Jump to content
pyr8at40

cell phones in sw asia

Recommended Posts

pyr8at40

been attempting to sort thru the phone issue.   i have an iphone6 with ATT...but the rates for out of country use are laughable.  should i just buy a cheap phone on arrival, and change sim cards as i travel thru the region, or is there one carrier that covers the lao, cambodia, vn , thai ,  malay areas inclusive without needing to change sim cards?  also see conflicting tales of buying sim cards. data cards. etc......anyone with knowledge gets a free beer on me when i get there...lol

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Oz Jon
21 minutes ago, pyr8at40 said:

been attempting to sort thru the phone issue.   i have an iphone6 with ATT...but the rates for out of country use are laughable.  should i just buy a cheap phone on arrival, and change sim cards as i travel thru the region, or is there one carrier that covers the lao, cambodia, vn , thai ,  malay areas inclusive without needing to change sim cards?  also see conflicting tales of buying sim cards. data cards. etc......anyone with knowledge gets a free beer on me when i get there...lol

 

I'm years out of touch with prices etc on cellphone access, but one thing I can tell you that is always true when traveling in 3rd world countries.... put that attractive/expensive iphone away in a safe place before someone steals it, maybe injuring you in the process!

 

Buy a cheap (even 2nd hand) local phone and local SIM cards etc - then its unlikely that any local will be interested enough to steal it! - and you don't care if they do!.

 

 

Edited by Oz Jon
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Parrothead
52 minutes ago, pyr8at40 said:

been attempting to sort thru the phone issue.   i have an iphone6 with ATT...but the rates for out of country use are laughable.  should i just buy a cheap phone on arrival, and change sim cards as i travel thru the region, or is there one carrier that covers the lao, cambodia, vn , thai ,  malay areas inclusive without needing to change sim cards?  also see conflicting tales of buying sim cards. data cards. etc......anyone with knowledge gets a free beer on me when i get there...lol

 

Did someone say "free beer"?! 

 

I can't say, regarding other countries in this region, aside from Cambodia and the Philippines. But, if you have Philippines SIM,  you can roam outside the country. Cambodia carriers offer no such service. Furthermore, regarding the various countries, I do not know of any single service offered, where you can travel throughout each of these countries using a single SIM / provider. 

 

If your phone is "open line", I imagine you can use it here. But, as @Oz Jon previously stated, watch it like a hawk. They will break into your home / apartment to steal a phone. I assure you, they will snatch one from you. Or, as you mentioned, you can certainly buy a cheap phone in the first country you visit, and (most likely) use it in every other country you visit, simply by changing the SIM.

 

My personal advice is to just buy a SIM for every country you are visiting. Upon leaving, just discard the SIM. Upon purchasing a new SIM, just buy enough credit that you think you will need during the length of your stay.

 

 

Edited by Parrothead
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
syzmic

The iPhone 6 isn't all that great of a phone that thieves are going to mob you to get it. The iPhone X is another story.

 

If your phone is unlocked, changing SIM   cards isn't that big a deal.  I'm using Cellcard for my service here.  It costs me $1 a week and i get about 20 Gigs of data.  The calls are VOIP however.  For $2 a week you get regular phone calls.  Most of my communications here are through Facebook (yeah, I know )  so I'm fine with the $1 a week thing.  It's so cheap compared to back home that it almost feels like it's free.

 

You gotta remember, this is a third world country.  Internet speeds are seldom as fast as advertised and unexplained outages can happen at any time.  It's just part of the charm of being here.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Parrothead
10 minutes ago, syzmic said:

The iPhone 6 isn't all that great of a phone that thieves are going to mob you to get it.

 

In this country? They even steal those cheap $10 to $20 USD phones. They would walk with my old iPhone 5, if they could get it from me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Oz Jon
23 minutes ago, syzmic said:

The iPhone 6 isn't all that great of a phone that thieves are going to mob you to get it. The iPhone X is another story.

 

If your phone is unlocked, changing SIM   cards isn't that big a deal.  I'm using Cellcard for my service here.  It costs me $1 a week and i get about 20 Gigs of data.  The calls are VOIP however.  For $2 a week you get regular phone calls.  Most of my communications here are through Facebook (yeah, I know )  so I'm fine with the $1 a week thing.  It's so cheap compared to back home that it almost feels like it's free.

 

You gotta remember, this is a third world country.  Internet speeds are seldom as fast as advertised and unexplained outages can happen at any time.  It's just part of the charm of being here.

 

I don't know if things have changed since I was last in Cebu ( 10-15yrs ago)  but then, someone? some company? (with the connivance of the the Phil cellephone operator) had a racket going that sent you messages offering all kinds of unwanted ring-tones and other stuff that cost you money to even read/delete their advertising  message calls!. 

Your call credit disappeared rapidly without making any calls!

-- Was that happening in Cambodia too?

  - Is that still happening?

Edited by Oz Jon
typos
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Parrothead
9 minutes ago, Oz Jon said:

- Was that happening in Cambodia too?

 

If it is, it hasn't happened to me, yet. 

 

I do, however, receive all sorts of SPAM calls and text messages. I block them every time they are sent. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
syzmic

One of my friends had a $20 dumbphone snatched out of his hand, so I'm aware that it happens.  That was pretty much a random crime of opportunity.  I doubt the thief would have bothered to snatch it if he knew ahead of time how little it was worth. 

 

The expensive phones make you a target, and they will follow you home if they think they can figure a way to steal it.  This is after all, a  country with a LOT of very poor people in it.  However, it seems like most of the locals have an iPhone 6.  I am seeing them everywhere.  I really don't think that phone paints a target on your back because it's so common.  Regardless, you need to be aware of your surroundings and don't make yourself an easy victim.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
syzmic
2 hours ago, Oz Jon said:

 

I don't know if things have changed since I was last in Cebu ( 10-15yrs ago)  but then, someone? some company? (with the connivance of the the Phil cellephone operator) had a racket going that sent you messages offering all kinds of unwanted ring-tones and other stuff that cost you money to even read/delete their advertising  message calls!. 

Your call credit disappeared rapidly without making any calls!

-- Was that happening in Cambodia too?

  - Is that still happening?

I was in the Philippines at that time.  As i remember, there was more than one company doing that.  Smart was one of them.  It caused me and my friends to switch to a different company.  It was a big scandal at the time.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
pyr8at40

thanks guys...had been contemplating getting rid of the iphone anyway....wont be using the phone very often....just thinking would be nice to have if needed

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • If you would like to join to begin posting and become an active member, feel free to click on THIS LINK, to register. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the Forum Operations / Issues forum. If you register, but then are unable to log in, please feel free to post concerns in the Having Problems Logging In? forum. We will address any and all questions, comments, or concerns, as quickly as possible. Welcome to the Living In Cambodia Forums! 

    Welcome to the forum!

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use & Guidelines. Here is our Privacy Policy.