Prepaid 4G SIM card in Thailand: how much does it cost? Where to buy it?
Where to buy a prepaid SIM card at the Bangkok airport?
After passing through immigration, collecting your luggage and going through customs, look for a store that offers prepaid SIM cards.
The most visible store is the one of the operator TrueMove H but there are competing stores not too far away.
Where to buy a prepaid SIM card in the city?
SIM cards are also available in 7 Eleven, Tesco Lotus, Fresh Mart and FamillyMart stores.
There are 7 Eleven stores everywhere and they are open 24 hours a day.
EDIT: With a friend who arrived late in Bangkok, we made several 7 Eleven to try to buy a SIM card. If the 7 Ele ven are well opened, it was not possible to buy a SIM card because it was too late to activate it.
During our second visit to Thailand, we bought our SIM card this time in the TrueMove store in a shopping mall.
Buying a SIM card on the plane
Some airlines offer you to buy a SIM card during your flight.
Consult the advertising magazines you have in front of you.
Below, an example with Air Asia during a flight from Bangkok to Hanoi.
How much does a SIM card cost in Thailand?
SIM cards are very cheap in Thailand, the price will vary depending on the length of your stay and the amount of internet you need.
Each formula (at TrueMove) includes :
- A quantity of 3G / 4G high speed internet. Once the threshold is exceeded, you continue to enjoy internet but with a reduced speed.
- A credit of 50 baht to call and send SMS.
- Free access to the operator’s WiFi hotspots.
Rates range from 200 baht for 3 days and 1 GB of data to 1050 baht for 30 days and 15 GB of data.
These rates are for tourists. If you can wait a little bit, you will pay less by buying your card later in a TrueMove store. In Chiang Mai, we paid 300 baht for 2.5 GB of data for 30 days.
What documents are requested?
All you need is your passport.
You can pay by credit card or cash.
How do I install the SIM card?
If you buy your card at the airport store, the vendor should install it for you. Otherwise, nothing could be simpler, the SIM card is available in 4 formats: standard, mini, micro and nano. Cut it to the size of your phone and insert it.
Reboot your device, support is instantaneous and an SMS will confirm it to you.
You can use the internet 🙂
Little tip to save time at the airport
The airport store is often overrun by arrivals.
After a (very very) long trip and a (too) long wait at immigration, you may want to avoid waiting another half hour.
These vending machines right next to the TrueMove booth can save your life.
These distributors only offer SIM cards with the 8-day offer at 299 baht. As most tourists stay longer, no one uses the machine.
Yet in 5 minutes it’s done: you scan your passport, you take a picture with the webcam and you pay by card, no waiting!
Buy a SIM card before you leave
If you want to opt for simplicity by agreeing to pay more, it is possible to buy a SIM card in France, before you leave.
With this offer for example(Amazon link) you will benefit from 4Gb of data, valid 8 days at the price of 18,90 €.
The SIM card activates automatically when you insert it into your phone, so do it just before you leave.
TrueMove numbers to know
*123# to know your remaining phone and SMS credit and the validity date.
*900# to find out how much data is left.
*833# to know your phone number.
Did you like this article? Check out our other articles about Thailand :
- Our itinerary & budget: 17 days in Thailand
- Chiang Mai Practical Guide
- Bangkok Cosmetic Guide
- Getting VAT refund in Thailand
- The travel diaries in Thailand (during our two trips in the country)
Recommended hotels in Bangkok.
- T-Boutique Hostel – Hua Lamphong, very close to Chinatown, and close to the train station, subway, very clean room (20€ per double room, owner speaks impeccable English (Booking link)
- Boxpackers Hostel Phranakorn, youth hostels with capsule beds, downtown Bangkok, 18€/person(Booking link)
Recommended hotels on the islands (beware, there are a lot of bed bugs on the islands, systematically check for bed bugs by typing the name of the hotel + bed bugs on Google)
- Koh Phangan : Haad Son Resort 23€(Booking link), the only one without bed chips, very beautiful beach, restaurant with incredible view, very instagrammable place, motorcycle rental service
- Koh Tao : Matina Mountain Resort 39€(link Booking), with shuttle, some rooms have a beautiful private pool, no bed chips to report
- We advise against Koh Samui, too touristy
To book your transfers, or excursions from France (be careful, it will be a little more expensive than in France), consult the list of Civitatis or Viator (a company of TripAdvisor)
