david1984 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Hi all. I've read many people swap out SIM cards on their phones while in LOS. On my first trip I didn't want to hassle with it. Getting ready for my next trip & definitely want to have a local phone. Is it easy to just get a prepaid phone, load it with minutes, and dump it when you leave. Nothing fancy, just a simple flip brick w/ voice & texting. Where would be the best place to get, MBK or any of the malls? Thanks 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EyeMahk Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Yes, you can pick one up in MBK for less than 1000 baht, they'll put the SIM in and get it going. Ask around. Go for the smallest and cheapest one for this purpose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxpharm Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 What's the point of dumping it when you leave? Just as simple to keep it and even cheaper just to buy a new sim card on your next visit. MBK has a floor of mobile phone shops and the used ones can be very inexpensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
360 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Get an entry level smart phone and make it your dedicated Thai phone. They're $100 - $130 and will enable you to have Line, TF, Badoo, email and a basic camera on you at all times. Tools of the trade my friend. You won't regret it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Or bring an old phone from home if you have one handy and get it unlocked when you arrive and then get a Thai sim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kahuna Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 If you bring an old phone from home to unlock make certain that it is a tri or quad band phone otherwise it won't work in Thailand.......... Most cheap USA phones are not tri or quad band phones.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1984 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks for the info guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EyeMahk Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nice-GSM-Unlocked-Tri-Band-Nokia-3120-Sturdy-Basic-Bar-Phone-ATT-T-Mobile-Telcel-/321637460145?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item4ae31628b1 $23 including shipping, saves you a trip to MBK. Some other Nokia 3120s are on ebay for similar price. Girls see you carrying this phone, they probably will accept a lower price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Or you can get a dual SIM phone and only need to have one phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trenton42 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Get an entry level smart phone and make it your dedicated Thai phone. They're $100 - $130 and will enable you to have Line, TF, Badoo, email and a basic camera on you at all times. Tools of the trade my friend. You won't regret it. A really good idea! Also a good idea to get one that has GPS. Can't tell you how many times I left some girl's apartment at 4AM and couldn't remember how to get back to my hotel. It also helps to find a girl's place when they send their location. Entry level Androids are cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Or you can get a dual SIM phone and only need to have one phone. Or you can get a dual SIM phone and only need to o have one phone. ok I only have one question about dual SIM phones (and maybe it's dumb one too) ,but I can understand how you choose which sim/phone number to receive calls on and return calls on but, how do you choose which number to make the initial call with without removing one of the sims, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 ok I only have one question about dual SIM phones (and maybe it's dumb one too) ,but I can understand how you choose which sim/phone number to receive calls on and return calls on but, how do you choose which number to make the initial call with without removing one of the sims, From a Nokia Asha 210 manual: You can set the default SIM card to use to make a call, send a message, or connect to the internet. If you name your SIMs, you can see at a glance which is, for example, for work and which is for personal use. 1. Select Menu > SIM mgr.. 2. To decide every time which SIM to use, select Ask every time. 3. Select SIM1 or SIM2 to set which SIM to use for which connection. Display indicators: You have unread messages sent to SIM1, SIM2, or both. You have unsent or failed messages from SIM1, SIM2, or both. etc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheekyCharlie Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Bring one from home. Get it cleared tom usr Thai sim. Go to 7/11 they will pop one in and set it up. Might have to smile and use a small bribe. When it runs out easy to top up. Thai sim no brainer. Also right get it with wifi and camera. you wont regret it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxpharm Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 If you bring an old phone from home to unlock make certain that it is a tri or quad band phone otherwise it won't work in Thailand.......... Most cheap USA phones are not tri or quad band phones.................. This is a very important point to remember if you want to bring a phone over from North America - it should be tri or quad band, or it will not work in Thailand since the frequencies are different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 thanks man,, I bought a knock - off dual sim Samsung in Bangkok 2 years ago but have yet to try it with a second card in yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeCat Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 This site explains the difference between worldwide frequencies http://www.cellularabroad.com/blog/3g-4g-and-lte-speeds-while-traveling-outside-of If you're in North/South America we have totally different freq than the rest of the world, and your phone will only work limited to one freq there most likely, so should just buy a burner phone. UK ppl can use their phones no prob for 3G but you don't want to get drunk and have your $600 Samsung/iphone stolen so a cheap phone is ideal. The only true commercial international phone is the Samsung S3 i9300 "International version" which will work on any carrier anywhere. You can also install special software on it, like GSM encryption monitoring to warn for Stingray towers https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.darshak&hl=en(ignore bad rating, idiots installed this on Galaxy notes and incompatible phone versions). This is the same phone Cryptophone GSMK uses and charges 4000 Euros for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 This is a very important point to remember if you want to bring a phone over from North America - it should be tri or quad band, or it will not work in Thailand since the frequencies are different. I actually have this problem the opposite way. My dual band Nokia works here in Asia but not back in the US. But I have a cheap quad band phone at home that I put my AIS SIM in when at home. AIS/12Call, and maybe other carriers, allows one to receive free international text messages if international roaming is turned on. But only receive is free. So I can do banking with my Kasikorn account which sends codes via SMS that are needed to bank online. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdogg Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 So I can do banking with my Kasikorn account which sends codes via SMS that are needed to bank online. Too bad Kasikorn doesn't allow email verification. I have email vericiation with the Yellow Bank but think i was grsndfathered in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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