Working abroad (Asia) Phone and insurance advice.

[Ruskie]

Evening, going to be working in Cambodia for a minimum of 3 months. I am going to take my current phone and keeping my UK contract running but data is expensive. I don’t know whether the best option if Wi-Fi is flaky (could be working remote) is to take an unlocked iPhone SE/6 and get a sim card out there? I am going to run a VPN. Anyone got any experience?

Also I’m struggling to find worldwide gadget cover with accidental damage/theft included, for a phone/iPad/laptop, most only have cover for 30 days outside of UK. Don’t mind paying for the right cover. Again anyone got any tips?

[cat with a hat]

Personally I wouldn't bother with insurance cover and I'd buy a sim card when you get out there..

Not been to Cambodia, but many other SE Asian countries and it'll be easy

[anonymous-user]

Just get a sim. It will be incomparably cheaper than a UK account. Neighbouring Thailand pretty much give data away.

Insurance? Tried backpacking insurance ?

[boxst]

You should just buy a local sim they are really cheap. If you’d like a UK number still and the ability to call then I can recommend Viber. For £21/6 months you get a UK number and for £8.99/month unlimited world calling.

[shirt]

Local sim unless you need to retain access from your UK number in which case a pocket wifi hotspot tethered to your devices. Assume you have something like Skype for business / Cisco IP communicator on your laptop?

For cover, I’d be interested if you find something decent. I’ve struggled to find good, vfm business travel insurance given my travel frequency and destinations.

[Baldchap]

We used to have a local PAYG phone in our Asian office. You could talk for ages for about a quid, versus the same cost for about a minute on your UK mobile.

USB data sticks with a SIM card are very popular in many parts of Asia and very cheap. Our staff had them, but I haven't used one personally, so can't tell you whether you could use them as a hotspot (but I imagine you can).

[Mr Pointy]

Definately get a local SIM - you'll need it for loads of things like ordering taxis, pizzas etc. I found a dual sim phone to be by far the most convenient way of working. There wil almost certainly be desks selling sim cards at the airport & the girls selling them will set your phone up if you want.

For insurance try calling Caunce O'hara & see if they'll do a longer term than 30 days. Insurance Jon on here might be worth contacting as well.

[Ruskie]

Cheers for the replies, appreciated.

[hutchst]

I'm in the Middle, not Far East, but you can buy a brand new dual sim basic Samsung smartphone here for £50, probably cheaper than 3 months insurance and you can flog it when you go back home.