The Best SIM Cards in South East Asia
After withdrawing money from an ATM, buying a SIM card is almost always the next thing travelers do when they arrive abroad. The days of being disconnected on some remote journey, deep in the mountains or jungle are almost completely gone.
As a tourist, you can pick up a SIM card at most airport kiosks. You do need an unlocked phone that is compatible with the networks. For Asian countries, the cell infrastructure may be a little old or incompatible with the newest generations of smartphones. Don’t worry as attendants at the kiosks will help you set up your new SIM cards.
SIM Cards are available in South Asia
Everyone has a cellphone! There are more active phones than people on earth! This means cell towers now reach even the most isolated, remote and poorest countries on earth. The plans I list below are for reasonable data needs between 1 GB and 5 GB, for 90% of travelers this will be enough as you will be spending more time enjoying your travels and less time online.
Cell Phones in South East Asia
Cellphone and data reception has just exploded all over the world in the last ten years. I visited Vietnam and Thailand this past Winter to discover that even in the rolling mountains surrounding Ta Phin Village or Thung Chang, my hosts from indigenous tribes could answer emails, make phone calls and even face-time video chat at all hours of the day!
It’s cheaper to place a cell tower on a hill than to hardwire a thousand or more homes with cables. So in Asia, wireless reigns supreme! Even the poorest households living on rafts in Halong Bay seem to have satellite TV and cell phones.
Why is this the case? It’s just super affordable! SIM cards for just data vary from $5 for 5 GB to $8 for 2 GB for 30 days. In Asia, it’s more profitable to sell cell phone plans to 80 million people for a few dollars a month than to charge $60 for 10 GB to the few that can afford it. And yes, tourists can easily purchase a Prepaid SIM Cards for 10 to 30 days at local prices or in advance online.
Check Your Phone Compatibility
Your phone needs to be compatible with the SIM provider’s network. What does this mean?
There are two network types worldwide: CDMA and GSM. Some countries use different network types.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to know the details because nice internet people have come through for us! Check out WillMyPhoneWork.NET. Here is what you need:
- Your Phone Brand (Apple ,Samsung, LG, HTC, Huawei etc…)
- Your Phone Model (Samsung Galaxy S9, IPhone X, etc…)
- Your Phone Sub-Model Number (Model A1532) May also have to know your carrier (Verizon, Sprint, Rogers etc…)
- The country you are visiting (China, Japan etc…)
- The carrier whose network you’ll be using (China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, etc…)
Example of Compatibility (China)
- Brand: Apple
- Model: IPhone 5C
- Sub-Model: N# on the back of the phone A1532.
- There are two options: Verizon CDMA and GSM (other carriers). I’m not with Verizon so it must be GSM (North America)
- Country: China
- Carrier: China Unicom
Compatibility Result: 2G & 3G but only maybe 4G LTE. Next I checked China Mobile, but I only had 2G compatibility on their network.
Vietnam SIM Cards
Vietnam SIM card requirements: Valid Passport with longer than 6 months remaining and a they will take a photo of you at the time of the transaction.
Top Choice: Viettel
40% of the Vietnamese Market, 95% Country Coverage with 4G/LTE. Visit an official Viettel Store in Hanoi or Hoh Chi Minh City to be registered properly and have your SIM and package set up by the attendants.
SIM Price:
- 50,000 Dong ($2.50 USD) SIM card fee
- the DMAX Plan 1.5 GB for 120,000 Dong ($5.30 USD) for 30 days of coverage
- Text “HUY” then “Y” to 191 to cancel your plan.
2nd Choice: Vietnamobile
10% of the Vietnamese Market, 4G/LTE was launched in 2017 covering 90% of the population. This is the only privately held telecom company in Vietnam. This SIM Cards can sometimes be purchased online on Amazon or SIM Cart Online. Otherwise you can find it in Vietnam Mobile stores.
- Top Ups: In Stores with Voucher or Online
- Note 1: No SMS or Voice.
- To Add Data Package: Send “DK Package Code” to 345
- To Cancel Data Package: Send “HUY Pakcage Code” to 345
SIM Price:
- 5,000 Dong ($0.22 USD) for 4 GB for 1 Day. Code: D5
- 90,000 Dong ($3.90 USD) for 4 GB per Day, up to 120 GB for 30 Days. Code: D90
- 10,000 Dong ($0.43 USD) for 1 GB for 30 Days. Code: M10
- 25,000 Dong ($1.08 USD) for 2 GB for 30 Days. Code: M25
- 40,000 Dong ($1.73 USD) for 4 GB for 30 Days. Code: M40
- 70,000 Dong ($3.03 USD) for 8 GB for 30 Days. Code: M70
- 90,000 Dong ($3.90 USD) for 12 GB for 30 Days. Code: M90
- 125,000 Dong ($5.41 USD) for 20 GB for 30 Days. Code: M125
- 200,000 Dong ($8.66 USD) for 40 GB for 30 Days. Code: M200
- $9.99 USD for 120 GB of Data for 30 Days. Limited to 4 GB per Day
Check it out at the Vietnamobile Official Website. An example of adding a data package would be texting “DK D90” to 345.
Cambodia SIM Cards
Cambodia SIM card requirements: Valid Passport with longer than 6 months remaining, a valid visa and they will want a copy of your passport on file.
Top Choice: Metfone
50% of the Cambodian Market, 90% Country Coverage with 4G/LTE. Visit an official Metfone Store in Phnom Penh and Siam Reap (Find Stores in the Airports too) to be registered properly and have your SIM and package set up by the attendants. Daily Plans available.
SIM Price:
- $1 to 2 USD SIM card fee +
- 1.5 GB Soft-Cap Plan $1.50 USD for 7 days of coverage.
- Or 3 GB Soft-Cap Plan or 4 GB Hard-Cap Plan for $5 USD for 30 days of coverage
Soft-Caps are throttled after data cap is reached but no surcharge!
Runner Up: Smart
Second Largest Cambodia Network provider with nationwide 4G LTE. Look for the “SurfLikeCrazy Plans” for data only. Find the official stores in Phnom Penh and Siam Reap (Airports too) and have your SIM and package set up by an attendant. Daily Plans available.
SIM Price:
- $1 USD SIM Card Fee +
- Traveler SIM Card: 2 GB data and $1 credit for $5 USD and 7 days of coverage. (Only available at international airports)
- 1 GB of Data Plan for $1 USD for 1 day of coverage
- Or 4 GB Hard-Cap Plan for $5 USD for 30 days of coverage. Extra $0.01 per 500 KB surcharge over cap limit.
- Ask the store if they have a free 3 days 100MB SIM, may have been discontinued or ‘not in stock’.
For more information on Other Cambodia SIM Plans, as there are more carriers and other plans available. The ones above are simply the most reliable and best quality.
Thailand SIM Cards
Thailand SIM card requirements for Subscription Plan: Valid Passport with longer than 6 months remaining. Top Up your plans at any 7-Eleven, Family Mart & Tesco
Top Choice: dtac
The largest wireless bandwidth in Thailand with 4G/LTE coverage in over 40 cities. Pick up SIM card and plan at any dtac kiosk or store.
SIM Price:
- 49 Baht ($1.60 USD) for the 4G SIM Card +
- 299 Baht ($9.10 USD) Happy Tourist SIM for unlimited data for 8 Days,
- Or 599 Baht ($18.75 USD) for Happy Tourist SIM Unlimited Data Plan for 15 Days.
Order the Happy Tourist SIM Card directly from dtac online and from Amazon
Runner Up: TrueMove
3rd largest bandwidth in Thailand with over 96% nationwide coverage for 4G/LTE. Owned by 7-Eleven and Tesco, so it’s super easy to pick up at any of these stores and the TrueMove stores.
SIM Price:
- 49 Baht ($1.60 USD) for the 4G SIM Card +
- 299 Baht ($9.60 USD) Tourist Inter SIM plan for 15 GB of data for 8 days with unlimited Hotspot Wi-Fi,
- Or 599 Baht ($18.75 USD) for the 30 day 30 GB of Data plan, usage above the cap is at 128 kbps but no charge.
- The monthly plan auto-renews so you need to ask for the cancellation code.
Update, a Truemove Asia SIM is available on amazon with 4 GB of Data for 8 days. This SIM is also valid in Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and more countries.
For more information on Other Thailand SIM Plans, as there are more carriers and other plans available. The ones above are simply the most reliable and best quality.
Laos SIM Cards
Loas SIM card requirements for Subscription Plan: No ID required.
Top Choice: Unitel
The largest wireless bandwidth in Loas with 4G/LTE coverage across 97% of the country. Pick and set up a “Net” SIM card (Data Only) and plan at any Unitel store, top up cards at available at small shops.
SIM Price:
- 10,000 Kip ($1.20 USD) 270 MB of Data Plan for 30 days of coverage, 300 Kips/MB over cap usage.
- Or 50,000 Kip ($6 USD) 1.5 GB of Data Plan for 30 days of coverage, 300 Kips/MB over cap usage.
- The plans auto-renew, type *209*0# to unsubscribe or send LTV0 to cancel.
- May run a debit balance (negative) on your account if you do not cancel.
South Asia Travel SIM Cards
For travelers going to multiple countries in South East Asia in a short period of time, consider picking up a sim card for multiple countries.
Please check if the SIM Card is compatible with your phone on the network used in the countries you want. For example, Truemove Travel SIM World (below) uses Vinaphone in Vietnam. So your phone must be compatible with that network. Use the compatibility checker section above to confirm before your purchase.
SIM Card providers based out of Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan have some very tempting offers for short-term sim cards (7-days) that can roam into South Asian countries. But the three I’ve picked out are valid for 10 days to 15 days.
Top Choice: Aerobile Asia-Pacific SIM Card
Valid for use for 15 days in Japan, China, Hong Kong, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore & Taiwan.
- Note: Does not include Vietnam, Cambodia or Loas.
- Note2: Simply insert it and good to go. No registration required.
SIM Price:
- $29.99 USD for 15 days 4.5 GB 4G Data, (throttled after 4.5 GB)
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