mobile phone providers at Swampy

[caducus]

I will shortly be returning from a rather long stay in the UK. While away I continued with my monthly AIS account, although I have somehow mislaid my AIS sim card. Will it be possible to obtain a sim card using the original number at the AIS counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon arrival, or will I need to visit an AIS outlet at a department store?

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

[deankham]

Might be a red herring but do AIS do e-sims now? Removes the need for a physical sim.

[tamada]

I will shortly be returning from a rather long stay in the UK. While away I continued with my monthly AIS account, although I have somehow mislaid my AIS sim card. Will it be possible to obtain a sim card using the original number at the AIS counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon arrival, or will I need to visit an AIS outlet at a department store?

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

If I am not mistaken, to get an old SIM number transferred from a 'lost' phone/SIM to a new SIM still needs a police report?

Meanwhile, you can get a SIM from any of the (current) three carriers after you clear Customs at BKK.

If getting your old number back is important, maybe get the cheapest (30-day?) SIM from whoever has the shortest queue, just to get you contactable. After you get to udon, file a police report on the original SIM/phone loss and then visit the main AIS shop in central and see if your old number can be reactivated.

However, this may not be possible if it has been 'lost' for a rather long time.

Good luck
tam

[sometimewoodworker]

Might be a red herring but do AIS do e-sims now? Removes the need for a physical sim.

Yes. AIS does e-SIMs, I have one, the problem is that they required me to produce my physical SIM before programming the eSIM.

It is certainly possible that the AIS counter at the airport can do everything, though as mentioned you will need to go to the airport police station and see if they will do a report so you can get a new SIM before AIS will be able to do anything even if the counter can help.

So if you have enough time (several hours) you may be lucky.

[caducus]

Thank you all very much.

So, all I have to do is queue up at Swampy.

And having travelled from the UK, it is heartening to know that I will again be able to queue again. Who knows what beautiful friendship will commence from the mere act of queueing.

[Potamoi]

Info sharing:

My daughter is visiting Thailand for several weeks. She needs to be fairly connected while traveling to her work back home so wanted something more reliable and robust than mooching wireless everywhere we/she goes. She went to this website an hour after arriving here:

https://esimthailand.com/product/esim-t ... xed-plans/

10 min and $20 later she had an eSIM downloaded to her older iPhone 11 and fully connected with a Thai phone number and 60gb of data @ 4/5g before it downshifts to unlimited 3g for the rest of the 30 day subscription. Can be re-upped at 30 days for the rest of her trip. Perfect. No muss, no fuss. Takes PayPal or credit cards and very fast to install.

The reason I am posting this is there was a temptation to just stop at the SIM shops at swampy and swap out her home SIM for the trip. I convinced her to use free wifi until she got to Udon.

The eSIM allowed a much easier method (just needed to ensure cell data and roaming turned off on her home SIM). Worth looking into for visitors owning more modern phones with eSIM capability unlike than the one I have. My next phone will have eSIM capabilities. I'm sure I paid that much in KL roaming trying to get an Uber to a conference a few years back.

[tamada]

FWIW, all three mobile phone operators now have kiosks inside the baggage claim area. Since your bags won't show up for at least 30 minutes after clearing immigration, there's plenty time to get your self a local SIM instead of at their shops after Customs that are usually swamped.

[tamada]

Info sharing:

My daughter is visiting Thailand for several weeks. She needs to be fairly connected while traveling to her work back home so wanted something more reliable and robust than mooching wireless everywhere we/she goes. She went to this website an hour after arriving here:

https://esimthailand.com/product/esim-t ... xed-plans/

10 min and $20 later she had an eSIM downloaded to her older iPhone 11 and fully connected with a Thai phone number and 60gb of data @ 4/5g before it downshifts to unlimited 3g for the rest of the 30 day subscription. Can be re-upped at 30 days for the rest of her trip. Perfect. No muss, no fuss. Takes PayPal or credit cards and very fast to install.

The reason I am posting this is there was a temptation to just stop at the SIM shops at swampy and swap out her home SIM for the trip. I convinced her to use free wifi until she got to Udon.

The eSIM allowed a much easier method (just needed to ensure cell data and roaming turned off on her home SIM). Worth looking into for visitors owning more modern phones with eSIM capability unlike than the one I have. My next phone will have eSIM capabilities. I'm sure I paid that much in KL roaming trying to get an Uber to a conference a few years back.

Good tip. My mate is arriving in early January for a month and is a bit of a tech Luddite. I'm not sure what model phone he has but will check this out as an option for him.

I bought a Nokia X20 only a year ago in the UK which just missed the eSIM wave. A bit frustrating as it's a great phone and too young (and expensive) to have to be forced into early retirement by technology but I know how THAT goes!

[Earnest]

Might be a red herring but do AIS do e-sims now? Removes the need for a physical sim.

e-sims, what the devil is that? I must keep up at the back.

[sometimewoodworker]

Might be a red herring but do AIS do e-sims now? Removes the need for a physical sim.

e-sims, what the devil is that? I must keep up at the back.

It’s a way to have several (12~20 iPhone) electronic SIMs (E-SIMs) programmed on to you phone as well as 1 physical SIM, though only 2 phone numbers can be active at any one time.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards in the USA

[Potamoi]

It’s a way to have several (12~20 iPhone) electronic SIMs (E-SIMs) programmed on to you phone as well as 1 physical SIM, though only 2 phone numbers can be active at any one time.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards in the USA

Newer Androids have eSIMs too. Works better that a two SIM phone (like mine) for traveling in my eye. Too easy. I think I saw a service to convert a SIM to eSIM too. Forget where.

[Earnest]

I was going to say that it sounds like iPhone only but I'll keep an eye out for it on Android.

It’s a way to have several (12~20 iPhone) electronic SIMs (E-SIMs) programmed on to you phone as well as 1 physical SIM, though only 2 phone numbers can be active at any one time.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards in the USA

Yeah, cheers, lads.

[tamada]

I was going to say that it sounds like iPhone only but I'll keep an eye out for it on Android.

It’s a way to have several (12~20 iPhone) electronic SIMs (E-SIMs) programmed on to you phone as well as 1 physical SIM, though only 2 phone numbers can be active at any one time.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards in the USA

Yeah, cheers, lads.

Most newer Samsung's also support eSIM technology.

[Earnest]

OK, cheers.

[sometimewoodworker]

It’s a way to have several (12~20 iPhone) electronic SIMs (E-SIMs) programmed on to you phone as well as 1 physical SIM, though only 2 phone numbers can be active at any one time.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max use eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards in the USA

Newer Androids have eSIMs too. Works better that a two SIM phone (like mine) for traveling in my eye. Too easy. I think I saw a service to convert a SIM to eSIM too. Forget where.

The conversation from a SIM to eSIM depends on the carriers. In Thailand you must go to the SIM provider’s shop (not Teliwiz) and the provider will convert your SIM to eSIM. With other carriers in other countries you can do the change (if a change is needed) yourself on the phone.

Note In my post above I made no mention of the ability of different makers phones to use eSIM just that the Apple phones that have the eSIM technology can have between 12 and 20 numbers from different carriers (or the same carrier depending on the carrier’s policy) programmed into the phone. Also that only 2 numbers (from the same, or different, carriers ) can be active simultaneously

I don’t know the limitations of other makers eSIM technology so you can do your own research for other makers.

[tamada]

From what I've read, Samsung's limit is 5 eSIM.

My mates Samsung looks like it supports eSIM. He has an SD card in the second SIM slot for his huge collection of photos so the eSIM may be best leaving the UK SIM in place for any of that 2FA malarkey.