Destinations
Internet in Thailand: cities, islands and long transfers
Better coverage than expected and a simple local process. Where the signal fails, what the phone is used for there and what two weeks use.
Rubén Ortega 7 min Photo by Alejandro Cartagena on Unsplash Thailand is one of the countries in Southeast Asia where staying connected is easiest: the network is good, the local process is simple and there is wi-fi in almost every place to stay. What changes the trip is the transfers.
Coverage, by area
| Where | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Bangkok and Chiang Mai | Wide 4G and 5G |
| Tourist islands | Good in the towns and on the main beaches |
| Boat crossings | Comes and goes, and disappears mid-crossing |
| Mountainous interior of the north | Patchy |
| National parks | Little or none |
What the phone is used for in Thailand
Three things: maps, transport and messaging with the places you stay. A good share of the bookings for transfers, excursions and small hotels is handled by messaging, so running out of data mid-trip complicates daily life more than at a European destination.
The translator comes out less than you would think in the tourist areas and quite a lot in the north and in the markets.
Local SIM, roaming or eSIM
The local SIM is easy to buy and there are counters at the airports, so here the eSIM does not win on the errand avoided as much as at other destinations. It wins by giving you data from minute one, with no dawn queue and without taking your own card out of the phone.
A European plan's roaming treats Thailand as an international zone, so it is worth looking at what yours includes before assuming anything.
Which plan fits a trip of this kind is in how to choose the best eSIM for Thailand.
What you will use
Between 200 and 400 MB a day if you keep it practical, and between 500 MB and 1 GB if you also use social media normally. Posting video daily, more.
Three things for the trip
- Download the maps of Bangkok, of the islands and of the routes between them.
- Save the addresses in Thai in a note, because that is what you show a taxi driver.
- Before a boat crossing, have the ticket and the address of the next place to stay downloaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is coverage good in Thailand?
Yes in the cities and on the tourist islands, with wide 4G and 5G in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It fails on boat crossings, in the mountainous interior and in national parks.
Is it easy to buy a local SIM in Thailand?
Yes, there are counters at the airports and the process is simple. In exchange you have to queue and take your own card out of the phone.
How many gigabytes do I need for two weeks?
Between 3 and 6 GB with practical use and between 8 and 15 if you post photos and videos daily.
Does the phone work on the islands?
Yes in the towns and on the main beaches. On the crossings between islands the signal comes and goes, so download beforehand what you need.
Is a translator needed?
In tourist areas, little; in the north and in markets it helps quite a lot. With Thai downloaded it works offline.
