Country code Thailand, +66 or 0066?
There are two spellings for the Thailand area code, namely +66 and 0066. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for Thailand and what are the different versions for?
The country code of Thailand that starts with a “+” (i.e. +66) is the so-called international code (international spelling). It is primarily used in the mobile communications sector. Most cell phones can make an international call to Thailand using the +66 area code. This applies to almost every country in the world.
Unfortunately, there are phones (especially older models) that do not support the international spelling. The area code Thailand with leading zeros (0066) is then used on these phones. The leading zeros are also referred to as the so-called traffic elimination number. When you call, they indicate that it is an international call.
Problem: Access code and area code 0066
In fact, the 0066 variant applies to calls to Thailand, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 0066 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to Thailand begin with 011. An international call here begins with the area code 01166.
Conclusion
For calls from UK to Thailand you can always use the country code 0066. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+66) for Thailand works in all countries of the world. However, it is not supported in all networks and by all telephone devices.
Example of phone calls to Thailand
To illustrate the use of the foreign country codes Thailand (+66 or 0066) here is an example again:
You want to call the number 456789 with the area code 0123 in Thailand. In this case you can use the following numbers (from UK/Europe):
0066 123 456789
If you use a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+66 123 456789