Guide
Best eSIM for Thailand and Southeast Asia: one plan for the whole trip
Thailand is often the first stop on a longer trip: Bangkok, the islands, then on to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia or Bali. You can stay connected the whole way with one eSIM, installed at home before the long flight.
Your options for internet in Southeast Asia
| Option | Works when you land | Keep your number | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your home plan | Yes | Yes | None, but usually very costly |
| Local SIM in each country | After the airport counter | No, a new number in every country | Passport, queues, and swapping SIMs each time |
| Free Wi-Fi | Hostels, cafés, hotels | Yes | Patchy, and nothing on buses or boats |
| Travel eSIM | Yes | Yes, for WhatsApp and iMessage | Two minutes at home, once |
Thailand only, or the whole region?
Staying in Thailand? Our Thailand plan connects to DTAC and TrueMove H, with 5G where available. Coverage is strong in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Travelling on? Our Southeast Asia plan covers eight countries with one eSIM: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste. Another version swaps Laos and Timor-Leste for Singapore. Your data carries on as you cross borders, by bus, boat or plane.
How much data do you need?
| Trip | Plan we'd pick |
|---|---|
| A week in Bangkok or on one island | 3 GB for 15 days |
| Two weeks in Thailand | 5 GB for 30 days |
| A month in Thailand | 10 GB for 30 days |
| A month across several countries | 10 GB or 20 GB on the Southeast Asia plan |
Tips for Thailand and the region
Ride apps need data. Grab is the main ride and food app across the region, and Bolt works in Bangkok. Both use your data, not a local number.
Ferries and islands. Signal holds on most ferry routes near the coast, but drops further out. Download your ticket and the map of the island before you board.
Share with your travel partner. Hotspot is allowed on every plan, with no daily cap. On a long bus ride, one phone can keep two online.
Long trips, no stress. If you stay longer than planned, top up the same eSIM in the app. Nothing new to install halfway through the trip.
Is your phone ready?
You need a phone that supports eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier. Here's how to check in two minutes.
How to set it up
- Buy the plan on our website or in the Blue eSIM app.
- Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. On recent iPhones the app installs it with one tap; on any phone you can scan the QR code.
- When you land, choose the eSIM for mobile data and switch on data roaming for it. Turn data roaming off on your home SIM.
- If you run low, top up the same eSIM in the app.
The plan only starts when it first connects at your destination, so you can install it days before the flight.
What you get with Blue eSIM
- Thailand on DTAC and TrueMove H, with 5G where available
- One eSIM for up to eight countries on the Southeast Asia plan
- Hotspot on every plan, with no daily cap
- Top-ups on the same eSIM, wherever you are
- Plans changed? Cancel any eSIM you haven't installed, for full credit, up to 5 months after buying
- An app and support in eight languages, including Albanian, Macedonian and Turkish
Frequently asked questions
What is the best eSIM for Thailand?
One on the big Thai networks with enough data for your trip. Our Thailand plan connects to DTAC and TrueMove H, with 5G where available.
Can one eSIM cover Thailand, Vietnam and Bali?
Yes. Our Southeast Asia plan covers Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (including Bali) and five more countries.
Does it work on the Thai islands?
Yes. Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Krabi and the main islands are well covered.