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Cell Phone Help (Thai, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos)
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jeffneil
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I am planning a trip June and July (2009) to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Indonesia (With a few day stop over in Japan) and I am trying to find good advice on a cell phone. I currently have an Apple iPhone with AT&T from the U.S. and I really don't want to pay for roaming charges the entire time. I do have other phones available to me or I can unlock my iPhone. I am trying to see if I should get a different sim card for every country and can i do that ahead of time?
Or should I rent a cell phone from a travel company?
I basically need a somewhat reliable...but more importantly cheep option. Any advice is helpful thanks!
#1 Posted: 25/4/2009 - 05:39
somtam2000
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I'd think the cheapest way would be to buy local sim cards as you go - I've got a coin jar half full of Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese sims -- very inexpensive and as they're all prepaid it's easy to keep on top of the cost. No need to do ahead of time -- just pop into a local convenience store (eg 7-eleven in Thailand) upon arrival and pick one up.
#2 Posted: 25/4/2009 - 07:38
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jeffneil
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Thanks for your help!
#3 Posted: 25/4/2009 - 08:26
truesd10
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That is good to know. I had the same question as I have a blackberry storm and had unlocked it - I think - right now. I am traveling through Thailand and Cambodia in July and August and wanted to make sure the phones will work. So just as long as it is unlocked you can place a new sim card in and the phone will work? How do you know it is unlocked? Should I test it out in the States by putting a new sim card in the phone and seeing if it works? Sorry, just wanted to make sure the phone will work once out of the country. Thanks for the advice!
#4 Posted: 25/4/2009 - 22:10
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Yeah, a Blackberry Storm will work just perfect as long as it's unlocked. You can test it beforehand e.g. with a SIM card from a friend who has a different operator.
#5 Posted: 26/4/2009 - 02:56
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Thanks Lother - makes sense. I will test it out.
#6 Posted: 26/4/2009 - 03:18
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To my best knowledge the storm is only available in the states with verizon. That means it is a CDMA phone and doesn't take a sim
card, the only other network it will work on
if it is unlocked is sprint ( another CDMA ) network. Verizon has a very limited amount of countries that will support CDMA even if u wanted to use international roaming. I would recommend buying a GO Phone from AT&T at walmart, it is the prepaid one, then unlock that and use it.
#7 Posted: 26/4/2009 - 03:27
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I have a Sim card for the Storm and it is capable of using a 3G network when not on a Verizon sim card. The Storm is also in the UK under Vodophone so I think as long as I can make sure it is unlocked it will be fine. When I check it I will let you know if it works.
#8 Posted: 26/4/2009 - 03:32
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Hi truesd10,ya,I agree with you.Be sure if you mobile unlocked,it's definitely work on the other sim card..Still now if your mobile locked to your previous network provider.You can easily unlock your mobile using network unlock code.You can get unlock code from your service provider or else try to buy a unlock code from online unlocking service provider.If you need unlock code visit Simpleunlocking.com and you can get free unlock instructions from Mobileunlockguide.com It's very useful do your unlocking.Hope to help you.
#9 Posted: 20/12/2012 - 05:25
altmtl
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I always get a local sim card.
But a friend just asked me if she could rely on local pay phones while travelling, what do you thinkk - in Thailand for example?
#10 Posted: 20/12/2012 - 08:11
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I know Thai payphones are reliable and instructions are sometimes in English. Cambodia has no pay phones but don't worry you just go to a shop or stall and use their phone and pay a small charge.I don't know how much a international call would cost you so best get a SIM, I recommend Hello at 7 cents a minute to Europe. Also, you can buy a second hand phone for $20 in Cambodia.
I don't know about Vietnam.
#11 Posted: 20/12/2012 - 13:42
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