Thai SIM and internet

I will be arriving in Bangkok on October 11. I will need to buy a new SIM card but this time I want internet included. I usually use the AIS desk at the airport.
Can anyone give me any info on the best deal for my two week visit.
Thank you

Andrew

I usually just look at the offers at each providers service counter in arrivals at the airport. There all much of a muchness pricewise

This link gives you some idea of prices. 599 baht for unlimited 4G internet for two weeks and 100 baht call credit.

DTAC packages HERE

All info. is useful. Thank you.

Have checked out AIS and confirmed your info. I know what to do now.

I wonder why people use tourist packages - they're grossly overpriced. Just pick any prepaid add-on you like for half-price. I'm using DTAC's 1.5Gb + free FaceBook for 199 baht, valid for 30 days (USSD code asterisk-104-asterisk-853-asterisk-9#)

Interesting but where do I buy this package which has to include a new SIM

Any 7/11 or FamilyMart (they'll ask for id of any sort), costs 49 baht. Buy a SIM card, put money on it, activate the plan you like yourself (with USSD code).
I'm not sure about airports - they probably don't sell no-BS SIM cards (I mean ones without some stupid tourist packet already activated)

Some mob used to give away free sim cards at the airport. All you' d need to do would be to add credit.

I remember those, only a 2-3 years ago - but they didn't ask for ID which is now a requirement so that might be the difference.

Paul

I am sure that tourist packages are not over paid. When I check DTAC for one month prepaid for tourist with 3 GB it is the same.

The reason people pay the premium is the convenience. You get the whole thing at your point of arrival and the staff speak god english (phone related English anyway) and set it up for you. If you only in the country for two or thee weeks it saves the hassle of waiting until you,re in town, finding a 7-11 or a Family Mart and trying to communicate what you want to someone, who in all likelihood doesn't speak your language. Obviously if your there for a long time or permanently you would just buy a sim and top up as you needed or get a monthly contract.

As every where in the world convenience comes at a cost

AIS English language call center is good and usually you don't have to wait until it's your turn.

You can buy a SIM in a 7/11, call the AIS service center and have them set it up for you.

Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated

"finding a 7-11 or a Family Mart" - sounds like you've never been to Thailand ;) This day and age It's hard to find a spot from where you can't see a couple of those. Buying a SIM card and topping it up is easily doable with zero English/Thai language skills - just show 'em your phone

I'm not sure about airports - they probably don't sell no-BS SIM cards (I mean ones without some stupid tourist packet already activated)

Correct! The DTAC desk at Suvarnabhumi only sell the tourist sims. So we tried at the Family Mart and 7-11 to buy a normal DTAC sim. They had them on display but the girls behind the counter said they couldn't sell them to me because I was a foreigner.

The funniest thing was, we went to the DTAC centre in Samui, the people there behind the counter said they couldn't sell a normal 4G sim to us either. Then proceeded to take us to the little repair shop next door and explained what we wanted to the guy, hey presto! we had a sim. Only in Thailand, hey?!

I stuck a 1-2-C sim card in my Huawei tablet and it sent everything except my apps into Thai. Managed to get everything back to English but just have to work out how to configure the damn phone on it.

#14 I've been going for 35 years. For many people just getting a tourist sim deal is the easiest and costs bugger all in reality when you consider flight costs etc

Hi guys,

I'm sure this is probably a stupid question however would a sim card that I buy in Thailand then work in Indonesia too?

That whole tourist sim is bollocks. Supposedly location services cannot be turned off on those sims, or at least that was the plan.

I use the same sim for the past 13 years already, and whilst I did have to register the thing twice, it is a normal sim, no dodgy tourist sim.

Possibly the best value for money package on AIS is the 99 baht internet 7 GB for 7 days. Call 1175 to apply, as I don't seem to be able to find the code needed to apply for the package.

@robbiemacgregor That sim card will work in Indonesia, providing you enable international roaming. Personally I wouldn't bother and buy a local sim there as well, you will probably be paying through the nose.

Oh by the way 7-11 doesn't sell or top up AIS anymore, so you will need to go to family mart if you go AIS (which IS still the best provider in Thailand).

Good to know about AIS because that's what I have and will be back in Thailand in another week or so and will need to do a top up. Keep getting messages in Thai presumably telling me I have no credit.

Big C and Thai portal service should be possible to top up, too, according to this list:
http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/prepaid-etopup.html
Plus there are some AIS kiosks (small ATM like machines) around now, too, albeit not that many or use your Thai bank card at an ATM if you have one.

Messages in Thai or setup problems call their English speaking hotline, they do provide good service.

Can go to local massage parlour if I thought them important enough to translate before leaving home.

Now that finally explains the vast number of massage parlours all over Thailand!
:-)

I think westwood is talking about massage parlours in NZ ("before leaving home" ie in NZ).
Paul

I realize that.
I was thinking about all the foreigners in the massage parlours in Thailand. After all they still need to translate their messages...

Actually the important ones are in English (I haven't used AIS specifically) the crappy ones are in Thai (usually some sort of advertising) and can be ignored.
Paul

The crappy ones can be stopped, too, by the customer service.
But then the massage parlours would be out of business...

Rotorua, New Zealand. Haven't left home yet.

You live in Rotorua ! Must be great.
Paul

Seems like the mountains are spread ing the cold our way. Never had a winter here. Was in Thailand this time last year but out of here in 10 days. But yea, great place to live.

At #19, AIS; use the ""777"" ("star" 777 "star") then the code
5 days 7gb full speed 99 baht 7136#
7 days 1mb unlimited 99 baht 7138#
7 days 5gb 99 baht 7069#
10 days 2gb 139 baht 7053#
15 days 10gb 199 baht 7071#
15 days unlimited 512k 168 baht 7009#
30 days 2gb 239 baht 7064#
30 days 3gb 399 baht 7065#
30 days 4gb 450 baht 9066#

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