Best eSIM for Thailand: AIS, True, dtac from THB 349

AIS, True and dtac sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs with unlimited data: THB 349 for 10 days at True and dtac and THB 499 for 8 days at all three. Register with your passport, three SIMs at most per brand. Buy at the airport shops at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

THB 499 buys eight days of unlimited data at AIS, True and dtac. True and dtac have a ten-day SIM at THB 349. AIS goes from one day to 60.

Prices and plans below come from the operators’ own pages. Pick by trip length, then carry your passport to the counter.

Plans and prices side by side

Data allowance

The 15-day and 30-day True and dtac cards read here name the Infinite SIM without a GB figure. Ask at the counter before you buy.

At 8, 15 and 30 days the three operators charge the same price, so the choice is the extras. AIS plans include free calls within its network and a THB 100 bonus for calls to all networks in Thailand and international calls via 00300.

AIS adds unlimited AIS Super WiFi. The call centre is 1175.

AIS eSIM

A visitor can buy a local AIS eSIM online and use it immediately. It carries no service fee. It loads by QR code or in the myAIS app.

You can also buy an eSIM at any AIS shop or on the online store and activate it yourself. Top up through the myAIS app, online, an AIS shop or WeChat Pay.

True and dtac Infinite SIMs

True and dtac sell the same shape of plan under two brands. The 8-day Infinite SIM is THB 499 including VAT. The 15-day is THB 699. The 30-day is THB 1,199.

True’s 8-day card adds THB 100 calling credit for international calls. dtac’s adds 30 free minutes to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Vietnam. Both list unlimited calls to all networks in Thailand on the card.

The terms put a ceiling on that: free local calls run up to 15 minutes per call. The ten-day Tourist SIM at THB 349 lists unlimited 5G and Wi-Fi and no calls. The Infinite SIM works with every phone model.

Which plan for which trip

Match the validity to the trip. Five days or fewer: AIS at THB 399 for five days or THB 49 for one day. Eight days: THB 499 at any of the three. Ten days: THB 349 at True or dtac, if you do not need voice.

Two weeks to a month: THB 699 for 15 days or THB 1,199 for 30. Two months: AIS THB 1,599 for 60 days. Tourist SIM validity does not exceed 60 days.

Passport registration and the time limit

Register the SIM with a passport. True and dtac register it with a valid passport, a maximum of 3 SIMs per person per brand. AIS asks you to register your SIM card before use in Thailand.

At AIS, foreign nationals send an SMS with the passport number to 4444161 and follow the reply. Bring your passport, the SIM card and the phone. An unfinished verification can interrupt the service.

Keeping an AIS tourist SIM beyond 60 days from activation means confirming your identity again. The free route is the SMS to 4444161; the other is any AIS Shop. A number registered in your name must be activated within 60 days of registration.

Where to buy at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang

At Suvarnabhumi the AIS tourist SIM points sit on the 2nd floor at the baggage claims. There is one at the Visa On Arrival area on the same floor. At Don Mueang they are on the 3rd floor of Terminal 2. See Suvarnabhumi to the city and Don Mueang to the city for the ride in.

True and dtac tourist SIMs are sold at service centres nationwide and 24/7 at airport locations. dtac has a shop at Suvarnabhumi Airport and at Don Mueang Airport. Bring your passport, SIM card and SIM package to register.

Away from the airport, AIS tourist SIMs are sold at all AIS Shops and Telewiz Shops. True and dtac are also at the online store.

The small print on True and dtac SIMs

Benefits are valid within Thailand, and prepaid international roaming is not included. The service works on devices supporting 5G, 4G or 3G on the operator’s designated frequencies.

Validity follows the package and must not exceed 60 days. Top-up does not extend a SIM after expiry; you re-identify with a passport at a True dtac Shop or the call centre. The call centres are 1242 for True and 1678 for dtac.

• Outside the package, local calls cost THB 5 a minute and data THB 2 per MB, excluding VAT.
• The maximum prepaid credit per SIM is THB 5,000.
• Top up at a True Shop, 7-Eleven or other selected points.
• Dial *123# to check balance and validity.

A data-only SIM has voice services disabled. It supports no outgoing calls except the call centres and emergency numbers, and no outgoing SMS or MMS.

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Not confirmed: The THB 349 ten-day card lists data and Wi-Fi but no calls. The terms describe a separate data-only ten-day SIM without outgoing calls. Ask at the counter which one you are buying if you need voice. Island coverage by operator is not stated on the operator pages read; check the coverage map before an island trip.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not financial or tax advice for your situation. Rules and fees change; confirm with your bank, the Revenue Department or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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