Phones and Data
Thailand Tourist SIM or eSIM: Prices, Where to Buy and Which to Pick
A Thai tourist SIM costs less than most roaming deals and gives you unlimited data. Here is what the plans cost, whether to go eSIM or physical, and where to buy one if you land without.
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Quick Facts
- Cost
- From 399 baht for 5 days (AIS, checked October 2026)
- Data
- Unlimited at full speed on 5-day plans and longer
- Where to Buy
- Online as an eSIM, or Level 2 arrivals at Suvarnabhumi
- Bring
- Your passport, every Thai number is registered to it
In this article
How Much Does a Thailand Tourist SIM Cost?
A Thailand tourist SIM is cheap, and the data is unlimited. AIS, one of the main networks, listed these tourist plans on its own website in October 2026:
- 1 day: 49 baht, with a 1 GB data cap
- 5 days: 399 baht
- 8 days: 499 baht
- 15 days: 699 baht
- 30 days: 1,199 baht
- 60 days: 1,599 baht
Every plan from 5 days up gives unlimited data at full speed, plus 100 baht of bonus credit. Checked October 2026. Prices change, so look at the provider's page before you fly.
You will see older or rounder numbers in videos. One creator quotes about 800 baht for 15 days, for example. The AIS page says 699, and that is the figure we would trust.
Prices are close across the main providers, so don't spend time comparing brands. Pick on plan length instead: 8 days covers a week, 15 days covers two weeks and 30 days covers a month. Buy one step longer than your trip if your flight home is late in the day.
eSIM or Physical SIM: Which Should You Get?
For most visitors, the eSIM wins. Every AIS tourist plan can be bought as an eSIM. You set it up at home, and when the plane lands your phone is already on a Thai network. No queue, no tiny SIM tray, no hunting for a paper clip in the arrivals hall.
That matters more than it sounds. The first things you need in Bangkok all run on data: the map to your hotel, a Grab or Bolt ride, a message to say you've landed. Having them working before passport control saves the most stressful half hour of the trip.
The physical SIM still has its place. Choose it if:
- your phone is older and doesn't take an eSIM
- your phone is locked to your home network
- you would rather have someone at a desk set it up for you
Expat creators Doc and Bean (January 2026) hit this split. One phone was set up with an eSIM before they arrived, while the partner's older phone needed a physical AIS SIM.
Our decision: check your phone's settings for an "add eSIM" option before you book anything. If it's there, buy the eSIM. If it isn't, plan to buy a physical SIM at the airport.
Buying a SIM at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Most long-haul flights from the UK, US and Australia land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK). After passport control, bags and customs, you come out on Level 2. That is the arrivals floor, and the SIM booths are there.
AIS and True both have desks along the arrivals exit. They sell 8, 15 and 30 day tourist SIMs. Test that data works before you walk away from the counter.
Bring your passport to the desk. Every Thai number is registered to an ID under rules set by the NBTC, the national telecoms regulator. There's no way round it, so keep the passport in your hand luggage, not in the suitcase.
Then sort the rest of the arrival. Taxis and Grab pickups are on Level 1 and the Airport Rail Link is in the basement. If you also need baht, the better exchange booths are down there too, as our guide to ATM fees and money exchange in Bangkok explains. Our Bangkok airport transfer guide compares the routes into the city.
Can You Buy a SIM at 7-Eleven?
Yes. Local prepaid SIMs are sold at 7-Eleven stores and in malls, so landing without one is not a crisis. There is a 7-Eleven on nearly every block in Bangkok.
The creators we follow don't agree on which is the better buy, though:
- Cal (June 2026) says local prepaid SIMs suit longer stays and are sold at malls or 7-Eleven, but finds the tourist SIM at the AIS or True airport desks marginally cheaper.
- Destination Well Known (January 2026) says buy at the airport or any 7-Eleven, or use an eSIM.
- Sam Tyler (April 2026) finds an eSIM easiest and says a physical airport SIM costs more.
None of them quote a 7-Eleven SIM price. So treat 7-Eleven as the backup, not the plan. If your airport desk is closed or the queue is long, you can top up your connection in town the next morning.
7-Eleven also takes Apple Pay and Visa, and there is usually an ATM outside, so you can sort a SIM and a little cash in one stop.
What You Need Data For in Bangkok
Maps are the obvious use, but ride apps matter more. Grab and Bolt are the main apps for taxis, and both need data to book and to track your driver. One thing to know: most foreign cards pay an extra transaction fee on Grab, so some visitors pay cash instead.
You will also lean on data for train times, translation, restaurant searches and messages to your hotel. Bangkok's traffic makes distance misleading, and a live map is how you decide between the Skytrain and a car. Our guide on how to get around Bangkok without getting stuck covers when each one makes sense.
Unlimited data means you don't need to ration any of this, which is the main reason we would pick a tourist plan over a roaming add-on from home.
Staying Longer Than 60 Days?
The tourist plans top out at 60 days. If you want to keep using a tourist SIM past that point, AIS says you need to text your passport number to 4444161 (the text is free) and then finish the identity check through the link in the reply. Checked October 2026.
If you are moving to Bangkok rather than visiting, a regular monthly plan works out cheaper than chaining tourist SIMs. Expat creators in 2026 quote figures such as 299 baht a month for an unlimited True plan and 400 baht for 60 GB. Our guide to moving to Bangkok covers the rest of the first-month setup.
Our Short Version
Check whether your phone takes an eSIM. If it does, buy a Thailand plan before you fly and land connected. If it doesn't, go to the AIS or True desk on Level 2 at Suvarnabhumi with your passport and test the data before you leave the counter. Pick the plan by trip length, not brand: 8 days for a week, 15 for two weeks, 30 for a month. And keep 7-Eleven in mind as the backup on almost any street.
For the rest of your arrival checklist, see our first-time guide to Bangkok.
On AIS's own page in October 2026, tourist plans cost 399 baht for 5 days, 499 for 8 days, 699 for 15 days, 1,199 for 30 days and 1,599 for 60 days. All of them come with unlimited data at full speed. Prices across the main providers are close, so check before you go.
If your phone takes an eSIM, it is the easier choice. You set it up at home and land connected, with no queue at the airport desks. If your phone is older or locked to your home network, buy a physical SIM after customs.
Yes. Every Thai number is registered to an ID under the rules of the national telecoms regulator, the NBTC. Have your passport with you at the desk or when you activate an eSIM.
Yes. Local prepaid SIMs are sold at 7-Eleven stores and in malls. None of the creators we follow quote a 7-Eleven price, so compare it with the airport desks and the tourist plans above before you buy.
Ready to plan?
Land With Data Already Working
If your phone takes an eSIM, you can buy a Thailand plan before you fly and switch it on when you land.
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