The DTAC website shows a SIM for 199 baht, with 300 baht credit.

So presumably I could just buy one of these in a 7-11?

 

That should be quite enough for a tourist to communicate with a few locals, whilst still keeping his homeland SIM in a spare phone in case of emergency incoming calls. Preventing expiry after returning home hardly seems worth the bother.

yes, you can buy a DTAC card at convenience stores or their own DTAC stores, including one right in the airport.

This is no longer true. See this web page:

http://www.dtac.co.th/english/postpaid.html

Very good. I didn't know about that. It's not entirely the same as what I have, but it's close enough.

This is no longer true. See this web page:

http://www.dtac.co.th/english/postpaid.html

 

Also on the front page of the Business section of Bangkok Post today, DTAC have an advert saying: "No work permit required for Postpaid services"...and "You don't have to be Thai to feel goood with DTAC".

 

True recently allowed me to have postpaid mobile service without a work permit. of course they asked, but accepted a long-term visa and, I believe, wanted direct debit.

 

The only thing is, if you would like to cancel your phone contract, for example because you're going abroad for a long time or for ever, they'll ask you for a guarantee upon cancelling the service. This guarantee (AIS) is THB 300.

I experienced this a few months ago. My bill was monthly around THB 1,000/THB 1,500 and they asked for THB 300 guarantee. Just amazing. Got into an arguement with the people at the Carrefour-TeleWiz shop as well as 1175 and I simply refused to pay the THB 300.

they'll ask you for a guarantee upon cancelling the service.

I don't understand. If you are canceling the service, what is there to guarantee? The only thing that makes any sense to me would be if they are charging a fee to hold your telephone number for whatever length of time without selling it to someone else. Did they explain what the guaranty guarantees?

It maybe to cover any "calls you may make after you cancel"...or a hold over from the old land-line days where your account was billed for operator-connected long-distance calls many days after the call. That used to be the case yonks ago.

But you specify this problem is with AIS...we already know it is "bad", hence the mention of the DTAC new farang-friendly approach.

But it must be really frustrating to be faced with such incomprehensible procedures that you mention.

I asked for the reason for this 'guarantee'. Seems to have something to do with the charges from the start of the last billingcycle up to the moment of the cancellation.

In my case, there was a bill coming up around THB 1,200 and I already was one week in a new billing-cycle. After my protest they did hide behind their 'policy' and as we all know, Thai policies are as sacred as Lord Buddha himself.

After my protest they did hide behind their 'policy'

Bully for their policy. What can they do about it if you refuse to pay? Cancel your service? Isn't that why you were there in the first place? Welcome to the latest addition to my "I Don't Get It" list.