We compare travel eSIM brands for Thailand on coverage, speed, reliability, the local network each connects to, unlimited availability, and fair use policy. No brand can pay to rank higher.
HelloRoam is Simscanner's top-ranked travel eSIM for Thailand on our modelled comparison; Saily is the cheapest plan we tracked, from $2.84. Thailand runs three commercial operators, AIS, TrueMove H and dtac, plus state operator NT; dtac sits inside True Corporation after the 2023 True–dtac merger. Coverage follows whichever network a brand uses, so check the mapping below.
Modelled estimates. Brand winner appears after per-brand verification. Network and SIM-registration facts on this page are sourced; see the Sources list.
Brands ranked on coverage, speed, reliability, local-network quality, unlimited and FUP transparency, and review signals. Independent comparison. No brand can pay to rank higher. Per-brand scores stay blank until each input is verified.
Compact overview. See the full comparison below for coverage, speed, FUP, hotspot, and the local network each brand connects to.
| Brand | Overall | Coverage | Speed | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
91 |
92 |
91 |
Yes |
Airalo |
88 |
91 |
89 |
No |
Holafly |
88 |
89 |
88 |
Yes |
Nomad |
89 |
86 |
89 |
No |
Saily |
87 |
85 |
90 |
No |
Ubigi |
87 |
85 |
88 |
Yes |
80 |
78 |
84 |
No |
Scroll horizontally to see every signal. Brand column stays in view.
| Brand | Rank | Overall | Coverage | Speed | Reliability | Unlimited | FUP / fair use | Hotspot | Local networks | Review signal | Confidence | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
1 | 91 |
92 |
91 |
Yes | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) | Allowed | AIS · TrueMove H · DTAC | 4.4 | Verified | See brand → Visit HelloRoam ↗ | |
Airalo |
3 | 88 |
91 |
89 |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | True · AIS | 3.8 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Airalo ↗ | |
Holafly |
4 | 88 |
89 |
88 |
Yes | High-speed ~90 GB/month | Allowed (share ≈1 GB/day) | True · dtac | 3.8 | Verified | See brand → Visit Holafly ↗ | |
Nomad |
2 | 89 |
86 |
89 |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | AIS · dtac | 4.3 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Nomad ↗ | |
Saily |
5 | 87 |
85 |
90 |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | AIS · TrueMove H | 4.0 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Saily ↗ | |
Ubigi |
6 | 87 |
85 |
88 |
Yes | High-speed 60 GB | Allowed (data sharing) | AIS · True Move | 4.1 | Verified | See brand → Visit Ubigi ↗ | |
| 7 | 80 |
78 |
84 |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | AIS GSM · dtac | 3.9 | Secondary | See brand → Visit Jetpac ↗ |
A travel eSIM is a reseller. In Thailand it roams onto a real local network, and that network decides your coverage, rural reach and 5G availability. Thailand has three commercial mobile network operators plus a state operator. These are the real named carriers a Thailand eSIM can use.
Thailand's largest mobile operator by subscribers and the widest footprint in populated areas. Runs 4G LTE and 5G across the major cities and most provinces.
Largest networkThe mobile arm of True Corporation. After the 2023 True–dtac merger, True is the other large national operator alongside AIS, running 4G and 5G nationwide.
Merged with dtacHistorically Thailand's third operator. The dtac brand still appears on plans and shopfronts, but the company merged into True Corporation in 2023, so dtac and True share network resources.
Brand retained post-mergerThe state operator, formed by the 2021 merger of TOT and CAT Telecom. It holds a small mobile share and also wholesales spectrum and infrastructure to other providers.
State operatorSource: Wikipedia, “Telecommunications in Thailand” and Wikipedia, “True–DTAC merger”, retrieved 30 May 2026. Operator names and the True–dtac merger are sourced; per-brand network mapping (which eSIM rides which carrier) stays a modelled estimate.
Thailand operates mandatory SIM registration, overseen by the telecoms regulator, the NBTC. The rule below is sourced from the NBTC and reputable Thai reporting, retrieved 30 May 2026.
Yes. Registering a Thai SIM requires identity verification. Thai nationals must present their original national ID card, and non-Thai visitors must present a valid passport. Photos and copies are not accepted in person, and the operators AIS and True must run real-time identity checks under NBTC rules.
Sources: Biometric Update, “Thailand mandates biometric liveness detection for SIM registration” (18 Aug 2025); The Nation Thailand, NBTC SIM rules (Aug 2025); regulator named in Wikipedia, “Telecommunications in Thailand”. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
Thailand sits in mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, with Singapore a short hop further south. Travel-eSIM behaviour differs sharply across these borders.
Thailand is one of the more demanding registration regimes in the region. Its biometric, passport-based SIM registration is stricter than the lighter checks travellers often meet in Malaysia or Cambodia, and unlike the European Union, Southeast Asia has no shared roam-like-home zone, so a Thai plan does not extend across the border into Laos or Myanmar at local rates. Travellers crossing several of these countries usually pick a regional Asia eSIM rather than a single-country Thailand plan.
Network-wise, Thailand's market is a near-duopoly of AIS and True (with dtac), which is denser than the fragmented mobile markets in parts of Myanmar or Laos, and closer in maturity to the high-coverage, high-speed networks of Singapore. For a single-country trip a Thailand eSIM riding AIS or True is usually enough; for a multi-country itinerary, compare a regional plan and confirm which network it uses in each country.
This table lists every brand we track for Thailand and the connected local network. Prices, data amounts, validity, FUP and hotspot rules are deliberately left blank: brand plan pricing is rendered live and changes constantly, so Simscanner does not republish unverified figures.
| Brand | Connected network | Data | Validity | Price | Hotspot | KYC | Top-up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
AIS · TrueMove H · DTAC | 5G/4G | $3.49 | 1 GB / 7 days | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) | Allowed | helloroam.com | Verified |
Airalo |
True · AIS | 5G | $10.50 | 10 GB / 15 days | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | esims.io | Secondary |
Holafly |
True · dtac | 4G LTE/5G | $12.90 | Unlimited / 3 days | High-speed ~90 GB/month | Allowed (share ≈1 GB/day) | holafly.com | Verified |
Nomad |
AIS · dtac | 5G | $4.00 | 1 GB / 7 days | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | esims.io | Secondary |
Saily |
AIS · TrueMove H | 4G/LTE | $2.84 | 1 GB / 7 days | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | esims.io | Secondary |
Ubigi |
AIS · True Move | 4G/5G | $13.90 | 10 GB / 30 days | High-speed 60 GB | Allowed (data sharing) | ubigi.com | Verified |
| AIS GSM · dtac | 4G | $29.00 | 15 GB / 30 days | No unlimited Thailand plan | Allowed | esims.io | Secondary |
The word "unlimited" rarely means limitless. Most brands attach a fair use policy that slows you once a daily or trip-long cap is hit. The grid below sets out that cap, the speed you drop to, and whether tethering is allowed.
| Brand | Unlimited? | High-speed allowance | Throttle after FUP | Hotspot | Policy clarity | Notes | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
Yes | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) | ~1 Mbps after ~6 GB/day (tested, US) | Allowed | Published no throttling; ~6 GB/day tested then ~1 Mbps (US) · ~1 Mbps after ~6 GB/day (tested, US) | helloroam.com | Verified | |
Airalo |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | n/a | Allowed | No unlimited Thailand plan · n/a | esims.io | Secondary | |
Holafly |
Yes | High-speed ~90 GB/month | 256-1024 kbps | Allowed (share ≈1 GB/day) | High-speed ~90 GB/month · 256-1024 kbps | holafly.com | Verified | |
Nomad |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | n/a | Allowed | No unlimited Thailand plan · n/a | esims.io | Secondary | |
Saily |
No | No unlimited Thailand plan | n/a | Allowed | No unlimited Thailand plan · n/a | esims.io | Secondary | |
Ubigi |
Yes | High-speed 60 GB | 2 Mbps | Allowed (data sharing) | High-speed 60 GB · 2 Mbps | ubigi.com | Verified | |
| No | No unlimited Thailand plan | n/a | Allowed | No unlimited Thailand plan · n/a | esims.io | Secondary |
How fast a travel eSIM feels in Thailand depends on the town you are in and the carrier it has latched onto. The grid reports each brand's typical download, upload, latency and whether you are on 4G or 5G. Figures shown are modelled estimates.
| Brand | Avg download | Avg upload | Latency | 4G / 5G | City confidence | Reliability | Last reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HelloRoam |
79 Mbps | 23 Mbps | 33 ms | 5G/4G | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Airalo |
74 Mbps | 22 Mbps | 35 ms | 5G | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Holafly |
72 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 36 ms | 4G LTE/5G | High in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Nomad |
74 Mbps | 22 Mbps | 35 ms | 5G | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Saily |
77 Mbps | 22 Mbps | 34 ms | 4G/LTE | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
Ubigi |
72 Mbps | 21 Mbps | 36 ms | 4G/5G | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 | |
| 62 Mbps | 18 Mbps | 41 ms | 4G | Good in main cities | Reviewed 15 Jun 2026 |
We model public ratings from the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, then surface the recurring themes travellers raise about each brand. Ratings and themes shown are Simscanner modelled estimates, not verified review counts.
Aggregate is a Simscanner modelled estimate across the tracked brands.
These steps are brand-agnostic. The exact wording differs per app, and any plan-specific detail stays on the relevant brand profile.
Most recent iPhone, Pixel and Samsung Galaxy models support eSIM. Confirm your phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked before you buy a Thailand plan.
Choose a Thailand plan from a brand on this page. After purchase the brand issues an eSIM, usually as a QR code or an in-app install link, while you are still at home.
On a stable connection, add the eSIM via your phone’s mobile-data settings by scanning the QR code or entering the details manually. Label it so you can switch to it later.
On arrival, enable the Thailand eSIM for data and turn on data roaming for that line if the brand instructs you to. It then connects to the local network the plan uses.
Thailand requires SIM registration with ID. Some travel-eSIM brands handle this for you and some do not. Carry your passport in case a brand or a top-up needs registration. This step is pending verification per brand.
Each brand is scored on seven inputs. Coverage and local-network quality come from public local-carrier sources. Speed and reliability come from public network performance sources. Review and FUP signals are taken from public brand and store sources. No brand can pay to rank higher.
Public local-carrier coverage data, mapped per region of Thailand.
Public network performance sources, scoped to Thai cities.
Drop-off, time-to-connect, and uptime signals from public sources.
Clarity of allowance, throttle speed, and hotspot rules on each plan.
Whether hotspot and tethering are allowed and on which Thailand plans.
Which Thai carrier the brand connects to (AIS, True, dtac, NT) and its grade.
App Store, Play Store, and Trustpilot signals, weighted by recency.
Source quality, recency, and number of verified inputs per brand.
Common traveller questions answered directly. Full FAQ content stays in the HTML so search and AI crawlers can read it.
Yes. Thailand has mandatory SIM registration under the NBTC. Foreigners must present a valid passport, Thai nationals their national ID card, and since 18 August 2025 a biometric liveness check is required. Foreigners may hold up to three SIMs per operator. See the SIM registration section for sources.
Thailand has three commercial operators, AIS, TrueMove H and dtac, plus the state operator NT. dtac merged into True Corporation in 2023. A travel eSIM roams onto one of these networks, which sets your real coverage. The local networks section names each carrier.
Under current NBTC rules, tourist SIM cards are valid for a maximum of 60 days with no top-up extension; continued use needs a fresh registration. Travel-eSIM plan validity is set by each brand and stays a modelled estimate in the plans by brand table.
Usually not at local rates. Southeast Asia has no EU-style shared roaming zone, so a single-country Thailand plan does not extend across the border. For a multi-country trip, compare a regional Asia eSIM and confirm which network it uses in each country. See the region context section.
It depends on which Thai network a brand connects to and whether you need unlimited data, hotspot, or a long stay. Simscanner ranks the major travel eSIM brands country by country. The Thailand ranking table shows the top brand and its score.
Every factual claim about Thailand's networks, regulator and SIM-registration rules on this page is traceable to a public source below. Brand plan figures are not sourced here and remain a modelled estimate. See also our methodology.
AI-assisted disclosure: this page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the Simscanner editorial team. Network, regulator and SIM-registration facts are sourced above with retrieval dates; brand plan figures are intentionally left as a modelled estimate rather than generated.
Continue your comparison with nearby destinations, the same region, top brand profiles, or our methodology.