Here’s the clear technical summary of the recent change in Thailand’s telecom rules regarding prepaid SIM cards and why you’re seeing top-up validity no longer extend indefinitely for certain SIM types. What Changed with Thailand SIM/Telecom Rules Thailand’s telecom regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), updated rules that affect how long prepaid SIM cards (especially tourist SIMs) stay valid and whether you can extend them by topping up credit. Major telecom news outlets report that one of the new measures prohibits extending tourist SIM cards beyond a fixed maximum period by simply adding credit. Under the updated rules, tourist SIMs have a maximum validity of 60 days, and you cannot use a top-up to extend that beyond 60 days—even if you add more airtime or data. After that period you must re-register or buy a new SIM. nationthailand+1 This rule is part of a broader set of telecom and cybercrime counter-measure regulations that the NBTC has put in place to tighten control over SIM usage, partly to reduce fraud and unregistered or abandoned SIM cards. nationthailand How It Works in Practice Previously, Thai prepaid SIMs (especially non-tourist local SIMs) would renew validity each time you topped up with airtime or a data bundle: a 10–20 baht top-up often added a month of validity, and you could stack these to keep a number alive for a year or more. Under current NBTC rules for tourist SIMs, that no-extension cap means: - You get up to 60 days of service from activation. - No amount of top-ups will extend the SIM past 60 days. - To keep a number after 60 days you must purchase and register a new SIM. nationthailand Local prepaid SIMs (non-tourist plans bought with full ID rather than “tourist SIM” products) may still allow extension with top-ups, but the new tourist-specific rule is strict and commonly carried by operators. NBTC’s intent is to discourage long dormancy and improve traceability for security reasons.

Thought I’d share what apps I’m rocking on a daily out here in Thailand. Many of them you should download as soon as you get here. 🚗 Getting Around Grab - Basically the Uber of Thailand. Reliable taxis, food delivery and more. Bolt - Usually cheaper than Grab. I go to it if Grab is on a mad one and prices are stupidly high. inDrive - Not many people know about this but a lot of the Thais use it and it's really reliable and cheap! You can negotiate the price yourself too. 💸 Money Stuff Bangkok Bank - If you live here, you know. "Scan to pay" (PromptPay) is life. Wise - The best way to get money into your Thai bank account from a foreign account. 📦 Buying Stuff Lazada - Basically the Thai version of Amazon. Don't need a bank account either can pay cash on delivery. AliExpress - Good for cheap gadgets and random stuff I don't need immediately (shipping takes forever but it's cheap). Foodpanda - Good food delivery app. 🛠 The Essentials LINE - In Thailand people don't use WhatsApp much they use Line! Has cool stickers too (very asian) Google Translate - Don't forget you can live scan Thai and see it in English, think menus, etc. myAIS - If you want the best mobile plan, go into an AIS store and buy a 50 baht sim card with no plan on it. Download this app and buy a plan yourself. You can get unlimited internet for a year for around 1800 THB last time I checked. Skool - To hang out with you guys obviously! 😉 🫤 Honourable Mentions Sh**t! I Smoke - Kinda depressing but necessary up north. Tells you the air quality in "cigarettes smoked." 7-Eleven - Haven't had the patience to set it up yet but soon I too will become one of those annoying fuckers who holds up the line so I can get my points. If you live in Thailand let me know in the comments what I’m missing or what you guys are using!

Scrolling through platforms like Preply or the educational tags on Xiaohongshu, it is easy to feel discouraged. With skilled teachers from countries with a lower cost of living offering lessons for a fraction of a UK hourly rate, it can feel like the industry is in a race to the bottom. The good news? It is a race you don’t need to run. The Global Reality We must accept that the market has changed. Teachers from the Philippines and Latin America are often excellent, hardworking, and provide a vital service for students who need affordable practice. This isn’t unfair; it is simply global economics. However, just because they can charge less, doesn’t mean you should lower your value. Why You Shouldn't Compete on Price. If you try to match the lowest rates, you will burn out. More importantly, price dictates your student. - Low prices often attract casual "shoppers" looking for a chat. - Sustainable prices attract serious students looking for results. Sell Value, Not Time To stand out, stop selling "English lessons" and start selling specific outcomes. As a native speaker or a specialised tutor, you offer things that bargain-hunting cannot buy: - Cultural Nuance: Understanding how and why we use certain phrases. - Idiomatic Fluency: Polishing advanced speakers to sound natural, not just grammatically correct. - Specialisation: Solving high-stakes problems like IELTS exams or business presentations. The Verdict The market is big enough for everyone. There is a place for affordable conversation practice, and there is a place for premium coaching. Don’t look down on the low-cost market—just choose not to participate in it. Stand firm on your prices, highlight your unique expertise, and you will attract the students who are looking for you, not just the cheapest option.

There is some news floating about in China, it is saying that people that offer professional advice must be able to prove they have the qualifications to do so. Originally this was something that reared its head back in 2022, but as a thought to improve online content. Recently the news and noise is ramping up. It appears that the media platforms in China will be tasked with quantifying and checking 'professional' content creators credentials. It is not known how or when this will come out or what it will look like. As a teacher online, I am assuming it will be providing copies of certificates, on a side note this may mean the TEFL certification is going to be essential, again I have no clue just yet of what this will actually look like, I am just guessing. What it doesn't mean? Well if you are on a teaching platform, Preply, Cambly, iTalki etc, this should not impact you at all. If you are active in creating content with an educational theme, this is likely to impact you. I also suspect that official channels on Chinese social media will be looked at first and foremost, then moving onto other creators who post "professional' content. Reading between the lines, always dangerous! It seems any advice that is given, finance, medical, education....I am sure the list is not exhaustive, is likely to flagged to check the credentials of the individual. For those teaching online, and using Chinese media platforms, the way to take the focus away from from your content would be to pivot your content to purely life style content, daily conversations in English, with no explicit "do this Instructions. It is all new right now, and for me I am not particularly concerned, as I do not post content that "tells people what to do" it is more observational, but if I get asked to provide something I will gladly share my journey.

Heading from Tokyo (50 degrees) to Thailand (90 days) 🤣