Mobile data in Chiang Mai for visitors
Chiang Mai is where many Thailand trips slow down: a moated old town, temples on every block and mountains within an hour. It is also where people stay for weeks and work from cafés. The Thailand eSIM uses TrueMove H and DTAC and carries data only; your usual number stays on the phone for calls, and WhatsApp keeps it.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Thailand?
- Yes. It connects to TrueMove H, DTAC (5G).
- Price
- From 5,29 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 7,49 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: Thailand is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Thailand. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
A short hop from the airport, or a night on the rails
Chiang Mai's airport is only about 4 km from the moat of the old city, so the ride in is short. The arrivals hall has a taxi counter with fixed fares, and Grab has a designated pickup zone that the app guides you to. With data from the moment you land, you can share your hotel's pin with the driver instead of spelling out the name of a soi.
Plenty of people arrive overland instead. Long-distance trains to the north leave Bangkok from Krung Thep Aphiwat, not the old Hua Lamphong station, and the overnight sleeper is a popular way up; book it on the State Railway of Thailand's D-Ticket site and keep the ticket on the phone. If you came through Bangkok, the pack is already running from your first connection in Thailand.
eSIM for Thailand
Data on your phone the moment you land in Thailand. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Red trucks, Grab and an old town on foot
The old city inside the moat is compact enough to walk, with the map doing the rest. For longer hops, the red songthaews, called rot daeng, are shared trucks: you flag one down, say where you are going and the driver nods or shakes their head. They have no fixed route, so when you need to be somewhere on time, such as a cooking-class pickup or the train, a ride app is simpler.
Chiang Mai is also a long-stay city, with many people working from cafés around Nimmanhaemin. If that is your plan, a laptop on the phone's hotspot burns through data far faster than maps and messages, so size the pack for it or leave the big uploads for café wifi.
Pai, Doi Inthanon and the road to the Golden Triangle
Route 1095 to Pai is known for its 762 curves, and the minivans leave from Chiang Mai's Arcade bus station. Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, is a day trip south-west. In the hills the signal thins out between villages, so download the offline map of the province and screenshot your guesthouse's address before you set off.
Further north, Chiang Rai and the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, make a long day or a better overnight. At the Golden Triangle, by Sop Ruak, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet on the Mekong. The Thailand pack only works on Thai networks, so if the phone latches on to one from across the river, set network selection to manual and pick TrueMove H or DTAC. Crossing into Laos at Chiang Khong needs the Laos eSIM.
Which pack for Chiang Mai
Four or five days of temples, markets and a cooking class, with hotel wifi at night, need only the 3 GB pack, good for 15 days. A week that also takes in Pai or Chiang Rai, with the map open on mountain roads, is a 5 GB trip on a 30-day pack. Settling in for a month to work? 20 GB covers the hotspot, while 10 GB suits a couple sharing one connection.
If you stay longer than planned, top up the same eSIM without reinstalling it; you can buy it up to 180 days in advance. The data calculator and the hotspot guide help with the numbers, and the packs are on the Thailand eSIM page.
How far is Chiang Mai airport from the old city?
About 4 km from the moat, so the ride is short. There is a fixed-fare taxi counter in arrivals, and Grab has a pickup zone at the airport.
My phone shows a Lao or Myanmar network at the Golden Triangle. What do I do?
Set network selection to manual and choose TrueMove H or DTAC. The Thailand pack gives no data on networks from other countries.
Is there signal on the road to Pai?
In the hills between villages it can drop. Download the offline map before you leave and do not count on streaming in the minivan.
Can I work from Chiang Mai on this eSIM?
Yes. The hotspot is included, so a laptop can use the phone's data. For a month of daily work, take the 20 GB pack and top up if you run short.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Thailand