Obtaining a sim card in Thailand

[Seraphina]

How easy is it to obtain a sim card in Thailand? Can you buy a legal pay-as-you-go without a permanent address and if so, where from (telecom shop?) and approximately how much does it cost?

How do people who are there long term manage without using their European package? Thx

[Lannig]

Of couse you can.

Prepaid SIMs are available in just every 7/11 convenience store (i.e. everywhere!).

You'll need only your passport and possibly a lot of patience because not all 7/11 staff are familiar with the ID registration with passports.

But if you're in a tourist place, that should be no issue.

There are also operator booths at the arrival level in the airport if you want to have it right away.

SIM cards go as low as 50 THB with no credit (or very little, possibly one day of free Internet and a few calls). There are also promotions with bundled credit, Internet megabytes etc. So you have to check.

Domestic calls range from 0.5 to 2 THB per minute (roughly) depending on the type of SIM and promotion you subscribe too hereafter.

You can buy top-up coupons in every 7/11.

Almost all operators have low-cost offers for international calls, using a specific prefix (e.g. 004 for DTAC) instead of the "standard" 001 international dial-up prefix.

Calls to Europe using these low-cost services can be very cheap, less than 10 THB/mn if I remember well.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Lannig

[Seraphina]

Many thanks for the detail in your posting. It's extremely helpful!

[flyDelight]

It happened to me several times after arriving on ChiangMai airport, near the luggage belt True Move promoters offered me a free True simcard. No idea if they still doing this.

[Seraphina]

Thanks for this. I'll look out for it, esp. the catch!

[Thanyaburi Mac]

What I've done several times when having friends or family coming, is to buy the SIM(s), pre-install several tel #s, then snail them back to the USA. That way they're good to go when they hit Swampyboom. The last couple of times I've arrived the kiosks at Swampy were jammed with people wanting to get a SIM.

Mac

[stevenl]

Of couse you can.

Prepaid SIMs are available in just every 7/11 convenience store (i.e. everywhere!).

You'll need only your passport and possibly a lot of patience because not all 7/11 staff are familiar with the ID registration with passports.

But if you're in a tourist place, that should be no issue.

There are also operator booths at the arrival level in the airport if you want to have it right away.

SIM cards go as low as 50 THB with no credit (or very little, possibly one day of free Internet and a few calls). There are also promotions with bundled credit, Internet megabytes etc. So you have to check.

Domestic calls range from 0.5 to 2 THB per minute (roughly) depending on the type of SIM and promotion you subscribe too hereafter.

You can buy top-up coupons in every 7/11.

Almost all operators have low-cost offers for international calls, using a specific prefix (e.g. 004 for DTAC) instead of the "standard" 001 international dial-up prefix.

Calls to Europe using these low-cost services can be very cheap, less than 10 THB/mn if I remember well.

At my local 7/11 no more sims for sale since registration is required. Phone shop would be better.

[dddave]

The 3 main providers in Thailand, True, AIS and DTAC all have 24/7 kiosks at Suvarnabhumi Airport and all 3 sell special "Tourist packages" with internet and 3/4G, usually free Wi-Fi in shopping areas as well.

If you have plans to stay in a rural area, then check in advance with your hosts and find which service provides the best local signal as rural areas can have spotty coverage. Most urban and resort areas are well covered by all 3 providers.

[phuketrichard]

7/11 does not sell sims and haven't for a long time ( since they required u show passport)

there are Dtac, Ais, True shops everywhere and als as stated at the airports

no address needed ,just ur passport and Thai Baht :-)

[Lannig]

7/11 does not sell sims and haven't for a long time ( since they required u show passport)

there are Dtac, Ais, True shops everywhere and als as stated at the airports

no address needed ,just ur passport and Thai Baht :-)

Well, that must not be longer than last May then because I just bought an AIS SIM in a gas pump 7/11 along highway #32 on my way back to BKK at that time.

And the 7/11 store in my Nakorn Nowhere place in central Thailand still was selling them as well.

They have a dedicated smartphone phone for the ID registration process, with which they take shots of the ID card (for Thais) or passport page (for foreigners) and which displays a QR code they can scan with the cash register code reader to finalise the sale.

So if they stopped selling, that must be very recent or more likely staff couldn't be bothered to do a passport-based registration they're not comfortable with, so that's what they've told you.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Lannig

[malt25]

7/11 does not sell sims and haven't for a long time ( since they required u show passport)

there are Dtac, Ais, True shops everywhere and als as stated at the airports

no address needed ,just ur passport and Thai Baht :-)

Me thinks you are shopping at the wrong 7/11.

[keeniau96]

Free at Phuket airport baggage claim section.

[Seraphina]

Thanks guys. I'll check out the 7/11s and keep you posted as to how I finally do. I'm sure different areas within Thailand vary.

Unfortunately, I don't know a single soul in Thailand, but it's a good idea to snail-mail them back to your incoming, esp those who have never lived without a mobile phone in a foreign country, even for a short while.

Aimed at anyone intending to travel to India, I've just come back: You cannot - for love nor money - obtain a single sim card that covers all of India. You can obtain a sim at the airport in Dehli for example, but it's ONLY valid for that state and takes 24 hours to kick in. So if travelling around the country, you'd have to buy a sim in each state....hence my question to double check the system in Thailand! Thanks all for your time!

Edited June 20, 2016 by Seraphina

[Cirencester]

It happened to me several times after arriving on ChiangMai airport, near the luggage belt True Move promoters offered me a free True simcard. No idea if they still doing this.

True do yes...

[eastendanto]

Hi all, just to get me up to speed (in LOS mid August for a month) I noted from the posts that some sort of registration is now required to buy a sim card in LOS? Whats the story and what sort of information is required?

Cheers

[KhunBENQ]

Every SIM card must be registered to an identified user/buyer before it can be used.

All you need is your passport.

[eastendanto]

Every SIM card must be registered to an identified user/buyer before it can be used.

All you need is your passport.

Tks KhunBENQ....sounds straightforward enough....

[Cirencester]

Twice elsewhere today have come across the fact that 7/11's will no longer sell you the sim and register it.

[samuijimmy]

Removed duplicate post...^

It may be that some 7-11's don't provide this, but I know some do!