Best way to call Bangkok, Thailand cell phone friend with PC?

Question

I met a girl from Thailand, she gave me her cell # and told me to call if I visit Bangkok, I'm going and I'd like to get in touch with her,with voip,phone cards,cell phone cards,I'm confused as which option is best,least expensive,and easy to understand as well as hear the person I'm talking with?

Answer 1

It is complicated. If you have a tri-band cell phone, you are in luck. You will be able to use it when you go to Thailand. Get a sims card there for like 200 THB or USD 5 and put it in and it takes about 2 hours for set up by the phone company. DTAC, AIS or Orange/True are the major companies. You can get them at most major departments stores. True has a number of shops in some malls. If you are not in Bangkok for a long period of time then you will have to call her from a pay phone. I don't know if the new airport has a store for selling phones. I would strongly suggest getting a phone and load up on few numbers just in case, Embassy, Tourist Police, etc. If you are staying in Bangkok, a couple places for sure are Fortune Town on Ratchadapisekt and Rama IX on the 3rd or 4th floor there are a bunch of shops selling phones and Sim cards. MBK centre or Mah Boon Khrom Center in Pratunam on the 4th or 5th floor has a bunch of stalls selling phones and cards. You can go to Office depot there too if you want. Phone prices are similar to here. Keep in mind they use a different frequency.

From the US, I assume, You might better off calling from a land line. AT&T charges .10 to .17 cents per minute, lines are clear but, they go through a satellite so sometimes there is static, it is not so much a clear line, ask her to speak her english slower. Not a joke. I have to do that with my girlfriend in Bangkok. Most cell phones charge over a dollar per minute. There are phone cards, but, they are inconvenient to me. Beside you have a small window to call. Remember 14 hour difference from West Coast USA , Early in the morning to about 10 am. Evenings here, from 4 pm to all night. Weekdays this is impractical, if she works in an office, she is awake around 5 or 6 am and at work by 8 am. Thai eat after work starting from 6 pm to around 9 to 10 pm. And if she works in an office she is in bed by 10 pm. So now your window for calling during the week is her lunch 10pm to 11pm your time, west coast. Or after her dinner, 6 am to 7 am, west coast time. Weekends most Thai ladies seem to like to sleep in so she is not awake till 10 to 11am their time, or 9 pm your time, west coast.

If she is available at other times, then you might worry what she really does for work. Oh yes, some do work late. They have to stay as longs as the boss is there. Similar to the Japanese. And many work on Saturdays for half a day. It can really muck up trying to call her.

If she is in school then it is understandable. Most Thai ladies attend college till they are 24 or 25 or 26 just for a bachelors degree.

Oh yeah, most ladies have dial up internet or use the internet cafes again dial up or DSL depends on what she has. She has to pay 20 to 80 baht per hour to use. That's .50 cents to USD 2 to us but, alot to them when 80 baht can buy 2 people dinner. If you only have a cell phone, try phone cards.

Answer 2

I would just buy a cheap phone in Bangkok. The cheapest phones are about 800 baht. You can buy sim cards at 7/11 and 7/11s are everywhere. Have a good trip.