Thailand forum

Cell Phone Help (Thai, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos)

jeffneil

newbie
Posts: 3

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

admin
mahout
Posts: 5884
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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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iPhone Apps for Southeast Asia
jeffneil

newbie
Posts: 3

Thanks for your help!

#3 Posted: 25/4/2009 - 08:26
truesd10

backpacker
Posts: 11
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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
Lother

tuk tuk driver
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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
truesd10

backpacker
Posts: 11
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Thanks Lother - makes sense. I will test it out.

#6 Posted: 26/4/2009 - 03:18
jeffneil

newbie
Posts: 3

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
truesd10

backpacker
Posts: 11
Located in:

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