Frequently asked questions
What a Thailand eSIM plan actually does before departure, during your time in the country, and once you are back home.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM that exists as software inside the phone rather than a chip you slot into a tray. Installing a plan means scanning a QR code, nothing more, and whatever physical SIM you are already carrying does not move.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most phones sold since 2018: iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and most current Android models. The phone also has to be carrier-unlocked. Our setup guides show where to check on your model — for Android, dialling *#06# and looking for an EID settles it in five seconds.
When should I install it?
At home, over Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly — installing it does not start the clock. Validity only begins once the eSIM first connects to a network in Thailand. Doing it early costs nothing and spares you fumbling with airport Wi-Fi while a taxi queue waits outside.
Do I keep my own number?
Yes. The eSIM is data-only, so your home line stays active for your number, your SMS codes and your messaging accounts. Point mobile data at the eSIM and leave the rest alone. What you do not get is a Thai number — see below, though for most visitors that never comes up.
How fast is it?
It runs on a national Thai network: LTE wherever that network reaches, and 5G in Bangkok and the larger cities. Enough for maps, video calls, uploading the day's photos from a beach bar, and working from a laptop over the hotspot.
Do I have to take my physical SIM out?
No — leave it exactly where it is. Both SIMs run side by side; the setting that actually matters is which one handles mobile data. Route that to the eSIM, then turn off data roaming on your home line so it does not rack up charges quietly in the background.
What if I run out of data?
Top up in the app. The data goes onto the eSIM already installed in your phone — no second QR code, nothing to reinstall, and no hunting for a phone shop on a small island.
Can I use it as a hotspot?
Yes — hotspot use is included at no extra cost. A single plan can cover a laptop, a tablet, and whoever else is staying in the same beach bungalow.
Do I need internet to install it?
Yes, but only for the download step — that is the reason to do it at home rather than at the gate. Once it is on the phone, it needs nothing further and switches itself on the moment you land in Thailand.
Can I make calls and send texts?
Not on this plan. It carries internet, not a phone line, so ordinary calls and texts stay on your home SIM, as does your number. The plan adds no Thai number. Most visitors never miss one — messaging and internet calls cover nearly everything — but a service that insists on texting a Thai number, a Thai bank being the usual example, cannot reach a data-only line.
How long is a plan valid?
Every plan shows its own validity before you buy, and the range covers everything from a beach week to a multi-month stay. The countdown starts when the eSIM first connects in Thailand, not on the day you paid.
Does it work everywhere in Thailand?
It is sold for the country as a whole — Bangkok, the north and the islands are all the same plan. Signal is a separate question. Cities, towns and the main tourist coasts are well covered, while the mountains of the far north, the interiors of the big national parks and open water between islands can drop to little or nothing — from any operator, on any plan. Take offline maps for those stretches. Neighbouring countries are not included; we sell Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia as separate plans.
How does payment work, and can I get a refund?
Payments made here go through Stripe, on Stripe's own hosted page; payments made in the app go through the App Store or Google Play. We never see your card number either way. On the rare occasion an eSIM refuses to install or activate on a compatible phone, message support from inside the app and we will sort it, refunding you if that is the fair outcome.
Is this better than buying a SIM when I arrive?
For most trips, yes — and Thailand is a fair fight, because its airport SIM counters are quicker than most countries manage. What the eSIM removes is the queue at the end of a long-haul flight, the passport handed across the counter, and the same errand repeating itself when the plan runs out on an island. You are online at the gate instead, and top-ups happen in the app. A local SIM does give you one thing this does not: a Thai phone number. If you need one — a long stay, a Thai bank account — buy the local SIM as well.