Internet in Thailand: how to get online as a tourist
In Thailand you have four options: hotel and café Wi-Fi, which is plentiful and doesn't cover the street; a local SIM bought at the airport, which requires registering your passport; your operator's roaming, which outside the EU is billed on top; or an eSIM installed before you fly, from 2,90 € for 7 days with 1 GB. It runs on TrueMove H and DTAC.
Updated on
Khao San Road at midnight. You need to order a ride, the person you're travelling with went off for something twenty minutes ago and the Wi-Fi of the bar you just left no longer reaches. Everyone around you is looking at their phone. You're looking at yours in a different way.
Thai Wi-Fi
It's among the best in Southeast Asia and it's everywhere: hotels, hostels, cafés, shopping centres, plenty of restaurants. If your trip consists of going from your accommodation to a restaurant, you can almost get by.
The problem is the in-between. Ordering a taxi, checking how long until the boat to the island leaves, showing the driver an address written in Thai: that happens on the street, and on the street there's no Wi-Fi.
The local SIM at the airport
At Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang there are local operators' counters right as you exit. They sell tourist cards with data and sometimes minutes, and they work well. Thailand requires prepaid cards to be registered, so you need your passport and a stretch of form-filling.
The real cost isn't the price: it's the queue at eleven at night after an eleven-hour flight, and losing your Spanish number for the length of the trip because you had to take your SIM out to put the other one in.
Your operator's roaming
Thailand isn't in the European Union, so “roam like at home” doesn't apply. Each Spanish operator has its own rate for zones outside the EU, and it's worth checking on its website before you fly, not on the bill when you're back. If you don't plan to use it, turn off data roaming when you land.
The eSIM
You buy it from home, install it on your own Wi-Fi and it connects by itself when you land, on TrueMove H and DTAC. Your Spanish number stays in place as the main line, so you keep receiving calls and WhatsApp. From 2,90 € for 7 days with 1 GB; 4,90 € for 15 days with 3 GB, which is the typical trip.
| Option | Paperwork on arrival | Your Spanish number | When to pick it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | None | Stays in place | As backup, never as the plan |
| Local SIM | Queue and passport registration | Left out of the phone | If your phone doesn't support eSIM |
| Roaming | None | Stays in place | Only for the odd couple of days |
| eSIM | None | Stays in place, as a second line | For almost everyone |
What's worth knowing beforehand
- On the small islands and in the rural north the signal drops. That happens with any card: the network is the same for all of them.
- Ride-hailing apps are essential in Bangkok and they need data on the street, not at the hotel.
- Download the map of the areas you'll be walking. It helps when the signal weakens, and it's no substitute for having data.
- If you'll cross into Cambodia, Vietnam or Malaysia, look at the regional plan before buying three cards.
Is there free Wi-Fi at Bangkok airport?
Yes, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang both have free Wi-Fi, though it may ask you to register and it gets saturated at the busiest hours. It's fine for letting people know you've landed; for installing an eSIM in a hurry, better not to depend on it.
Do I need my passport for an eSIM?
No. The eSIM isn't registered in Thailand because it runs on the provider's agreement with the local operators. Passport registration only applies to the prepaid cards bought there.
How many gigabytes does a two-week trip use?
Between 2 and 4 GB with normal use: maps, messaging and some social media, leaving video and uploads for the accommodation's Wi-Fi. If you share data or watch video daily, count on double.
Can I use the eSIM on Koh Samui or Koh Tao?
Yes. TrueMove H and DTAC coverage reaches the tourist islands. On the more remote beaches and in the interior of the small islands the signal is weaker, as with any local card.
Something off, or a price changed? Write to ayuda@zasesim.com and we'll fix it. Data when you land.