Has anybody taken a pre-paid phone with them when they travel? I'm going to Thailand next week and I'm sure I need to get something for when I'm there! Any suggestions?!

Yes, here' one word of advice - Skype

The only place I have Skype is on my laptop and I'm not going to bring my laptop with me everywhere I go. Thanks for your response though.

Anyone else?

Check at the airport when you arrive. Most international airports have rental cell phone booths.

Thanks, gaijin! never thought of that lol :-D

Hambino.

When I went to Thailand, my cell phone worked in Thailand. I use Docomo. I have a Blackberry Bold.

But what Gaijin said is correct. They do have rental phones when you get there.

I have friends that have cell phones already, so I also borrowed one from them. They are fairly cheap. Around $70-$150 if you just wanted to buy one of those type of phones. They are unlocked. You have to get a SIM card, and then just add minutes while your there. I bought a $5 card, and it pretty much lasted me with minutes the entire time I was there (7 days)..

When your out shopping, you will see tons of places that sell cell phones. Its up to you, and it depending on how much you travel around those foreign countries, it may be good to just invest in one of them. Basically my friends, just use the phones to travel around everywhere, and they just replace the SIM chip for that countries region..

Anyways, good luck..

If your bringing your laptop, Skype could be an option also. Or Magic Jack. Or even the vonage USB adapter, if you have Vonage.

You could also just getting a calling card when you arrive in Thailand. They are fairly inexpensive, but if your looking for mobile communications, you either need to:

1) Get one from the airport (rental)
2) Buy a new phone when you get there, and just get a SIM card
3) Have a friend loan you a phone to use, and then just get a SIM card
4) Have a service offered with your Japanese phone, that will extend your coverage to allow you to operate in Thailand.

GL

Thailand abounds with Internet cafes that are very cheap (pennies per minute). Most of their computers have headset/microphone that you can make a Skype call from. Of course you won't be able to receive calls but you can check in very cheaply. I uploaded a file once from my USB drive to an internet cafe puter & got a virus so you never know what to expect. Also, I would NEVER enter my credit card number in such a place, so fill up your skype account with minutes before you leave home.

I uploaded a file once from my USB drive to an internet cafe puter & got a virus so you never know what to expect. Also, I would NEVER enter my credit card number in such a place

This is a great suggestion! I definitely think its right on target, because these places you NEVER know whats going on behind the scene.

If you have an Ipod touch/Iphone, even with no cell phone signal as long as you have wifi you can use Skype if you download the app.