Are you planning a trip to Thailand and looking for a convenient and hassle-free way to stay connected? Traveling to Thailand is an exciting adventure, and having a reliable eSIM is essential to stay connected throughout your journey.
Whether you’re exploring bustling city streets or relaxing on picturesque beaches, a Thailand tourist eSIM allows you to access the internet, make calls, and stay in touch with your loved ones back home. In this article, we will explore the best eSIM options for travelers in Thailand, comparing providers, plans, and prices to help you make an informed decision.
Thai SIM cards have traditionally been the go-to option for travelers, but eSIM technology offers numerous advantages.
In general, eSIM is a virtual/digital version of a physical SIM card, where “e” stands for “embedded” rather than “electronic”.
There are 02 main types of prepaid eSIM available:
Generally, and eSIM for Thailand travel, in particular, it is majorly about data-only eSIM. In fact, most eSIM providers supply travel eSIM plans in the form of data-only eSIM.
Tourists to Thailand can use this eSIM during their trip to navigate the map, contact their family and friends via apps like WhatsApp, Skype,… or surf the web, check emails, etc.
eSIM technology is relatively new, so it is only available on newer generations of mobile phones.
At the moment only most recent smartphones and wearables have an eSIM. See a detailed list of eSIM-compatible devices here.
Currently, not all networks support eSIMs. However, over time, as this technology becomes standard, more networks will start supporting eSIMs.
When it comes to Thailand eSIM providers, there are 02 categories of providers: local mobile network operators and eSIM providers.
Now, let’s dive into the details of each category of Thailand eSIM providers and the plans they offer:
Buying eSIM directly from mobile network operators seems to be the best option for tourists to Thailand. However, it does come with both pros and cons:
Pros:
Cons:
As one of the leading mobile operators in Thailand, DTAC offers flexible plans customized specifically for tourists. With their eSIM, you can enjoy high-speed data, reliable coverage and affordable pricing.
Basically, DTAC has 02 plans for tourists to Thailand only, called Happy tourist:
Using this eSIM, you can connect to a 5G network as long as you are in the coverage area. However, as mentioned above, you have to register your personal data when buying DTAC eSIM directly.
Benefits of DTAC Thailand eSIM:
AIS is another reputable cellular network operator catering to both locals and travelers in Thailand. With their eSIM plans, you can get seamless connectivity and excellent network coverage.
To use Thailand AIS eSIM, you have to buy a prepaid SIM card with one of the available packages. Then, in the same store, you need to request to activate it as a virtual SIM in your device.
There will be no additional cost, but your device needs to be compatible with eSIM. Similar to with DTAC, you must also register your info during the purchase process.
Benefits of AIS Thailand eSIM:
So, for travelers, choosing eSIM from Thai mobile operators is not as easy and convenient as it seems.
Let’s move to the 2nd choice: buying eSIM from eSIM providers.
There are many websites, online stores who offer eSIM services for travelers to Thailand.
Most of them provide data-only eSIM plans for customers.
Some pros and cons of this category eSIM providers are:
Pros:
Cons:
► So which providers should you choose to buy eSIM for Thailand?
It is obvious that buying eSIM plans for Thailand from eSIM providers is more convenient than buying from local cellular providers.
Now, we will review the details of the best eSIM providers and the plans they offer.
If you have an eSIM-compatible phone, you can buy and activate a Thailand eSIM card easily. If you do not, it is widely available to buy a traditional SIM card. Anyway, as mentioned above, the digital SIM card has a lot of advantages, so it is better to choose eSIM as the first option when traveling to Thailand.
When choosing the best eSIM forThailand, consider some factors like data allowance, validity period, voice call rates (if any), and extra features offered by different providers.
To see in detail about these key factors that you should consider when choosing an eSIM plan for your Thai trip, visit our Review on top 5 Thailand eSIM providers for tourists.
In Thailand, you can easily buy eSIM from many providers. Three out of them are:
Now we go to review these eSIM providers for Thailand travel.
Thailandesim.com is a provider of eSIM services specifically designed for tourists visiting Thailand. It operates as a subsidiary of GIGAGO, a Vietnam-based company. Despite being a newcomer in the market, Thailandesim.com offers notable advantages over its competitors due to its exclusive focus on the Thai market. This specialization allows them to provide diverse packages that cater to the varying needs and budgets of different customer segments.
At present, Thailandesim.com boasts the largest selection of eSIM packages available. They offer a choice of 13 different packages, tailored to suit the duration of your trip and your data usage requirements. These packages are exclusively available for use in Thailand and also cover regions within Thailand.
If you travel Thailand only, here are the best eSIM plans for Thailand to choose from:
Pros:
Cons:
Airalo is the leading eSIM provider in the world. They are strong in providing international eSIM. However, it does not mean that their local eSIM is not good.
For Thailand, Airalo offers 02 DTAC Happy Tourists eSIM packages:
These plans are claimed to be” unlimited” but in fact, after the specific amount of high speed data volume (the amount of high speed data varies by plan), the speed will be throttled to 384kbps.
Other plans are regional ones, named Asialink.
It will be great if you use these plans when crossing borders in Asia.
Holafly is a well-established eSIM provider that caters to tourists visiting Thailand. They have a strong global presence, serving customers in more than 190 countries and regions. In Thailand, they utilize the networks of 02, DTAC, and TrueMove H, ensuring internet access in various areas, including urban, rural, and remote locations.
One notable feature of Holafly is that they exclusively offer Unlimited packages, but there is still a limitation to the amount of max speed data available in each plan before the speed is throttled.
Holafly’s Thailand eSIM does not have a Thai phone number and there is no support for sharing data.
If you travel only Thailand, choose from 8 eSIM plans below:
Apart from these local Thailand eSIM plans, these providers also offer regional eSIM plans that cover Thailand that you can refer to in our previous post.
So, we have reviewed eSIM plans and providers that you can use for a Thai trip.
👉 Here, we will conclude about the notable features of each in case you need to make a quick decision on which provider and plan to choose when traveling to Thailand:
👉 During our review of eSIM plans and providers for your trip to Thailand, we found the following notable features for each option:
These are the key features of each provider and plan. Use this information to quickly decide which option suits your needs when traveling to Thailand.
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