Thailand mobile purchase.

[jonathan]

Hi. Don't know if any of you guys can help but my wife is in Bangkok for a couple of weeks, and it has occurred to me that it might be a good opportunity for her to purchase (cheaply) a new mobile whilst there.
Are there any compatibility issues with a phone bought there to be used here? We aren't on contracts or anything, just regular Virgin PAYG. If she was to try her existing sim card in any potential purhase in the shop, this would prove that the handset would work on the Virgin network would it not? But would this prove it would work OK over here? Any other issues we should consider?
Any comments gratefully received.
Thanks
Jonathan

[Nick_UK]

Might be a long way to take it back if it goes wrong. If she's unlucky at customs, she could end up being charged import duty and VAT on it.

[jonathan]

Wouldn't any warranty be effective worldwide with the manufacturer? (not the retailer). Also I thought that with non EU countries the customes limits were £200 or so these days.

[Greg]

Wouldn't have thought she would be unlucky at customs, phone would fit in her pocket wouldn't it?

[sdm197]

Hi,

I have been to Thailand 8 times in the last 5 years and often take my mobile, which incidently is also a Virgin PAYG, as soon as you hit Thai soil the phones display stays blank, so it is impossible to know whether a phone will 100% work in the UK. You must buy one that is "unlocked" just like some of our phones are locked to say O2, Vodafone etc, theirs can be locked to DTAC, Thai AIS or 1-2Call. I have got friends who have bought phones there and have been OK, but what you must remember is that their phones are way ahead of ours because their networks are ahead of ours so some phones are not compatible. I will give you an example, I work for a large Photographic company the camera phones in Asia are up to 8 million pixels, ours are currently around 2 million maximum, purely because our networks could not cope presently with that amount of data. I hope this helps

Steve.

[jonathan]

A great help. I think I'll tell her to give it a miss then! Thanks.

[richpont]

Hi, I bought a pair of Nokia 7210 when they were just arriving in the UK. I bought them from a mobile phone shop, sim free, exactly as you would here. The phones were boxed, and just straight off the shelf.
They worked fine, and have just been given a new life with a friend (not sure what network as I know they work on any).
I would recommend getting them but one comment - phones weren't a lot cheaper there than here really.

Hope that helps. I used places like this forum to build up the courage to buy them in the first place!