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I haven't researched, but I'd be surprised if any SIM card worked outside the country of purchase. I've got a Vodafone AU sim and I'm 99% sure it won't work on any other Vodafone network
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Sep 13, 2016 12:59
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Pretty sure you'll have to get a new SIM at each country though they're all quite inexpensive. I found True LTE to be pretty good in Thailand.
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Sep 13, 2016 13:13
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Atlas Hugged posted:I don't know that anything would feel right after a handle of whiskey. After a handle of whiskey I'm not sure I would feel much of anything.
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Sep 13, 2016 13:16
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webmeister posted:I haven't researched, but I'd be surprised if any SIM card worked outside the country of purchase. I've got a Vodafone AU sim and I'm 99% sure it won't work on any other Vodafone network
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Sep 13, 2016 14:04
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Re SIMs: just get a bundled package from Vinaphone*** when you get to 'Nam. Huge cap on data only sims for cheap also. Big enough network, only crapped out on me in the mountains near Da Lat and while riding along the Lao border north and south of Khe Sanh.
Ally McBeal Wiki fucked around with this message at 12:48 on Sep 20, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 14:17
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Pilsner posted:My (Danish) SIM card works all over the world, I was under the impression it's just backwater countries where it's tied to the country. The call and text costs in far-away countries are of course high and as charged as if I were back home, but it works fine. Traveling around Europe, the costs are rather moderate. Sorry I guess I should have been clearer. Like any other SIM card, my Australian SIM will work anywhere in the world via roaming too, but in most countries data gets charged at $51 AUD per megabyte ($38 USD or €34). Saying it'll work but neglecting to mention he'll get an enormous bill isn't very helpful  And if he's bought a pre-paid True SIM in 7-11 like most Thailand tourists, it won't have any roaming credit attached and thus won't work in Vietnam.
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Sep 13, 2016 14:56
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Thai SIM cards can work anywhere in the world, but not your slapdick Hamsterdam hooplehead SIM from 7-11. You need post-paid and you need international call access turned on, which isn't much different than in the US or Australia as I recall. Europe is basically a tiny United States that can't agree on what to wear for dinner, so they're different. I *think* you'll still receive SMS messages in Cambodia and possibly Burma and Laos on a Thai prepaid SIM, but can't swear. Definitely can on a postpaid SIM, as I do. I believe I get SMS messages in the US and elsewhere as well, but can't recall.
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Sep 14, 2016 10:35
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Europe will actually unify their SIM card network and remove roaming charges within this year. Except for Britain! But luckily for now just buy whatever card you can get. It's cheap and convenient enough for now. Except for Malaysia and Singapore where you need to register with your passport
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Sep 14, 2016 11:59
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caberham posted:Europe will actually unify their SIM card network and remove roaming charges within this year. No they won't. Not this year, maaaybe next year.
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Sep 14, 2016 21:02
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Thailand requires a passport now, but, like everything else, participation in the law is an optional practice as long as no one's looking at the moment and proximity from the event that caused the knee jerk law grows longer. I've had to buy a few SIM cards for various things and had it go both ways.
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Sep 18, 2016 00:06
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When I bought a Thai sim a few weeks back they asked for my passport but were happy enough with my Australian drivers licence. This was an official AIS store too, not a 7-11 or something.
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Sep 18, 2016 03:22
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I'm leaving for Vietnam (HCMC) on Wednesday, and I had a few last minute questions: 1. Bringing cash - should I bring primarily USD, primarily VND (hehe dong), or a mix of both? I'll have my visa stamping fee on hand in USD as requested but will I need or use USD after that? I looked up my ATM fees and they're pretty nuts ($7.50NZD per transaction) but I need some cash on hand for arrival and use immediately after. 3. Hotel - should I book my hotel now or will arriving on the night and asking for a room be fine? It's just entering peak season around now, right? I'm only staying until Saturday before I move to the volunteer hostel. I'm not fussy. 4. Travel from airport - kind of linked to the hotel question, as I understand hotels do airport pickups, but is there an obvious taxi stand that aren't scammers?
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Sep 18, 2016 03:44
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I haven't been to Vietnam for a few years but I don't think USD are very widely accepted outside of airports. Unless you're there for a long stay, I'd probably just do a few large withdrawals and keep the cash split up in various spots (don't put it all in your wallet!!). At the airport just ignore the hundreds of touts who will offer you a taxi, and join the main taxi queue outside the terminal. Look for Mai Linh and Vinasun taxis as these are usually trustworthy, but still be sure to insist on using the meter before he starts driving anywhere
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Sep 18, 2016 04:00
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Cool, that's easy enough then, thanks.
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Sep 18, 2016 05:01
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diarmuidqq posted:I'm leaving for Vietnam (HCMC) on Wednesday, and I had a few last minute questions: If you're bringing cash bring usd and exchange it as necessary. Atm fees can be high in Vietnam (100k) there are so,e that are free but I can't tell recall which. Hotel I'd recommend to book ahead Another option is uber and if you only have a backpack uber bike. It's extremely cheap and fast.
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Sep 18, 2016 23:05
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Vietnam was the only country I visited that had both a massively devalued currency and widespread ATMs. It's weird getting like 2,000,000 of anything from a machine. Sort of like, "By the time you have these things you're supposed to have solved the other thing."
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Sep 19, 2016 10:50
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Bring a book (or some other firm place to put them) and take home some fresh Dong bills from the ATM, they make great souvenirs. They are made of plastic so they hold up really well to bending and crumbling, have a transparent hole in them, and a comically high face value, for example for the 100,000 and 500,000 bills. I can tell from experience that in certain tourist-oriented shady "establishments", they sometimes offer you prices in USD, and as far as I recall the exchange rate was $5 per 100k Dong, which depending on the current USD rate wasn't too crazy, just convenient for well-off tourists I guess. Personally I just withdrew at ATMs (and ate the fees) as I went and paid in Dong everywhere. It's a balancing act - you might save a little by pre-obtaining shitloads of foreign currency at home, but it leaves you at risk of losing everything if you are unlucky. Also, if you exchange for a backwater currency such as Dong at home, it's not unlikely that the exchange rate will be craptacular.
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Sep 19, 2016 11:09
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Yeah I grabbed $125 USD. $25 for my visa stamping fee, $100 backup. I'll use VND and ATMs. Anyone in HCMC want to meet for drinks on Friday or Saturday? I can PM a mobile number when I get a SIM card.
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Sep 19, 2016 11:37
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FWIW, and it's probably too late for you now, but if you're a frequent traveller I'd look into getting a traveller's card of some sort. I think US goons talk about a Charles Schwab checking account, maybe? If you're Australian you can get a Citibank Plus visa debit card that has no account keeping fees, no percentage fee for overseas withdrawals and no "other bank's network ATM" fee. I think in 3 months of travelling around SEA through 7 countries, the only place we've encountered ATM fees has been in Thailand (thanks to greedy shithead Thai banks - 200 baht per withdrawal is absolutely scandalous). Also one tip regarding using money overseas - if you're paying on credit card and the terminal offers you a choice between paying in the local currency eg VND or your card's "home" currency eg USD/EUR/AUD or whatever, always always always pick the local currency. The exchange rate they offer you at point of sale is exceedingly lovely (like, worse than shady guy at the airport lovely), and the card merchant (Mastercard/Visa/AMEX) pockets the difference.
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Sep 19, 2016 13:09
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FaceEater posted:Re SIMs: just get a bundled package from Viettel when you get to 'Nam. Huge cap on data only sims for cheap also. Big enough network, only crapped out on me in the mountains near Da Lat and while riding along the Lao border north and south of Khe Sanh. I think I'll end up doing this, thanks. As it turns out, I'll only end up visiting in November, since that's when some friends want to come out. So I'm on the lookout for other SEA countries with decent 4G coverage that I could spend a month traveling around in. Seems like Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia have decent coverage, but Myanmar and Laos not so much? I'm only going based off what I read in this helpful "prepaid-data-sim-card" wiki: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/ Not sure how updated it is though. Also with these countries is it generally easy to buy airfare, hotels, etc. last minute? I feel like I've been spoiled in Thailand since I pretty much book all my things the night before. Also everyone speaks English.
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Sep 19, 2016 18:01
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edited: It wasn't Viettel, it was Vinaphone I meant to say. They're the ones I used for data in Vietnam. Pie Colony posted:I think I'll end up doing this, thanks. As it turns out, I'll only end up visiting in November, since that's when some friends want to come out. So I'm on the lookout for other SEA countries with decent 4G coverage that I could spend a month traveling around in. Seems like Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia have decent coverage, but Myanmar and Laos not so much? I'm only going based off what I read in this helpful "prepaid-data-sim-card" wiki: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/ Not sure how updated it is though. Cambodia: I think the only places I didn't have at least some kind of coverage were pretty few and far between. Between towns I might not have any internet for a bus ride for a little while, but sure as poo poo it would show up again. I used Cellcard there, and they did ask me for my passport at an official store in Phnom Penh. Regarding hotels, airfare, busses:If I was heading to a faraway place either by long bus ride or by plane or by ferry, I'd absolutely book the first night or two in advance just for peace of mind and somewhere to crash after long journeys. Necessary? Ehhhh, not always, but I hate arriving in a strange place with nowhere to rest my head and get my bearings a bit. Airfare I found was cheaper at least a few weeks in advance. Busses can mostly be booked the night before, and often day of. Laos: Yep, 4G not everywhere. I only finally got a Lao simcard towards the end of my time there, and I think it was the company with the bee logo. Beecom or Stingco or Honeycell or something. Worked fine in and around Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Ally McBeal Wiki fucked around with this message at 12:49 on Sep 20, 2016 |
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Sep 20, 2016 03:47
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Pie Colony posted:Also with these countries is it generally easy to buy airfare, hotels, etc. last minute? I feel like I've been spoiled in Thailand since I pretty much book all my things the night before. Also everyone speaks English. Yep. My wife and I have been travelling around SEA since May (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Brunei) and have only booked basically everything 1-2 days in advance. The only time it's really caught us was last week - our Thai visas expired the same day as the end of Malaysian school holidays, and we had to fly to KL that day at an extortionate price. If we'd overstayed by a day it would've saved us a few hundred dollars, but not worth the risk. That said, everywhere we've been we've booked accommodation at least one night in advance. I absolutely loathe the backpacker style of arriving somewhere after a long bus ride or whatever and then spending the first few hours lugging your poo poo around trying to find somewhere to stay.
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Sep 20, 2016 15:52
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Sep 21, 2016 09:19
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so do you own it
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Sep 21, 2016 09:54
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The Saddest Rhino posted:so do you own it Nah just thought it was spot on when I saw it at a mall.
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Sep 21, 2016 10:03
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What is it, a mobile phone holder that gives Goatse allusions? What does the text say?
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Sep 22, 2016 09:58
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Pilsner posted:What is it, a mobile phone holder that gives Goatse allusions? What does the text say? Yeah it's just a mobile phone holder. I have no idea what the text says, but the shape of the letters and the colors just screamed Goatse to me.
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Sep 22, 2016 10:26
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Pilsner posted:What is it, a mobile phone holder that gives Goatse allusions? What does the text say? Just "Screen cracked. Repair ASAP."
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Sep 22, 2016 11:12
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FortMan posted:Just "Screen cracked. Repair ASAP." How's it going, FortMan?
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Sep 22, 2016 11:52
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ReindeerF posted:Vietnam was the only country I visited that had both a massively devalued currency and widespread ATMs. It's weird getting like 2,000,000 of anything from a machine. Sort of like, "By the time you have these things you're supposed to have solved the other thing." Yes, I wish they'd chop off some zeros in the next print up, although I doubt it will happen. On a positive note, inflation is now basically 0% - according to the international business news I read today.
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Sep 22, 2016 23:26
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When a country needs to feel better about its currency it can always look to Zimbabwe.
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Sep 23, 2016 02:04
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Hey guys, my girlfriend and I are planning a SE Asia trip, and I'm trying to find a decent hotel in Bangkok. I've been to Bangkok a few times, but have only stayed at Lub D. Any suggestions for a hotel in Bangkok for under $40 a night?
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Sep 25, 2016 00:09
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ReindeerF posted:FortMan appears! Around. Still in Chiang Mai. Working and going for another degree, so busy as hell though.
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Sep 25, 2016 05:03
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I'll be going to Thailand in November. Any recommendations on ferry companies for going from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe, and then from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta? The small amount of reviews/suggestions I've seen online make it seem like it's not a choice of picking the best company from the bunch, but rather a choice of picking the least crappy one. Lead candidate right now seems to be Bundhaya Speedboat.
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Sep 26, 2016 03:49
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The best one is the first one to show up at the dock when you get there. If you buy ahead you often end up standing there for hours until your company's ferry makes it back around.
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Sep 26, 2016 04:46
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BigBobio posted:I'll be going to Thailand in November. Any recommendations on ferry companies for going from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe, and then from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta? The small amount of reviews/suggestions I've seen online make it seem like it's not a choice of picking the best company from the bunch, but rather a choice of picking the least crappy one. Lead candidate right now seems to be Bundhaya Speedboat. Ferries around these islands mostly run on island time. So be prepared to wait. And to wade a bit. Wear flip flops, as they don't all dock at piers and you gotta hump it through a little bit of sand and surf sometimes from the longtail transfer boat. Worst I had was chest high. That was wet. And yeah, whatever boat that isn't the "backpacker" boat. Those are usually slow and open. There's a REALLY big ferry that prowls those waters, costs a bit extra, but is worth the cost to get where you're going fast/alive. And here's a helpful video that some nerd took of the same ferry I took last year, which wasn't terrible: https://youtu.be/KbeVnYW0g6o Ally McBeal Wiki fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Sep 26, 2016 |
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Sep 26, 2016 12:57
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"Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now there is 3 million, what is it, 3 million drug addicts (in the Philippines), there are. I'd be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have (me)." -Rodrigo Duterte, September 30th, 2016
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Oct 1, 2016 04:56
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No loving way
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Oct 1, 2016 05:38
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Oh Duterte, what WON'T you say?
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Oct 1, 2016 10:31
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