Mobile Phone Advice

[Guest]

Well my first smart phone was a Huawei, then I moved onto one of the better Samsung's.

 

I can see the argument for getting a cheaper model. 

Despite my intentions to lock everything in the safe, after offing the same person for the 4th time, I'm leaving the phone out. 

Then the same person is causing lots of problems with a friend, so perhaps my trust was misplaced.

 

I think there would be 2 rational approaches to buying a cheaper phone:

1  Check the website reviews in your home country.   Plus check Amazon reviews, including the percentage of the 1* it broke variety.   Then buy the phone in your home country, as you know where to get a good price and you can enjoy the consumer protection legislation.

2  If buying in Thailand, look for cheap brand the bar boys use and get the same model. 

 

Buying in your home country is probably the better idea.

[LAguy]

 

I think there would be 2 rational approaches to buying a cheaper phone:

1  Check the website reviews in your home country.   Plus check Amazon reviews, including the percentage of the 1* it broke variety.   Then buy the phone in your home country, as you know where to get a good price and you can enjoy the consumer protection legislation.

2  If buying in Thailand, look for cheap brand the bar boys use and get the same model. 

 

Buying in your home country is probably the better idea.

 

That probably makes the most sense... Find a cheap phone here that's unlocked and just buy a sim in Thailand... Thanks, not sure why I never thought of that!

[Gaybutton]

What kind of cheap phone would you guys recommend I pick up in Thailand?  I assume an Android something, but have no idea about what you can get that works for Apps like Line and Hornet, etc...

 

Those apps, and others too, have always worked for me, and I've had several phones in Thailand - all Android.  The hook-up apps I like worked even on a counterfeit phone I naively bought one time.  That phone was bought at Tuk Com and lasted about 5 months before going into its death throes.

 

I haven't seen Pattayamale on the boards in quite some time, but I'd like to take moment to thank him.  Several years ago when I bought my first smartphone and was totally clueless about how to use it, Pattayamale spent a lot of time, along with patiently taking a lot of annoying calls from me when I was still confused, showing me how to use it and take advantage of all the features - many of which I didn't even know existed.

 

All kinds of advice and suggestions on this topic - all good.  Let us know what you decide to do and whether you end up satisfied with the decision you make.

[ChristianPFC]

You can transfer balance or validity between SIM cards of the same operator. For AIS, it costs 3 Baht per transaction and you can transfer up to 20 days. Find someone who lives here and has more validity than he needs, and have him transfer excess validity to your phone.

 

It seems 7/11 recently changed their system for top up by slip. Last week, in several branches, first they told me the system has a failure, but finally I learnt the minimum amount for top up is now 300 Baht. (AIS, I always use slip, don't like the scratch cards.)

[1moRussian]

Thanks for info, Christian. Was it BKK with these 300 baht top-ups or PTT?

[Guest]

300 baht ?

 

That buys a lot of call time in Thailand AND it's equivalent to the daily minimum wage, so I don't see how Thai customers would stand for that.

 

My last SIM had an unlimited internet package and about 100 baht of call credit.    After 2.5 weeks, I still had most of the call credit left.  

My SIM was from True & they have top up machines by their shops.

[Gaybutton]

 I learnt the minimum amount for top up is now 300 Baht. (AIS, I always use slip, don't like the scratch cards.)

 

I don't know where you got that from, but I'm in 7-Elevens very frequently and quite often see people buying slips for as little as 50 baht.  Just yesterday I was behind a woman buying a 50 baht slip.

 

Don't you have a Thai bank account?  You can top up, again for as little as 50 baht, at any ATM.  You can also top up via online banking.

 

I use DTAC.  If you have a Thai friend, you can also choose to use a subscription rather than top up.  That's what I do.  I don't have to top up at all.  I simply receive a monthly bill via Email and I pay it via online banking.  The reason I mention a Thai friend is because for whatever reason, they won't sell a subscription to a farang unless he has a work permit.  A Thai friend was perfectly willing to take out a subscription for me in his name and let me have the SIM card.  That's how it works with DTAC.  I went with the subscription about 10 years ago.  I still have the same phone number and I've never had any problems.

 

I would imagine other companies have a similar system available.  If I remember correctly, several years ago Geezer told me he has a subscription with AIS and also receives a monthly bill.  AIS is 1-2-Call.

 

With a subscription you also don't have to be surprised by the bill you receive.  If you have a subscription, one of the items on your Contacts list will be "Billing."  You can tap on that any time and a message appears showing you how much your bill is up to that moment.  There is no charge for that and you can check as often as you wish.

 

When I pay online, I instantly receive a text message from DTAC verifying the bill has been paid.  If you don't have online banking, you can also pay the bill at any bank or ATM.

[ChristianPFC]

1moRussian: The 300 Baht was in Ubon Ratchathani, Sri Saket and Bangkok.

 

Gaybutton: that was my personal experience in 4 branches, as describes in my previous post.

[Gaybutton]

 

Gaybutton: that was my personal experience in 4 branches

 

In that case, unless you want to buy 300 baht or more, find a different way to buy top up time.  I can't speak to anything other than what I see for myself in Pattaya and, as I said, I haven't needed to buy top up time in 10 years - but I do see others buying it and at least where I am, you can buy in 50 baht increments starting with 50 baht.  I have no idea why it should be different in Bangkok or anywhere else. 

 

Have you tried stores other than 7-Elevens?  Have you tried with an ATM?  Have you tried with online banking?  I don't know how they're expecting the average Thai to part with 300 baht for telephone time.  Many can't afford it and 300 baht is as much, or more, than many make for a full day's work.

 

Sometimes I use online banking to buy top up time for some of my Thai friends.  With online banking you can buy as little as 50 baht.

 

A few weeks ago, when we encountered each other in the Malaysia Hotel parking lot, that same day I bought a 1-2-Call SIM card for a Thai friend.  The 7-Eleven on the corner was out of SIM cards.  The mobile phone-pawn shop just up the street had plenty of SIM cards.  When I bought the card I also bought time for the card - 100 baht.  There was no problem and no mention of a 300 baht minimum.

 

By the way, just today I bought the "pro" version of one of my mobile phone apps.  I don't know if this is available with top up rather than subscription, but one of the options was to pay for it via DTAC billing.  That's how I paid for it.  The conversion from the free version to the "pro" version was instant.  First I received an OTP (One Time Password).  After entering it, I then received a confirmation from Google Play and another one from DTAC.  The purchase price will appear on my next bill from DTAC.

[paulsf]

I just ran into this situation. I buy 1-2 call at the 7-11 across the street from my apartment in Bangkok. I usually get 100.

I went in earlier this week and they told me they only have 300 baht top up. There was a line of people so I didn't stay to ask about it. I went a block over to Family Mart and they had 100 or 200 cards.

I'm trying to find out but have language issues. Only the manager speaks some English and I haven't seen him this week.

[Alexx]

I think the confusing part might be that 7/11 offers three kinds of top-ups for one and the same service: a classic scratch card (obviously, whenever a certain denomination is sold out at a branch, it cannot be purchased at that branch anymore), what they call "slip" (a code printed on their regular cash register printer) and finally what they call "online" (you tell them your number, they top up your credit online).

 

Maybe they've increased the minimum amount for "slip" to 300 baht and only offer "online" for lower amounts now? I'm using online banking as mentioned by Gaybutton, so that's just a guess.

[Gaybutton]

 

Maybe they've increased the minimum amount for "slip" to 300 baht

 

I have a feeling that's exactly what 7-Eleven has done, at least in Bangkok.  It seems to me this 300 baht minimum for a slip is something 7-Eleven came up with for whatever their reasons are.  It's not coming from 1-2-Call - not since you can still buy time for as little as 50 baht.

 

Is anyone encountering this 300 baht minimum, whether in a 7-Eleven or not, anywhere other than Bangkok?

[ChristianPFC]

A few weeks ago, when we encountered each other in the Malaysia Hotel parking lot, that same day I bought a 1-2-Call SIM card for a Thai friend.  The 7-Eleven on the corner was out of SIM cards.  The mobile phone-pawn shop just up the street had plenty of SIM cards.  When I bought the card I also bought time for the card - 100 baht.  There was no problem and no mention of a 300 baht minimum.

Sometimes I use online banking to buy top up time for some of my Thai friends.  With online banking you can buy as little as 50 baht.

 

The change was after we met. Recently, in Walking Street Pattaya, the same, cashier told me 100 Baht slips are sold out (scratch card can sell out, but the slip is generated at moment of transaction, I assume), so I took 100 Baht scratch card.

 

For me no problem topping up three times a month 100 Baht or once per month 300 Baht. There are machines where you pay with coins, I guess they allow top up less than 50 Baht.

 

 

I'm trying to find out but have language issues. Only the manager speaks some English and I haven't seen him this week.

 

Of course at the 7/11 counter you will not get "(7/11 or AIS) changed their system for mobile phone top-up by slip to a minimum amount of 300 Baht per transaction" from staff, but "finished", "sold out", "system error" or similar and draw your conclusions.

[Guest]

With all due respect, if the minimum 7-Eleven top up has increased to 300 baht, well just go elsewhere.

 

I figure most tourists have no need to add that much credit, so just go to Family Mart or the phone company store/machine or use your Thai bank account. 

My list is almost certainly missing a few options.

[Gaybutton]

My list is almost certainly missing a few options.

 

One missing option is any phone shop can also sell top-up time.

[Guest Promsak]

 but the connection for speaking is usually bad.

 

You must be really unlucky with your connection.

Here in the centre of Bangkok, voice, video and chat quality that I get is excellent. For voice often better than a normal SIM connection.

That goes for local and international.

As you say both parties have to have the app.

 

LINE is the preferred app. here in Thailand amongst the locals but Europe seems to go for WhaatsApp. I think WhaatsApp is more secure; the U.K. government tried to ban it because, along with Blackberry, they were unable to crack it.

 

Personally, I prefer LINE; it seems somehow more user friendly.

[Gaybutton]

You must be really unlucky with your connection.

 

Apparently so.  Every time I used it the connection was terrible.  I uninstalled it.

 

What about others?  Is anyone else using LINE in Thailand, especially in Pattaya?  What kind of quality are you getting?

[ChristianPFC]

With all due respect, if the minimum 7-Eleven top up has increased to 300 baht, well just go elsewhere.

 

I figure most tourists have no need to add that much credit, so just go to Family Mart or the phone company store/machine or use your Thai bank account. 

My list is almost certainly missing a few options.

We haven't figured out yet if the 300 Baht minimum is set by 7/11 or phone company. Good idea, I will try family mart or elsewhere other than 7/11 to find out.

 

I use Line for voice or video chat, in video often poor quality, voice is ok most of the time.

 

Line is awful when it comes to back-up, I lost my entire chat history several times after logging out accidentally and logging in again (Line recognized the same phone as new device and there was no other choice than log in and lose all chat history). I have heard Whatsapp is much better, but have no personal experience.

[Guest]

I expect the 300 baht minimum tip will be limited to 7-Eleven and possibly just a few dumb 7-Eleven franchisees.  Perhaps there is not enough profit in it for them.

 

As  for the mobile phone company doing it.   Well, ruling out complete stupidity, the only other way the mobile phone company would implement 300 baht miniumum top ups would be if almost all of the customers have already moved onto other methods of payment & they just need to nudge the remaining few onto a cheaper method of payment. 

I didn't think Thailand was that far down the road to a cashless society.  I might be wrong though.

[Gaybutton]

I expect the 300 baht minimum tip will be limited to 7-Eleven

 

I think you're right.  I just now checked my online banking to make sure.  Top-ups are still available at 50 baht increments.  A 50 baht top up choice is still there and available.

 

The only one saying anything about a 300 baht minimum is ChristianPFC.  Has anyone else been told that at a 7-Eleven or anywhere else?

[paulsf]

I was told 300 at the 7-11 across the street from my apartment in Bangkok.

[firecat69]

Funny how different people have different concerns. My trips are always at least 30 days , I make sure I leave enough money on my phone so that when I arrive i just call and activate unlimited 1 month data plan and a message package etc. Usually costs me 500 baht for everything for 1 month with DTAC. Simple call where they speak excellent English and that is the last time I think about my phone or waste my time going to 7/11's and buying time.

 

That is about 1/5 the cost of the same package would cost me in the USA. I check my balance the day before I leave and make sure to add enough so that when I land in BKK it takes 3 minutes for my phone to have all that I need for 30 days.

 

I suppose if I have a heart attack in the USA, I will have wasted leaving that amount on my phone. But in that case that small amount of money would be the least of my problems.

[Guest]

I hardly see it as a concern either.  I'll typically buy a 1 month data plan from the mobile phone company shop. 

If the staff failed to leave me with more than 100 baht call credit  I'll top it up to over 100 baht on the machine at the store & that's usually done for the month.

However, in the unlikely event a 7-Eleven franchisee tried to make me buy a 300 baht top up, I would be walking out.

[Gaybutton]

Funny how different people have different concerns

 

For me it's more of a surprise rather than a concern.  Personally, I couldn't care less what a farang in Thailand for a holiday has to spend topping up.  Compared to how much their holiday costs, I doubt how much they spend for telephone calls is going to be a major financial burden.

 

My surprise is that 7-Eleven is doing this at all.  I don't see how they expect the majority of their Thai customers to be able to afford a 300 baht minimum.  The only reason that makes any sense to me would be if it's costing 7-Eleven more to accommodate small amount top ups more than they are making from them.  Then again, making sense is not necessarily a factor in Thailand.

 

In any case, for those - Thai or farang - who want to top up for as little as 50 baht, it's certainly easy enough to do that other than in 7-Elevens.

[ChristianPFC]

Recently, I was told no slip available at all.

 

We are witnessing a major change, and you heard it here first, from me!

 

I wonder if 7/11 sells 300 Baht phone credit and you pay 300 Baht, where do they make their money? Do they get it cheaper from the phone company? When I pay bills, 7/11 usually charges me 10 Baht.

 

I did my first top-up at ATM, it worked! But you have to know your phone number, which I did not for my data SIM. For AIS, dial *545# to get your phone number.