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Do I Need To Pay For Phone Service If I Only Use Data ?


gawguy
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I have my Samsung Galaxy Prime phone. It's on the big, heavy side so I don't carry it. I use it only as a tablet, not a phone. I have a little phone.

 

The Prime is my first smart phone and when I bought it I bought 100 baht phone time, plus a data package. This is all Prepaid, cash over the AIS counter.

 

I get an irritating monthly message: Monthly fee of Calling Melody Service has been charged. You can continue to use this service. (WTF!? I didn't ask for that and I don't want to pay for it.)

 

I'm not sure what Calling Melody is but I'm guessing it is the melody a caller hears when they call you. Is that right? I didn't ask for it and I believe the fee is 35 baht/month.

 

Two questions:

1) Do I even need to pay for phone service. Will my data / internet work if my phone balance goes to zero?

 

2) If I pay for phone, can I get rid of the Calling Melody thing and not lose anything else? i.e., will the phone function work without it if I decide to use it? Or is this something AIS attaches automatically to a smart phone and won't work without it?

 

Thanks, Gaw Guy

(PS: Telling me I'm too stupid to own a smart phone won't be helpful. I didn't return it as was recently suggested, nor did I return my computer as was suggested by same at one point. I appreciate that I have a special fan, but as you can see, I continue to ask my questions, stupid or not. But if you really must bash...Up2U)

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I would guess you are not far from an AIS office. I've previously found that they were most helpful in understanding any queries i had regarding my phone service. That might be because it's their company but I guess there are no guarantees.

There is I think also a freephone service number you can call. English is an option and I've found them equally good at understanding how their service works and what you can and cannot do.

I'm sure they will sort you out promptly. Truly I doubt anyone here has the inside track on how AIS services work.

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AFAIK most asian cell phone providers will load you with extra services like calling melodies and pink frilly emotions on an opt out basis, i.e. you have to tell them you don't want them.

 

Even with my limited language abilities I've found the best approach is to confront a pretty and nervous service girl at the phone companies offices and point at the offending service on the phone, whilst uttering "Mai Ow" (Thailand) or "Bor Ow" (Laos) this usually works and has the tangential result of flushing the nervous and pretty girl's complexion.

 

Hope this helps.

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My AIS phone used to connect to the AIS website automatically when pressing the web button on the phone.On there were all the details of the various phone and data plans,also how to unsubscribe to the calling melody.Easy really.I found the 99 bt. data add-on quite usefull for casual net useage while out and about.Unfortunately they keep changing the promotions ,so its probably different now :dunno:

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My AIS phone used to connect to the AIS website automatically when pressing the web button on the phone.On there were all the details of the various phone and data plans,also how to unsubscribe to the calling melody.Easy really.I found the 99 bt. data add-on quite usefull for casual net useage while out and about.Unfortunately they keep changing the promotions ,so its probably different now :dunno:

 

Thank you. I don't have an AIS phone and I had already looked at AIS website on my laptop, but really couldn't sort it out. Your response prompted me to look for AIS app, which I found and installed and it displayed all my info without log in. Previously I wasn't able to get the AIS internet website to display my data usage. I'm sure I will be able to do everything else I need to on my own via the app.

 

Thanks to all for all the responses.

GG

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You want to know how stupid I am. When I came over for a year starting at the end of 2012, I unlocked an old iphone to use. Prior to that had always used cheap throw away phones on 2 or 3 week trips. But for the long trip - definitely wanted access to email, sms, twitter, and a camera in my hands.

 

Went to AIS and showed the phone and said I wanted a phone plan that included data (email and net access). They said no problem. I asked if I could be on a monthly billed plan (not prepay), they asked for work permit - GAH! nope don't have one of those - so had to go prepay.

 

So I got my SIM, tested it out - everything worked good - data was faster than I thought it would be. Fuck yeah. Went home, and a after a couple calls my phone minutes were dead, finito. wtf. Data still worked though.

 

Was still new in country, spoke very little Thai. Around this time was meeting KS at Central to deliver some small stuff I brought over from the states. I asked him to help out. We showed the phone to the AIS people (different store though) and they were confused. FINALLY it dawned on one of the clerks that I had prepaid just data only (there were a few phone minutes given to you with the SIM, that's why it worked at first, but I kept telling them i prepaid a data and voice plan because that's what I thought - but I was wrong - it was just a misunderstanding when I set it up). So, I then prepaid voice minutes separate. WHAT A DUMB ASS. (me).

 

Here's the interesting thing. After a few weeks I was drunk and left that phone in a taxi. Bye bye (the asshole driver actually answered when I had someone call the number later that evening, he didn't like my offer of 2k baht to get the phone back).

 

Soooo, I went and bought a new iPhone. At this point I made it crystal fucking clear that I wanted both data and voice. The sales lady asked if I had my passport -- yep. She asked if I had a Bangkok mailing address... yep. She then suggested I get on a monthly billed plan as it was cheaper with higher data limits. No work permit needed. WTF again. Anyway the plan was good and I kept it till the day I left, something like 20$USD a month (just no int'l coverage - hello skype, line, and whatsapp).

 

What's the moral of the story you might ask?

 

Same moral as always. Chaos is the underpinning law of nature. :)

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