Guides · Updated September 2026

Thailand eSIM: TrueMove H and DTAC, prices, and landing at BKK

What a visitor needs to know about data in Thailand: the networks, what plans cost, the airport SIM counters, and why the eSIM skips the passport step.

Thailand is one of the easiest countries in the world to get connected in. The airports are full of SIM counters, the networks are fast, and coverage reaches most places a visitor goes. The question is just whether you want to queue for it.

The networks

Three carriers cover the country: AIS, TrueMove H and DTAC (the last two merged in 2023 but still run as brands). Our Thailand eSIM connects to TrueMove H and DTAC, which between them cover Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya and the road and rail links between them, with 5G in the cities. Remote islands and the far north are 4G, sometimes thin.

What it costs

PlanPrice (Sep 2026)Good for
1 GB, 7 days$1.99Maps and messages, short stay
3 GB, 15 days$4.99Two weeks of light use
5 GB, 30 days$6.99A month, or two weeks with social media
10 GB, 30 days$11.99Most people
20 GB, 30 days$20.99Streaming, hotspot
Unlimited, 7 days$17.993 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps
Unlimited, 30 days$49.99Working remotely

Thailand is cheaper than the Philippines per gigabyte, and the unlimited plan here is among the cheapest we sell.

The airport counters

Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK) both have AIS, True and DTAC counters after customs selling tourist SIMs, typically 8 to 15 days of data for a few hundred baht. They are good value. You will need your passport: Thailand requires every SIM to be registered to an ID, and the staff do it at the counter. Queues are usually short but not always, and the counters are after baggage claim, so you have no data until then.

Our eSIM is a foreign roaming line, so there is no registration and nothing to do at the airport. It connects while the plane is taxiing.

What works over it

Grab, Bolt, Google Maps, LINE (the messaging app everyone in Thailand uses), Google Translate with the camera, and every booking app. Traffic exits through Singapore, so websites may show Singapore prices or language until you change them. Why that happens.

Islands

Phuket, Samui and Phangan are well covered. Koh Tao, Koh Lipe and the smaller Andaman islands have signal in the main villages and not on the boats or the far beaches. Download offline maps before the ferry.

Staying longer than a month, or need a Thai number for a local bank or delivery app? A registered local SIM is the right tool for that. Land on the eSIM, then get the local one in town without the airport queue.

Common questions

Does the Thailand eSIM include a Thai number?

No. It is data only. LINE, WhatsApp and calls over apps all work.

Is 5G included?

Yes, on 5G-capable phones in the cities.

Can I use it in Laos or Cambodia on a side trip?

No. It is a Thailand-only plan. For a border hop, buy the destination's plan too; they can both sit on the phone.

See Thailand plans

Install in about a minute. No app, no account. Your plan starts when you land.