SIM Cards, Mobile Data and Home Internet in Phuket (2026)

Registration: bring your passport

Thai law requires SIM registration with your passport, and recent rules have tightened it. Reports say that since August 2025 buying a SIM involves a passport check and a live facial scan at the counter, and that rules from May 2026 require in-person registration and limit foreign visitors to a small number of SIMs per operator, with sources giving three to five. Ask at the shop what applies on the day.

Buy from an operator shop, an airport counter or a large convenience store, and avoid street sellers who offer to register a SIM for you. Registration is tied to your name, so do not give your SIM to another person.

Networks

Thailand's main mobile networks are AIS and True. True has absorbed dtac, so dtac plans now run on the True group's network. Both cover Phuket Town, the beaches and the main roads with 4G and 5G. AIS is usually described as the strongest in remote and mountain areas, while True and dtac plans often look cheaper in cities. A state operator, NT, also exists.

Signal differs between a beach, a hillside villa and a building with thick walls, so ask neighbours which network works at your address before you pay for a long plan.

Tourist SIMs

Tourist SIMs bundle data, and sometimes a Thai number and some calls, for a fixed number of days. Recent examples were roughly 300 to 450 baht for 8 days, and about 700 to 1,200 baht for a longer unlimited plan, with a minimum price near 50 baht for small prepaid packs. They are sold at the airport and in operator shops. Some 'unlimited' plans slow down after heavy use, so read the fair-use terms.

eSIM or physical SIM

An eSIM lets you get a Thai data plan on your phone before you land, with no queue and no change to your home SIM, which also keeps your home banking codes working. Operators sell eSIMs in their shops and apps, and overseas sellers resell plans on Thai networks, sometimes at lower prices and sometimes with throttling. The trade-off is that a pure data eSIM does not give you a Thai phone number, which many local services, delivery apps and banks need.

Many long-stay expats keep both: a Thai SIM for a local number and bank codes, and a second line, a home SIM or an eSIM, as a backup.

Residents: prepaid or monthly plans

If you stay for months, move from a tourist SIM to a regular prepaid plan, where monthly packages commonly start from about 200 baht, or to a monthly plan with a contract. A contract plan normally needs your passport, a visa that lasts long enough, and proof of address, and some shops want a work permit or a residence certificate. Top up through the operator's app, a bank app or a convenience store.

Keep your Thai number active. Banks, delivery apps, the 90-day report and many services send codes by SMS, and an expired number can lock you out.

Home internet

Fibre broadband is standard in most Phuket condos and many new villas. The main providers are AIS Fibre, True and 3BB, and in some buildings only one provider is installed, so ask the building's office. Typical home plans are reasonably priced, and many include a router, though speeds in older houses and remote hillsides vary. For a rental, check that the internet works before you sign, and ask who pays for installation and the monthly fee. The cost of living guide has sample utility budgets.

A mobile router with a data SIM is a useful backup in the rainy season, when storms can cut a line.

Practical tips

• Keep your passport details handy, because shops copy it.
• Check your phone is unlocked before you leave home, and that it supports Thai bands.
• Use official apps and websites to top up and to pay, and ignore text messages that ask you to click a link to avoid disconnection.
• Set up a hotspot or a Wi-Fi calling option for work.
• Use a VPN only if it is legal and safe for your use.