In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A Thailand eSIM is a data plan downloaded to the phone, so it needs an iPhone XS, XR or later, or a compatible Android, and an unlocked phone if you want to keep your home line. Install it at home before you fly: Nomadad lists True, dtac and AIS, Sailyad runs on TrueMove H and AIS, and Klook’s 5G Thailand eSIMad is on AIS. Choose by the plan type: a fixed amount of data for a week or a month, or an unlimited plan for a few days. Plans are data only unless the plan says otherwise: calls and messages go through apps. Sellers show their prices in your region’s currency, not baht.
What an eSIM is, and which phones take one
An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets a phone use a mobile plan without a physical nano-SIM (Apple). You buy the plan online, scan a QR code or install it through the seller’s app, and the phone then holds two lines: your home SIM and the travel plan.
- iPhone: the XS, XS Max, XR and later models, with different rules for those sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. To keep your home line alongside a travel eSIM, the network that sold the phone must have unlocked it, or both plans must come from the same provider (Apple).
- Android: support depends on the maker and the model. Saily and Nomad each publish a compatibility list.
- Data only, mostly: Nomad says some of its eSIMs include a local phone number, so check the plan details. Use WhatsApp, FaceTime or similar for calls.
A True shop at the Central Silom Complex. Photo: Sry85, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Thailand plans, compared
| Network | Plan types | Starts when | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomadad | True, dtac and AIS | Fixed: 1 GB for 7 days; 3, 5 or 10 GB for 30 days; 50 GB for 10 days. Unlimited: 5, 7 or 10 days. Hotspot allowed | On connecting in Thailand; activate within 60 days of buying, or it starts by itself |
| Sailyad | TrueMove H and AIS | From 1 GB to unlimited, for 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 days. Unlimited plans are capped at 5 GB a day at full speed, then up to 1 Mbps. Hotspot allowed | On the first connection in Thailand, or automatically after 180 days |
| Klookad | AIS 5G | Unlimited data, activated by the QR code in the voucher under Account, then Bookings | When installed and connected; read the refund terms on the listing |
On an unlimited plan the daily limit matters more than the word “unlimited”: Saily’s drops to 1 Mbps after 5 GB in a day.
Set it up before you fly
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, by scanning the QR code or through the seller’s app. On an iPhone the route is Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM. Check the installation email: Nomad says a few of its eSIMs need manual activation.
- Save your arrival card. Immigration asks to see the confirmation email for the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, so keep it saved on the phone (Bangkok guide).
- After you land, switch the travel line on for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Switch your home SIM’s roaming off if you want to avoid its charges.
Prices are shown in your own currency at checkout and move with the plan, so none is printed here.
Where next
The airport guide has the first journey into the city, and Bangkok public transport the BTS, MRT and boats. For cash and cards, see money in Bangkok; for scams, is Bangkok safe. Where to stay in Bangkok and 3 days in Bangkok are the next two decisions.
Common questions
Do I need an eSIM for Bangkok?
Not strictly, but a data plan on the phone keeps maps, translation and the ride-hailing apps working from the moment you land. An eSIM is the plan installed before you fly, with no SIM card to collect at the airport.
Which phones take an eSIM?
Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later models, with different rules for models sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. For Android, support depends on the maker and the model, and Saily and Nomad each publish a compatibility list. To keep your home line on an iPhone, the phone must be unlocked, or both plans must come from the same provider.
Which networks do the Thailand eSIMs use?
Nomad's Thailand plans list True, dtac and AIS. Saily names TrueMove H as its main partner in Thailand and AIS as its second. Klook sells a 5G Thailand eSIM on AIS.
Does a Thailand eSIM include calls and a phone number?
Nomad says some of its eSIMs include a local phone number, so check the plan details. Calls and messages otherwise go through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime.
When does an eSIM plan start?
Nomad's plans start automatically on connecting to a Thai network, and you should activate within 60 days of buying; after that the plan starts by itself. Saily's start on the first connection in the country, or automatically after 180 days.
