Internet in Thailand for travellers: which eSIM to choose

Which plan suits your trip length

The left-hand column is what's usually enough for maps, messaging and social media; the right-hand one is the unlimited plan for the same number of days.

Prices include VAT and match the Thailand page. Validity: the 1 GB plan, 7 days; 3 to 20 GB, 30 days.

If you're not sure how much you use, work it out in two minutes.

When unlimited pays off and when it doesn't

In Thailand the unlimited plan is expensive compared with the data plans: a week costs €28.95, and for less you get 20 GB (€17.95), which is almost 3 GB a day.

• For most trips, the data plan works out better. 20 GB for a week leaves you plenty of room if you use maps, messaging, social media and a bit of video.
• Unlimited makes sense if you'll stream a lot of video or share data and would rather not think about how much you've used.
• A month costs €107.95 with unlimited or €17.95 with 20 GB. That's a big gap: check the calculator first.

What exactly the unlimited plan includes in Thailand

It gives you 3 GB a day at full speed. Once you've used that allowance you stay connected at 1 Mbps until the next day starts.

1 Mbps is fine for messaging, maps and browsing; good-quality video starts to suffer. That's how it is, it's written on the plan card before you pay, and we don't just call it "unlimited" and leave it there. In the truth about "unlimited" plans we explain how this works across the industry.

The allowance varies by destination: in Japan, for example, it's 2 GB a day and 256 Kbps afterwards. Each destination page publishes its own.

Where your traffic exits

In Thailand, your traffic exits in Singapore. That isn't the same as exiting in Thailand, and it's worth knowing before you buy.

The traffic exit is the country your connection appears to come from. When it doesn't match the country you're in, some websites and apps see you as if you were in that other place: the language they greet you in, a search engine's local results or a bank's security alert may change. For maps, messaging, social media and video nothing changes.

We chose the Singapore exit on purpose: we ruled out plans that exit in Hong Kong because some apps are more likely to be blocked there. That's why this daily plan costs more than in other destinations.

The network in Thailand is 5G, with whatever coverage each area has.

How to activate it: install before you go, activate on landing

1. Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing the profile needs a connection, and it doesn't use data or start the clock.
2. When you land, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line.
3. The days start with the first connection to a Thai network, not when you buy.

The steps for each phone are in the installation guide, and the compatibility checker tells you in a minute whether your phone supports eSIM.

Frequently asked questions about internet in Thailand