foreign gsm phone and thai prepaid card

[zion]

I've tried to go back and research but am still confused. My question is with the recent phone unlocking changes I've read about, can I buy a DTAC prepaid card and directly use it on my foreign GSM phone or do I still need to go to MBK to have the IMEI number changed on my phone?

 

 

 

Many thanks

[iuytrede]

can I buy a DTAC prepaid card and directly use it on my foreign GSM phone

 

 

 

that's what DTAC says

 

I haven't tried it yet, though

 

beware: the foreign mobile may be simlocked in its homecountry

[Guest]

Yes you can walk into DTAC and if you phone is unlocked, buy a prepaid sim with new cell number. If your phone is locked you will need to buy a phone.....I bought a really cheap Motorola T190 with 2000 minutes for 4900 baht. The entire process took about 1/2 hour as the DTAC store was super busy. No ID was asked of me, the sales girl filled in the forms, had me sign and away I went. I guess this is some sort of big promotion going on.... the sale price is cash only, they refused to accept a credit card. Oh yea....if I had to do it I would have got a Ericsson as the manual is in English and Thai, the Motorola is only Thai. This was on Friday so I don't know if the "special promotion" is still going on. jim

[Guest]

I read an article in the Bangkok Post and decided to try it. My girlfriend and I both bought a 'DPrompt' (DTAC) starter kit for our non SIM-locked foreign phones a few days ago and it works pretty well so far.

 

 

 

The only drawback I can see is that you can' t make or receive international calls (not sure if SMS works internationally).

 

 

 

The kit contains just a SIM card and cost 800B (300B calls included). The BP article mentioned kits being available for just 300, but I didn't find them.

 

 

 

We're saving a lot of money calling each other ;-)

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Xenna

 

 

[Guest]

You are a few days too late, the promotion was in april only.. But you can have starterkit for as low as 650 Baht in stead of 800 Baht, in MBK

[ultras67]

Couple of questions

 

 

 

When I arrived in March, all the networks were locked so I left my mobile back in the UK - it was a pre pay with one 2 one. ( it was a Siemens C25 Twin band so it should work here ok )

 

 

 

Should I risk having it sent here or

 

just buy a new phone ?

 

 

 

If I buy a new phone - are there any May promotions going on ?

 

 

 

I would be a light to moderate user, the info at MBK seems to lean towards 1 2 Call with a Nokia 3310 for B5800 and B1500 free calls.

 

 

 

Anyone know better than that ?

 

 

 

Cheers

[Guest]

Well Orange has a better deal Nokia 3310 prepaid system for 3999 Baht. But I do not know what the promotion is. I bought mine in April and I got 1500 Baht free. Does anyone know if Orange has imeilock, just like AIS? Can I use an Orange prepaid card with a phone from abroad?

[iuytrede]

Orange says that they have imeilock so you cannot use their handset with another provider's SIMcard without unlocking.

 

They also say that you can use Orange's SIMcard with any (unlocked) phone, we tried it with several phones and it works - same for DTAC: you can use DTAC's SIMcard with any (unlocked) phone.

 

Orange's prepaid SIMcards (without handset) are available in MBK, as well as DTAC's. Prices vary a lot, I was able to get the Orange cards for 600 B (with 1500 B worth of airtime, must be used within 50 days, unless you add value) and the DTAC cards for 1100 B (2000 B worth of airtime, must be used within 100 days - they were selling SIMcards with 300 B of airtime for 300 B like BP writes).

 

Dprompt (DTAC's prepaid cards) cannot make international calls. Orange's prepaid cards can do it.

 

Orange's "friends and family" lets you chose 5 numbers nationwide that you can call for 1 B/min. Otherwise DTAC is cheaper than Orange. So if you make most of your calls to the same people you are better off with Orange.

 

Orange can receive calls only around Bangkok, definitely not farther away than Korat (don't know about Pattaya).

[Guest]

Thanks for the info iuytrede.

 

As you stated I think you wrote down incorrectly. Orange phones have simlock, it's not same as imeilock. This simlock is correct. I could not use another company's simcard in an Orange phone. But that is no problem you can always unlock it cheaply and this is legal as long as the phone is not flashed with different firmware because this would violate copyright protected software. So now one has to change imei only for AIS prepaid system, which is by all means illegal. But why should anyone do that if Orange has international calling abilties. AIS compared to the other two is also much more expensive in use.

 

Iuytrede quote = Otherwise DTAC is cheaper than Orange. = in what way is that? Calls with Dprompt and Orange are the same 5 Baht a minute. Sending SMS with Dprompt 9 Baht a message while Orange 3 Baht, in this AIS is cheaper with 2 baht a message.

 

Nevertheless I would think AIS will be losing a lot of their prepaid customers to DTAC and Orange in the future.

 

By the way does someone know the rate calling to Europe with either AIS and Orange on prepaid system?

[CosmicSurfer]

I bought an Orange phone (Nokia 3310) and 2 days later DTAC unlocked their system... So I took my old Hong Kong purchased Nokia 6150 to them (World Trade on 6th floor... they have a large Service centre) and they slapped a Sim in it and it worked immediately... no unlocking necessary. Total cost... 300 Baht.

 

 

 

So I gave the older Nokia with DTAC to a GF and kept the new Orange for myself... My only bitch is that if I had waited 2 more days I would have saved 4000 Baht by not needing to buy the Orange at all.

 

 

 

TIT

 

 

 

CS