Will my wifes mobile work in the UK on a new sim?

[ace_rimmer]

Ok, first of all, i know how to use a mobile, but the technical side of it baffles me.

So my wife arrives in the UK shortly on a settlement visa and one of the questions that she asked me was " Can i keep my phone?".

If she backs up her contacts will they still be there if we put a new sim card in it?

Will the phone except the new UK sim as i know networks like to lock them?

Thanks in advance..

[KhunIanB-UK]

Do you know the model of the phone?

If it's a mainstream and popular phone I don't think you'll have any issues.

The Sim Card contacts can be backed up and then restored onto a new Sim or can be saved to the phone so they are not dependent on the SIM.

Any locking on the phone would be from the original Thai provider, it might not even be locked, or if it is, could be unlocked cheaply by that provider or in Thailand before leaving. If she can try switching to a different Thai Sim from a different provider and the phone works it would not be locked and so UK Sim should work straight off.

If you have a UK Sim and it's compatible with the Thai phone Sim size you could even test the phone using that to check that there's also not any "language" confusion.

[Flip]

I've never known a Thai mobile be locked - simply because they don't (didn't?) do the 'free' phone deals that UK companies do.

I've brought around 5 Thai mobiles here and all of them have worked properly - insert your UK SIM and off you go.

[tudorowen1]

And vice-versa..when I take my unlocked phone to Thailand and put in any Thai sim it always works..

[James HKT]

I've never known a Thai mobile be locked - simply because they don't (didn't?) do the 'free' phone deals that UK companies do.

I've brought around 5 Thai mobiles here and all of them have worked properly - insert your UK SIM and off you go.

That is usually the case but some providers sometimes do special deals on smartphones and they can be locked. The easiest way to tell is just put another suppliers sim in the phone and see if it works, and if it does it will work with a UK sim also.

[ace_rimmer]

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully i can get her a good sim only deal as they do like to chat! Has anyone tried GiffGaff? I wouldn't buy a phone through them but the sim only prices look cheap. I think they run on O2's network?

[Lucky]

Have you got wifi at home? If so make sure she gets all her friends and family on Line or something similar, so they can video chat for free. Sim only deals seem to be around £10 pm for unlimited texts and calls with 3-4 GB
data.

[Natty]

Have a look on the Topcashback website and HUKD for sim deals.

All 3 of us at home are with 3 mobile paying a little more than £10 for 2 of us and mine is £14 pcm with unlimited calls/texts and 12gb, TCB have paid £50 and £55 back on 2 already with another £55 to come.

Our sim deals also come with Go binge feature free which is excellent for my daughter.

There are lower GB amounts with lower costs 12 month contracts and CS has improved with 3 mobile.

Didnt think GiffGaff deals were as good but other suppliers on TCB/HUKD too

[Flip]

make sure she gets all her friends and family on Line or something similar, so they can video chat for free.

Agreed, cost of my phone calls to Thailand now £0.00p per month.

[ace_rimmer]

Thanks for that Natty. I'm already a TCB member, i didn't think of them for some reason. I need to find out if her phone is locked first before buying a sim. We both use LINE at home on the wifi, it's mainly for when she is on the move and needs to make a call or send a text.

[wunderbar]

Giffgaff are ideal and who I use because you can just buy their monthly "goodybags" combining voice sms data when you are in the uk ad hoc. Just make a single call or receive one to keep account active every 6 months. Or just use credit on account PAYG
No direct debits or anything like that. Ideal if you're out of the uk in 2 month segments or longer just top up day before you return home online all ready for when you land back in uk

[te2008]

Giffgaff are ideal and who I use because you can just buy their monthly "goodybags" combining voice sms data when you are in the uk ad hoc. Just make a single call or receive one to keep account active every 6 months. Or just use credit on account PAYG
No direct debits or anything like that. Ideal if you're out of the uk in 2 month segments or longer just top up day before you return home online all ready for when you land back in uk

Does Giffgaff work in Thailand?

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

[Tom & Nok]

Yes, giffgaff works fine in Thailand. Giffgaff PAYG credit doesn't expire and I've also been able to use it without problems when working in some pretty remote places, e.g. Papua New Guinea.

[wunderbar]

Does Giffgaff work in Thailand?

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Certainly does at the end of the day its just o2 network under different branding and pricing.
I use two phones and just switch the giffgaff phone on at 7am when I get up and it will pick up any SMS free of charge from previous 24 hour period obviously but obviously not for sending or for receiving or making voice calls which are very expensive to say the least