We show a saving only when roaming would genuinely cover your whole trip.
UK → Thailand · roaming vs eSIM
Compare eSIMs for Thailand.
Compare what your UK network charges to roam in Thailand with travel eSIMs sized for your trip. See the hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits before opening checkout.
20 destinations20 with eSIM pricesRoaming priced, never guessedNo account needed
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Hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits beside every plan.
See where each number came from and when we checked it.
The Thailand guide · updated 10 Sept 2026
Short answer: buy a Thailand eSIM before you fly, unless your plan already covers Thailand.
Thailand is outside every UK network's Europe zone. EE sells passes from £6 for 24 hours to £50 for 15 days, O2 Travel is £7 a day at 2Mbps, and Three sells Go Roam Around the World passes from £12.50 for 3 days. For a week or two, an eSIM with enough data usually costs less, and it skips the airport SIM counter, where you'd register with your passport.
- Local networks
- AIS and True, which merged with dtac. Nomad lists True, AIS and dtac, and Airalo lists True.
- Local SIMs
- Buying a Thai SIM means registering it with your passport.
- Getting around
- Grab and Bolt need data, and LINE is widely used for messages.
What your UK network charges in Thailand
Thailand is outside every UK network's Europe zone. Where a network publishes a charge for Thailand, the row is priced in the calculator above and links to the network's page. Where it prices against your account, we say so rather than guess.
| Network | How Thailand is charged | Worth knowing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | EE Rest of World Zone 1 pass: £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days, £50 for 15 days | Uses your UK allowance, up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling. Full Works and some older plans may already cover this zone, so check the EE app first. | EE mobile price guide ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| O2 | O2 Travel: £7 on each day you use it | Unlimited data, minutes and texts, with speeds capped at 2Mbps: fine for maps and messages, slow for video. Ultimate and some other plans already include it. | O2 Travel ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Vodafone | Priced against your plan in Vodafone's roaming checker | Vodafone's public pages don't print one rate for Thailand. Its roaming checker shows the charge for your number, and some plans include it. | Vodafone global roaming ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Three | Go Roam Around the World passes: £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7, £60 for 14 | Or £5 a day on plans taken out between October 2021 and 17 December 2025; check My3 for the rate on newer plans. Up to 12GB of your UK data abroad, and hotspot use isn't allowed. | Three Go Roam passes ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| iD Mobile | Check iD Mobile's roaming page for Thailand | iD sells Roam Beyond data passes for some destinations outside Europe. We couldn't confirm which applies here, so check before you rely on it. | iD Mobile roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Sky Mobile | Check Sky's destination list for Thailand | Roaming Passport Plus costs £2 on each day you use it in the destinations Sky covers. We couldn't confirm this one. | Sky Roaming Passport Plus ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| giffgaff | Check giffgaff's roaming page for Thailand | giffgaff sells fixed-price travel data add-ons for some destinations outside the EU. Buy one before you use any data, because standard roaming rates apply without it. | giffgaff roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| SMARTY | Outside the EU, you need an out-of-plan add-on | SMARTY charges roaming outside the EU from an out-of-plan add-on balance, at the rates in its price guide. Plan on Wi-Fi or an eSIM for data. | SMARTY roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| VOXI | Check whether Thailand is on VOXI's Global Roaming Extra list | VOXI sells 8- and 15-day Global Roaming Extra passes for listed destinations. Elsewhere it charges by the megabyte. | VOXI roaming guidance ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | Check Tesco Mobile's roaming charges for Thailand | Outside its Home From Home destinations, Tesco Mobile charges roaming by the megabyte. Pay-monthly charges and spend safeguards depend on your tariff. | Tesco Mobile roaming checker ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
Roaming versus an eSIM, priced for a real trip
Everyday use is about 0.8GB a day, so a week needs 6GB and a fortnight 12GB. Roaming figures come from the same published charges the calculator uses; eSIM figures are the cheapest single plan from each provider that covers the trip, live from Nomad. Klook is left out because it shows prices only on its own page.
7 days · plan for 6GB
UK roaming
- EE£30.00
- Three£30.00
- O2£49.00speed capped at 2Mbps
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 10GB · 30 days≈ £7.40live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
14 days · plan for 12GB
UK roaming
- EE£50.00
- Three£60.00
- O2£98.00speed capped at 2Mbps
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · Unlimited · 15 days≈ £15.54live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
Roaming figures assume you roam every day of the trip and the pass or daily fee covers your data need; the calculator above lets you change both. Nomad prices are converted from US dollars at a rounded rate and marked as estimates.
The eSIM providers we compare for Thailand
Four providers appear in the comparison above. Saily and Nomad send us live prices, Airalo's are checked by hand, and Klook shows its prices only on its own page. Links we could earn a commission on are marked as sponsored in the page source.
Saily on local partner networks
Quotes real pounds, so the price you see is the price you pay. Saily says it doesn't restrict hotspot use, though your phone or the local network may.
Watch out: Check when the plan starts counting down before you install it.
Saily Thailand plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Nomad on True, AIS and dtac
Prices in US dollars, which we convert at a rounded Bank of England rate, so your card may charge a little more. Nomad lists True, AIS and dtac for Thailand and says its eSIMs support hotspot use.
Watch out: Nomad plans have to be activated within 60 days of purchase, so don't buy months ahead.
Nomad Thailand plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Airalo on True
We have no affiliate relationship with Airalo and list it anyway. Its Thailand eSIM lists True as the main network.
Watch out: If you pick an unlimited plan, check its daily full-speed limit before you buy.
Klook on AIS
Klook's price changes with every combination of days and data, so we don't show one. The link opens Klook's own page for this country.
Watch out: You get a QR code on a voucher. Install it on Wi-Fi before you travel and check when the countdown starts.
Klook Thailand plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
What UK networks charge in Thailand
EE puts Thailand in Rest of World Zone 1, with passes at £6 for 24 hours, £30 for 7 days and £50 for 15. O2 Travel is £7 a day with unlimited data at 2Mbps, and Three sells Go Roam Around the World passes at £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7 and £60 for 14.
A fortnight costs £50 to £98 on those. At our everyday estimate of about 0.8GB a day you'd use around 12GB, and the worked costs below compare that with live eSIM prices.
Airport SIM or eSIM?
Thai networks sell tourist SIMs at the airport, registered with your passport. It works, but it means a queue after a long flight and a new number on your phone.
An eSIM is installed at home and working when you land, so you can book a Grab from the terminal. Your UK number stays on the phone for bank texts.
Coverage on the islands
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the main islands such as Phuket and Koh Samui are well covered. Smaller islands and boat crossings can be patchier, so download offline maps and ferry tickets before you set off.
Setting up for Thailand
- 01Buy and install at home
Install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi before you travel and keep the new line switched off until you land. Save the QR code or setup details in case you need to reinstall.
- 02Turn off data roaming on your UK line
Leave your UK SIM on so calls and bank texts still reach you, but switch its data roaming off so it can't run up charges.
- 03Make the eSIM your data line
Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data, turn off automatic data switching, and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
Thailand questions, answered
Do I need a travel eSIM for Thailand, or will my UK SIM work?
Your UK SIM will work, but it costs extra: EE's passes start at £6 for 24 hours, O2 Travel is £7 a day at 2Mbps, and Three's passes start at £12.50 for 3 days. For a week or two, an eSIM usually costs less.
Can I buy a SIM at Bangkok airport instead?
Yes, but you'll need your passport to register it, and it gives you a new number. An eSIM is set up before you fly.
How much data do I need for two weeks in Thailand?
At our everyday estimate of about 0.8GB a day, around 12GB. Light use needs about 5GB, and heavy use with video or a hotspot about 28GB.
Do Grab and Bolt work with a data-only eSIM?
Yes. Both work over any data connection, and your accounts can stay linked to your UK number.
Does a Thailand travel eSIM include a Thai number?
The plans compared here are data only, so there's no Thai number. WhatsApp and LINE work over data, and your UK SIM can stay on for texts.
Where the numbers come from
How we work this out.
On EE we price roaming for all 20 destinations. Across the other nine networks we price 117 more network-and-destination combinations from published charges; everywhere else we send you to your network's own checker instead of guessing. Saily and Nomad send us their prices directly, covering 20 destinations. Airalo prices are checked by hand for 5 of them and stop being ranked a week after we last looked. Klook never shows a price here — we send you to their own page instead of guessing one.
UK roaming rules 25 Aug 2026 · review overdueHand-checked prices & calls/texts labels 10 Sept 2026 · review by 17 Sept 2026Exchange rates (rounded) 10 Sept 2026 · review by 17 Sept 2026Price refresh rule 7 days, then removed from rankingLive prices from Saily and Nomad working · 20 destinations
Sources for Thailand Every price’s paper trail
Setting up before you fly
Keep your UK number. Turn off its data.
- 01Install at home
Buy before departure, install on Wi-Fi and keep the new line switched off until arrival.
- 02Choose the data line
Set the travel eSIM as Mobile Data and disable data switching so your UK SIM cannot take over.
- 03Keep texts available
Leave the UK line on for banking texts if needed, but turn off its data roaming and avoid chargeable calls.
Common questions
Things worth checking first.
Do you work out what my own network would charge?
On EE, for all 20 destinations. Across the other nine networks, for 117 more network-and-destination combinations. Everywhere else we send you to your network’s own checker rather than invent a number — usually because the network has stopped publishing a rate, or prices it against your individual account. Pick the tariff that applies to you and we work out the daily fees, the cheapest combination of passes, or the per-megabyte rate from your network’s published charges. We only claim a saving when roaming would actually cover your whole trip and everything else you asked for.
Are these prices live?
Saily’s and Nomad’s are — they come from each provider’s own feed and are marked “Live price”. Saily quotes real pounds; Nomad quotes US dollars, which we convert. Airalo prices are checked by hand, show the date we checked, and drop out of the ranking after seven days. They are already in pounds, so they need no conversion. Klook never shows a price here, because we cannot read one reliably; that link takes you to their own page.
Why does one provider show several plans?
Because more than one can fit your trip — a bigger allowance, a longer run before it expires, or unlimited data. We show each provider’s best few for your trip and tuck the rest — including any that cost more without giving you more — behind one “show more” button. Pin up to three to compare side by side.
Where do I find hotspot and speed limits?
Open “Hotspot, speed & other limits” on any plan. It covers whether you can use the phone as a hotspot, what happens when you hit a speed cap, what the fair-use rules are, when the plan starts counting down, and which local network you will be on. If it says “check plan”, the provider’s own wording was not clear enough for us to promise you either way.
Can I make normal calls on these?
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs give you data only — WhatsApp and FaceTime work, but your phone number does not. If you need real calls and texts, answer “Yes” in the form and we will only recommend a plan that we have confirmed includes them.
Will an eSIM work on my phone?
Search for your exact model and we will check it against manufacturer guidance. Two things we cannot check for you: whether your phone is locked to a UK network, and which regional version you own — some models sold in certain countries have no eSIM at all. Confirm both before buying.
How many destinations do you cover?
20 destinations — Turkey, United States, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia — and all 10 UK networks. Saily and Nomad price every destination live; 5 of them also carry hand-checked Airalo prices.