Compare Thailand Travel eSIMs

Stay Connected in Thailand with Travel eSIMs from the Moment You Land

Sawadee – welcome to Thailand! Get online with an eSIM as soon as you arrive in the Land of Smiles.

Say goodbye to lengthy airport queues to buy a prepaid SIM card with hundreds of other sweaty, weary travellers, or trying to find a fast and secure WIFI connection to send that urgent WhatsApp message.

Quickly buy an eSIM before you fly, get instantly connected when you land, and book an Uber straight to the hotel as soon as you collect your bags!

Whether you’re exploring the vibrant streets of Bangkok, relaxing on the beaches of Phuket, or visiting the ancient temples of Chiang Mai, you can now stay connected with an eSIM in Thailand for a fraction of the cost of international roaming!

Compare the best eSIM plans for Thailand below and learn more about coverage, network providers, how to choose the plan that best suits your needs, and how to set up your eSIM plan.

What is an eSIM vs a physical SIM?

An eSIM, which stands for embedded SIM, is a SIM card that’s built into mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops – and even wearable technology like smartwatches. This contrasts with the traditional physical SIM cards we’re accustomed to, which can be inserted and removed from devices at will.

While a physical SIM card is preloaded with the information, i.e., your SIM profile, required to connect to a network provider, the eSIM within a device is initially blank and requires you to download a profile onto it. However, while a physical SIM only holds one profile, an eSIM can store multiple profiles, allowing you to easily toggle between plans, e.g., eSIM data plans for different countries.

Check your device supports eSIMs before travelling to Thailand

The first thing to determine before you seek out the best eSIM for your Thailand trip is if your device is eSIM-compatible. As eSIMs are in-built, only devices manufactured in 2016 and onward feature them.

To check if your device is eSIM-ready, see our list of eSIM-compatible devices.

How to choose the best Travel eSIM for Thailand

The good news is there are plenty of eSIM plans for Thailand to choose from – but how do you go about selecting the one that suits your needs? Here are a few key considerations for finding the best eSIM for your Thailand trip:

• Length of Plan: Choosing an eSIM plan that lasts the entire duration of your time abroad is essential. eSIM plans for Thailand can last anywhere from 1 day, for quick visits, to a year, for extended stays! One thing to be mindful of is the validity period as some providers start the clock upon purchases, whereas with others the plan starts upon first initial contact with the local network in your destination.
• Data Limits: How much data will you need for your entire trip? This will be influenced by the length of your trip, as well as what you intend to use data for, e.g., social media, using map apps to make your way around, streaming video and music, etc. As a guide, Netflix uses about 1GB of data per hour for streaming a TV show or movie in standard definition and up to 3GB of data per hour when streaming HD video. Whereas streaming in high quality with Spotify, a full hour of streaming music can use up to 150MB of data. So, a single hour of streaming your favourite playlist per day can use up 6GB of mobile data over a month.
• Coverage: Does the eSIM plan offer reliable coverage in all your Thailand destinations? Also, bear in mind that if you’re travelling to other destinations, like Malaysia or Singapore, you might want to consider a super-convenient regional plan for more than one country.

Our Favourite Thailand Travel eSIMs

Here are some of the most prominent eSIM providers in Thailand, as well as the networks they use and their available connection speeds:

eSIM2FLY (3G/4G/5G, dtac and AIS)

 Thai provider with a lean portfolio of competitively priced eSIM plans with text and calling features.

• • In our opinion it’s hard to beat eSIM2FLY’s 10 Day Unlimited Plan from dtac – a leading Thai Mobile Operator. For only $12 you get 50GB at 5G speeds after which your connection gets throttled down to 384kbps (or 3G).
  • Chat apps are whitelisted (ie their usage doesn’t reduce your data balance) and the plan is rechargeable.
  • You’ll also receive a local Thailand mobile number for SMS and voice calls along with 15 THB call credit.
  • If you’re planning to travel beyond Thailand, eSIM2FLY also have a very well-priced Regional Asia (8 Day 6GB plan across 32 countries) and a Global Plan for 100+ destinations (also 6GB for 8 Days), both from AIS, Thailand’s leading network. 

Airalo (4G/5G, AIS)

 Global eSIM pioneer offering a wide range of local and global prepaid eSIM plans.

• • If you’re going to be in Thailand for longer than 10 Days, we recommend Airalo’s dtac unlimited eSIM plan, which lasts for 15 Days and will set you back $20. 
  • Airalo also offer their own reasonably priced catalogue of 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB and 20GB eSIM plans for Thailand of varying durations.
  • Also, their global “Discover” plans, which connect to the AIS network in Thailand, feature lengthy durations of up to 365 Days.

Don’t forget to enter our exclusive discount codes (AIRALOESIM10 and NEWTOAIRALO15) when buying your Airalo Thailand eSIM for 10 – 15% off!

Note that both eSIM2FLY and Airalo use the AIS and dtac networks in Thailand. Check the coverage maps below to ensure they adequately  service 100% of the locations you’ll be visiting. If not, you may wish to supplement your connectivity with plans from Ubigi (who use TrueMove in Thailand).

Which Mobile Operator has the best coverage in Thailand?

There are three main mobile operators in Thailand that eSIM providers connect to: AIS, DTAC, and TrueMove H. To view a coverage map of each network via the links below to help you choose the right provider:

• AIS coverage map
• TrueMove H (True Corporation) coverage map
• dtac (Telenor) coverage map

eSIM Pros and Cons

Let’s look at some pros and cons of purchasing an eSIM for Thailand, compared to a physical SIM card:

eSim Pros

• Lower cost: using an eSIM in Thailand can save you anywhere from 35% to 90% compared to international roaming fees.
• Convenience: you can arrange your eSIM plan before you board the plane – so you can skip having to seek out the prepaid SIM kiosks in arrivals and head straight to your hotel!
• Don’t need to swap out SIM cards: with no physical SIM card, you won’t need to remove your existing SIM to insert a new one – and potentially lose or damage it in the process.
• Security: greater security in eSIM devices.
• Flexibility: An eSIM-capable smartphone can accommodate up to 20 different mobile plans via eSIM!

eSim Cons

• Device must be eSIM-compatible: as touched on earlier, your mobile device must be recent enough to have an eSIM built into it.
• Harder to swap devices: despite being fiddly, physical SIM cards are easier to swap between devices if need be. With an eSIM, you’ll need to deactivate it on one device before activating it on another.
• Activation: Attempting to scan a QR code to activate your plan using the only device in your possession, i.e., your smartphone, can be a challenge. Although eSIM plans can be manually activated and new techniques are constantly being developed to improve the process.

When should you buy a Thailand eSIM?

One of the key advantages of purchasing an eSIM for your Thailand trip is that you can buy one before you set off. That way, your SIM card in Thailand will be set up and you can get online as soon as you touch down on the tarmac. Ideally, you should buy your eSIM a week before your journey – to give you peace of mind that your data needs are handled and allow you to focus on the other preparations for your trip.

However, if you’re rushing around before your journey and don’t get a chance to buy an eSIM before you fly – don’t worry! You can also buy eSIMs in Thailand at the airport when you arrive, as well as purchasing them online, just like you would at home.

Can Thailand eSIMs be used across the country?

Your eSIM plan in Thailand will generally cover you across the entire country – providing coverage across all regions. We recommend you check the coverage maps against the local networks used by your chosen provider to ensure you’ll have 100% coverage across your entire itinerary.

Don’t risk a data disaster while in Thailand. Stay connected with an eSIM so you can share, post, and stream your adventures at the Bangkok floating markets, your diving excursions in Koh Tao, or your cultural experiences in Ayutthaya.

How to Set up an eSIM?

Setting up an eSIM on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop is as easy as 123! You can check out our guides here:

• For iPhone
• For Android
• For Laptop or Tablet

Stay connected with esimpop

Here at esimpop, we’re constantly comparing Travel eSIMs for over 100 destinations globally, so you don’t have to. Our review of the best eSIM plans for Thailand will be published shortly, so bookmark this page and check back often or join our community to be notified when we release our findings.

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