True Move, Thailand’s third largest mobile phone firm has announced that it will be launching the iPhone 3G very soon. The firm said it has signed a deal with Apple. True Move has around 13 million subscribers. However, the date of launch and pricing details are yet to be announced.

To make the announcement a little confusing, the largest network operator in Thailand, Advanced Info Service (AIS) also said that Apple is talking with every operator, including of course AIS and the second largest operator Total Access Communication (DTAC).

It is likely that Apple is considering multi-carrier launch even here in Thailand as it has already done in many countries. Sources in AIS said that the firm is eager to strike a deal with Apple for launching the iPhone 3G.

The iPhone already is very popular in this small country. An estimated 100,000 people are using jailbroken iPhones. The black market for iPhone 3G seems to be doing really well because of the delay in the official launch. In Bangkok a 3G iPhone is sold for around $842 and iPhone 3G smuggled from Hong Kong reportedly is sold for around $999 as users get the device unlocked. For iPhone fans, early launch of the device will be a great relief.

However, one drawback for iPhone users in Thailand will be the absence of proper 3G network implementation. Thailand is still testing 3G network spectrum. iPhone users will have to use the existing EDGE or GPRS networks even when the iPhone is officially launched.