Thai Apps/eSIM

The apps that make a trip easier

Traveller holding a phone in front of a Thai temple skyline, surrounded by app icons

Thailand runs on a handful of phone apps. Install these before you fly — a few ask for a phone number or card verification, which is easier to do at home than on arrival. Sorting a SIM card or an eSIM before you land gets them all working the moment you arrive.

Grab — The all-in-one app most Thais use: cars, motorbike taxis, food and parcel delivery. The price is fixed before you confirm, so no meter talk and no haggling, and you can pay by cash or saved card.

Grab

Getting around

The all-in-one app most Thais use: cars, motorbike taxis, food and parcel delivery. The price is fixed before you confirm, so no meter talk and no haggling, and you can pay by cash or saved card.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

Bolt — Often cheaper than Grab in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, with transparent upfront fares and frequent promos. Handy as a second app when Grab surges at rush hour or in the rain.

Bolt

Getting around

Often cheaper than Grab in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, with transparent upfront fares and frequent promos. Handy as a second app when Grab surges at rush hour or in the rain.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

Google Maps — Download the Thailand map area for offline use before you fly, then use it for walking routes, bus and BTS/MRT directions, and street names in Thai to show a driver.

Google Maps

Getting around

Download the Thailand map area for offline use before you fly, then use it for walking routes, bus and BTS/MRT directions, and street names in Thai to show a driver.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

Google Translate — Thai is not a language you can guess at, and this is the fastest free bridge. Download the Thai pack for offline use and use camera mode to read menus and signs instantly.

Google Translate

Language & chat

Thai is not a language you can guess at, and this is the fastest free bridge. Download the Thai pack for offline use and use camera mode to read menus and signs instantly.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

LINE — The messaging app Thais actually use — hotels, guides, massage shops and hosts often ask for your LINE ID instead of a phone number. Handy for sending photos, locations and voice notes to a driver.

LINE

Language & chat

The messaging app Thais actually use — hotels, guides, massage shops and hosts often ask for your LINE ID instead of a phone number. Handy for sending photos, locations and voice notes to a driver.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

Klook — Book tours, boat trips, skip-the-line attraction tickets and airport transfers before you arrive, with instant confirmation and e-vouchers that work offline. Prices are usually the same or lower than the gate.

Klook

Booking

Book tours, boat trips, skip-the-line attraction tickets and airport transfers before you arrive, with instant confirmation and e-vouchers that work offline. Prices are usually the same or lower than the gate.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

12Go — Compares and books trains, buses, ferries and vans across Thailand and the rest of Asia in one place, including the overnight sleeper trains and island ferries. E-tickets arrive straight to your phone.

12Go

Booking

Compares and books trains, buses, ferries and vans across Thailand and the rest of Asia in one place, including the overnight sleeper trains and island ferries. E-tickets arrive straight to your phone.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

AirAsia MOVE — The fastest way to book cheap domestic flights between Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the islands, plus hotels and airport rides in the same app. Check the baggage rules: the cheapest fare is hand luggage only.

AirAsia MOVE

Booking

The fastest way to book cheap domestic flights between Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the islands, plus hotels and airport rides in the same app. Check the baggage rules: the cheapest fare is hand luggage only.

Get it on Google Play

Free · Android

Links open the official Google Play listing. Prices, coverage and features change — always check inside the app before you pay.

eSIM options for tourists

Data before you land, no SIM to swap

An eSIM is a data plan inside your phone: no plastic to swap, no queue at an airport counter. Buy one before you fly, install it on your home wi-fi, and switch it on the moment you land. These three providers cover Thailand well.

Airalo

The best-known eSIM marketplace, with a Thailand plan running on the AIS network. Small packs for a short trip and 30-day packs for a long one, all data only.

$4.50

1 GB

7 days

$11

5 GB

30 days

$19

10 GB

30 days

How to activate

  1. 1Buy the Thailand plan in the Airalo app while you are still on wi-fi at home or at the airport.
  2. 2Open Settings → Mobile data → Add eSIM and scan the QR code, or install it straight from the app.
  3. 3On landing, turn the Airalo line on, set it as your mobile-data line and enable data roaming for it.

Holafly

Sells unlimited data by the number of days, which suits heavy use of maps, video and hotspot. Pricier per day, but nothing to top up.

$27

Unlimited data

5 days

$47

Unlimited data

15 days

$64

Unlimited data

30 days

How to activate

  1. 1Choose your number of days on the Holafly website and pay; the QR code arrives by email within minutes.
  2. 2Install it in Settings → Mobile data → Add eSIM by scanning the code before you travel.
  3. 3When you land, switch the line on and turn on data roaming. Leave your own SIM active for calls if you like.

Nomad

A smaller provider with plain data packs and good island coverage. Handy if you only want a few gigabytes for a week or two.

$5

1 GB

7 days

$12

5 GB

30 days

$22

10 GB

30 days

How to activate

  1. 1Buy a Thailand pack on the Nomad site or app, and install the eSIM while you still have internet.
  2. 2Add it in Settings → Mobile data → Add eSIM with the QR code from your account.
  3. 3Land, turn the line on, select it for mobile data and switch on data roaming.

Before you buy

  • Check your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. Most iPhones from the XS on and recent Android flagships do.
  • Install the eSIM at home, not at the gate: installation needs an internet connection.
  • eSIM plans are data only, with no Thai phone number, so you cannot make local calls or receive SMS codes. Keep your own SIM for that.
  • Buy for the length of your trip. Top-ups are limited on most tourist eSIMs, so a slightly longer pack is safer than running out.

Prices are typical online rates in US dollars and change with promotions and exchange rates, so check before paying. Speed and coverage depend on the local network, not the eSIM seller.

SIM cards & data plans

Get online the moment you land

A Thai tourist SIM is cheap and easy: buy it at the airport on arrival or in any phone shop, register it with your passport, and you have data almost everywhere. A week of unlimited data costs less than a coffee a day. These are the three networks worth knowing.

AIS

The widest coverage nationwide, including the islands, national parks and mountain roads. The safest choice if you plan to leave the cities.

฿299

8 days · Unlimited data

up to 15 Mbps

HotspotSome local calls

฿599

15 days · Unlimited data

up to 15 Mbps

HotspotSome local calls

฿999

30 days · Unlimited data

full speed / 5G

HotspotThai number

TrueMove H

Excellent 5G in Bangkok, the big cities and the main islands, with fast speeds in tourist areas. A strong all-round choice.

฿299

8 days · Unlimited data

up to 15 Mbps

HotspotSome local calls

฿599

15 days · Unlimited data

up to 15 Mbps

Hotspot5G

฿899

30 days · Unlimited data

full speed / 5G

Hotspot5G

dtac

Now part of True and running on the same network. SIMs are still widely sold and are often the cheapest at 7-Eleven.

฿499

15 days · 30 GB

full speed / 5G

Hotspot5G

฿799

30 days · Unlimited data

up to 15 Mbps

HotspotThai number

Good to know

  • Bring your passport. Registering the SIM is a legal requirement, whether you buy at the airport, a 7-Eleven or an official store.
  • Airport kiosks are the priciest place to buy. The same pack is usually 100 to 200 baht cheaper in town.
  • Top up at any 7-Eleven or in the provider app. Check your balance with *121# (AIS) or *123# (True).
  • Only want data the moment you land? An eSIM bought before you fly (around 300 to 500 baht for 10 GB) skips the queue entirely.
  • Keep the SIM for your next trip: topping up reactivates it, which is cheaper than buying a new tourist pack.

Prices are typical tourist-SIM rates in Thai baht and change often, so confirm at the counter before paying. Speeds are advertised maximums, not guarantees.