# eSIM for Thailand

Viasimo's Thailand eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 7 days, running on DTAC and TrueMove H with 5G where available. Plans last 3 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/

## Thailand eSIM prices

| Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $8.00 | - |
| Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $12.99 | - |
| 100 MB, 7 days | 100 MB | 7 | $1.29 | $13.21 |
| 500 MB, 7 days | 500 MB | 7 | $1.29 | $2.64 |
| 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $1.79 | $1.79 |
| Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $16.00 | - |
| 50 GB, 10 days | 50 GB | 10 | $14.99 | $0.30 |
| Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $21.99 | - |
| 2 GB, 15 days | 2 GB | 15 | $3.00 | $1.50 |
| 3 GB, 15 days | 3 GB | 15 | $3.59 | $1.20 |
| Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $33.00 | - |
| 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $3.59 | $1.20 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $5.00 | $1.00 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $9.00 | $0.90 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $14.99 | $0.75 |
| 50 GB, 30 days | 50 GB | 30 | $51.00 | $1.02 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $59.00 | - |
| Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $119.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $179.99 | - |
| 50 GB, 180 days | 50 GB | 180 | $53.99 | $1.08 |
| Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $354.99 | - |

## Which networks does the Thailand eSIM use?

- **DTAC**: 5G
- **TrueMove H**: 4G LTE / 5G

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.

## eSIM Details

- **Data**: 100 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
- **Validity**: 3–180 days
- **Speed**: 4G LTE / 5G
- **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices
- **Activation**: Automatic on arrival
- **Speed management**: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- **Top-ups**: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- **Text messages (SMS)**: Data only: use an app for verification codes
- **Connects via**: Hong Kong
- **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed

## Thailand: what to know before you land

Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo

Your Thailand eSIM connects to DTAC or TrueMove H, two brands that have belonged to the same company, True Corporation, since their 2023 merger, with 5G in Bangkok and the big resorts. AIS is the largest operator. Before you fly, fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, and be careful what you post online, because Thai defamation law even covers bad reviews.

### Thailand: quick facts

| Fact | Thailand |
| --- | --- |
| Emergency number | 191 (police), 1669 (ambulance), 1155 (Tourist Police) |
| Main airports | Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok) (BKK); Don Mueang International Airport (Bangkok) (DMK); Phuket International Airport (HKT); Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) |
| Plug types | Type A, B, C, O (230V) |
| Currency | Thai baht (THB) |
| Apps worth having | Grab, Bolt, LINE, Google Maps, Google Translate |

### TDAC and the admit-until stamp at Suvarnabhumi (BKK)

(Thailand · https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/#guide-tdac-and-the-admit-until-stamp-at-suvarnabhumi-bkk)

Thailand has replaced the old paper arrival form with the **Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)**. You register online before you arrive, and the official immigration site states that **no fee is required**, so be wary of third-party sites that charge for it. Save the confirmation on your phone as a screenshot.

Many nationalities can visit visa-free. The US State Department says US citizens currently get up to 60 days, but warns that the government may cut this to 30 days, so check the rules close to your departure date.

When you land at **Suvarnabhumi (BKK)**, **Don Mueang (DMK)**, **Phuket (HKT)** or **Chiang Mai (CNX)**, look at the **admit-until date** stamped in your passport and stick to it. Overstaying can bring fines, detention, deportation and a ban on returning. The State Department also notes that immigration may refuse entry to people who come in more than twice a year, or repeatedly without much of a gap, which matters if you plan to do visa runs to neighbouring countries.

Your eSIM covers Thailand only. If you cross into Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia, add a plan for that country before you go.

### AIS, TrueMove H and dtac after the 2023 merger

(Thailand · https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/#guide-ais-truemove-h-and-dtac-after-the-2023-merger)

Thailand used to have three big mobile operators: **AIS**, **TrueMove H** and **dtac**. In **March 2023**, True and DTAC completed their merger, creating the new **True Corporation**, which keeps both TrueMove H and DTAC networks under one roof. Together they are the second and third largest operators, behind AIS.

Your eSIM can use **DTAC or TrueMove H**, choosing whichever is stronger. Since the merger, True has been combining the two networks, so you may see the network name change as you move around. Both brands have 5G in Bangkok and the larger tourist centres, and 4G/LTE elsewhere.

AIS isn't one of the networks your eSIM uses. If you meet travellers on AIS SIMs who have a signal in a remote spot where yours drops, such as a national park or the far end of a small island, that's why.

Local mobile payment apps are hugely popular, but the State Department points out that they usually need a Thai bank account. Visitors generally rely on cards in hotels, malls and larger restaurants, and **cash in baht** at markets, street stalls, taxis and tuk-tuks.

### Reviews, royal criticism and drones: what not to post or fly

(Thailand · https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/#guide-reviews-royal-criticism-and-drones-what-not-to-post-or-fly)

Thailand's laws on speech catch out visitors more than its laws on most other things.

- **Lèse majesté.** Criticising, threatening or insulting the royal family is a crime that carries up to **15 years in prison per offence**. Damaging royal images, including on banknotes, can also count.
- **Defamation.** Thailand's defamation laws are strict, and the US State Department warns that a **negative review on a public website** can lead to civil or criminal penalties. Keep reviews factual and calm, or wait until you're home.
- **Drones.** You must register a drone with both the **Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)** and the **NBTC**, the telecoms regulator, and hold drone liability insurance that is valid in Thailand. Don't fly until both approvals and your insurance are confirmed.

It's also worth watching for common tourist scams in Bangkok, Pattaya and the islands: inflated bar tabs, gem and tour scams, and rental shops that hold your passport until you pay for invented damage. Never hand your passport over as a deposit. If you need help, call the **Tourist Police on 1155**, who are used to dealing with visitors.

### Sources for the Thailand guide

- [Thailand International Travel Information (US State Department)](https://www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Thailand.html)
- [Official Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)](https://tdac.immigration.go.th/)
- [True Corporation (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Corporation)
- [List of emergency telephone numbers (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emergency_telephone_numbers)

## Seven days in Thailand: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Chiang Mai

7-day itinerary · 7 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/thailand/#itinerary

An overland week through Thailand's historic heartland by train and bus: two days of temples and river life in Bangkok, the ruined royal capitals of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, then two days in Chiang Mai's old city and mountains before flying home.

**When to go:** November to February is coolest and driest, especially in the north; March to May is very hot, and the June to October rains bring flooding risk; in late September 2026 all of Bangkok's districts were declared flood-affected, so check conditions before travelling.

### Day 1 in Thailand: Bangkok: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun

- **Base:** Bangkok
- **Getting there:** From Suvarnabhumi (BKK), take the Airport Rail Link into the city in about 30 minutes, then a taxi or ride-hailing car.
- **Plan:** Go early to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha, dressed with shoulders and knees covered. Walk south to Wat Pho to see the gold Reclining Buddha and the temple's massage school. Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier to Wat Arun and climb its steep central prang. In the evening, ride a Chao Phraya Express boat back up the river.
- **Mobile signal:** DTAC and TrueMove H both have 5G across central Bangkok; inside the temple halls and on the river it may drop back to 4G.

### Day 2 in Thailand: Bangkok: Jim Thompson House, Lumphini and Chinatown

- **Base:** Bangkok
- **Plan:** Visit the Jim Thompson House, a collection of traditional teak houses beside a canal, assembled by the American silk trader who vanished in 1967. Walk in Lumphini Park and look for its monitor lizards. If it is a weekend, go to the Chatuchak market instead. In the evening, take the MRT to Wat Mangkon and walk Yaowarat Road in Chinatown for street food.
- **Mobile signal:** Strong 5G along the BTS Skytrain and in Chinatown; the underground MRT has coverage in stations and tunnels.

### Day 3 in Thailand: Ayutthaya's ruined capital

- **Base:** Ayutthaya
- **Getting there:** About 1.5 to 2 hours by train from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat station.
- **Plan:** Take the train north to Ayutthaya, the Siamese capital for four centuries until it was sacked in 1767, now a UNESCO site on an island ringed by rivers. Hire a bicycle and visit Wat Mahathat, with its Buddha head held in tree roots, the three chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the restored Wat Chaiwatthanaram, best at sunset from across the river.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G, with 5G in parts of the town, across the Ayutthaya island; the open temple grounds keep good coverage.

### Day 4 in Thailand: North to Sukhothai

- **Base:** Sukhothai
- **Getting there:** Train from Ayutthaya to Phitsanulok in about 5 hours, then an hour by bus to Sukhothai.
- **Plan:** Travel north to Sukhothai, the first capital of a Thai kingdom in the 13th century. Settle into New Sukhothai, then take a songthaew about 14 km to the old city in the late afternoon. Walk among the lotus ponds and chedis of the Central Zone's Wat Mahathat as the light drops, and come back for the evening market in town.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G on the train for most of the journey, with gaps in rural stretches; New Sukhothai and the historical park have 4G.

### Day 5 in Thailand: Sukhothai Historical Park and the bus to Chiang Mai

- **Base:** Chiang Mai
- **Getting there:** About 5 hours by bus from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai.
- **Plan:** Rent a bicycle at the park entrance at opening time and ride through the Central and Northern Zones: Wat Si Sawai's Khmer-style towers, Wat Sa Si on its island and the giant seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum framed by a narrow opening. Visit the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum by the entrance. After lunch, take the bus north to Chiang Mai.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G in the historical park; on the bus through the hills between Tak and Lampang expect some patchy stretches.

### Day 6 in Thailand: Chiang Mai's old city and Doi Suthep

- **Base:** Chiang Mai
- **Plan:** Explore the moated old city on foot: Wat Phra Singh with its classic Lanna-style hall, the ruined great chedi of Wat Chedi Luang, and the quieter temples of the side lanes. In the late afternoon, take a songthaew up Doi Suthep to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, climbing the dragon staircase for the view over the city. If it is Sunday, walk the night market on Ratchadamnoen Road.
- **Mobile signal:** 5G in central Chiang Mai, 4G on the winding road up Doi Suthep and at the temple.

### Day 7 in Thailand: Doi Inthanon National Park and departure

- **Base:** Chiang Mai
- **Getting there:** About 1.5 to 2 hours by road from Chiang Mai to the summit; Chiang Mai airport (CNX) is close to the old city.
- **Plan:** Make a morning trip to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain at 2,565 metres. Walk the boardwalk through cloud forest near the summit, visit the twin royal chedis with their gardens and stop at Wachirathan waterfall on the way down. Return to Chiang Mai for an evening flight, or stay on and take the overnight train back to Bangkok.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G at the summit area and the chedis, patchy in the forest and lower valleys; AIS users may have signal where you do not.

### Staying connected on this Thailand route

- Register the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card on the official immigration site before you fly and keep the confirmation offline.
- Your eSIM uses DTAC or TrueMove H, not AIS; in national parks AIS is sometimes stronger.
- Check flood updates for Bangkok before you travel, and keep data on for local news and transport changes.
- Download an offline map of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya ruins, which spread over several kilometres.

### Sources for the Thailand itinerary

- [Sukhothai (Wikivoyage)](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sukhothai)
- [Historic City of Ayutthaya (UNESCO)](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/576)
- [Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns (UNESCO)](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/574)
- [Thailand travel advice (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand)
- [Official Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)](https://tdac.immigration.go.th/)

## About this eSIM

Half a Thailand trip gets arranged on the move: a Grab to the pier, a LINE message to a guesthouse that gets answered in ten seconds, a ferry departure that quietly moved since the website last said otherwise. A Thai eSIM covers all of that from the arrivals hall onward, whether you come in at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai or Samui. Your usual number stays live in the background for bank codes and messages from home.

### Getting online when you land

Set the profile up before you leave, over wifi at home. Installing needs a connection, and the airport is the worst possible place to find that out. Keep the line dormant until you arrive.

Off the plane, switch the travel line on, make it your data line, and enable data roaming for it if your phone asks. Turn mobile data off on your home line so nothing sneaks through it. You should be connected by the time you reach passport control, which matters, because the ride-hailing pickup points at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang are signposted for people who already have a booking open on screen.

If you are connecting straight onto a domestic flight or an overnight bus, load the boarding pass or ticket while you are still standing still. Terminal signal beats signal on a bus grinding out of the city.

### The networks you'll be on

In Thailand you connect through DTAC, True Move or TrueMove H. All three run 4G LTE, DTAC and TrueMove H add 5G, the phone attaches on its own, and there is no setting for you to get wrong.

Day to day that means dependable 4G/LTE nearly everywhere people live and stay, with 5G in Bangkok and the larger tourist centres. It is comfortably enough for video calls from a beach bar, which is really the benchmark most people care about.

### Where coverage holds, and where it thins

Bangkok is dense and thoroughly covered: on the street, on the BTS and MRT, inside the malls, up in the towers. Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya and Krabi behave the same way around town, along the main beach strips and on the highways linking them.

The gaps are roughly where you would guess. Ferry crossings to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and the Phi Phi islands lose signal in the middle, and the far ends of the smaller islands, away from the main village and the pier, can be thin. Inland, the hill roads on the Mae Hong Son loop and around Pai, national parks like Khao Sok and Khao Yai, and rural stretches of Isan between towns will hand you one bar or nothing. Limestone karst plays tricks too: full signal in the boat, none in the lagoon behind the rock.

### What you'll actually use data for here

Ride-hailing comes first. Grab and Bolt in the cities take the fare haggling out of the day entirely, and being able to drop a pin outside a temple whose name you cannot pronounce is worth the connection on its own.

Messaging is close behind, and specifically LINE. It is how a lot of Thai businesses actually talk to customers: guesthouses, dive shops, drivers and tour operators will show you a QR code to add them, then reply within minutes. Plenty of bookings here exist only as a LINE thread. WhatsApp works fine, but LINE is the local default.

After that it stacks up quickly. Reading Thai script through a camera, checking ferry and sleeper train times that shift with the season and the weather, working out which pier a boat actually leaves from as opposed to which pier the ticket says, doing constant mental arithmetic with a converter app, and uploading photos while the beach still looks like that.

### Before you fly

Download offline maps of the islands and any hill routes you plan to drive or ride. The dead spots are short, but they show up at exactly the turn where you needed a map.

Screenshot whatever you cannot lose: ferry and bus tickets, your accommodation with its Thai name and a phone number, and the address written in Thai script to hand to a driver. Small island guesthouses are frequently not where the map pin claims they are, and a number solves that in one call.

Bring a power bank and something waterproof to keep the phone in. Longtail boats, wet-season downpours and full-day snorkelling trips are hard on phones, and a flat battery is the one thing an eSIM cannot fix for you. Finally, turn your home line's data roaming off before takeoff so the travel line handles everything.

## Before you travel to Thailand

Every local Thai SIM must be registered in person against your passport, at an operator branch or authorised dealer. A pre-purchased travel eSIM skips that entirely.

Local SIM-registration rules apply to buying a SIM in the country. A travel eSIM is a foreign profile roaming onto the local network, so you are not registering anything locally and there is no counter to queue at.

Coverage differs by operator. In Opensignal's June 2025 Thailand report AIS won Coverage Experience outright, meaning the widest footprint across populated areas, so it is the network to want if your trip goes beyond the big cities.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does an eSIM work in Thailand?

Yes. Your Thailand eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are DTAC, TrueMove H. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.

### Do I get 5G in Thailand?

Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on DTAC, TrueMove H in Thailand, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.

### Do I need to fill in the TDAC before flying to Thailand?

Yes. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card replaces the old paper arrival card and is submitted online before you arrive. The official immigration website states that no fee is required, so avoid agents that charge. Save your confirmation as a screenshot, and check the admit-until date stamped in your passport when you land.

### Are dtac and TrueMove H the same company now?

Yes. True and DTAC merged in March 2023 to form True Corporation, which runs both the TrueMove H and DTAC networks. Together they are Thailand's second and third largest operators, after AIS. Your eSIM can connect to either DTAC or TrueMove H, picking the stronger signal, with 5G in Bangkok and the main tourist areas.

### Can I get in trouble for a bad review in Thailand?

Potentially, yes. The US State Department warns that Thailand's strict defamation laws mean a negative review posted on a public website can lead to civil or criminal penalties. Keep reviews factual and measured. Criticising the royal family is a far more serious crime, with prison sentences of up to 15 years per offence.

### Do I need permission to fly a drone in Thailand?

Yes. You must register the drone with both the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and have drone liability insurance valid in Thailand. The US State Department advises not to fly at all until both registrations are approved and your insurance is confirmed.

### How much data do I need for 7 days in Thailand?

For 7 days in Thailand, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.29, 500 MB for $1.29, 1 GB for $1.79, and unlimited data for $16.00. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

## Information and verification

- **Prices and plans**: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in. Verified October 30, 2026.
- **Host networks**: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.
- **Local rules**: SIM registration and device rules, checked against the sources below. Verified September 23, 2026. Source: [tilleke.com](https://www.tilleke.com/insights/thailand-tightens-telecom-registration-data-and-ip-address-rules-to-combat-tech-crime/), [insights.opensignal.com](https://insights.opensignal.com/reports/2025/06/thailand/mobile-network-experience)