International Roaming with Mobile

[Brett_J]

Hitting up Thailand next month, and will have to call people and send messages from time to time.
What is the best option in regards to keeping it in a region that my phone bill wont rival the national debt?
Are those international sims worth it?
These are Telstras rates for my plan over there, not sure if reasonable or not.

Thailand

Voice or video calls within this country $1.55 per min
Voice or video calls to Australia $2.42 per min
Voice or video calls to another country $2.93 per min
Receive voice or video calls in this country $2.32 per min (including $1.44 per min airtime charge)
+ 40c set up fee
Send SMS 75c
Retrieve SMS Free
Send MMS 75c per message plus standard data charges
MessageBank® retrieval Standard charges apply. View more information
Data Roaming Charges 1.5c per kB ($15.36 per MB)
Consumer
Casual Traveller Data Packs are available for this country to help you manage your data charges.

Business
Casual Traveller Data Packs & Frequent Traveller Data Plans are available for this country to help you manage your data charges.

Network and frequency
Network Frequency / Availability
2G 900/1800
3G Not available
4G Not available
Data Roaming Yes
Display individual carrier details

[TJ]

Buy a local sim and prosper - you will get raped using telstra back to Aus.

In Malaysia it cost me 17 bucks for the week and I smashed calls, data, and sms all week.

[HANS YOLO]

I land in Thailand Thurs nught for 10 days with my wolf pack... Will be doing local sim for sure

[Alt_F4]

FFS don't use data at those rates!

[p0630034]

Just grab one of their local SIMs, available from the airport. AIS is about 350 baht (12aud) for a month with 1GB of data, includes the SIM card too. Could always shop around and ask the shop owners for advice and to set up for you. Just make sure the phone is not carrier locked.

[_S9_]

TRUEmobile is a good local one (with good 3G coverage)

[Darkside]

Also found having the skype app on your phone with some credit was a good option if decent wifi was available.

[TJ]

FFS don't use data at those rates!

Considering the new phones are 13mb and a pic can be 1.2 plus MB a couple of uploads could buttfuck you hard

[stumps.]

viber!

[Torquen]

Buy a local sim and prosper - you will get raped using telstra back to Aus.

In Malaysia it cost me 17 bucks for the week and I smashed calls, data, and sms all week.

THIS.

I made the rookie error of buying a international data cap I thought would cover me while in the US... hello 2.4k data usage charges when I got home. Luckily Telstra waved the bill cos I kicked up a bit of a fuss but yeah. Just don't do it. Buy a local sim, or use WiFi only.

[Fukushima]

Buy a local SIM, so much easier than using WiFi. I probably spent 500 baht my last trip that'd less than a dollar a day and many gigabytes used.

To recharge you just walk into 7/11 and they do it all for you.

[TJ]

THIS.

I made the rookie error of buying a international data cap I thought would cover me while in the US... hello 2.4k data usage charges when I got home. Luckily Telstra waved the bill cos I kicked up a bit of a fuss but yeah. Just don't do it. Buy a local sim, or use WiFi only.

I copped 1200 dollars for 3 uploads whilst on gilli island. Ended up being adjusted to 300 bucks.

[Torquen]

I copped 1200 dollars for 3 uploads whilst on gilli island. Ended up being adjusted to 300 bucks.

It's fucked ai. Absolute extortionist prices to the consumer for what the actual cost incurred to the company is.

[TJ]

Problem is a lot of people just pay that fee without asking wtf.

I knew what size my pics where, versus the charges. Calls and drunken sms I had no issue paying - my choice to send.