Mobile Phone Advice

[Guest Promsak]

AS I said before --- Telewiz told me that I can do multiple 20 Baht topups in a Telewiz Or AIS shop.

She said that the minimum in a 7-11 is 50 Baht. 

[Guest naughtybutnice]

With both DTAC and AIS (1-2Call ) you can activate International Roaming and top up via their website for any amount from 100Bath.

 

Also if you buy top-up scratch cards from any mom and pop shop before you leave Thailand you can use those to top up from your phone anywhere in the world.

 

DTAC also have the 'Jai Dee' giveaway service so you can transfer up to 200Baht a time between any DTAC numbers, useful if you want to top up a friends phone.

[orson]

Dtac has minimum 60 baht in 7-11. It is the one where you enter your number in a keypad. Also the maximum extension for dtac is 90 days only.

[1moRussian]

regarding 1-2-call, Suvanabum, April:

- AIS shop at 3 floor: I've tried 20 and was told "50 baht minimum",

- Family Mart: 50 baht scratch cards

- 7/11 at the train floor: I was told 50, 100, etc (didn't top up there, as already got enough money for an Internet option).

[witty]

I've been using dtac prepaid for more than three years now (same number & sim card). I usually top up at 7-eleven or dtac store 100 baht each time. And I always got 365 days extension. I visit Thailand regularly.

[orson]

How did you get 365 days extension mr. Witty?

[kokopelli]

Not sure how it works with dtac but with AIS/12Call you can get up to 365 day extension by several methods. One is that you get extra days for each 100 Baht (or other amount) put onto phone or by "buying" 30 day extensions which can accumulate up to 365 days. The max extension is 365 days. 

[DivineMadman]

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?

I use Line here in BKK and back in the States.  Video chat/calls no problems.  I was also pretty happy with the quality in Laos when just using hotel or restaurant wifi connections.  There is a workaround for Android phones that lets you avoid losing your entire chat history when you change phone numbers (i.e., change sim cards), but I don't believe there is one for IOS, which is my #1 pet peeve as far as Line is concerned.   

 

Board member Paulsf clued me into Wechat, which has a very easy translation function so you don't have to copy and paste and I like the interface as well.  

 

I deleted WhatsApp when Facebook bought it, just because I don't want Facebook taking over everything.

[1moRussian]

So, Pattaya, AIS shop at the basement floor, cash-machine (anti-ATM):

- feeded it with 20s, got a month of validity period for each 20,

- then, put inside a 50 banknote and made 2 transaction by 20 baht each (2 months more),

- but could not have done anything with remaining 10 baht,

- today put inside two more 20s and to my surprise saw "10 baht credit" from yesterday,

- added 10 baht in coins and got another 20 and another month of validity.

So it's 12 months of validity at my SIM.

 

Thanx for advice

 

 

[TomNg]

Hey 1moRussian,

 

Am I missing something here? The more money you top up your phone, the shorter the validity for your balance. The last balance of 107.58 only good through next month May 2016 ( not 2017) ???

[Guest abang1961]

Tom,

The British way of DDMMYYYY not MMDDYYYY.

[witty]

Four or five years ago I had my first Dtac prepaid SIM card. A year later Dtac introduced the 3g services. I went to the Dtac office in Udon Thani with my passport in hand and the staff did the registration for me, choosing a random address in Silom Bangkok for me. That's how I got my 3g SIM registration and a 365 days validity with any top up. By the way, I usually top up a minimum of 100 baht at 7eleven or Dtac counter.

[1moRussian]

That's European calendar system - it was 5th November 2016, actually. And now it's 4th April 2017

[Nasherich]

Depends on the date format. More likely 5th November?

[ChristianPFC]

Just when I thought I have figured it out, I got a slip with 100 Baht for 1-2-call in a 7/11 in Uthai Thani!

Whereas elsewhere (see previous posts) I was told no slips at all or minimum 300 Baht.

[Gaybutton]

I got a slip with 100 Baht for 1-2-call in a 7/11 in Uthai Thani!

Whereas elsewhere (see previous posts) I was told no slips at all or minimum 300 Baht.

 

Maybe whatever is going on with this 300 baht minimum is happening only in Bangkok, and only in 7-Elevens.

[Guest]

Maybe whatever is going on with this 300 baht minimum is happening only in Bangkok, and only in 7-Elevens.

 

From what I read, 7-Eleven is a franchise operation.   

This policy might just be limited to a greedy franchise operator with a few stores.

 

Anyway, there are more important things in life to worry about.  If 7-Eleven don't offer reasonable service, just go elsewhere. Thankfully capitalism gives us all that kind of choice.   

[Guest whall]

Think I would be going for the proper shops rather than the stalls on the higher floors of Tuk Com. Maybe a simple old fashioned phone, or a Chinese branded smartphone rather than a fake Korean/American brand.

 

Also, as far as possible, I like to travel with zip pockets on trousers and shorts.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/craghoppers-kiwi-pro-stretch-active-trousers-p266169

It's a challenge to balance practicality with style.

[Guest whall]

Zip pockets! What a great idea actually.

[kokopelli]

Great looking pants with those zipped pockets. I have golf shorts with zipped pockets and they are the best. Will buy Craghoppers for next visit. Thanks for the info.

[Gaybutton]

 If 7-Eleven don't offer reasonable service, just go elsewhere.

 

And especially in Bangkok, there are plenty of 'elsewheres,' probably just a few steps from just about any 7-Eleven.

 

I have no idea why any 7-Elevens would want to set a 300 baht minimum to top up mobile phones.  Whatever the reason possibilities may be, this being Thailand, whichever reason makes the least sense - that's probably it . . .

[Alexx]

For what it's worth, I purchased a 50 baht 12call "slip" at a 7/11 in Central Bangkok today. I'm none the wiser why they seem to be unavailable at some 7/11 stores in Bangkok...

[ChristianPFC]

I had a 100 Baht slip twice in central Bangkok, and a scratch card minutes after at a 7/11 just 100 m further from the one where I got the slip, because they had no slips. It all doesn't make much sense.

[biguyby]

I have a True Move SIM topups 20 baht 50 baht and 90 baht

 

I don't use data just phone a texts 3.5 baht a minute for calling UK numbers and 3 baht per text to UK Thai numbers cost very little few satang a minute.