CAT cuts overseas call rates

THAILAND: CAT Telecom yesterday cut international call rates to 10 countries to 5 baht a minute, whether calls are made from a fixed-line phone or a mobile phone.

CAT Deputy Managing Director Maroot Buranasettakul said that rates for all 009-prefix calls to Brunei, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Guam, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore and the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) are now 5 baht a minute.

For some other countries the rate is 5 baht a minute from a fixed line but is more from a mobile phone. For example, fixed-line calls to Denmark cost 5 baht while mobile phone calls cost 12 baht.

CAT generated 800 million baht in income last year from overseas calls. This year, K. Maroot said, it expects to make more. “[Cutting the rates] could reduce CAT’s income by 30 million baht a month, or 360 million baht a year, but we hope that the cheaper rates will encourage people to call overseas more,” he said.

This is the second time this year the CAT has reduced its international call rates. On January 1, it reduced its rates to 32 destinations to 7 baht a minute.

For more information about the CAT’s latest promotion call Tel: 1322.