cell phones - suggestions needed for type or doesn't it matter
 

We leave for Thailand tomorrow (YEAH!!!) and would like to purchase a cell phone for use throughout SE Asia. My first question is: can we buy one phone that can be used for Thailand, Laos & Cambodia? Second Q: What type should we buy? I'm assuming we should buy it with a prepaid sim card. I know this question has come up previously and been answered by Hanuman but in the search I did, the question was for 2010. Perhaps there is more recent info? Thank you for your help.

depends how much you want to pay...buy new or used... go to MBK at national stadium stop of skytrain... many, many vendors there...

i was not happy with the used one i bought so replaced it with a new one..

you can change sim cards for each country... at 7/11 you can add $$ as needed..

have you considered just using skype for calling home---skype telephone??

IMO it depend on what you want like do you require a data plan or you just want a basic phone? Also, if you are planning on venturing out of the cities to more remote areas then you have to do your home work on which provider has the most extensive service coverage.

If you want just a basic phone then the same information as of 2010 is still true today.

I have a cheap Nokia cell phone that I use for Thailand and the Philippines. In the Philippines I just change the sim card. Never had to use a cell phone in Laos or Cambodia but I expect it to work there too.

Buy the cheap Nokia in Bangkok Thailand; MBK, Panthip Plaza and malls stores will have them. No shortage of places selling cell phones. If you are from N. America buy in Thailand. My US cell phone will not work in Thailand and my Thai cell phone will not work in the US.

Figure on around 800 to 1200 baht for a plain Jane phone. The Nokia I have makes calls and sends messages of course, tells time, has calculator, alarm clock and a few other things I never use. Dropped numerous times over the years and keeps on working.

Sim cards available in many places, even Seven Eleven stores. I have the clerk in the IT mall I go to punch all the right numbers in for me.

There are many internet shops you can use to send and read emails at. Prices are reasonable. Use their computers if you don't bring one. If you are bringing a laptop many hotels have free wifi too.

Up to you.

Correction to the information from the above poster - if you have an unlocked GSM phone from the US then it will work in other GSM countries.

May I suggest you forget about taking a cell phone! We have traveled abroad for years without one and do just fine. You might even enjoy not having one- you can do very nicely without it!

Also, mobile phones from Thailand with a SIM card fromT-Mobile etc will work in the US as well.

Unlocked QUAD-BAND GSM phones will work in the US and Southeast Asia. A dual-band GSM with just 850 and 1900 MHz ones will not, since the frequencies used there are 900 and 1800.

Yep that's right I forgot to mention that it must be quad band. My iPhone works fine in both countries with data plan as well as unlimited US to Thailand calling with T-Mobile USA.

" My US cell phone will not work in Thailand and my Thai cell phone will not work in the US."

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I have two cheap Nokia cell phones that are very durable and reliable. The US cell phone will NOT work in Thailand no matter what you do! The cheap Thai Nokia cell phone will NOT work in the US no matter what you do! Of course if you spend a little more money on a cell phone you have more options! Having an expensive cell phone that does hundreds of things is not important to me. If someone from back home has to contact me they can use an email. I will get around to checking my email when I feel like it.

Twenty years ago we were lucky to get an airmail letter in Asia in under 10 days or have to rely on an expensive long distance phone call for immediate information. We are so spoiled nowadays!

"Back Home " very often is 12 hours time difference so we find email is the best way to communicate.

The type of phone is not that important these days - it only needs to be compatible with Thai frequencies (e.g. - 2G capabilities GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900)

Most modern phones are capable of working on just about any frequency you come across. (avoid older US models).

THailand has only 2G coverage on a national basis, but 3G (a very slow version) is available in BKK, Chiang Mai and Chonburi. The start of national 3G may well occur next year but is slowed by constant legal challenges.

Any mobile SIM will come with the option of an internet package. These range, depending on download size, from about 150 to 1000 baht per month on top of your pre-pay phone service.
They are worthwhile though, as using your ordinary phone a/c to access the net is prohibitively expensive.

I would recommend that despite the lack of 3G coverage you still go for it as you will be able to use both 2 and 3G internet access depending on whatever is available to you at the time.

Unlocking or "jail-braking" your phone can be done at home or very easily here in Thailand. iPhones take a little longer and cost a bit more - but you're only talking a few dollars.

SIMs are available everywhere and cost about 50 baht (iPhones a bit more) but then you need to buy some phone credit on top of that.

Laos on the other hand has national 3G and 4G in the capital Vientiane. Again SIMs are available everywhere. Don't make the mistake of thinking your Thai SIM will work as it does in Thailand, it will go on to roaming and you'll soon run out of credit - get a local Laos card.
I use a Laos 3G dongle (air-card) for my laptop in Laos which covers me well when there is no wi-fi available.

Cambodia - don't know - 6 years ago my Thai SIM worked in Siem Reap on a Thai network - must have bee some kind of fiddle going on.