An AIS presenter shows the Sawasdee Thua Thai SIM card package.

Normally, its validity period is the same as the refill value - for example, customers get a validity period of 50 days if they top up by Bt50.

For the new promotion, which started yesterday and runs until August 15, subscribers will get a one-year validity period, regardless of the refill value and the remaining validity.

AIS is Thailand's largest mobile-phone operator with more than 16 million subscribers.

Last month, the second-largest operator, Total Access Communication (DTAC), introduced a prepaid package featuring a one-year validity period.

Under the promotion, DTAC has offered a new SIM card called Simple for Bt199. It features a flat rate of Bt2 per minute and gives subscribers up to a year to use the time they purchase.

Usually, prepaid refill cards are valid from a few days to three months, depending on the promotion.

DTAC has about 10 million customers and expects two million new subscribers this year.

The third-largest operator, True Move, followed suit early this month by launching a prepaid package featuring a two-year validity.

True Move has targeted the service at customers who make limited calls, but they must make a call at least once every 90 days to keep the account valid.

True Move has 4.9 million subscribers, of whom 4.4 million are prepaid users.

Industry analysts view these promotions as telecom operators moving away from the price war that has caused jams in network connections.

They have also been in response to rules expected to be issued by the National Telecommunications Commission later this year.

One clause bans operators from setting fixed validity periods for all prepaid services. This is to prevent companies from urging subscribers to quickly use up their minutes before their cards expire.

Telecom Reporters

The Nation