Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
Not available for Sicily
Thailand stretches almost 1,600 km from north to south, and mobile coverage is uneven: Bangkok and the resorts feel familiar, while the northern mountains and remote islands are noticeably weaker. This guide shows where an eSIM helps most, which apps to install in advance and what to keep in mind when setting it up. Read it before you buy a plan, and see the data options above on this page.
This page is the quickest way to buy a travel eSIM for Thailand from 3 500 ₸. Pick a plan, pay online and install the digital SIM card at home before the flight — no passport and no queue at an airport kiosk.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Bangkok and Phuket and the rest of the country.
Compared with roaming in Thailand, an eSIM is usually much cheaper for mobile data: the price of the package is fixed and known in advance. Your home number stays active on the main SIM for calls and SMS.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for Thailand at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
In Thailand your phone works as a wallet, a navigator and a translator at once: ordering a ride, paying by QR code, checking the map on a scooter, chatting with your host. So a gap in connectivity during the first hours after landing shows up in the trip immediately. An eSIM is installed in advance and starts working once you switch data on, with no queues and no hunt for a shop.
Roaming on your home operator keeps your number, but it is usually much more expensive than local data, so check your operator's rates before you fly. You can also buy a local SIM, but that takes your passport, time for registration and usually a visit to a separate shop or kiosk. A convenient setup for a traveler: the home SIM stays for calls and bank SMS, while mobile data runs through the eSIM.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Installed at home by QR code | Activate the service in advance | Find a kiosk after landing |
| Documents | No passport needed to buy | None needed | Usually a passport for registration |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on operator and package |
| Home number | Stays on your main SIM | Stays active | Main SIM has to come out |
| Islands and north | Depends on local network coverage | Depends on operator's partners | Depends on the chosen operator |
Coverage in popular tourist areas is usually good, but what you need the internet for differs from place to place. Below are real situations for the main destinations.
In this huge city the internet helps you navigate the BTS and MRT, find the right exit from a station and book a car in traffic. Maps also help when you reach temples and markets by river boat or canal boat. Shopping malls have Wi-Fi, but on the street, at markets and near temples you would otherwise rely on paper maps. You can also check opening hours of palaces and temples in advance so you do not arrive at closed gates.
The resort stretches along a long seafront, and people often move by songthaew and taxi. You need the internet to pick a route in advance, find lodging in Jomtien and arrange a transfer to the Koh Larn islands. At the pier it helps to have your tickets and departure time at hand. In the evening, when the seafront is crowded, it is easier to order a car in advance than to flag one down.
The island is large and its beaches are scattered over dozens of kilometers: Patong, Kata, Karon, Nai Harn, Bang Tao. Without a map and ride booking it is easy to lose half a day on the road. You need data on a scooter for navigation, for messages to your host and to see whether a beach is open and how the waves are that day. It also helps when you plan a trip to nearby islands and want to agree on a meeting time in advance.
The region's main feature is boat travel: to Railay beach, to Hong, to the Poda and Chicken islands. Railay can be reached only by water, so it is handy to keep the boat schedule and meeting point on your phone. In Ao Nang itself the network is usually stable, while on remote islets it is often weaker.
The city suits an unhurried holiday: temples, night markets, cafes where you can work on a laptop. The internet helps with ordering Grab, finding an elephant sanctuary, where it is important to check visit conditions in advance, and staying in touch with a guide. If you work remotely, an eSIM with hotspot helps when cafe Wi-Fi fails. In the season of smoke from field burning in the north, people check air quality through apps, which also needs a connection.
The Mae Hong Son loop and the road to Pai mean hundreds of bends and stretches where the signal can drop. Before setting off, download offline maps of the region and save your bookings. In Pai itself, in towns and at popular viewpoints there is usually coverage, but on mountain passes and in remote villages you should not count on it. If you rent a scooter, tell your host your route and expected return time.
On the Gulf of Thailand islands the main points are linked by ferries and speedboats. You need mobile data to check the timetable before heading to the dock and to find the pier. On Samui it is more convenient to use Grab and taxi apps, while on Phangan and Tao many people ride scooters and rely on maps on their phones.
An island in the east of the country, reached overland and by ferry from the mainland. It is calmer than Phuket, but there is less transport and the distances between beaches are considerable. You need the internet for the route from Bangkok airport to the ferry, for checking the schedule and for finding lodging deep on the island, where the network may be uneven.
Some services are best installed and set up at home, while you still have familiar Wi-Fi and SMS codes coming to your main number.
The best-known app for taxis, motorbike taxis and food delivery. The price is shown upfront. Register at home so the code reaches your main SIM, and add a card for payment.
Another ride-hailing service often used in big cities. It is useful as a backup when Grab takes long to find a driver or the price differs.
Thailand's main messenger: hotels, guides, landlords and small shops use it. Install it in advance and keep notifications on so you do not miss a message from your host.
A Thai food and goods delivery service built on LINE. Handy if you want local cuisine brought to your room. The interface is partly in Thai, so auto-translate makes it easier to use.
Works across the country: routes, travel time, reviews, opening hours. Download offline maps before islands and mountains. It is best to save place names in Thai to show the driver.
The camera translator reads menus, signs and road markers, and conversation mode helps in a shop or pharmacy. Download Thai in advance to use it without internet.
Calls and messages to family go through your eSIM data, so a separate voice plan is not needed. Turn off video autoload to save data on the beach, and use hotel Wi-Fi for large files.
Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked. Choose a plan above and pay by card online; no passport is needed to buy.
At home, while you have stable Wi-Fi, install the eSIM by QR code or with the Quick install button. If you prefer, install the profile manually using the details from the email.
In settings give the line a clear name, for example Thailand, and keep your home SIM for calls and bank SMS. Switch mobile data to the eSIM line only before departure or right after landing.
After landing in Bangkok or Phuket, turn on data and data roaming for the eSIM line. Wait a minute or two for the phone to find the network and check that the map opens.
If your data runs out early, buy an extra package in your account. Check on the plan page in advance whether hotspot is supported if you plan to share with family.
Before you fly, take a screenshot of the QR code and save the email with your eSIM details, and keep airplane mode on during the flight until you land.
