How to choose an eSIM for Vietnam & Thailand (SEA)
Single-country vs Southeast Asia regional product
For a trip to one country (e.g., Vietnam only), compare the total cost of that country's single-country product against a regional product. If you're moving between several countries, Thailand → Laos → Vietnam, you can use one Southeast Asia regional (multi-country) product that supports all the countries you visit. Note, though, that a regional product may attach to a different network in each country.
Main carriers by country (for reference)
| Country | Main carriers |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | Viettel · VinaPhone · MobiFone |
| Thailand | AIS · TrueMove H · dtac (TrueMove H and dtac merged into True Corp in 2023; networks being integrated) |
| Indonesia | Telkomsel · Indosat · XL |
| Philippines | Globe · Smart · DITO |
How much you'll need
Multiply your trip days by your expected daily use. For example, a 4–5 day trip where you expect about 500MB–1GB a day, mostly for maps, messaging, and social media, works out to roughly 3–5GB plus a little buffer (a sample calculation). Also check whether data is provided fresh when you move to a new country, or drawn down together across the whole itinerary.
What to check when choosing
- Whether all the countries you visit are covered (for a regional product)
- Whether the local network it connects to is stated
- Whether tethering is allowed
- When it activates (right after install vs on connecting locally)