Phones in Thailand

[Orrens]

I am ignorant of phones. I don't like being available for every moron with my phone number.
But I accept they exist and that people are dependent on them. So when I rock up to Thailand I will need a better phone than the current £10er.

Should I buy a cheap smartphone in the UK £20-120 and get a pay-as-you-go card in Thailand.

Or

Buy in Thailand from some 2nd hand seller and start with a Thai smartphone.

All I plan to use it for is a few phonecalls, a Grab Taxi app and to take pictures of bars so the motosai lads can recognise and take me there.

Any advice is appreciated but type slowly as I don't understand too much.

Orrens

[aging one]

Dont do second hand here. 4,000 to 6000 gets you a nice mid model Redmi, OPPO or Huawei. I spent 7 for a Redmi Note 6 and I really like it a big move up from my first smart phone a ZenPhone...Now the Redmi 6 is passe as there is a 7 so its less than 6 if you shop.

Get your sim here, just buy a month at a time and think how much data you need. Have fun and good luck. All those would be Global so you can take it home as well.

[foobar]

What device do you normally use for internet access while in Thailand?

[Orrens]

What device do you normally use for internet access while in Thailand?

Wifi with a mac laptop.

Just been looking at Lazada Chromebook prices. Outrageous. £160-200 in UK.

Just sick of buying stuff that I don't want to buy.
A disposable smartphone and a stealable chromebook.

Orrens

[foobar]

If the the Grab Taxi app is the only thing you need beyond what your current dum phone can do ..then I would just buy the cheapest 2nd hand smart phone you can find, obviously in good working order.

However, if you think you might want to use the smart phone as a wifi router for your mac laptop when for eg local wifi is poor or down then that is another requirement to consider.

...I would think carefully about exactly what you need the phone to do before deciding what to buy and how much to spend.

[aging one]

Here you go....


https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/107...d-at-7-eleven/

[Orrens]

Thanks aging one.
The trouble with phones is the multitude of opinions and plans. Trapped in a contract. Restricted to networks. Will I need to tether to a laptop or not.

I need a brain upgrade.

Orrens

[foobar]

^Compile a list of requirements then just find the cheapest phone that meets those requirements.

...KISS.

[aging one]

...KISS.

Wow Bingo!!!

[Norton]

I need a brain upgrade.

Welcome to the club.

[Norton]

Just got on of these for granddaughter. Think was 4,600 baht. Sure does asmuch or more than you need.

https://consumer.huawei.com/th/phone...tm_campaign=y9

[Neverna]

Thanks aging one.
The trouble with phones is the multitude of opinions and plans. Trapped in a contract. Restricted to networks. Will I need to tether to a laptop or not.

You've given yourself a budget of about 5,000 baht. As ao said, you can easily get a new one for that price in Thailand that will do all you need. Wait till you get here then just take a walk around a shop - even a large Tesco Lotus - and look the the phones in your price range and see which one takes your fancy. Just don't buy the cheapest one you see. You will eventually regret it.

I think most Android phones these days will let you tether your phone to your laptop (if your laptop allows it).

This link will give you a rough idea of current prices and what's available. https://www.invadeit.co.th/category/...ort/price/asc/

Buy a SIM card when you get here. It's quick and easy to do.

In large towns and cities, most/all networks are good. If you live in bumfucknowhere, find out which phone service signal is best in that area and get that one. AIS probably has most coverage in Thailand.

[Orrens]

Yes.
Realisation came with the third pint of London Pride in the Partridge. I don't know what I am doing or what my needs will be.
But if I buy new and cheap I can upgrade, have a screamer in the shop, look to my peers (bar-flys) to sort out my problems.

Whereas if I buy in London I cannot pop back to get it sorted. And as I am ignorant banging electrical kit on a hard surface doesn't always work. Therapeutic, shows who is the boss etc.

On another note why do you have to present your passport to get a sim card. Big Brother at play ?

Thanks to all the above.

Orrens

[Fondles]

Thanks aging one.
The trouble with phones is the multitude of opinions and plans. Trapped in a contract. Restricted to networks. Will I need to tether to a laptop or not.

I need a brain upgrade.

Orrens

You wont be trapped in a contract.

[Neverna]

On another note why do you have to present your passport to get a sim card. Big Brother at play ?

Yes. The staff at the counter will just photocopy it for you. Quick and easy. Not a burden at all.

if I buy in London I cannot pop back to get it sorted. And as I am ignorant banging electrical kit on a hard surface doesn't always work. Therapeutic, shows who is the boss etc.

Another advantage of buying in Thailand is that most phones sold are not locked into a particular service provider. A few are, but with most phones you are free to choose any provider you like. Of course, you should check before you buy.

[Orrens]

Yes. But the reason for such observation ?
And where does the information go ?
Paranoia keeps you safe.

That said a Thai could complain about the compulsory UK TV licence whereby we keep idiot members of the ruling class in paid employ even though we could block a BBC signal.

I am designing a tin foil hat. It will look like a comb over but no one will notice. Really. No one.

Orrens
CEO of Panache Combovers.

[David48atTD]

My thoughts are ...

• Bring your existing phone to Thailand
• Buy a SiM Card at the Airport

My previous SiM card got cancelled and I had to buy one at the Airport.

AIS had the shortest queue, so I bought one there, after all, all the Mobile networks in Thailand are the same

They might be in coverage, but that's not all the deal.


Ground floor @ Suvarnabhumi airport



RECHARGE

7-Eleven don't do recharges for AIS any more as of 2016 https://thaiprepaidcard.com/7-eleven...inners-losers/

Finding a Family Mart is difficult as 7-Eleven are dominant

So I'd go for either True Move or dtac and not AIS

[Neverna]

You can top up AIS SIMS at any AIS shop or booth, any Telewiz shop or booth, in Tesco stores and at any of the thousands of phone top-up machines that are situated right outside 7/11 shops and many other places.

[happynz]

Available at most malls around or on Lazada. It's as cheap as chips and will do what ya want.

[nidhogg]

I am ignorant of phones. I don't like being available for every moron with my phone number.
But I accept they exist and that people are dependent on them. So when I rock up to Thailand I will need a better phone than the current £10er.

Should I buy a cheap smartphone in the UK £20-120 and get a pay-as-you-go card in Thailand.

Or

Buy in Thailand from some 2nd hand seller and start with a Thai smartphone.

All I plan to use it for is a few phonecalls, a Grab Taxi app and to take pictures of bars so the motosai lads can recognise and take me there.

Any advice is appreciated but type slowly as I don't understand too much.

Orrens

I am a bit confused - did I not just read elsewhere that you have an iPhone????

[Orrens]

I am a bit confused - did I not just read elsewhere that you have an iPhone????

Nah. I have a massively overpriced and useless Ipad Pro and a £10 phone given to me when I was homeless and on the street. Its to keep tabs on you.

My antipathy to phones is due to multipile events with the Ex where she would phone me in a whisper and tell me she was going to be late. Naturally I couldn't hear her so I would keep on asking and getting irate as I am always on time. Useless bitch.
Another event involved an exfriend who asked me to come over to Clapham from Peckham to chat with him. It's a good half hour on the bus, usually longer. I went over and he was on the phone. I got to talk to him. He had invited me over as he wanted a chat with someone until his date appeared at 8.30pm.
"I didn't want to seem like Billy-No- Mates in the pub. " My whole evening wasted because of his stupidity and selfishness.

I have no more friends now.

Orrens

[jabir]

No problem, you can rent as many as you want here.

[nidhogg]

Its to keep tabs on you.

I get that. The life of a workaholic 58 year old expat is riviting stuff.

[Orrens]

No problem, you can rent as many as you want here.

If rentable they are disposable. Suits me.

[Luigi]

Camera lens broke on me old Samsung, plus it's 95% full (with pretty much everything that could be moved to the SD card, moved).

Miss TT said she'd buy me a new one, if I choose the model. Having a look around and saw that Redmi company for the first time, looks like good bang for buck compared to the others. Did a wee google and saw they're the phone division of Xaomi.

I like Xaomi.

Only need it for GPS fitness Apps. Maybe Spotify, Grab, etc and taking the odd piccy.


Any reason not to choose Redmi over Samsung, Huawei, etc?

Cheers.