What to do with your existing mobile phone number

Keeping your mobile phone number from your home country can be advantageous for expats in various ways. Firstly, it ensures that you maintain continuity in your personal and professional communications as you settle into your new life abroad. Your contacts will still be able to reach you at the same number, and you won’t have to update your details on numerous platforms. Secondly, retaining your existing number allows you to keep using certain services that might not be easily accessible from foreign numbers or require local verification. Finally, maintaining your original phone number can help you stay connected with important institutions such as banks and government agencies, making it easier to manage affairs in your home country even while living abroad.

For those from the US, one can port one’s mobile number to Google Voice essentially for free, and continue to receive voice messages and text messages to that number without monthly fees. This is especially helpful when one needs to receive Two Factor Authentication (2FA) texts from an account/bank that has one’s phone number associated with the account.

For people moving to Thailand from countries other than the US, there are still some options available that can provide similar functionality to Google Voice:

• Skype: Skype offers the “Skype Number” feature, which is available in many countries, including Australia, UK, Canada, and others. This feature allows you to receive calls and texts to a dedicated phone number.
• Localphone: Localphone provides virtual phone numbers for a variety of countries, so users from Australia, UK, Canada, and other countries can purchase a phone number from their home country and use it to receive calls and texts while in Thailand.
• TextNow: While TextNow primarily offers US phone numbers, they also provide Canadian phone numbers. Users from Canada can use TextNow to maintain their Canadian phone number while living in Thailand.

Please note that availability and features of these services may vary depending on the user’s home country.