Mr Thaksin cut my line - or was it Orange?

[iuytrede]

Since Orange doesn't have a farang sponsor anymore (they are 100% Thai now), service has deteriorated badly. At peak hours it is very difficult to make a call. Calls are often interrupted because of a fading signal, that fits nicely into a pricing structure where the first minutes are the most expensive ones.

 

When today I couldn't call 4 people in a row (everybody"s mobile seemed to be switched off) I tried DTAC and could reach 3 of them. Thais then explained that this is not a problem of Orange, but AIS does not always accept calls from other providers (at least 2 of those 4 people use AIS). AIS rejected SMS fom other providers some weeks ago, now they reject calls. Mai pen rai.

 

But stupid farang that I am, I own a mobile to make phone calls, not just to show it off.

 

Are other's experiences with Orange and/or inter-network calls just as bad? Or did I just have a bad day?

Any suggestions how to make phone calls during peak hours? Buy 3 SIMcards for 3 networks? I mean, you usually would not know the network of the called party anyway. Are calls from AIS accepted by the other networks?

[elef]

Hi iuytrede,

 

last trip to LOS I asked TGF to buy a new sim-card as old one was too old. She first bought an Orange but gave it back to the shop as she had heard that they had sold too many sim-cards so the capacity was not enough. 50 % or so of the calls to others having Orange failed, while + 90 % to other networks. I instead used a 1-2-call (AIS) with no failed call at all.

 

elef

[Khun_Kong]

Definitely a problem for others to connect to AIS. There has been a lot of press lately (see BKK Post and Nation) about the AIS system being overloaded. Generally happens after 1700, I think. They, of course, on one hand, claim it is not their fault. On the other hand, they say they are about to upgade their system to stop these problems.

 

But...

 

GF has an Orange SIM card given to us by TRUE in December for their ADSL promotion. Payments for the ADSL line are credited baht for baht to Orange SIM credit.

 

Nary a problem making a call! ::