Singapore prides itself on a clean sweep of corruption and debris and clutter, but this can also manifest in other unintended side effects. In Singapore — and probably most other countries now — it’s dreadfully hard to find a public pay phone.
Even when you do manage to find one (hint: big shopping malls in Suntec City or in large hotels), sometimes they are just phones that take electronic prepaid cards. How do you then make the call to look up your friends in Singapore?
Always on the phone? (Courtesy jeremyfoo@flickr)
A good option is to bring your mobile phone with you. Singapore runs standard GSM service through several mobile providers. If you have a (dual, tri, quad-band) GSM phone it should work with Singapore’s providers as long as you get a new SIM card. This would be my recommended option — to purchase a short-term prepaid, refillable SIM card.
Getting a prepaid SIM card in Singapore is generally quite easy, activation is instant, and calling rates are quite attractive.
The prepaid SIM cards in Singapore come in various denominations ranging from S$10 to S$50. There are 3 mobile phone service providers that offer prepaid phone service in Singapore – SingTel, MobileOne (M1) and Starhub.
Prepaid SIM cards in Singapore for any of the three phone companies can be purchased at the following locations:
• Retail outlets of Singtel, Starhub, and M1. There are outlets for these stores in Suntec City.
• 7-eleven stores and Cheers Convenience Stores. These are everywhere, including the Changi airport. If you have to have your phone connection right away, this is it.
• Singapore Post
Since 2006, the Singapore government has made prepaid SIM registration a mandatory requirement. This means the card must be registered under the name of the person who will be using it, in this case you. As a result, you will be required to produce your passport when you buy the prepaid mobile card (that means you should not forget to bring out your passport when you want go buy it). Once registered, the card is ready for use immediately.
Prepaid SIM Card balance in Singapore is normally valid for 6 months which means any unused balance will expire after 6 months, if not refilled (topped-up) by buying additional credit. 10 dollars may seem a lot of money but I personally find the peace of mind in having local rate calling at your convenience. The prepaid cards all features slightly different long distance rates to your family and friends back home, but don’t vary too much.
So those linguists out there will wonder about the origins of the word ‘handphone’, more popularly used here than ‘mobile’ or ‘cell’. Well that’s easy: ‘手机’ the Chinese translation is literally ‘hand machine’. How’s that for pop etymology?
[...] including convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Passport is required to purchase a SIM card. See the earlier post about hand phones for more information on obtaining a SIM card. Share [...]
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