Thailand eSIM

Which eSIM to get

It comes down to one question: do you need a Thai phone number?

If you do, the official tourist eSIMs from AIS and True are the only ones that include one.

If you don't, a data-only travel eSIM from Airalo, Saily or Nomad is the easy choice. You buy it at home, install it in five minutes and land connected.

All of them ride the same two Thai networks, AIS and True, so coverage is the same. Pick by price and by whether you want a Thai number.

Is it worth getting an eSIM for Thailand?

Yes, for almost every trip: it's far cheaper than roaming and works the moment you land.

Home-carrier roaming is charged by the day and adds up fast, while a travel eSIM covers a whole trip for a few dollars.

With data from the gate, maps, ride apps, translation and bank codes all work before you reach baggage claim.

Check first whether your home plan already includes free data in Thailand. If it doesn't, buy the eSIM before you pack.

eSIM or SIM card?

An eSIM wins on convenience; a physical tourist SIM wins if your phone can't take an eSIM.

The eSIM installs at home, keeps your own SIM in the phone for bank codes, and skips the airport queue.

A physical Thailand SIM card comes from an operator counter in the arrivals hall. Staff register it to your passport and set it up in a few minutes.

Go eSIM if your phone supports it.

AIS or True?

AIS and True are both strong in Thailand's cities and on the islands, and AIS covers the most ground.

dtac merged into True Corporation in 2023, so Thailand now has two main networks.

AIS reaches the most places where people live, and True is just as strong in the cities.

Both give fast 5G, plenty for video calls and uploads from the beach.

There's 4G and 5G on the main islands, from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan to Koh Tao, Koh Lanta, Koh Chang and Koh Lipe.

For Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui, either network works. For the far north or small islands, pick AIS.

What it costs

Here's what each one costs, from the operators' own price lists (checked October 2026).

Prices change often, so check the provider's own page the week you fly.

Setting it up before you fly

You set up a Thailand eSIM in about five minutes, at home, over Wi-Fi.

• Check your phone takes an eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier.
• Buy the plan in the provider's app or on the AIS or True site.
• Scan the QR code to install it, and name it "Thailand".
• Set the Thailand eSIM as your data line, with data roaming on.
• Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, with its data roaming off.
• Switch on when you land, and the eSIM connects.

Install it over home or hotel Wi-Fi, not airport Wi-Fi.

Do it the evening before you fly, alongside your arrival card.

Will your phone take one?

Your phone works with a Thailand eSIM if it supports eSIM and isn't locked to your home carrier.

iPhone XS and XR or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer and Google Pixel 3 or newer are eSIM-ready.

To check, dial *#06#. If an EID number shows, your phone takes an eSIM.

If your phone is locked, ask your home carrier to remove the lock before the trip, or buy a physical SIM instead.

Ask Tanner to check the group's phones before you book the flights.

Buying one as a tourist

Yes: buy one before you fly from any travel eSIM app, or on arrival from AIS and True.

AIS and True have counters in the arrivals halls at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiang Mai airports, and True says its Suvarnabhumi counters are open 24 hours.

Every Thai SIM is registered to a passport, a visitor can hold up to three numbers per operator, and since August 2025 a tourist SIM lasts 60 days at most, the Visit Thailand Today guide says.

Bring your passport to the counter. Buy online before you fly to skip the queue.

Do you need a Thai number?

You don't need a Thai phone number for most of a trip, because ride apps, WhatsApp and LINE all work on data.

A Thai number starting with +66 helps when a local driver, restaurant or delivery app wants to call or text you.

On a group trip, one Thai number is plenty. Give it to the person who deals with the host and the cars.

Everyone else can run a cheaper data-only eSIM.

Ask Tanner who should carry the Thai number.

The downsides

They're small: not every phone takes one, most travel eSIMs have no Thai number, and unlimited plans can slow down.

Locked phones can't use any eSIM, and older models don't support them at all.

Data-only eSIMs have no local number for calls, which matters only if someone in Thailand needs to ring you.

"Unlimited" tourist plans can slow down at busy times or after heavy use.

Pick a plan with more data than you think you'll use, and top up in the app if you run low.

Ask Tanner which plan suits how your group uses data.

Keeping a group connected

Put an eSIM on every phone, plus one Thai number for the group lead.

Don't rely on one phone's hotspot for the whole group. It drains the battery, and the group splits up the moment someone heads to the bar.

Install everyone's eSIM before the flight, and add the villa address and host's contact to a group chat.

For 12 people, that's 12 eSIMs and one shared chat, ready before the plane lands. Send everyone the setup steps a week before the trip.

Ask Tanner to add the host to your group chat.

Landing connected

Land with the eSIM installed, the arrival card filed and a car waiting at the gate.

Your phone connects as the plane taxis, the driver's message arrives, and the group walks straight out with the bags.

Read our Thailand Digital Arrival Card guide and Bangkok airport transfer page before you fly.

Which one Tanner gives a group

The Thailand eSIM matters most in the first hour: the driver's message, the villa pin and the group chat all arrive before baggage claim.

Tanner's pick: for a party trip of 12, a data-only travel eSIM on every phone, and one AIS tourist eSIM with a Thai number for the group lead.

Insider tip: name the eSIM "Thailand" when you install it, so nobody switches off the wrong line at the gate.

Ask Tanner to send the setup steps to the whole group.

From the eSIM to the first evening

Then plan the arrival itself: the car at the gate, the villa or hotel, and the first party.

Our VIP transport page shows how the cars work, and Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya walk you through the first evening.

Ask Tanner; his team messages your group the moment you land.

Thailand eSIM in short

• Best for most trips: a travel eSIM from about US$4, installed before you fly

• Thai number: only the AIS and True tourist plans include one
• Unlimited data: on the AIS and True tourist plans, 5 to 30 days
• Networks: AIS and True; AIS has a slight edge in remote areas
• Phones: iPhone XS or newer, Galaxy S20 or newer, Pixel 3 or newer; dial *#06# to check
• Group of 12: an eSIM each, one Thai number for the group lead

Checked October 2026.