Price guide and other "bits 'n pieces" - Page 4

Grace · 04-26-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitty1499

OK ... So, if I have a prepaid phone (mine is with optus) that is not locked (and Im sure mine wdnt be as Ive had it for years - I think they are only locked for the first 6 months usually)

Kitty

Kitty

As you know I havnt been to Thailand yet so I can only comment on what I know about mobiles and what I have heard.. So here goes!

You have to call Optus and ask them to unlock your mobile before you go - and they will only do it if you have either
a) been with them for a certain period of time ( I think 6 months but not sure)
or B) recharged a certain amount of credit with them ( I think its $80.. but again not 100%)

So then you call and they will unlock it.
If you want GR get them to activate it at the same time.
Once it is active you can use it overseas BUT calls are very expensive ( much cheaper if you are on a plan as opposed to pre paid).
I have been recommended to buy a Thai sim over there. As long as you 'unlock' your phone first you should have no drams!

Hope that makes sense!

Grace

Roo-Ted · 04-26-2008, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitty1499

OK ... so now Im getting a bit confused here! So, if I have a prepaid phone (mine is with optus) that is not locked (and Im sure mine wdnt be as Ive had it for years - I think they are only locked for the first 6 months usually) THEN ... I can use this phone and get a thai simcard BUT ... I cannot put it onto global roaming - IS THIS RIGHT!!??? So ... global roam is where you use your own sim card and activate it to be used overseas and NOT changing it for a Thai sim card??? If I wdve known this, then I wdve taken my phone and done the Thai sim card thing - I had just assumed cos it was a pre-paid phone, that I cdnt do this. 70 bt for a 10 minute call to Australia is dirt cheap - I paid $18 for a 5 minute call!!!
Shane ... you say Telstra does have GR on prepaids - what about Optus??? Next trip, I may have to ring them up and find out ... but it still seems that using the thai sim card is a much cheaper option, as you sd that its $2.15 per minute for a call to oz with Telstra GR. Thats still much cheaper than using a hotel phone, but nowhere near as cheap as what using a thai sim card seems to be.

Thanx all ... something for me to ponder for my next trip!!!

Kitty

To check if your pre paid phone is unlocked or not put someone elses sim card in from another carrier ie telstra in your case,if it works it is already unlocked.If it is not already unlocked contact your carrier and if you have had the phone for a ggod while they may unlock it for free but if not probably cheaper to get it unlocked overseas or maybe at one of the sunday markets in australia,Thai sims are definitely cheaper to use.
Ted

kitty1499 · #33 (**permalink**) IP: 61.68.21.210 04-27-2008, 03:50 AM

OK thanx to all for answering my q's. I was of the impression that my pre-paid phone would not work at all in Thailand, either by way of putting it on GR or by buying and using a thai simcard. BUT ... now I know differently. I could have saved a lot of money in phone calls to home by taking it and buying a thai sim card (which by all accounts looks like a cheaper way than using GR anyway!)

So ... will add that to the "next time" list - take old mobile phone!!!

Kitty

ellyeagle01 · #34 (**permalink**) IP: 220.235.22.26 04-27-2008, 02:41 PM

Hi All
One of my friends had a really expensive phone that she didn't want to mess around with so she bought a cheapie out of cash converters --already unlocked as apparently most of their phones are.She uses that phone for travelling purposes.
Cheers laurs