Unable to call Thailand

[fredw]

Since a few days it is impossible to call someone in the area 053 (Chiang
Mai). I tried 2 numbers, one of these numbers being a hotel in Chiang Mai.
After 2 rings I get a spoken message which of course I do not understand. No
mistake possible from my side, country code 32 Belgium, I am used to call
numbers in Thailand.

[admin]

Hello,
I suppose you aren’t dialing the initial zero: 00 66 53 xxx xxx and not 00
66 053 xxx xxx. As you might know the initial zero is only used to call
within Thailand.
Other than this there isn’t much for me to do. If you wish I can try dialing
the hotel in question just to see if the same message is played after two
rings.

[fredw]

Thanks for your response.
I know of course that from abroad the 0 in front of 53 should not be used.
I just tried the hotel number in Chiang Mai and it is again the some story,
2 rings followed by a (to me) not understandable voice message.
The number I have been trying is 00 66 53 243915 Rimping Village Hotel. As I
am a regular customer in that hotel I was actually intending to send them an
email to inform them that they cannot be reached from abroad, and asking
them to inform their local operator.

I just tried another hotel where I go every year in the Phuket zone and it
is the same story: 00 66 76 428900 Khaolak Beach Resort.
I cannot but conclude that there is something wrong within the Thai network,
at least with the access from abroad.

[admin]

I just tried dialing the hotels you mentioned below and I could connect in
both cases. A live female operator answered each time and she spoke Thai
then English. Of course I hung up because I didn’t have anything to say to
them. Maybe there’s an issue with calls originating in Belgium or with your
operator. Try using another phone line is my advice.

[fredw]

Hello,

Yesterday I complained to the Belgian operator; before being connected to a
live human voice I had to press about 10 digits, or how they are trying to
discourage you from lodging a complaint. The ‘she’ on the phone started
saying that there was nothing wrong with access to country code 66, but I
gave her a number she could test. I suspected already that there was an
administrative (financial) problem between Thai and Belgian operator which
was technically blocking the calls.

After receiving the message you just sent me I dialled, without much
conviction or hope, the hotel in Chiang Mai and after a few rings I got a
live human voice saying “Sawadee kaa”, after which I called my usual
correspondent in zone 53 and, oh miracle, I also got a live human voice at
the end.
Problem solved after several days, not normal if you ask me, that it took so
long.
Once again, thanks for your patient and continuous assistance, in our
society we are no longer used to that.

[Author]

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