Sim not working in laos

[Pcoonan]

Before i went travelling i changed my sim to pay as you go. Now it says my sim is not connected to any network so i cant recieve calls or texts . When i try and top it up i cant as it wont send my code to 150. I need the sim to work for two factor authentification for my bank . I am stressed. What can i do ?

[Pcoonan]

If the sim is in my nanas name can she change it to a contract and will it
work ? Or would it still need to call from the uk? Would a VPN work ?

[bristolian]

To help clarify - all new PAYG SIMs need to be used on EE's home UK network before they will work abroad, this includes migrations from pay-monthly.

You now have a new PAYG SIM, and therefore roaming abroad is not enabled. The SIM needs to be used in the UK first, then it will work abroad. The SIM reflects your account status, therefore your existing phone will work abroad with a SIM that has access to Thai networks - either a Thai SIM or a UK SIM with roaming enabled. If you follow the advice to send your EE PAYG SIM to the UK to be activated and then post back to you, it will also work abroad.

[XRaySpeX]

A VPN can't work as it can't even connect to a network abroad.

[Pcoonan]

None of this is said to you from ee. If i knew this i wouldnt have swapped
. I have no option to return to the Uk now as i have no money

[bristolian]

You don't need to return to the UK, it's your SIM that needs to be used on EE's network. Find a trusted friend or relative and post them your SIM. They use the SIM for a call & text (cover both bases), and then post the SIM back to you.

[EJT2109]

This is not anything to do with what you did or didn’t so before you left or anything to do with your phone setting - EE just do not work with any provider in Laos - we were there Dec 2023 and had no signal at all the entire time which meant we also couldn’t access other tech that required you to confirm by receipt of text message! WiFi calling also wouldn’t work. EE we’re unbelievably UNHELPFUL when speaking to them. We were told it was our phone settings, we needed to reset, buy add ons etc. they sent us around in circles for days on end and they were shocking to deal with.

EE do not partner with any carriers in Laos so it won’t work! Or if they do partner they have made no effort to check that it actually works. I have many emails back and forth about this - sorry it’s a case of ‘it’s them not you’. 

Clearly months later they haven’t fixed this!