I need a simple, cheap, bare-bones cell to give an emergency contact number to my office back in the US, plus a few minutes a day for local calls in and out. I'd rather not give my office a Pattaya hotel number, since that blows my innocent cover story. And I'd rather not trust company business to a hotel operator anyway.

Ideally, I'd like to swap the SIM on my Siemens phone since I'm comfortable with its use, but I'm not averse to buying a disposable handset if that's easier.

So what's the easiest way to be covered for a month, guaranteed that I can close the books on the day I fly home and not have any recurring charges or cancellation hassles to resolve from ten thousand miles away?

If prepaid is the way to go, I guess it should be refillable, as one unplanned long call could zero out my balance.

And anyone have a price estimate I can reckon into my budget?

TIA for any advice you can offer.

Go to the 7/11 buy a sim card for a couple of hundred baht on one2call network and a 100 baht top up card... put it in your phone... job done.

If the sim isnt recognised in your phone take it to tukcom, they will sort it there.

Hope this helps

Plenty of threads on this already:

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/Newbi...one-t12233.html

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/Cheap...nes-t20668.html

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/Buying-Cell-t2937.html

In fact, there is an entire section on the subject:

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/Telep...Issues-f81.html

Man you can buy a thai phone cheap with sim card and just top it up 300 baht a go at any 7/11.

plenty of threads... ditto.....

Thailand is so easy for everything..