The vast majority of PCVs in Thailand use the AIS cellphone network, also known as "1 2 call." This is self-perpetuating, in that the following phone pricing plans all work just within the AIS network, so two volunteers get better deals when calling each other if they each use AIS.To be fair,AIS is generally known to have better network coverage than DTAC for most of Thailand.

All cell phones in Thailand work on a basicpre-paid pay-as-you-go system. Your phone has a SIM card that connects it to the network, and the network tracks the number of baht available "on" your SIM card. Depending on your plan, a phone call will decrease the number of baht remaining. To check your remaining baht balance, dial *121# and press your phone's call key (typically looks like a green phone).

Adding more baht is as easy as buying a phone card, available from almost any general store in Thailand (although with varying surcharges added by different stores). These cards come in denominations varying from 50 baht to 300 baht. Instructions for using the card are included on each card, but are in Thai. They boil down to:

1. Scratch off the back of the card to reveal the refill number (RN)
2. Dial *120*RN# and press your phone's call key
3. Wait for a confirmation message from AIS with your new total baht

Getting in Touch

Making Calls

When calling from within Thailand to another Thai number, the number you dial must begin with 0. Example: 081-1234567 or 045-123456

If dialing from a Thai cell phone to an international number, dial + (plus sign), then the country code, and finally the number. The U.S.'s country code is '1', so you would dial "+1 (area code) local-number". Example: +19195555

If dialing from a Thai land line to an international number, dial '001', then the country code, and finally the number (including area code). To dial a U.S. number of 1-202-123-4567, you would dial 001-1-202-123-4567.

If you're calling internationally to somewhere other than the U.S., check out these sites to find the right country code:

• CountryCallingCodes.com
• Kropla

Receiving Calls

...is FREE!!! So take advantage of it. If dealing with Peace Corps staff try to have them initiate the call. If you want to talk to family and friends back home, encourage them to find the cheapest options on their end and call you (e.g. Skype, calling cards, etc.).

Thailand's country code is 66. Dialing from a U.S. land line phone (aka - fixed, permanent line), your family and friends will need to dial: 011-66-[your number]. Be sure to drop the leading zero (0) from [your number]. Example: your number is 081-1234567, so your family dials 011-66-811234567.

Hints for Family to Save $$$ on Calls

• PINGO- Calling card/plan

...cheapests I have found. My family and friends and I use it all the time.

http://www.pingo.com/en/home.do

Phone cards are simple, and using Pingo is even simpler. You purchase calling time with your credit card and Pingo provides you with your own unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) and a toll-free access number. Then you're ready to start using Pingo and saving on long distance calls.

• Thai Extreme Calling card

Scott Hajek's (119) family uses Thai Extreme. It works the same way as Pingo: you purchase a PIN online and then call a U.S. access number. When your credit runs low you can recharge it online. It's only 2.5 cents/minute (calling a local access number) or 4.5 cents/minute (using a toll-free 800 number). The sound quality is really good.

http://www.thaitel.com/cardmoreinfo/card_xtreme.php

• Skype

Skype is an internet phone service. You make calls directly through the internet. Calling Thailand is about $0.11 per minute, which is more expensive than the calling card options above.

Text Messages (SMS)You can send and receive text messages, aka SMS messages, on your Thai cell phone. Any cell phone in Thailand should have this capability. The process is to type the message using the number keys, much in the way the land line phones in the U.S. have 3-4 letters represented by each digit. Then you enter the cell phone number you want to receive the message, following same instructions above as for dialing the number.

See below for SMS promotions to make this feature even cheaper.

Calling Plans/Promotions

The amount you are charged per phone call or text message varies widely depending on your promotion. The default charges seem to be 3 baht for the first minutes and 1 baht for each additional minute, with text messages costing 2 baht each. If you don't use your phone for very much, this can be just fine. If you use your phone more often, however, you might want to check out alternate promotions.

To check what your current promotion is, call *777# (it'll send you a text in Thai).

To change your phone's promotion, call *777 toll free (for easy reference, this number tends to be included on the left side of the back of most "1 2 call" phone cards).Listen to the recording for instructions on choosing between the potential options. Typically, the promotions include:

• Short call (aka top call): 3 baht for the 1st minute, 1 baht for each additional minute.
• Long call: 5 baht for the 1st minute, 25 satang (a quarter-baht) for each additional minute.
• Flexible Long Call/Short Call: Alternates between the first two options based on which would cost the least (short call rates for calls < 3 minutes, long call rates for calls > 3 minutes). Plan is charged at 30 baht per month.
• Day call: Calls within the network are free from 5am to 5pm (up to 60 minutes in length; additional minutes are 1 baht per minute). Plan is charged at 199 baht per month. This is a popular option for CBOD volunteers who have more availability to talk during the daytime, and can also be a nice way of dealing with problematic coverage areas at site if you don't have a reliable signal.
• Night call: Calls within the network are free from 10pm to 10am (up to 60 minutes in length; additional minutes are 1 baht per minute). Plan is charged at 159 baht per month.
• SMS lover: Send up to 500 text messages per month for a monthly fee of 99 baht. Unless you really like sending text messages and never make actual phone calls, you're probably better off using one of the other calling plans and getting reduced SMS rates through one of the secondary promotions described below.

Secondary Promotions

AIS also offers promotions specifically related to SMS, MMS, and GPRS. SMS are text messages, and are the only one of these that will be universally available to other volunteers. GPRS rates only apply if you're connecting to the internet and MMS is related to sending and receiving e-mails directly from your phone, and seems to be over-rated. These last two only work if your phone is sufficiently fancy (and expensive), so they are covered on other pages:

• GPRS / EDGE internet options through your cell phone (AIS)

To check out any of these secondary promotions, call #138. Press 1 for English, then 1 to listen to the SMS promotion options. These include:

• 10 messages for 15 baht
  
• 50 messages for 50 baht
• 120 messages for 100 baht
• 200 messages for 150 baht

These promotions are on monthly cycles, with no roll-over of pre-paid messages. Prices listed above do not include VAT, which adds about 7% to the fee.

Transfer Balance or Validity

AIS users: You can transfer balance or validity from one phone to another by calling #140. There is a service charge of a few baht per transaction, so make sure to do larger amounts at a time to avoid racking up service fees.

Additional Assistance

If you have problems with your service at any point, the AIS call center can be reached by dialing 1175. You can talk with English-speaking operators, but beware in advance that AIS will charge you for these calls. That's right: they charge you for the privilege of complaining about your service.