlocked at a shop or your local market and you are ready to use a thai sim.

Be careful however that some of the very latest Sony and Nokias are not able to be unlocked yet (for instance Nokia N95 only this month)

Sounds like the thing to do, tho' I've got a Sony K800i.

Ray O'Light · #22 08-01-2008, 02:13

So I recently bought a cheap used Nokia phone/sim card in LOS. My first attempt to use it to phone a number in Bangkok(to reconfirm my flight) had a recorded message saying, "this number has not been registered with the GSM(?) network" and so I couldn't get through. I dialled the exact same number with my usual phone from the UK and got through no problem?????????
I had no problem phoning back to the uk with the new phone, though, so it does work.