eSIM for Thailand
Most travel eSIM pages will tell you that a local SIM is a hassle. In Thailand that is not quite true. AIS and TrueMove sell tourist packages at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang that are cheap, come with a Thai number and include more data than most people use in a month.
So the honest version of this page starts with the case against us.
Plans are not on sale yet
When a Thai SIM beats a travel eSIM
If you are staying more than about two weeks, if you want a Thai number for Grab, food delivery and hotel bookings, or if you are travelling on a tight budget, buy the local SIM. It is the better product for that trip.
A travel eSIM wins when you are landing late, moving on to another country within days, hopping between Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia on one plan, or simply not willing to spend the first half hour of a holiday at a counter with your passport out.
Coverage you should actually expect
AIS and TrueMove H cover the country well, including the islands that matter: Phuket, Samui, Phi Phi, Krabi. NT is thinner.
On the smaller islands and the boat crossings between them, signal drops. That is geography.
When to install it
Install on wifi before you leave. Bangkok arrivals at eleven at night with a taxi queue in front of you is not the moment to discover your QR code expired.
View plans
Plans are not on sale yet
We are testing which destinations people actually need before we connect a supplier. Tell us where you are going and you will be first to know when plans for that destination go live.
Plan slot
Plan slot
Plan slot
What a data eSIM will not do
No Thai number. In Thailand that is a sharper limitation than usual, because Grab, LINE and most delivery apps are built around a local number, and LINE is how a lot of the country communicates.
Roaming from home
Thailand is outside every inclusive roaming zone that European or North American travellers carry with them. Operator day passes to Southeast Asia are expensive relative to what the same money buys locally.
See connectivity options
Compare optionsCommon questions
Should I just buy a SIM at the airport?
If you are in Thailand for two weeks or more and want a Thai number, yes. We would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong product.
Does it work on the islands?
On Phuket, Samui and Krabi, yes. On the small islands and the ferries, expect gaps.
Can one plan cover Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia?
A regional Southeast Asia plan can. That is the case where an eSIM clearly beats buying three local SIMs.