Calling Home

JayC5

Hi,

I'll be spending the foreseeable future living in Thailand and was wondering if anyone knew of any cheap ways to keep in touch back home in Ireland?

I've checked out a Skype subscription but that only gives me 120 minutes a month for around €17 (calling mobile numbers). Are there any other methods to call mobiles similar to skype or offered from within Thailand?

Cheers!

drunkmonkey

Use Skype to Skype that's free, i'd guess most people here have a phone capable of skype. Teaching mammy how to use it though may be a whole different ballgame.

undo

I have been using VoIP for all my phone calls for years. For calls to Irish mobiles, cheapvoip.com seem to have the best rate:

5.5 US cent per minute, equal to about 4.3 Euro cent at the current exchange rate

You can use their VoIP software on a computer or you can download their mobile app. The people you will be calling in Ireland do not need to do anything. It will just be a regular call to their mobile.

If you look at the fine print on their website, you will see that the rate is 5.5 cents without VAT and 6.3 with VAT. They are required to charge VAT to everyone resident in the EU I believe. So once you have moved to Thailand and your billing address is outside the EU, you should be getting the cheaper rate. But even with VAT, it's quite a bit cheaper than Skype.

Tipperary animal lover

Buy new SIM card over the rates for international calls are better, any time were in Thailand that's what we do or like above Skype.

kerry4sam

JayC5 wrote: »

Hi,

I'll be spending the foreseeable future living in Thailand and was wondering if anyone knew of any cheap ways to keep in touch back home in Ireland?

I've checked out a Skype subscription but that only gives me 120 minutes a month for around €17 (calling mobile numbers). Are there any other methods to call mobiles similar to skype or offered from within Thailand?

Cheers!

Hi there JayC5,

I'm moving your thread from our Travel forum over into the Living Abroad forum where it would be better suited.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

jester77

I tried skype tp skype but my parents are not so good with computers and there was nothing but problems. If the window got minimised or behind another window, or if the microphone was off then it just didn't work. And then when there were other issues with Windows and drivers... a real no go.

I got them an ipad and use facetime. Haven't had a single issue since, they just click on the icon and click on my name and that's it. The ipad has only 1 button, so there is nothing that can really go wrong. I just update the software for them any time I'm home. Any ipad from v2 up will do, they can be gotten relatively cheap these days.

InTheTrees

Skype to Skype.

If you're parents having trouble buy them a smartphone that you can install it on and it works almost as easily as the phone.

Although you do need wifi. Fast wifi too.

But it is free. I use it from Seattle to Ireland and England a lot.

keithclancy

If you already have a normal landline phone and internet just get one of these:

http://www.amazon.de/CISCO-2-Port-Phone-Adapter/dp/B00684PN54/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365367285&sr=8-2&keywords=linksys+pap2

Then sign up to any of the Betamax providers (whichever has the best rates for you)

Comparison here:
http://backsla.sh/betamax

We use justvoip.com, the dialin numbers are handy as you can just register your mobile number, dial the access number and then dial out.

You can also use your PC and setup re-directs for your landline number (e.g. someone calls my Dutch landline number and it forwards the call to wherever I want (e.g. number of a cheap local sim I pickup when travelling)

So essentially if you have minutes to ring local numbers and you ring a landline in Ireland, the call is free

Also we have an incoming landline number, think it cost 1 euro to register is and that was it.