How can I get a local SIM card in Thailand, and what documents do I need?

Tore *********

Visa doesn’t matter. Go to a AIS or True shop with your passport

Cesar *******

RedTeaGo eSom while keeping my phisycal sim from my home country. 2,50 usd per month.

Marko ******

I've heard you can't have post paid sim without proper visa 🤔

Marianne ********

Just get whatever at the airport.

When the initial tourist package ends you can choose whatever else that fits you through the respective apps.

Still using my tourist SIM from AIS gotten at the airport in December 2021.

There is no difference in price from regular sims.

Anonymous ******************

Unless you are only staying a week or two, NEVER but a tourist sim at any airport.

Anonymous ******************

Anonymous participant 120 I'm staying for 7 years still using the airport sim😂 its not that bad

Luit *****************

Anonieme deelnemer 120 The tourist sims are not different from other sim, no reason not to buy.

After the initial package you can top up the way you like.

Anonymous ******************

The rates and the amount of data offered are worse, same reason as to NEVER exchange money in the Airport.

You get fleeced

Luit *****************

Anonieme deelnemer 120 It might only for the start package a little bit more expensive, after that you top up the sim online with whatever you want.

If this little money really is that important to you you might be better of not travelling.

Also your statement you should never exchange money is completely nonsense!

Supercheap in BKK airport is one of the best rates you can get in Thailand.

Marc-Antoine ********

so many people don’t know changing money at bkk is actually a good price

Marianne ********

Anonymous participant 120 once the initial tourist package ends you can choose whatever you want for a regular price through the MyAIS app.

That's what AIS does, anyway.

Luit *****************

@Marianne *******

For True it is the same, I still have my first SIM, just top up with the package I need at that moment, sometimes even with roaming for neighbouring countries, because I'm too lazy to buy a sim for jus a week in another country.

Waqar ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

my previous international trip was to Iran. The "tourist" SIM I bought there had a validity of 30 days. After that, Sim became useless. I thought it will be same everywhere else, that's why I asked like that.

Luit *****************

@Waqar *******

Thai prepaid sims do have an expiration date, but when you top-up it will be changed, at True you can also for a few baht set the expiration date further in the future to keep the number when you are away for a long time.

Waqar ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

thanks for guiding in so detail.

Reply to

Waqar ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Anonymous participant 120 exactly. I want to live long-term. What's the process of buying a full, local sim?

Anonymous ******************

@Waqar *******

Go to; ne if the many shopping malls and find the main offices if the cell phone companies. There are usually on the eame floor near each other. Just bring passport.

I choose to use DTAC, I find them easier to deal with

Reply to

Anonymous ******************

Jared *********

Here is what I did and it works great

Kept the SIM from my home country to be able to keep my number, texts, ability to do banking, etc.

I also went to AIS store here in Thailand. I got the prepaid monthly plan with their fastest speed, 100gb per month for 399 baht per month. Just took passport for ID and I think I also took condo lease agreement but I don't think it is necessary. They installed the eSIM.

They have cheaper plans available but I wanted the fastest 5g speed

I put the Thai eSIM as the main with the American Sim running on backup in roaming mode.. This allows the daily data to flow through the Thai Sim but if I get a call or text on my US number it still comes through.

Ivan ************

You can generally get better deals online. I pay AIS 1,790/year (149/month) for 100GB/month @15Mbps (which is plenty fast for mobile for me). This was a plan I got with an online SIM, it wasn't possible to add it to an existing SIM. I got this a few years ago, I'm not sure this package is available any more but True and DTAC have online packages as well. I buy them on Shopee, you can often get another 10-25% off the price with their constant monthly sales (1st day, 10.10, 15th, 25th, end of the month "PayDay").

Looking now for example I see this plan from True, 70GB/month at full speed for 12 months, 1,934 on sale. I actually had this exact plan before (they are so cheap I often buy other ones for secondary devices) and it worked well.

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Inge *******

Also got a DTAC tourist SIM at the airport years ago. Via the app we just top it up when we are back in country. Nice to have the same number continuously.

Jef ********

Just get an AIS sim in the airport, you will need your passport to register it ( which you will have since your in the airport) people will say it’s expensive etc…. Just get the cheapest 7 day package. Download the AIS app and then continue on from that….. later if you want you can even convert it to post paid.

You will get countless people telling you to go to

****

( they don’t register your sim there)

Get it at the baggage claim at the airport… you can have it registered before your bags come out on the belt

David ******

@Jef *******

I did that years ago with my DTAC and I am happy since. So +1 from me

Jef ********

@David *****

yeah so many people on socials now days rely on making videos about nonsense. They no it’s not true what they are saying hence people will comment and correct them