Buying an inexpensive phone in Thailand
So you’re moving to Thailand and you need a phone. Or you just moved here and you need a phone. Or you just moved here and the smartphone you brought from your home country is locked and no longer a viable option for your personal cellular device. Good. Fine. That’s why you’re here. We can help you with that.
When I arrived in Thailand in April 2015, I had an iPhone 4s I planned on using as my cell phone when I arrived in Thailand. However, I suspended my plan with Verizon a week or so before I left and didn’t realize I needed to have them “unlock” it first, which they made extremely difficult to do after I suspended my plan, making the phone useless for calling and texting. Note: I still use my iPhone 4s a lot as a mobile device, so it’s still worth bringing if you can’t use it for calls.
At this point, I needed to forget about the iPhone and find a new option for a working phone. However, all providers are different and you should research your individual case. Some of my colleagues unlocked their phones with ease through their providers so looking into that isn’t a bad idea either. But remember unlocking your phone will clear your phone, so be sure your media is backed up before doing so.
There are plenty of phone stores/stands scattered around SuratThani, your options are literally almost endless. You can find these in and around Big C, Tesco, Central Plaze, etc. You can find just about any kind of phone, but let’s look at the not-so-pricey ones.
Phone prices start around 450 Baht and go up from there. I bought mine for 500 Baht. Yes, about $15 USD for a working cell phone that can make calls/texts throughout Thailand. If you want to go lower than that, your options include a plastic cup and a piece of string.
Ifthat is still out of your price range, use Facebook messenger for a month, wait for a month’s salary and the phone will/should be affordable. Facebook messenger is, in my experience, the most common means of communication among teachers in Thailand. However, without a smart phone and data, it is not always available, which means you are not always available; all the more reason to buy a cheap phone.
Once you buy the phone, you need to go to a 7/11 (more common than fruit stands in Thailand) and “top up” your phone. I usually put about 100 Baht on my phone and it lasts me a looooooong time (at least a few months), all depends on how much you use it. The rate on my phone is 1 Baht per minute and 3 Baht per text, which coming from a western nation this is an incredibly reasonable rate.
A few things to keep in mind when making your initial purchase: Make sure you also buy a SIM card with your phone. You buy the SIM card separately for about 50 Baht. Without a SIM card, you have no phone number and the phone is nothing more than dolled-up piece of plastic.
Next, try and power the phone at the store before you leave. The employee probably won’t speak English, but you will need to explain to them that you need data roaming shut off. If you really want data, go for it. But I highly recommend shutting if off. It will suck all the money you put on the phone without actually using the phone a single time. This happened to me and I had to return to the store and have them shut it off. Shutting the data roaming off is another thing you think would be simple and not need to consult the phone store employee for, but from my experience, I would just have them do it rather than trying to do it yourself and end up burning through all the money you put on the phone. Don’t be a hero.
I also had to return to the store because I was constantly bombarded with text message ads that were all in Thai. The store employee called support and had these messages blocked from my phone. It probably wouldn’t hurt to look into that either.
Lastly, save your receipt, save your box, save everything. If something goes wrong later (which isn’t uncommon in Thailand with buying technology), having documentation of your purchase will help you. Broken charger? Show up with your box and receipt and there’s a good chance they’ll give you a brand spankin’ new one for free. This happened to me.
Unfortunately you need to “top up” before you can make a test call otherwise I would recommend making a test call before leaving the store. So make a test call ASAP. Make sure you can hear clearly and make sure the receiving party can hear you clearly. Send a text and have someone text you. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re depending on a phone that doesn’t work, or has a problem you’re unsure how to solve.
So there you have it. Buying a cheap phone in Thailand made easy. Take heed of my words above I guarantee you will avoid many of the problems I ran into during this process. Good luck and happy shopping. If you play your cards right, you might just land one of these bad boys below.