The main concourse at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where airport shops sell tourist SIMs Photo above: Global Voyagers via Google
For most visitors to Bangkok, a tourist eSIM or SIM card from dtac, AIS or True is the simplest way to get data: you get a Thai number, a plan that runs for a fixed number of days, and local calls, all registered to your passport. Pocket WiFi makes sense mainly when several people want to share one connection. This guide sets out what the three carriers publish, how eSIM and a physical SIM differ, and where to buy.
Plan details below come from the carriers' own pages, read on October 3, 2026. Prices and plan names change, so treat the figures as a snapshot and confirm them before you pay.
Planning the whole trip? Our Thailand trip planning page puts every Bangkok guide in the order you need it.
eSIM, SIM card or pocket WiFi
| Option | How you get it | Good fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist eSIM | Bought online and installed from a QR code or app; no card to swap | Recent phones; you want a Thai plan ready to switch on | The phone must support eSIM and, for a second carrier, be unlocked. Registration with your passport is still required |
| Tourist SIM card | Bought at an airport shop, a carrier service center or online | Older phones, or travelers who want a counter to fix problems | A queue at the counter, a physical swap, and your home SIM to keep safe |
| Pocket WiFi | A rented router, picked up before you travel or on arrival and handed back at the end | Groups, or devices that cannot take a SIM | One more device to charge and carry, and you must return it |
Apple's support page says eSIM works on iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later models, and that to use two carriers at once your carrier must have unlocked the iPhone or both plans must come from the same carrier. Your iPhone can use only one cellular data network at a time, so you choose which line carries data. Check your own phone's settings before you buy an eSIM, because an eSIM that your phone cannot install is a wasted purchase.
What dtac, AIS and True list for tourists
True and dtac now sell their tourist SIMs from one page with matching prices, so in practice you are choosing between the True and dtac group and AIS. The True and dtac page shows an Infinite SIM in 8, 15 and 30 day versions and a separate 10 day Tourist SIM. AIS runs a longer ladder, from a one day plan to 60 days, and shows a Buy eSIM button on its plans from 1 to 30 days.
| Plan | Days | Price (THB) | What the carrier lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| True or dtac Infinite SIM | 8 | 499 | Unlimited 5G data at maximum speed, free calls to Thai networks (up to 15 minutes per call), plus 100 baht international credit (True) or 30 free minutes to seven listed countries (dtac) |
| True or dtac Infinite SIM | 15 | 699 | Same benefits as the 8 day plan |
| True or dtac Infinite SIM | 30 | 1,199 | Same benefits as the 8 day plan |
| True or dtac Tourist SIM | 10 | 349 | Unlimited 5G data at maximum speed, no calls listed |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 1 | 49 | 1 GB of 5G or 4G data at 10 Mbps; calls at 1.07 baht a minute |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 5 | 399 | Unlimited data at maximum speed, free calls inside the AIS network, 100 baht bonus |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 8 | 499 | Same as the 5 day plan |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 15 | 699 | Same as the 5 day plan |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 30 | 1,199 | Same as the 5 day plan |
| AIS Lucky Tourist SIM | 60 | 1,599 | Same as the 5 day plan |
Two things the headline price does not tell you. First, True's terms say speed varies with network coverage, the number of active users and your device, and that maximum advertised speeds are not guaranteed. The 10 day True and dtac plan is described under a fair usage policy, and the Data-Only version of the tourist SIM cannot make outgoing calls. Second, True's terms say a tourist SIM cannot be extended by topping up after it expires, and its validity cannot exceed 60 days. AIS says that under the national regulator's rules a tourist SIM used beyond 60 days from activation needs identity reconfirmation, by SMS to 4444161 or at an AIS shop.
Registration, passports and phones
Thai rules require every tourist SIM to be registered to a passport. True and dtac state a limit of three SIMs per person per brand, and AIS asks you to register before use. On the True and dtac terms page, the SIM is for handsets only: use in routers, SIM boxes or other fixed devices is prohibited, so a tourist SIM is not a way to power a travel router. If you need a router, that is where pocket WiFi comes in.
Before you land, remember that the Thailand Digital Arrival Card is a separate requirement, covered in our guide to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Plan your onward ride at the same time with our guide on getting from Bangkok airport to the city, and our guide to airport transfers, fast track and the BTS and MRT pass for rail, taxi and transfer details.
Where to buy, and what each carrier says about coverage
True says its tourist SIMs are available at True and dtac service centers nationwide and 24 hours a day at airport locations, and in its online store. AIS lists shops at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, and says its Lucky Tourist SIM is also sold at all AIS shops nationwide. Suvarnabhumi is in Samut Prakan province, just outside Bangkok, while Don Mueang is in Bangkok's Don Mueang district.
On coverage, True published a post on December 24, 2025 stating its 5G population coverage at 94 percent nationwide and 4G at 99 percent after combining the True and dtac networks. AIS points to its coverage tools in the myAIS app. Both are the carriers' own claims, and neither replaces checking the carrier's map for the places you will actually visit. If your trip goes beyond Bangkok, to islands, national parks or border areas, check the map for those places first.
Ordering ahead on Klook
If you would rather arrange a SIM or eSIM before you fly, Klook sells several. The dtac tourist SIM with airport pick-up, the AIS 5G eSIM and the True tourist SIM are the same carriers described above, sold through Klook, and for a router there is a pocket WiFi rental. Compare the Klook price and the pick-up arrangement with the carrier's own counter price in the table before you decide, and read the product page for the exact plan, validity and how to collect it.
BangkokVacay earns a commission from Klook if you book through the links in this article, at no extra cost to you.
One practical point: some sellers let you install an eSIM before you leave, which gets you data on arrival, but registration still needs your passport. A SIM card bought at an airport counter can be sorted out in person if the registration step goes wrong.
Which should you pick?
- Short stay, recent phone: an eSIM from the carrier or a seller you trust, sized to your days. AIS's 5 and 8 day plans and the True or dtac 8 day plan cover most Bangkok weekends.
- Older phone or no unlocked phone: a SIM card from an airport counter.
- Group sharing data: pocket WiFi, or one phone with a plan that you tether from, subject to the plan's terms.
- Staying beyond 60 days: expect to re-identify with your passport at a carrier shop, as both carriers describe.
To plan getting around once you are connected, see our guide to how to get around Bangkok.
Sources: True and dtac: Thailand Tourist SIM and eSIM, True and dtac: Tourist SIM terms and conditions, AIS: SIM and plans for tourists, AIS: where to buy, True: One Network coverage post, December 24, 2025, Apple Support: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM. Checked October 3, 2026.
