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What are the options for phone plans and SIM cards for expats in Thailand?

Thailand expat life mobile phone plans visa requirements SIM cards internet plans post-paid plans pre-paid plans Dtac AIS True telecommunications

May 17, 2025

2 days ago

David ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

FYI - Phone plans

I started with the 15 day unlimited tourist sim. When that ended, i was just going with pre-paid (Dtac). That really chews through the data and the $$ is very high. I have read various posts here and other groups that you need to pay 1 year in advance for monthly post paid plan, or sometimes without work permit they will deny you.

I went to Dtac at Tesco Chalong. No issues at all. To note, you cant convert from tourist sim to post paid until you have had it for 30 days, and i was at only 21 days(maybe only a Dtac rule, im not sure). So i didnt get to keep my original number, but i was able to get onto a new post paid plan, with a new number straight away, no problems.

All i needed was my passport and DTV visa printout (i also had copy of my 1 year lease, but they didnt need to see this). They did ask if we have work permit, but i said no, not able to work. They also asked if we had Thai bank account, but i said no, just Australian bank account.

Plan given on the spot, no pre-payment for 12mths or anything like that. 

1199 baht per mth, unlimited fast data, 350 minutes calls to any network.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The post discusses the experience of switching from a tourist SIM to a post-paid mobile plan in Thailand, specifically with Dtac. The author faced issues regarding the conversion timeline but was able to secure a new plan with unlimited data without needing to pay 12 months in advance, despite their lack of a work permit. Comments from other users provide various insights on different mobile plans available, including pricing, data limits, and services from other providers like AIS and True, highlighting that options may differ significantly depending on individual circumstances and needs.

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)

View the most updated information about the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) to understand the latest requirements and eligibility criteria.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
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Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.

WARNING: Only trust Thai government websites with .go.th domains or Thai agent websites with .co.th or .in.th domains, as these require verified Thai registration and cannot be registered anonymously.

The official TDAC form is available at tdac.immigration.go.th, which uses the official .go.th government domain.

The services by AGENTS CO., LTD. does NOT charge any fees for arrivals within 72 hours. If you need to book more than 72 hours in advance, there is a service fee of $8.

Do not trust other sites pretending to be a trustworthy agency. Pay attention to delivery time - the service operated by AGENTS CO., LTD. has 1 minute delivery time for arrivals within 72 hours.

Don't fall for sites pretending to be tdac.in.th or the official government tdac.immigration.go.th website. Always double-check the exact domain in your browser.

Scam services may take days to process your application, others may not even do anything. With these TDAC scam services you also need to worry about double charges.

Please watch out for TDAC misinformation spread by fugitive Jesse Nickles and his many fake accounts on Quora, TripAdvisor, Reddit, and other platforms.

TRUSTED TDAC LINKS:

Official Government TDAC Form: tdac.immigration.go.th
Official TDAC form by AGENTS (https://tdac.agents.co.th)
Official TDAC information page by AGENTS (https://tdac.in.th)

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

Bought a 10 day True tourist sim at the airport and when it ran out I logged into the website/app and bought a much cheaper monthly package. Had no issues!

a day ago

David ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

lol all you broke people quoting

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/400b a month for 15mbps speed like you got some special price 😂. Sorry but I need my stuff coming in faster than that. When they gave me the options in shop to compare, I looked at dl speeds and data limits and chose this plan specifically. It was around the 4th dearest, with probably 10 cheaper. But they were 10 or 20 or 15mbps speeds. Like wtf, how do you live like that!

a day ago

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

Did the shop have huge glass windows? They certainly saw you coming.

a day ago

David ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Anonymous participant 446 my plan matches their website. Quality is higher importance to some than cost. World is full of cheapskates, I’m not one of them.

a day ago

Reply to

David ********

AIS 399bht a month unlimited 15 mpbs then drops speed. 200 min calls and text. Pay every month had it for years and new plan very similar but 40 bht more. Phone company always try to rip off new customers but AIS is best and biggest in Thailand shops everywhere to help if you have issues