Best eSIMs for Travelling to Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand has been an attractive tourist destination for decades. Perhaps you can trace its surge in popularity back to Leonardo DiCaprio’s star turn in the 2000 hit film The Beach, which was set in the Thai islands and really showcased some of the country’s extraordinary tropical beauty.

Thailand is extremely popular because of its enticing low-cost of travel. From its low-budget hotels on the Kao San Road in Bangkok to renting your own, hammock-strung beach hut in the Phi Phi Islands, your western currency can take you a lot further in Thailand.

Budget-minded travellers who are considering a holiday in Thailand will want to explore their options for staying connected on their mobile device. It’s tempting to think you can survive on free Wi-Fi, connecting to local networks where available, and relying on that to navigate an unfamiliar country while staying in touch using chat and social media apps.

However, spending your precious vacation time hunting for WiFi, as you look for cool restaurants, navigate festivals, try to book accommodations, and Google mapping tourist destinations like floating markets and Buddhist temples, is not ideal. You need the seamless connectivity provided by a travel SIM card. 

SIM cards are affordable and plentiful in Thailand, especially urban centres like Bangkok, where convenience stores and mobile shops are ubiquitous.

Buying a SIM card on the ground in Thailand, though convenient, comes with a big downside for travellers. Installing them can be a hassle because they are generally not in English, and there is no guarantee the employee at the store will be able to help you install it. Their English skills could be minimal at best.

You also want to think about the potential risks that come with swapping out a physical SIM card while in Thailand. SIM cards are very small and easy to lose. Are you sure you want to carry around your personal SIM card in your baggage all through Thailand and pray it doesn’t get lost?

Travellers looking to minimize hassle and maximize convenience will opt for an eSIM card. No swapping out physical cards and you can be connected as soon as your plane touches down at Suvarnabhumi Airport. In fact, an eSIM plan can be prepared on your phone before you even board the plane. Here’s a look at some of the best Thailand eSIM plans available, including local telecom provider True (formerly DTAC).

All plans on this list are available at Sim Local. Sim Local only partners with trusted providers including Thai telecom provider True (Learn more about True Thailand).

50 GB eSIM

Unlimited eSIM

Thailand

True

Duration

10 Days

Plan

Data

Speed

4G / 5G

Price

US$13.00

More Info

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52 Million Customers

Winter Promo

True is one of the largest network providers in Thailand and the top seller in Sim Local’s Thailand catalogue. It’s an unlimited data plan that offers 10 days of coverage. Within this eSIM plan, you can also access chat applications, such as Facebook Messenger, LINE, WhatsApp, WeChat & Kakao Talk without using up any of your data - they’re completely free with this plan. Unlock discounts off food, drink, insurance... the list goes on!

Unlimited eSIM

Thailand

Smartroam

Duration

7 Days

Plan

Data

Speed

4G / 5G

Price

US$30.75

More Info

Buy Now

Stay Connected, Anywhere.

Top Seller

This Smartroam eSIM runs on the AIS/AWN mobile network in Thailand, using the best available data to keep you connected. You can get a range of data-only plans, including the Thailand Unlimited Data 7 Days. This is the perfect plan for short stays in Thailand. The backpacker types, however, might want to look at the more long-term plans, such as the the 15-day one.

Unlimited eSIM

Thailand

Smartroam

Duration

15 Days

Plan

Data

Speed

4G / 5G

Price

US$52.25

More Info

Buy Now

Stay Connected, Anywhere.

For all the plans you don’t get a local phone number, though you can use data-driven communication tools, like WhatsApp, FaceTime, Instagram, and others to stay in touch. Smartroam also works seamlessly with the Sim Local app for top-ups, and for checking your data balance to ensure you stay within budget.

For the world traveller, an eSIM plan on the Orange Travel network provides incredible value and mobility. The Global 10 GB plan provides coverage for 149 countries, including Thailand, for 14 days. The global amount of data depends on the zone you are traveling to. Thailand, for example, falls into Zone 1, which also includes European and nearby Southeast Asian countries, like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.   

The big advantage here is if you want to jump around to nearby countries, which is very easy to do from Thailand, you will have seamless connectivity and avoid the hassles of finding a local coverage provider. If you want to travel a little further, say Nepal, you will have coverage but the amount of data will vary.