Best eSIM for Thailand: how to choose, and what to buy
Short answer: For Thailand, a 5 GB plan at £6.99 suits most one-to-two-week trips, and the 10 GB tier is the one for longer stays. Thailand has three competing networks and strong coverage in the places most visitors go.
Thailand is easy to connect in and awkward to predict, because the thing that decides your coverage is not the mainland but the island you end up on.
Which plan to buy for your trip length
For Thailand we currently sell 5 plans, from 1 GB for £2.49 up to 20 GB for £13.99. Matching those to the length of a trip gives the table below.
| Trip length | Light use (maps, messaging) | Moderate use (plus social, photos) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 1 GB · £2.49 (7 days) | 3 GB · £4.99 (30 days) |
| 7 days | 3 GB · £4.99 (30 days) | 5 GB · £6.99 (30 days) |
| 14 days | 3 GB · £4.99 (30 days) | 10 GB · £10.49 (30 days) |
| 30 days | 10 GB · £10.49 (30 days) | 20 GB · £13.99 (30 days) |
Planning figures, not guarantees: roughly 200 MB a day for light use and 500 MB a day for moderate use. Daily video streaming, video calls and large downloads use far more. The plan shown is the cheapest one in our live catalogue that is both big enough and valid long enough.
Thailand eSIM plans and prices
Our plans for Thailand connect to AIS, DTAC and TrueMove H, and the phone picks between them. The best value per gigabyte is the 20 GB plan, at £0.70 a gigabyte.
| Data | Valid for | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | £2.49 | £2.49 |
| 3 GB | 30 days | £4.99 | £1.66 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | £6.99 | £1.40 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | £10.49 | £1.05 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | £13.99 | £0.70 |
Bangkok and Chiang Mai versus the islands
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the big tourist islands such as Samui have strong mobile coverage, and a travel eSIM behaves as you would expect. Small islands, remote national parks and long ferry crossings are where signal gets uneven, and it is worth assuming you will lose it on the boat.
Download your offline map and booking confirmations before you board a ferry rather than after you notice the bars have dropped. It costs nothing and it is the single most useful habit for island-hopping.
Ride-hailing, delivery and why data matters here
Thailand runs on apps: ride-hailing, food delivery and translation are how many visitors get around and eat, and all of them need data the moment you land. That is the main argument for an eSIM over hunting for a tourist SIM at the airport counter: it is working when you step off the plane.
Longer stays
If you are staying a month or more, the 20 GB tier is the one that makes sense, and topping up from the app is easier than juggling a new plan mid-stay. Remote workers should read our guide for digital nomads before deciding.
Related guides
- Thailand eSIM plans — every plan and price
- Cheapest eSIM for Thailand — cost per gigabyte
- Best eSIM for travel — how to choose
- Comparing eSIM providers fairly
- Check your phone supports eSIM
We sell eSIMs, so this is a seller’s guide. Prices on this page were read from our catalogue on 7 November 2026; coverage notes are general, so check the plan before paying.
