Cheapest way to having a mobile phone while traveling.
Im going to be traveling in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and then possibly Malaysia, Singapore and Bali.
I would ideally like to have phone in case of emergencies or just to help find hotels and things like that. I know in some places you can purchase pre-payed sim cards and use them in your mobile phone, is this possible in these countries?
Reply to this There are many providers in Thailand of pre-paid SIM cards, I'd recommend True (previously Orange) as it is one of the very few that offer you the ability to retain your number if the card is lost or stolen. I'd suggest going directly to an Orange shop & tell them that you want to have the SIM card protected by your passport number. If you do this, Orange will take down your details and add it to their computers so that if the mobile telephone is lost, you can simply call Orange and inform them by giving your passport details for authorisation and they will deactivate the phone (SIM Card) immediately. Plus you will get to keep any remaining value on the card. True (Orange) shops are available all around Bangkok so just ask your hotel concierge for the closest.
The cost of the pre paid SIM card from Orange starts from 99 Baht and top up cards are available in many sizes from 90 Baht to 1,000 Baht. These top up cards can be bought from anywhere (including 711) and the instruction to top up are in English and Thai.
Reply to this Forgot to mention that you need to carry your own handset & ensure its not locked by your current service provider.
You can get prepaid SIMs in Malaysia & Singapore too very easily. Singapore SIM is quite good however not sure which provider in Malaysia is good - dint use my phone there.
Reply to this Thanks Tanya. Can I use the True sim card ( if purchased in Thailand) in Vietnam and Cambodia? Can I use it to call these countries?
Reply to this Sorry Heather, I've not gone to Vietnam or Cambodia, so I am unsure. They might most likely have international roaming, which may be more expensive than a local SIM.
However, I am sure someone else will be able to help you with that.
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