Are you planning a trip to Thailand? There’s so much to plan, and you’ll need a good Internet connection. So, why not get an eSIM and solve all your problems?
Traveling to another country can be a lot of work, with planning everything and sorting things out before you leave. But once you set foot in Thailand you probably want to have a smooth experience, relaxing and enjoying the local culture and an eSIM will help you immensely! With a stable internet connection, you can stay connected to your friends and family, search for useful information, and access important services. Don’t worry if you’ve never used an eSIM before. In this article, you’ll find all the essentials you need to know.
What is an eSIM, How does it work?
You’re probably more familiar with the term SIM, the little plastic card you insert in your phone to make it work. An eSIM is the evolution of that, a virtual card you buy on the internet. They were first introduced in 2016 and have gained a lot of traction since then. While their main function is the same, they offer a lot of advantages over traditional physical SIMs. If you’d like a more technical answer, read our article about embedded SIMs
How do they differ from physical SIM cards?
You can access the internet with either a physical SIM or an eSIM, but the process is not the same and both are better for different purposes. If you’re staying for a long time in a country, you might prefer a physical eSIM, but for frequent travelers, the eSIMs are far better.
If you’d like to learn more about the specifics of each type of card, read our article here If you want a quick review of the main differences, here’s the list:
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Activation: eSIMs are easier to install. You just have to scan a QR and follow some instructions, while in traditional SIMs you need to physically insert them in your phone.
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Multiple plans: As we already said, physical SIMs are better if you’re going to stay a long time in one single place. If you travel a lot, you’ll love to learn that with eSIMs a single one can serve you in multiple countries.
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Availability: Both are relatively easy to find, but for physical SIMs, you need to find a store after you get to Thailand. An eSIM can be bought easily on the internet.
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Compatibility: The main disadvantage of eSIMs is that not all phones are compatible with them. Most and most manufacturers are making eSIM-compatible phones, but they’re not yet the norm. Meanwhile, a regular SiM will work on any phone.
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Environmental Impact: If you like to make conscious choices to protect the planet, eSIMs are far more eco-friendly since they don’t use hard plastic as physical SIMs do.
Does everyone use eSIM in Thailand?
Not everybody, but most travelers do nowadays. It doesn’t matter if you’re an occasional traveler or a seasoned one, eSIMs offer too many advantages for traveling while being generally user-friendly so each year the number of users grows as the providers and benefits grow.
Why choose an eSIM while traveling to Thailand?
Save a lot on roaming costs
Roaming costs are the price of using your regular SIM outside of your own country. You can still make calls and access the internet, but it can be really expensive. We’re talking prices as high as $5 for every single MB you consume. That means that you can easily end up with a bill of $300+ at the end of the month no matter how little you use the internet. You can learn a bit more in our article here.
With eSIMs, you get access to the local data and the local, usually reasonable prices. So, if with a traditional roaming plan, you spend $300 with an eSIM you can buy a $30 plan for the whole month. That’s a 90% saving!
Instant setup
What can be more comfortable than setting up your eSIM without setting foot outside of your house? Instead of finding a physical store and dealing with the hassle of changing your SIM, you can be in your most comfortable chair while you set everything you need. The eSIM will activate instantly once you arrive in Thailand.
Use one eSIM for more countries
Maybe you are traveling to Thailand as part of a longer trip through the beautiful and mysterious Asia. If this is the case, you’ll benefit greatly from an eSIM that works in all of those countries. That way you don’t have to spend time and money buying a physical SIM for every single country you visit.
Picture by Greg Ledder on Pexels
Eco-friendly
You’ve probably heard of the dangers of hard plastics and how hard they are to dispose of. If you want to contribute in a small but meaningful way, opt for the more eco-friendly eSIM. Since they’re virtual there’s cero plastic. On the contrary, physical SIMs are made by the billions each year, contributing to the landfields. So, help save the natural beauties of Thailand in every little way you can!
Stay connected in remote areas
Thailand, as a country, is quite remote, and depending on where you’re planning to go, you might have problems connecting via WiFi. Having an eSIM will also help. Either you choose one paired with a strong network or you can choose one that can change networks automatically depending on the strength of the signal. If you’re planning to keep working you’ll be able to stay connected even in remote areas like Pai, Koh Lanta, or Chiang Dao.
How to Choose the Best eSIM for Thailand
Network coverage
As we already said, Thailand can be quite remote, so check the coverage your provider offers, before purchasing. If you’re staying in centric cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Phuket you shouldn’t have problems with most providers. But getting connections in remote areas can be tricky. Choose strong networks like AIS, TrueMove H, T-Mobile, and DTAC for great prices with good coverage overall.
How much data do you use?
Before you buy a data plan, you need to assess how many GB you need. If you prefer to focus on the moment and only use your phone the bare minimum you can get by with only a couple of GB per week, but if you’re constantly online, be it working or watching a series, you’ll need much more.
As a general guideline:
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Light User: A package of 1-2GB for the week should be more than enough.
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Regular User: If you are a regular on social media and love to send videos and photos to your family you’ll benefit from a stronger plan, something around 10GB for a week.
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Heavy User: If you’re working remotely or binge-watching Netflix series regularly, you’ll need bigger plans. Try 20GB+ for a month or even unlimited plan data.
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Pro tip: Some providers let you top up easily if you run out of data, so don’t stress too much!
How long is your stay?
You can find eSIM plans for a single day or a whole year, so you can pretty much set them for the exact duration of your trip. Something to check out is the cost per GB for longer stays, as they tend to be cheaper with most providers. So if you’re staying long in Thailand choose a longer plan.
Do you need calls, or is data enough?
Most eSIMs are data-only, which makes total sense since you’re not getting a local number. So you have to get by using apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Skype to communicate. Some providers do offer call minutes and SMS, if you need them check out their plans.
Do you need a hotspot?
This is essential, especially if you’re working on the go. Having your laptop and other devices able to connect through your phone can be really useful. It’s also important if you’re traveling with friends and family and don’t want to buy a data plan for each one. So check that option if you really need it, as some providers do not enable hotspots.
Pricing
A very important aspect of choosing the right provider for you. Some providers can have pricier plans, but they offer a strong connection and many advantages. Meanwhile, others are cheaper but will serve as well in metropolitan areas. Also, some have good prices for short-term travelers, while others have better prices for longer plans.
Best eSIM Providers for Thailand in 2025
Yoho Mobile
Yoho Mobile offers an excellent balance in their plans, being excellent for single-country and multi-country users. For Thailand, the prices are pretty competitive, with plans like 15GB for $5.74 valid for 7 days, and 50GB for $7.14 valid for 10 days. It might seem like too many GB for some users, but with prices like that it shouldn’t be a problem. These plans also offer the perk of local calls and international minutes for certain destinations. Even if you want to travel to more Asian countries they offer great plans for countries like Southeast Asia, including plans like 3GB for $2.43 for a day.
The coverage and speed are good, as Yoho Mobile partners with strong local networks like AIS and TrueMove H. They allow tethering, so it’s a great option if you’re working or want to share the connection with your group. Their customer support is excellent, available 24/7 in many languages including English, both via live chat and e-mail.
In general, if you want a reliable provider with excellent flexibility, that allows tethering, works internationally, and has good customer service, choose Yoho Mobile.
Flexiroam
Flexiroam offers great plans for Thailand starting at just $4.5 for 1GB for 3 days and going up to $33 for 10GB for 24 days. So they’re quite good for travelers trying to stay within a budget. They do offer unlimited data plans, but they have a cap after 3GB a day. They have good coverage, although the quality of connection can be inconsistent, especially in remote areas.
Customer support is well-rated, and they offer multilingual assistance so don’t worry if you don’t speak any Thai, they will assist you in perfect English and they also support hotspots, if that’s something you need.
Jetpac
Jetpac is one of the main providers in Thailand, and their prices include $1 per GB for 4 days. For longer periods, their data plans are a bit more expensive, with their 30-day plans being $11 for 3GB and $65 for 20 GB. So they’re far better for short stays compared to other providers. They are partnered with T-Mobile’s network, which is a good network for urban and touristic areas but not for remote regions.
They don’t offer voice calls and SMS, but they have a well-regarded customer service and they have a dedicated app through which you can chat with their operators.
Saily
Saily has a good variety of plans, with competitive prices compared to other companies. While for 3GB you have to pay $8.99 their 100GB data plans cost $179.99, that’s like $1,7 for every GB of data. But if you’re staying for longer keep in mind that their plans last for 7 to 60 days, so you’ll have to buy data every two months.
Coverage is relatively good, but it works better in urban areas where you can enjoy the 4G/5G speed. It works in remote areas and can be a bit unstable. Their data plans also support hotspots. A downside is that customers have reported that their initial plans often have trouble being activated. They do have 24/7 hour customer service to solve it, but it’s still an extra step.
Airhub
Airhub has a good variety of plans and works well for different kinds of travelers. In the short term, they offer a 15GB plan for $10.35 a month and an unlimited data plan for only $12.50 for 10 days. You’ll have great coverage, but their plans might be excessive if you’re a light user and don’t need as many days in Thailand.
They don’t have an app where to find their plans, and users have reported that it’s hard to find them on their website, so it might be inaccessible to some people. If you need help you can always contact their customer support any time of the day.
How to Buy and Activate an eSIM for Thailand?
Choose a provider
Now that you’ve set that you want an eSIM and have read some about the options you have, you can choose the best option for you. Remember to check first if your smartphone is compatible.
The process to install your eSIM is generally simple, and for example, if you choose Yoho Mobile the process is as follows.
Go to the Yoho Mobile site
You can access it through the Yoho app directly or through their website.
Choose Thailand as your destination
If you’re planning to visit more than one country choose as many as you need. In Yoho Mobile, there’s no limit to choose from.
Customize your plan
Now is the time to choose as many days as you’re going to stay in Thailand, and as many GB as you think you’ll need. If you need a lot of data you can choose one of the unlimited plan data. If you’re staying for a short amount of time try choosing a smaller amount of GB, like 1-3, if you run out you can easily buy more. To learn more check our article about the advantages of Yoho Mobile.
Buy your Thailand eSIM
Now you just have to complete the purchase. Give an email address to receive the confirmation, and use any promo code you can. With Yoho Mobile just by reading this article, you get a 12% discount code! Use YOHO12 before you finish your purchase.
Install and Activate
Now check your email to get the QR so you can activate your eSIM. If you buy it for a specific date you’ll have to wait for that date to activate it, if not it should work immediately. Just scan the code and follow the instructions on the screen.
If you have any doubts you can read our article about the installation process.
Picture by OK Pitiporn on Pexels
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an eSIM worth in Thailand?
Yes. In general, eSIMs are excellent for travelers, especially if you travel to remote areas or want to visit more than one country per trip. With eSIMs, you have easy access to data plans and good connections even in rural areas, all that with competitive prices as well as ease of installation and management.
How much data do I need for my trip to Thailand?
It depends on your normal usage and the motive of your trip. If you don’t use much your phone in your home, you probably won’t use it as much in Thailand. But if you’re on a business trip you’ll need a bigger data plan than if you’re going as a tourist and are more centered on sightseeing.
Does Thailand work with eSIM?
Yes, you can use an eSIM for traveling to Thailand. Their major networks support this technology and you can access the 4G/5G with an eSIM.
What is the best eSIM for Thailand?
It really comes down to your personal preference, but if you’re looking for the best balance of flexible data plans, great customization options, and competitive pricing, Yoho Mobile is the best eSIM provider for Thailand. With its traveler-friendly features and reliable service, Yoho Mobile stands out as the go-to provider for staying connected abroad.
Can I make calls and send SMS with a Thailand eSIM?
Depending on the provider, yes. If you choose a provider that has that option you can use your eSIM to make local or international calls and send messages. If not you can always use apps like WhatsApp, Skype, or Messenger for that purpose.