Thailand SIM cards

If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage? Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?
Korb Kun

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 23:07:39 GMT, Penguini wrote:

If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage? Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?
Korb Kun


Huh??
Where can you purchase a prepaid sim card for Thailand in the USA??
You must mean a roaming agreement?? You don't register with the Thai
government. If you have roaming you just turn your phone on and use it
as normal. If you don't have roaming then you get a Thai sim card at
any one of the 12 bazillion cell phone shops, put it in your phone,
and just use the phone as normal. This use of the Thai sim card
assumes that your phone is unlocked. If it is not, then take it to any
of the cell phone shops (I suggest Suchart in Panthip Plaza, Bangkok)
and they will unlock it for less than 400 Batht (10.00).
There is no 'registration' that I am aware of.
I bought my last sim card there on August 14th. No problems. Put it in
the phone and use it.
Simple.

Penguini wrote:
If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage? Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?

Why on earth would you purchase a prepaid Thai SIM card in the USA? It's a
huge scam. You can buy one on any street corner in Thailand in 5 minutes
without having to speak a word of Thai. Should cost about US$2 plus however
much credit you get.

The registration requirement, at least when you buy one in Thailand, just
means that the salesperson incorrectly transcribes your name from your
passport into a ledger which I'm sure nobody ever looks at again.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 36 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu
Latest photos: Queens Day in Amsterdam; the Grand Canyon; Amman, Jordan

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 18:06:30 -0600, Slim
wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 23:07:39 GMT, Penguini wrote:

If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage? Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?
Korb Kun


Huh??
Where can you purchase a prepaid sim card for Thailand in the USA??

This is one such place. There are several others that sell them

http://www.telestial.com/prepaid_sim_cards.htm

You must mean a roaming agreement?? You don't register with the Thai
government. If you have roaming you just turn your phone on and use it
as normal. If you don't have roaming then you get a Thai sim card at
any one of the 12 bazillion cell phone shops, put it in your phone,
and just use the phone as normal.

As I understand it, he's asking about using a Thai pre-paid SIM card
in roaming mode while in the USA. Some Thai pre-paid SIM cards can be
used while roaming outside Thailand.

This use of the Thai sim card
assumes that your phone is unlocked. If it is not, then take it to any
of the cell phone shops (I suggest Suchart in Panthip Plaza, Bangkok)
and they will unlock it for less than 400 Batht (10.00).
There is no 'registration' that I am aware of.

A proposal was made earlier in the year to require users of pre-paid
SIM cards in Thailand to have their personal details registered. The
reason for this was to try to limit the ability of terrorists to make
use of mobile phones to trigger bombs remotely using anonymous
pre-paid SIM cards. I believe you should now need to show an ID card
or passport when buying a new card.

I don't think they've worked out a procedure yet to register existing
users. My Thai One-2-Call SIM card still works fine outside Thailand,
and I've never registered it.

I bought my last sim card there on August 14th. No problems. Put it in
the phone and use it.
Simple.

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 22:58:12 -0500, (Miguel Cruz)
wrote:

Penguini wrote:
If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage? Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?

Why on earth would you purchase a prepaid Thai SIM card in the USA? It's a
huge scam. You can buy one on any street corner in Thailand in 5 minutes
without having to speak a word of Thai. Should cost about US$2 plus however
much credit you get.

But the cost of the flight to get to that street corner store in
Bangkok from the USA takes the cost well over US$2. OK, you might have
a friend there who could send you one.

The registration requirement, at least when you buy one in Thailand, just
means that the salesperson incorrectly transcribes your name from your
passport into a ledger which I'm sure nobody ever looks at again.

Unless your mobile phone gets stolen and becomes a part of the next
bomb to go off down south. In which case the next Miguel Cruise to
visit Thailand had better watch out. ;-)

Chris

Weird question - probably from an armchair bound American, who's never been;
and never likely to go to Thailand. (OK! OK! Address is Italian!).

In most Asian (and western for that matter) countries you can buy local
prepaid sim cards everywhere. The cost is usually just the cost of the
credits you buy (or a little more).

Most Americans are further surprised to learn that in most countries you pay
only for calls you make. Incoming are free!!

Another surprise bonus for Americans is that in most countries, national
mobile (cell) calls are charged at a standard time based rate. There is no
'long distance' rate. International calls of course are more expensive!



"Penguini" wrote in message
ink.net...
If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage?
Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be
registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?
Korb Kun

In article , Chris Blunt
wrote:

€ On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 22:58:12 -0500, (Miguel Cruz)
€ wrote:
€
€ Penguini wrote:
€ If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
€ to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage?
€ Under
€ the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be
€ registered,
€ so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
€ phone company can prevent its being used?
€
€ Why on earth would you purchase a prepaid Thai SIM card in the USA? It's a
€ huge scam. You can buy one on any street corner in Thailand in 5 minutes
€ without having to speak a word of Thai. Should cost about US$2 plus however
€ much credit you get.
€
€ But the cost of the flight to get to that street corner store in
€ Bangkok from the USA takes the cost well over US$2.

It's assumed that the flight is already taken care of. Why would
someone want a DTAC/Orange/AIC SIM card unless they were planning to be
in Thailand? Getting a prepaid account and just using it to roam
doesn't make much sense.

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 08:14:29 -0700, Alan Street
wrote:

In article , Chris Blunt
wrote:

€ On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 22:58:12 -0500, (Miguel Cruz)
€ wrote:
€
€ Penguini wrote:
€ If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
€ to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage?
€ Under
€ the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be
€ registered,
€ so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
€ phone company can prevent its being used?
€
€ Why on earth would you purchase a prepaid Thai SIM card in the USA? It's a
€ huge scam. You can buy one on any street corner in Thailand in 5 minutes
€ without having to speak a word of Thai. Should cost about US$2 plus however
€ much credit you get.
€
€ But the cost of the flight to get to that street corner store in
€ Bangkok from the USA takes the cost well over US$2.

It's assumed that the flight is already taken care of. Why would
someone want a DTAC/Orange/AIC SIM card unless they were planning to be
in Thailand? Getting a prepaid account and just using it to roam
doesn't make much sense.

It makes a lot of sense if you want to give someone you know in
Thailand the ability to call or text you at their local call price,
rather than have them pay international rates.

Chris

Check out www.SnapTheRoom.com for photos of some hotels.

Mr. Free Notes


"Penguini" wrote in message
ink.net...
If I purchase a prepaid SIM card for Thailand in USA, will the requirement
to "register", recently enacted by Thai Government, affect its usage?
Under
the regulation if you buy a SIM card in Thailand you need to be
registered,
so I am wondering if being unregistered (with a local Thai #) means the
phone company can prevent its being used?
Korb Kun