How to get the internet in Thailand: eSIMs, local SIM cards, and roaming

Is the internet good in Thailand? What to expect

The Thailand mobile internet network is fast, widespread, and stable. In major cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, you can expect 4G almost everywhere, with 5G also becoming increasingly widespread in the last five years. With these speeds, you’ll have no problems streaming, making video calls, or using apps for navigation. 

Head out to rural or island areas, though, and coverage may start to drop. You’ll still get 4G most of the time, but speeds can dip if you’re deep in the jungle or cruising between islands. Rural areas tend to have less internet infrastructure, unless you’re staying in or around resorts.

The main mobile providers in Thailand are AIS, TrueMove H, and DTAC. All three will reliably get you online, but AIS tends to perform best overall — it’s known for consistently good 5G speeds and (compared to the others) good rural coverage.

Most of the time, you can find ways to get online in Thailand, even if speeds fluctuate. The country doesn’t have any major internet restrictions that affect travelers, so you can scroll, stream, and post to your heart’s content.

Best internet options in Thailand (ranked by cost and convenience)

We’ve listed all the most popular ways to get online in Thailand, from the easiest and most affordable to the more complex and less flexible options. 

1. Use an eSIM — fast, flexible, and works on arrival

If you want mobile data from the moment you land, eSIM apps are the best solution. No queuing to buy a local SIM card, no fiddling with tiny SIM trays — you can download an eSIM app for free, buy a plan, and set it to activate as soon as you touch down in Thailand. Before your luggage hits the carousel, you can be online, planning your trip from the airport to your hotel.

We’ll talk about eSIMs a lot in this article, but what is an eSIM, exactly? It’s a way to get online without using a physical SIM card. eSIM apps like Saily offer a wide range of prices, plan durations, and data allowances. That means you don’t have to pay for more data than you really need. If you do run out, you can top up your eSIM at any time or set the app to top up automatically when your data’s running low.

Using an eSIM is usually the cheapest way to get online in Thailand, especially compared to roaming. The data roaming feature on your mobile phone connects you automatically to local networks — usually with high daily rates. With an eSIM, you can get online without worrying about extra fees and still end up using trusted local mobile suppliers.

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2. Buy a local SIM card — good for long stays

Buying a SIM card in Thailand can be a good choice if you’re planning an extended trip to the country. The big three internet providers in Thailand — AIS, TrueMove H, and DTAC — all sell prepaid tourist SIMs, which you can usually buy at Thailand’s major airports, as well as in stores like 7-Eleven. Local SIM cards in Thailand are easy to find, usually come with a local phone number, and often include large amounts of data at a reasonable price. So what’s the catch?

Let’s start with convenience. You can easily find somewhere in the airport that will sell you a SIM card, but that can mean waiting in a line with other tourists, signing a contract on the spot (while potentially dealing with a language barrier), and then waiting up to an hour for the card to activate. Once you have the SIM card, you’ll need to eject your current card from the device and add the new one. That’s a lot of hassle to deal with before you’ve even left the terminal.

As for those prices, you need to consider how long you’re actually staying in Thailand before you can decide how reasonable they really are. Local SIM cards often seem very cheap, considering how much data they come loaded with, but if you’re only in the country for a few days or a week, paying for a huge data allowance isn’t necessary.

A local SIM card can provide a reliable, affordable mobile internet in Thailand when someone is visiting for weeks or even months at a time. If that’s not you, consider using a more tailored option, like an eSIM app. In a direct comparison of eSIM apps vs. physical SIM cards, eSIM apps almost always win out on flexibility.

3. Use roaming — easy for short trips

International roaming can be incredibly expensive, but it’s very convenient. You don’t even need to download an eSIM app — just toggle the roaming button on in your settings and you should get connected (assuming your home carrier supports roaming in Thailand).

But what is data roaming, and how does it work? Data roaming is a feature provided by most mobile carriers that allows you to connect to local mobile carriers when you’re abroad. Providers like O2, Vodafone, AT&T, and T-Mobile offer Thailand roaming, but you should read the small print carefully. Costs can add up, and it’s hard to track how much you’re spending on your internet connection. Convenient as roaming may be, you don’t want a nasty surprise waiting for you in your next phone bill.

Roaming is especially unappealing when you remember that an eSIM app is almost as convenient and nearly always cheaper. If you download your app in advance, setting up your plan before traveling, it activates the moment you land and turn off airplane mode. For most people, roaming is only really a good option for very short Thailand trips or layovers.

The prices listed above were accurate as of November 14, 2025, and are based on the costs for users paying monthly (as opposed to those on pay-as-you-go contracts). All prices are subject to change.

4. Rent pocket Wi-Fi — best for groups or families

Pocket Wi-Fi routers are small devices that generate a Wi-Fi hotspot. Multiple devices can connect to the network at once, so this is a good choice for families or tour groups. Is it the best choice, though? Well, not really.

You can rent these devices at airports, through online stores, or (sometimes) from hotels, and renting is where the problems start. Not only do you need to pay for the data plan you’re using, but you also need to rent the hardware itself. If you lose or damage the pocket Wi-Fi device, you’ll usually need to pay more.

From the convenience standpoint, pocket Wi-Fi options also fall short of other connection methods like local SIM cards or eSIM apps. First is the stress of sourcing your pocket router and returning it later. Then you have to worry about keeping the device charged — if the battery dies while you’re out, you and your group all just lost your Wi-Fi connection.

The biggest argument against using pocket Wi-Fi in Thailand is just that its unique selling point is — well, no longer unique. With an eSIM app like Saily, you can turn your phone into a hotspot at any time, connecting as many devices to the network as you want. 

5. Connect to public Wi-Fi

The last option on the list is actually the most affordable, but it’s so inconvenient that it earns its place here. Most cafes, hotels, and restaurants have Wi-Fi in Thailand, and many don’t require passwords, but the moment you leave a Wi-Fi network’s range, you’re offline. While it’s great that airports like Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Phuket International offer free Wi-Fi, that won’t do you much good once you head outside.

Public Wi-Fi is also slow and unreliable, because so many people can log on at once. Add to that the risks of hackers and bad actors on these networks, potentially luring you into exposing your personal data, and free Wi-Fi really shows its limits as a safe, reliable way to get online. 

The best way to view public Wi-Fi is as a backup, just in case your usual method of connecting drops out briefly. As a more long-term solution, though, almost anything else on this list would be better.

How much does the internet cost in Thailand?

Pinning down an exact price for the internet in Thailand is hard — every provider for each method discussed above offers different prices and plans. Based on our best understanding of the current market, we’ve listed approximate prices for those methods below. The price per week is based on the cheapest Thailand plan provided through the Saily eSIM app, but other eSIM providers may charge more.

The prices listed above are based on broad estimates, drawn from available pricing information on November 14, 2025. All prices are subject to change.

How much data do you need for your trip to Thailand?

The amount of data you need for your vacation in Thailand depends on the length of your trip and how much data you typically use each day.  

If you don’t burn through a lot of data — perhaps you just engage in some light scrolling and emailing — you could easily get away with 1 GB for a week. On longer trips — say, 30 days — travelers with limited internet needs don’t need more than 10 GB. If you often have high data usage (perhaps for work or keeping in touch with family back home), you might want to consider investing in an unlimited data plan. 

To get a better sense of how much data you really need, try Saily’s data usage calculator. 

What’s the best option for you?

If you want the simplest, most reliable internet option, get an eSIM for Thailand. You’ll be connected as soon as you land, your normal SIM card doesn’t even have to leave your phone, and you can use Thailand’s best internet networks without worrying about roaming fees.

On a longer trip, it could be worth picking up a local SIM card or getting an eSIM plan with extra data. An eSIM probably offers the best way to use your phone overseas without roaming. The Saily app comes with an automatic top-up feature, so you can stay connected to the internet no matter how much data you use.

Saily users also get access to enhanced security features, like web protection (which blocks malware-linked websites) and ad blocking. When you browse with Saily’s ad block feature, you can save an average of 28.6% of your data on every page you visit, so you won’t use up your plan too quickly.

Your Thailand trip shouldn’t be spent rationing data or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots — keep things simple with Saily.