Roaming in Thailand: Rates and how to avoid it

Using roaming in Thailand can cost up to $15 USD for 10 MB, making it an expensive option for getting internet abroad. Still, it’s important to know what mobile companies offer this service, and what alternatives are available to stay connected abroad.

Here, we’ll give you all the information about the main carriers from the US, UK, and elsewhere. First, we cover their roaming costs and then move on to the pricing of the available alternatives.

So, if you’re ready to stay connected during your trip to Thailand, keep reading to learn about the cheaper, more accessible options available.

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Comparison of roaming rates in Thailand

Roaming is typically offered through two different plans: a daily travel pass that allows you to use your local data allowance when traveling for a daily price, or pay-as-you-go rates for each text message, phone call, and MB you spend.

For reference, using the Holafly eSIM costs $5.90 for one day of unlimited data, but can cost as little as $1.54/day if you get more days.

To simplify things, we have prepared a table about roaming fees and eSIM pricing. That way, it’s easier to choose which one to use in Thailand, considering daily pricing and price per MB/GB.

Roaming in Thailand by mobile provider

Find out the exact roaming rates of your home provider, as well as information on how to activate the service, in our detailed list below:

Roaming in Thailand with AT&T

AT&T offers two roaming services for Thailand. One is with the pay-as-you-go rates and through the International Daily Pass.

The International Daily Pass costs $12 USD/day and includes unlimited data, text messages, and phone calls.

As for the pay-as-you-go roaming fees, here are the current rates for Thailand:

• Data: $2.05/MB
• SMS: $0.50/message
• Calls: $3/per minute.

To activate the International Daily Pass, you can log into your account and activate this service before traveling. Alternatively, calling 611 and requesting customer support to help you out will do.

Lastly, if you haven’t yet activated any roaming service and are already traveling, AT&T will notify you upon arrival, so you can either choose the pay-as-you-go rates or the International Daily Pass. 

T-Mobile roaming in Thailand

T-Mobile offers three ways to access international roaming. International Passes are available for purchase, customers with Plus and Max contracts can access their normal data allowance, and pay-as-you-go rates are available for all other T-Mobile users.

For the International Passes, there are three available options, which range from $5 to $50. Here’s what these plans include:

• Available for 1 day to 30 days
• Data packages include 512 MB to 15 GB
• Available from 24 hours to 30 days

With the Plus or Max data plans contracted back in the US, which range from $80 to $105, T-Mobile customers can use their unlimited data and text messages local allowance for free, while phone calls cost $0.25.

For the rest of T-Mobile data plans, there are other daily rates:

• Data: $15/MB
• SMS: $0.50/text message
• Calls: $0.25/minute

Depending on the roaming package you get, here’s how you activate them:

• International Passes: Go to the T-Mobile App, select “Add Ons”, and then choose the pass you want to purchase.
• Plus, Max and other T-Mobile plans: Turn on the “Roaming” option and the service will work immediately.

Roaming in Thailand with Verizon

Like T-Mobile and AT&T, Verizon has two roaming packages: pay-as-you-go rates and the TravelPass.

Let’s start with the TravelPass. This service costs $12/day and includes unlimited data, phone calls, and text messages. 

As for the pay-as-you-go, here are the current rates for Thailand:

• Data: $2.05/MB.
• SMS: $0.50/minute
• Calls: $1.79/minute

To activate the TravelPass, send the word “TRAVEL” to 4004 or access your Verizon account; find the “Trip Planner” option and activate it.

For the pay-as-you-go rates, this service is activated through the official app or Verizon website with your account.

Vodafone UK roaming in Thailand

For Vodafone UK users, the pay monthly roaming option is available for those with an Xtra Plan. As Thailand is located in the D zone, the rate is £7.39/day (~$9.57 USD) to use your plan allowance on your Thailand trip.

As for the pay-as-you-go rates from Vodafone, these are their current rates:

• Data: £0.12/MB (~$0.16 USD)
• SMS: £0.08/message (~$0.10 USD)
• Calls: £0.60/minute (~$0.78 USD) when making or £0.30/minute (~$0.39 USD) when receiving

To activate any of the Vodafone roaming options, use the “My Vodafone” app. On the app, go to “International roaming” and activate the preferred roaming service to use in Thailand.

Roaming in Thailand with Three UK

Three UK is another option for UK travelers, and they also offer two roaming options to stay connected while traveling to Thailand.

The Pay Monthly option offers 56 free Daily Roaming passes with the Go Roam service, unlocking your data allowance in 160 countries. 

These allow you to use your local allowance at no extra cost while traveling. Once you’ve spent these free passes, the daily rate per day is £5 (~$6.48 USD) to keep the service active.

For the pay-as-you-go service, here are the rates for each service:

• Data: £0.10/MB (~$0.13 USD)
• SMS: £0.35/message to Go Roam destinations and £0.15 to UK phone numbers
• Calls: £1.40/minute on Go Roam destinations and £0.35 to UK phone numbers

To activate the Three roaming, activate the “Roaming” option on your phone to enjoy your Daily Passes or pay-as-you-go rates. Keep in mind that upon activating roaming, you’ll use Daily Passes first, and once these are over, you’ll move to the pay-as-you-go rates.

Roaming in Thailand with Rogers

Our last option to get data roaming in Thailand comes with Rogers, another US company with pay-as-you-go rates and a daily pass.

The Roam Like Home option works as a daily pass and costs $15/day. It gives you access to your local data, phone calls, and text message allowance while traveling. This service is only available for 20 days per month.

The pay-as-you-go rates depend on one thing: your type of plan. Let’s see the rates for postpaid and prepaid clients:

• Prepaid customers:
  • Data: Not available
  • SMS: $0.75/message
  • Calls: $3.50/minute
• Postpaid customers:
  • Data: $15/10 MB
  • SMS: $0.75/message
  • Calls: $3/minute

To activate the Roam Like Home package, you’ll need to text TRAVEL to 222 to enroll for this service. For the pay-as-you-go rates, simply activate the “Roaming” option on your phone, and you’ll be all set.

Viettel roaming in Thailand

Another reliable option for data roaming in Thailand is Viettel, which offers users different roaming packages and traditional pay-as-you-go rates to travelers coming from Vietnam.

The roaming packages range from 500,000 Vietnamese Dongs (~$2 USD) to 500,000 Vietnamese Dongs (~$20 USD). These packages last 1 to 15 days and include different benefits, such as text messages, phone calls, and data ranging from 1 GB to 5 GB.

If you prefer to use pay-as-you-go rates, here are the current rates from Viettel:

• Data: 500 Vietnamese Dongs/MB (~$0.020)
• SMS: 2,500 Vietnamese Dongs/message (~$0.099)
• Calls: 10,000 Vietnamese Dongs/minute (~$0.39)

To activate the Viettel data roaming service, six channels are available, including customer support, the official website, the Viettel app, and a physical store.

Alternatives to roaming in Thailand

Based on the roaming charges from the main mobile carriers in the US, UK, and even Vietnam, it’s fair to consider alternatives to avoid roaming fees.

For examples, based on our data-consumption research, using the pay-as-you-go rates from Rogers could cost roughly $292 for a five-minute YouTube video or up to $102 for asking for an Uber.

So, let’s talk about the alternatives to avoid expensive roaming fees while still getting a reliable internet connection while traveling.

eSIM for Thailand

Choosing an eSIM for Thailand is a great alternative to avoid roaming charges. These are cheaper, easy to purchase, and are the ideal solution if your phone is eSIM-only.

For us, the best eSIM for Thailand comes from Holafly. Pricing starts at $5.90 and drops for each additional day you purchase. For 90 days in Thailand, you’ll pay just $1.54/day for unlimited data! This makes Holafly a great solution for both short and long-term travelers.

Additionally, here’s what else you’ll get with Holafly:

• 500 MB daily for data sharing
• Customizable days between 1-90
• Top up to add more days to your eSIM
• iOS and Android apps to manage and purchase eSIMs
• 24/7 customer support in 19 languages

Prepaid SIM card

Another option to avoid roaming charges is to buy a SIM card for Thailand. Companies like True, dtac, and AIS offer different prepaid plans for tourists with a local SIM card.

Getting a SIM from these companies ensures up to 5G connectivity with either limited or unlimited data. But keep in mind that many of the latest phones, like the iPhone 16, aren’t compatible with SIM cards. 

Plus, getting one is somewhat complicated as you need to arrive in Thailand first, and a physical SIM can, of course, be easy to lose.

Free WiFi in Thailand

As Thailand is an important tourist destination, different WiFi hotspots are available in the country, especially in cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.

But these aren’t extremely reliable. Since these are free to use, it’s impossible to consider them secure connections, so make sure to use them only when you’re in a hurry.

If you occasionally use free WiFi, downloading apps like WinMap or WiFi Finder makes things easier, as you’ll find free WiFi networks in less time. Remember not to introduce any personal info while connected to one.

Pocket WiFi in Thailand

Our last option to avoid expensive roaming fees is pocket WiFi devices. While pocket WiFi devices are cheaper than roaming, they’ll still cost a pretty penny.

Depending on which company you use, you’ll need to rent or purchase one of these devices, meaning you can spend up to $200 for a week of usage because of the delivery fees, mobile data, insurance, and other add-ons these include.

Still, here are two options you can rely on to rent a pocket WiFi for Thailand:

• My Webspot: My Webspot data plans cost $86.98 for a week of usage. Additionally, choosing unlimited high-speed data costs $3.31 more per day, and delivery costs $5.59 for US customers.
• TravelWiFi: TravelWiFi has three different plans, ranging from $2.80 to $5.90 per day, with 1 GB to 5 GB of data. These plans allow you to use up to $41.30 per week plus the $13.88 delivery fee, making the total cost $55.18 without add-ons.

Comparison of alternatives to roaming in Thailand

Let’s see which one of the alternatives to avoid data roaming is better to save money on your trip:

Verdict: The best alternative to roaming in Thailand

While data roaming in Thailand works, as it allows the usage of your data allowance or accessing pay-as-you-go rates, it ends up being an expensive alternative where you can easily spend $100 for a day if you don’t keep an eye on your data consumption.

That’s why, after reviewing the different roaming rates and alternatives available in the market, the eSIM is the clear winner in avoiding high roaming charges without worrying about data usage during your trip.

Paying up to $15 for 10 MB is off the table, and with alternatives starting at $5.90 and getting cheaper the more days you purchase, roaming becomes an unreliable option because of its cost.

So, prepare for your trip with the Holafly eSIM and get unlimited data for $5.90 a day. What’s more, if you stay for up to 90 days, the daily rate is $1.54. Additionally, you’ll get access to other features at no extra cost, so take advantage of it!

Tips for roaming in Thailand

So, before we send you on your way to the Land of Smiles, let’s part ways with some final tips for date roaming in Thailand:

• If you’re traveling using roaming, make sure to activate it only when you need an internet connection to avoid excessive data consumption.
• Consider how much data you plan to use to choose an alternative that offers more data without high costs, like an eSIM.
• Check if your device can connect to local networks, as they are different from the ones in the US, UK, and Vietnam.
• Rely on a free WiFi connection only for small tasks, such as answering a WhatsApp message, checking a Google Maps address, or downloading music from Spotify for your trip.

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Julio Osuna

English Content Writer

I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.

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