I am also reluctant to take my phone but for other reasons.
You may also want to consider buying a cheap phone in Thailand instead of taking yours over there depending on how much your phone is worth.
I have a phone I got in Thailand (cheap not great) and also got a nice new phone a few months ago as a hardware upgrade so it cost me almost nothing.
Went back to the guy I got my new phone from as he said he would unlock it for free. I asked how much it would cost if I lost it and had to replace it. He told me the cost to buy it without a hardware upgrade credit.
He suggested a strap to hang it around my neck if I go out to a lot of bars and get drunk. Considering the cost to replace this phone and the many many number of posts I have read about guys loosing there phone plus the amount of time I go to bars and get drunk, I think I will just take my cheap phone I got in Thailand instead of my new expensive phone I just got a couple of months ago.
