If your going to make repeat visits and you want to find an easier way to contact your ladies, this is a decent idea. Cost is about4,500-6,000 baht for the phone and varied free minutes (140-900) Will set you back about $120. Will save you the time of having to use hotel phones or pay phones but also gives psycho bar girls the ability to track you down. In other words, get their numbers to set up dates but don't give them yours.

I kind of like the idea of renting one every trip, that way I have a new cell number!
I found out the hard way about those psycho bar girls. I had 3 different ones call while I was with other chicas. Man they get pissed and hang up quick when they figure out you have company!
I highly reccommend accumulating a nice list of phone numbers though - you never know when you'll find yourself shut out at 2am and its good to know that relief is just a BKK booty call away...

drew

If you have a cell phone that you don't use anymore and it has a SIM card. Most of the dealers will now replace the SIM card and have you hooked up for about 500 baht ($10) which includes minutes. You can get a SIM card for international calls for about 1500 baht ($33). Prevents dealing with untrustworthy pay phones and overcharging of hotels. One call to Bangkok can cost you 300 baht sometimes.

What place do you recommend to rent a cell phone in BKK? I am looking to rent the actual phone along with the SIM card.

Thanks.

Check with your hotel Bkkguru. Most have a business center that can rent you a phone. On my first trip I rented one from the business center inside the Marriott, and it wasnt too expensive.

drew

Do they still rent phones at the airport and what about MBK ?

Yes, they do at BKK, not sure about MBK. Also you can buy a phone for about $80 with a free month of service/coverage.

Are the cell phones used by pre-paid cards and how much for calls to the US.
Do they use non-sim phones such as CDMA/TDMA type phones?

CN

The phones are all GSM with sim cards. You can buy cards for local minutes. I do not think International service is available on cell phones. I could be wrong about that though --never asked.

One-2-Call www.one-2-call.com is one of the major telephone network providers in Thailand. The sim card costs about 600 baht ($15) including loads of free units. Buy at MBK or Pantip in Bangkok, or any phone shop.

Refill cards are available in 300 and 500 baht denominations, sold at many shops including 7-11. International calls are now a standard feature of this network. The cost for a call to Europe is about 30 Baht ($ .75) per minute.

On the downside, the instruction book is all in Thai, and their helpdesk struggled to help me with a simple query that I had. Also I think that there are different regions. If you buy your sim card in ChiangMai, and use the phone in the Bangkok / Pattaya region, the calls will cost more than if you had purchased the sim card in Bangkok.

If I bring my own cell phone...can I just take its SIM card out and put one I buy in BKK while I am there?

I am sorry if this is an ignoramus question but I am clueless re this.

Thanks!

Probably not, Concarne. Few phones work in all regions (unless you paid a premium for it). Me? I just bought a used phone at MBK when I arrived. Cost me less than 2k.

Concarne,

You can if both of the following two conditions are met:

1. Your phone is not "locked" to a particular provider. If it is, you will need to contact your provider (like T-mobile, ATT, Cingular, etc) and get them to unlock the phone for you for use on other networks. The usually entails entering an unlock code when inserting a foreign sim card. Your provider unlocking your phone for you all depends on your current agreement and how long you have been a customer. Criteria probably varies by provider. T-Mobile won’t do it unless you have been with them for 90 days. I called and got them to unlock my phone for me anyway though because I threatened to walk under my 14 day “buyer’s remorse” period.

2. Your phone works on the GSM frequencies in that country. Check your phone specifications to find out which frequencies it runs on then go to
http://www.celluloco.com/products/customer/pages.php?pageid=18 to see if the frequencies listed in that country match your phone.

A better page actually lists the individual providers like Smart in Philippines and AIS in Thailand.

I bought an AIS sim in Thailand, but all the instructions were in Thai so I had to have a girl at the internet cafe activate the phone for me. Perhaps one of the other providers like DTAC sells sim cards with instructions in English.

Concarne
ATT refused to unlock my cell phone so I bought one in Thailand . They are very cheap at Mah Boon Krong shopping center. About a thousand cell phone booths there at least.
My last trip I traded in old phone for a new Sanyo camera phone which is way better than my US phone. The greqt thing about cell phones in Thailand is they will buy back your old phone at a reasonable price.
I tried to put ATT SIM card in unlocked Thai cell phone and it will not work. Worked in Angeles City just fine. ATT says you can only use their phones with their SIM cards. Amazing-- I can use this phone almost anywhere in the world except at home ! In compasison to the rest of the world-- our cell service sucks big time !

I have a Palm Treo 600 (a PDA phone). It's a quad-band GSM phone, so it "should" work in Thailand or Philippines if I could only get the SIM unlocked. Of course, AT&T wouldn't unlock it for me. (I believe AT&T, Cingular & T-Mobile are being sued for this practice, btw.)

Question -- Could someone at MBK, for instance, unlock this phone? Should I just buy another phone in Thailand?

Instead of buying a new phone you can go to www.unlockitnow.com

They actually generate and give you the unlock codes for your phones based on your IMEI number.

The Motorola's were $45 to unlock so I had T-Mobile do it, but it is still better than renting our buying a new phone.

I would advise against having someone in a foreign country unlock your phone. They use a cable and hacking software to unlock it and this has been reported to occasionally damage the phone. Better to just use the unlock codes.

Whoops! Except for the Treo. They send you software to unlock that phone and you need to get a cable. I would research it a little. I only read briefly about the cable and software method versus the unlock codes, but what I read convinced me I didn't want to try it myself.

You read my mind -- aside from the issue of whether they could unlock the phone or not, I was concerned about damaging the rather expensive hardware in the process.

Frankly, I think I may be better off just buying a cheap phone over there.

Thanks for the info, though.

(Unfortunately, I didn't know about this "unlocking" business when I bought the Treo ... I thought I was getting an "international" phone that would work "everywhere.")

Sugardaddy

You're on the right track. The LAST thing you need is someone fucking up your expensive phone. Also, it's a LOT more likely to get damaged and/or stolen overseas.

Better off taking some baht to MBK and getting a nice, sturdy, used 3310 for $50. It'll be smaller and easier to carry around then your existing phone. Battery charge will last for days. Very simple and sturdy design.

E

Go to mytreo.net. They have the unlocking software there for free. I unlocked my phone and upgraded the firmware with no problem. It is pretty simple. Posted from my treo, btw. I love this phone.

A few things to consider:

1. There are a few sites that have free unlock code "calculators" for nokia phones. BUT make absolutely sure that you have input your exact nokia model, IMEI number, cell provider and country. Don't use a generic (for all types of phones) calculator.

2. The calculators spit out, say, 7 possible codes.

3. On most nokias, you only get 5 tries to unlock it. If you do not unlock it by the fifth try, the phone will no longer work at all unless unlocked with special software AND a cable. STILL, the sites say that the correct unlock code is almost always the first or seventh code. Worth trying, but if the first and seventh codes don't work, stop trying. Take it to an independent cell phone dealer to unlock.

4. Some phones, sony ericssons for instance, REQUIRE a special cable and a code to unlock them. The unlock code alone will NOT do it. Therefore, the cell company can't unlock it for you or provide you with just the code to unlock it. No matter how much you threaten or beg.

My recommendation? Do not buy your next cell phone direct from the cell company. Buy it from an independent cell dealer. In Southern Calif., there are tons. You will get the best deal on upgrading or changing your service AND usually the phone they sell you will be unlocked already or they will do it for you.

I recently bought a new Sony Ericsson and got it from the store already unlocked (put in my old sim card to confirm). Also unlocked my old nokia by myself using one of the free calculators (confirming this by testing on my new sim card - different providers).

good luck

Nokia ALSO ships their cell phones unlocked - it's the providers that lock 'em up.

Personally, I bought two cell phones - the same model - for use here and overseas. My Asia phone has about 100 numbers in it. I don't want to mix all those entries with my US phonebook.

I use the Nokia 6600. This phone is BIG but offers strengths you will not find with most smaller phones. It's got a pda-like interface, nice big screen and sending text/email messages is a SNAP!! Also, I found the camera to be surprising in that it took some good pics. I did not expect to get such quality from a cellphone camera.

E

Do the phones that work in BKK also work in the rest of the country, like Pattaya, Chang Mai, et al? Is a call between BKK and Pattaya considered long distance, whereby your call credits are zapped by a 3-minute call?
thanks

Same phone all over country. No long distance. A minute is a minute to call anywhere in LOS.

An interesting side note. My current phone is a Samsung SGH-E715. It is a bastardized Bi-mode 900mhz-1900mhz GSM phone. But it is not a true tri-mode phone since it lacks 1800mhz. This works fine in all of America on 1900Mhz and should work fine in all of SE Asia on 900mhz. In fact it does work great every where I went in Vietnam, Cambodia, and everywhere in Thailand from the Cambodian border all the way to somewhere between Pattaya and Bangkok. In fact everyplace works fine EXCEPT Bangkok. Using a One2Call SIM it won't register on AIS's 900Mhz network despite the fact there is a strong 900mhz signal and AIS ownes One2Call. This is not a technical limitation of the phone but somehow AIS forces One2Call SIM phones to use 1800mhz in Bangkok even though everywhere else it works fine on 900Mhz. It is even more frustrating because my US T-Mobile SIM even roams just fine in Bangkok on AIS's network but One2Call which IS AIS will not work on their own network. Like I said the same SIM and the same phone works great on AIS's 900mhz network in Pattaya and along the road to the Cambodian border. The real solution is if you want for sure coverage throughout most of the world make sure you have a true Tri-Mode phone that supports 900mhz, 1800mhz and 1900mhz GSM.

I have a Motorola V500 that I purchased on eBay at a good price. It is a quad band phone and worked great in Thailand using a One2Call SIM. I took some photos with that phone that I want to get off and into email and on CH. In the states I have a Tmobile To Go SIM. I thought I'd setup the MSS service using the following settings: http://support.t-mobile.com/knowbase/root/public/tm21387.htm?

Which states:

WAP GW IP address: 216.155.165.050
APN Name: wap.voicestream.com
Messaging Server: http://216.155.174.84/servlets/mms
Data Mode:Connection Oriented

But I can't for the life of me figure out where to put those settings into my phone. Tmobile support is no help because they don't sell the Motorola V500. Tmobile claims I've been setup for sending MMS messages. When I try I get a message saying that the initial setup hasn't been completed.

Q: What are my options for getting these photos out of my phone?

Does your phone connect to your PC with a USB cable, bluetooth, or infrared ?? If so I have a CD that came with my Motorola V3 Razor that I bought in Thailand ( called Mobile Phone Tools )that allows you to download pics to your computer or tweak a few settings on the phone. I have used it many times and it works fine.
PM or e mail me if you want me to mail you a copy of the CD. Anything to get good pics onto the site !!

KM, It supposedly does, but I don't have the cable(s) nor bluetooth device to do so. Tmobile & Motorola tech support were no help. Currently I have the office tech (also a CH member) working on the problem.

How about getting a SIM card in Pattaya? It will still work in Bangkok I would think.


Thanks,
CN

Ceenotes

Were you asking or answering a question ??

A Thai SIM card bought anywhere works all over the country .

KM,


Just want to make sure it works without boundaries.
Where in Pattaya can I purchase and activate a SIM card?

CN

Big C mall on Second road or Carrefour mall on Pattaya Klang ( Pattaya Central road } are your best bets. Get AIS 12Call - the best coverage and service- easiest to find reloads as well.

No need to activate - just slip it in if your phone is unlocked.
Boundaries are the reach of the signal throughout the country.

Thanks,
I'll make note of it.

CN

Can I buy a reasonably priced SIM card in BKK airport? Im flying in then flying directly to Koh Samui, so wont have time to shop in Bangkok before leaving for Samui. Id like to be able to use my triband phone in case I need to contact my friends who will already be in Samui, or the resort where I'll be staying.

Mangaman

Heading for LOS, currently in Argentina.
I've been seeing new cell phones here for about US$40. An example is the Motorola C115 GSM, with swapable SIM chip.
About two years ago the best deal I could get for less than 2,000 baht was a used, slightly-antiquated Nokia (in tech, antiquation can happen rapidly) at MBK.
Are similar prices for new phones currently available in Bkk? BTW, I'm not interested in a deal involving a calling plan.

Does anyone have advice on a place to get my Cingular Motorola V190 "go-phone" unlocked in Pattaya?

Thanks!

Bwana_dik - most shops can unlock the USA phones.
Try Big C top floor... I pay about 300baht.

Peace
NW

NW-

Thanks!

Paz,
BD

With a possible gotcha on the V190 depending on how long you had it. Allot of newer Motorola's cannot be unlocked with either generated codes or the old "smart clip" they use on most phones. Before you let some phone shop lackey play with your phone, turn it off and then hold down # * and the hang-up/power key until it comes back on in boot loader mode. Read the boot loader version.

Boot loader 08.29 or 0A.52 or 0.6.3.6 can NOT be unlocked with out skillfully disassembling the phone and shorting out a tiny "test point" on the circuit board and you do not want someone attempting that unless they really know what they are doing for real. It requires actual skill and knowledge to do without screwing up the phone. Judge for yourself if you think the guy really knows what he is talking about IF you have one of THOSE boot loader versions.

If it is any boot loader OTHER than 08.29 or 0A.52 or 0.6.3.6 it can be unlocked in 10 seconds by any old lackey who has access to a "smart clip". No skill required. Just access to the equipment. It mostly depends on how recently you got the phone what version you have.

Side note. New Motorola's are a bitch to unlock unless the provider gives you the code. Pros can do it easily but they have to be actually skilled unlike earlier models where anyone could do it if they had the equipment. OTOH most Nokias you can generate the codes yourself with readily available free code generators and anyone who can read instructions can unlock their own Nokia themselves for free. Rarely any need to pay anyone to unlock a Nokia.

Bwana Dik, just contact your cell provider requesting the unlock code, and they give it to you free of charge...at least T-Mobile did for my two last Motorolas.

If you travel internationally for mongering at least 3 times a year, you can buy unlocked Motorola Razr's and Krazr's on ebay that are brand new or some used ones. They are quad band I believe which means you can use them pretty much everywhere in the world. There is a huge inventory of the V-3 RAZR and they can be purchased for $75-$150. They will sell the shitty Nokia's for around the same price in Thailand and they arent nearly as nice as the Motorola flip phones.

Cingular won't unlock their phones (although I did get a cingular salesman to refer me to a local shop that would unlock mine on the sly). I understand T-mobile will, if you've had the service awhile.

Cingular will unlock after 90 days of service.

Actually, Cingular will give you the unlock code after 30 days if you beg a bit, and I actually got them to give me the unlock code after 1 day! I asked for a supervisor, sweet-talked her, and explained my travel plans on behalf of a charitable organization, and she approved it. I'm supposed to get the code in a few days. We'll see.

Unlocking Nokia's

It doesn't help with Motorola's any but for reference, here is where you can get free codes for Nokia's.

Everyone is right that your first best bet is to get the code from your provider if they will give it to you.

If they won't for some reason or if you get a Nokia elsewhere and need to unlock it, you can get free codes here.

http://unlock.nokiafree.org/
(doesn't work in Firefox, use Internet Explorer)

or

http://www.gsmliberty.net/shop/nokia_unlock.php

There are pretty good instructions here.

http://www.unlockme.co.uk/dct4free.html

(same procedure where ever you get your codes)

Read the instructions carefully and don't screw up. You only get 5 chances to unlock it with codes. If you fail 5 times due to not reading instructions it locks out any further code attempts and you will have to pay someone to unlock it.

That the way to do it for a Nokia.

I bought my novia in Medellin a Sony Z520i Unlocked Quad Band Cell phone and sent it to her for christmas on ebay. Unfortunatly the mail system in Colombia "sucks" and she never recieved it.