Koh Samui – known for its beaches, clear water & waterfalls.
Some would also call it Thailand's “unknown” paradise 🏖️.
Writing a list of all the cool things to do in Koh Samui would require another blog post (or a dedicated Koh Samui blog), so I will save you from that because you want to know what SIM card and eSIM options are available at the airport.
Anyway, which SIM cards are available at the airport?
You can get an AIS Thailand, TrueMove H, or Dtac Thailand SIM card for between 259 THB (7.30 USD) and 1799 THB (50.60 USD) at Koh Samui Airport (USM).
Anyway, which SIM cards are available at the airport?
That is quite a spread – what gives?
The validity of these SIM cards ranges from seven days to 180 days.
And some SIM cards give you unlimited data and minutes, which adds up (but these plans are still reasonably priced).
Before COVID-19, SIM cards sold at airports were often overpriced.
When I revisited Thailand in March 2023, SIM cards were sold at the official listing prices (again – based on four international airports I visited, including Koh Samui Airport) 🥳.
So you do not have to worry about getting scammed by airport sales staff anymore (as they tried doing to me back in 2017 🙄).
Anyway, let's review all your options and see if getting a SIM card at Koh Samui Airport is even worth it.
Original publication: 12th of April 2023. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Mobile Operators in Thailand
Before I tell you about the SIM card and eSIM options you have at (Koh) Samui Airport, you first need to know about all the mobile operators in Thailand.
Thailand has three mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- AIS Thailand
- TrueMove H
- Dtac Thailand
As of March 2023, TrueMove H and Dtac Thailand have become one entity (True Corp). According to CommsUpdate, the two companies must operate as separate corporations for at least three years. So, there will still be dedicated TrueMove H and Dtac Thailand stores, stalls, booths & SIM cards for now.
Thailand is also home to various Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), including My by CAT and Pengiun SIM.
But they heavily throttle their speeds to 256 Kbps, 512 Kbps & 1 Mbps – anything below 6 Mbps is intolerable, I have to say.
You cannot get these SIM cards at Samui Airport, so you do not have to worry about them.
But I still wanted to let you know in case you cannot or do not buy a SIM card at the airport and buy one in Koh Samui proper.
Check out my Thailand SIM card buying guide for more information about Thai SIM cards.
Alright, back to what Samui Airport has to offer to us.
Where to Buy a SIM Card (or eSIM) at (Koh) Samui Airport?
Several booths at (Koh) Samui Airport sell SIM cards (and eSIMs) from the three Thai mobile operators: AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand.
Samui Airport is a relatively small airport owned by Bangkok Airlines (which is why plane tickets to the airline are high for Thai standards… and why only one airline serves it).
In the arrivals hall, the booths of AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand are next to each other.
For some reason, the AIS booth was closed.
Which was surprising, especially when it is the largest (and) best mobile operator in the country 🙄.
The TrueMove H and Dtac staff told me that they were closed for that day only – not permanently.
Luckily, it could still see what SIM cards it sells (hint: they may be bad for AIS Thailand's standards).
Let's go through each mobile operator to see what they offer us at the airport.
What SIM Cards & Plans Does AIS Thailand Sell at (Koh) Samui Airport (+Prices)?
AIS Thailand sells its tourist SIM cards at (Koh) Samui Airport, costing 299 THB and 399 THB.
I will list all the prices in THB (Thai Baht).
To convert THB to your currency (let's say MYR – Malaysian Ringgit) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
AIS, standing for Advanced Info Service, is the largest mobile operator in Thailand.
It is also the mobile operator with the best reception and the fastest overall speeds (on 4G/LTE and 5G NR).
However, TrueMove H and Dtac Thailand announced they will merge into one company (True Corp), which the regulator approved in March 2023.
When they merge, AIS will no longer be the largest mobile operator, but it will still have the best coverage because Dtac Thailand's is trash, lol).
So, why did I say that alternative AIS Thailand SIM cards are sold at Samui Airport earlier?
It is because not the standard ones are sold.
What do I mean by standard AIS Thailand tourist SIM cards? Look at the image below:
Or even the ones at other Thai airports.
According to this paper, you can get unlimited data and unlimited local calls for 15 days, costing 299 THB.
For 399 THB, you get the same benefits for 30 days instead.
Initially, I wanted to straight-up discourage anyone from getting AIS Thailand SIM cards at Samui Airport because I suspected they would be like the bad ones at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK).
Where for 299 THB, you get unlimited data @ 4 Mbps for 30 days. For 399 THB, your speed will be @ 15 Mbps instead with the same perks.
The main difference between the Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport and the Samui Airport SIM cards is that the store at the latter promises 5G NR speeds on the AIS network.
The Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport store lets you know the speed restrictions.
Moreover, the plans from the other airports are both valid for 30 days, whereas the Samui Airport ones are valid for 15 and 30 days.
If the stall was open, I could have gotten answers to my questions… but alas 🙄.
Unlike most airports, including the two in Bangkok, the AIS store at Samui Airport accepts card payments.
This is appreciated because practically all Thai ATMs charge the same 220 THB fee for withdrawing cash with international cards, so I recommend getting (close to) enough money to last you your trip to save on withdrawal fees (as they can add up quickly).
But if your bank or credit union automatically refunds ATM fees, you do not have to worry about this.
One thing I like is that both SIM cards are available as eSIMs, which is not as common at other AIS stores at other Thai airports.
Once you have selected your SIM card or eSIM, you have to hand over your passport and phone so that they can activate the plan and adjust your APN settings when needed.
The salesperson will also take a photo of you as part of Thailand's SIM card registration laws.
This whole process will take up to three minutes if there is not a long queue ahead of you.
Now you are ready to use Thailand's best mobile network 🥳!
But if you want more choices in eSIMs, you can visit the AIS traveler website for more eSIMs:
| Price | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 399 THB | 25 GB | 8 days |
| 599 THB | 35 GB | 15 days |
| 899 THB | 50 GB | 30 days |
| 1299 THB | 300 GB 1 | 30 days |
| 1650 THB | Unlimited | 30 days |
1 on 3G and 4G/LTE only (no 5G NR access unlike the other plans)
If you do not want to deal with Thailand's SIM card registration requirements but still want to be connected here, consider a travel eSIM that can be used in the country.
Why does it matter? Optus from Australia had a large-scale hack where the identities of more than 10 million people were stolen in October 2022, including mine 🤯.
Luckily for me, only basic (and outdated) info was leaked.
In my boyfriend's case, his passport document number was also stolen… so that was nice 🫠.
And hacks like this happen all the time – apparently. 1.3 billion SIM card registration-related data was stolen in Indonesia around the same time 😒.
Anyway, I write about the best travel eSIMs for Thailand in my Best Thailand eSIM buying guide.
I even tried many of them extensively for my Thai eSIM review series.
What SIM Cards & Plans Does TrueMove H Sell at (Koh) Samui Airport (+Prices)?
TrueMove H sells its tourist SIM cards at (Koh) Samui Airport, costing between 299 THB and 1799 THB.
I will list all the prices in THB (Thai Baht).
To convert THB to your currency (let's say MYR – Malaysian Ringgit) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
TrueMove H, although many omit the H, is the second-largest mobile operator in Thailand.
It is also the mobile operator with the second-best reception and second-fastest overall speeds (on 4G/LTE and 5G NR).
In some locations, it performs better than AIS Thailand – the current market leader.
TrueMove H and Dtac Thailand announced they will merge into one company (True Corp), which was approved by the regulator in March 2023.
When they merge, True Corp will become the largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers (but its network will not be instantly better than AIS Thailand's because Dtac Thailand's network is trash, lmao).
TrueMove H has two tourist SIM card lines: TrueMove H Thailand Tourist SIM and TrueMove H Infinite SIM.
What is the difference between these two lines?
The regular TrueMove H Thailand Tourist SIM cards include data with data allowance (+unlimited data at reduced speeds after exhausting your high-speed data allowance) and unlimited on-net minutes.
While the TrueMove H Infinite SIM cards include unlimited data @ max. speeds (5G NR) and unlimited local minutes.
The Infinite SIM cards are usually only 100 THB (close to 2.80 USD) more expensive than the regular tourist SIM cards, so I recommend them.
A significant upgrade for a small price 😍.
But besides these official tourist SIM cards, TrueMove H at Samui Airport sells three more lines that may be of interest to you.
The following seven TrueMove H Thailand Tourist (Infinite) SIM cards are available:
| Price | Data | Social Data 2 | Local Minutes | (International) Call Credit | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 THB | 15 GB | Unlimited 3 | Unlimited | 100 THB | 16 days |
| 399 THB | 25 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100 THB | 16 days |
| 399 THB | Unlimited | N/A | Unlimited | 100 THB | 8 days |
| 599 THB | 30 GB | Unlimited 3 | Unlimited | 50 THB | 30 days |
| 699 THB | Unlimited | N/A | Unlimited | 100 THB | 15 days |
| 899 THB 1 | 50 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100 THB | 30 days |
| 999 THB | Unlimited | N/A | Unlimited | 100 THB | 30 days |
1 at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), this SIM card costs 950 THB instead of 899 THB🕵🏿♂️
2 for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Kakao, Line, Pinterest, QQ, Skype, Snapchat, Twitter, Viber, WeChat, Weibo & WhatsApp
3 +10 GB for TikTok
You also have this banner with conflicting info to the photo above – the info in the photo above is accurate.
Besides these seven TrueMove H Thailand Tourist (Infinite) SIM cards, you also have two plans you often will not have at other Thai airports or regular TrueMove H stores).
For 1650 THB, you get 45 THB credit, unlimited data & unlimited on-net minutes for 30 days.
Remember, you can get unlimited data and local minutes with the 999 THB TrueMove H Tourist Infinite SIM card.
And for 1799 THB, you get 50 THB credit, unlimited data @ 10 Mbps for 90 days.
Personally, I would not go for any plans of these speed-restricted plans, especially when SIM cards with unlimited data at max. speed are available.
The only downside is that TrueMove H's Infinite Tourist SIM cards are valid for up to 30 days instead of 90 days.
Next, we have four more speed-restricted plans, which are exclusive to Samui Airport:
| Price | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 299 THB | Unlimited @ 20 Mbps | 15 days |
| 399 THB | Unlimited @ 20 Mbps | 30 days |
| 699 THB | Unlimited @ 300 Mbps | 15 days |
| 999 THB | Unlimited @ 300 Mbps | 30 days |
Once again, the TrueMove H Infinite Tourist SIM cards are of better value, as those will at least include unlimited local minutes and call credit for international use.
Lastly, we have three more unlimited plans that I have not seen at other airports so far:
| Price | Data | Local Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 299 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 7-16 days |
| 399 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 899 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90 days |
They are similar to the speed-restricted ones, except for the fact that you get max. speeds with these plans and unlimited local minutes for roughly the same prices.
What is more, you also have a 90-day option, which is of better value than the 1799 THB unlimited data plan with speeds up to 10 Mbps.
Be aware that just unlike AIS Thailand and Dtac Thailand, the TrueMove H store accepts cash only.
Do note that practically all Thai ATMs charge the same 220 THB fee for withdrawing cash with international cards, so I recommend getting (close to) enough money to last you your trip to save on withdrawal fees (as they can add up quickly).
But if your bank or credit union automatically refunds ATM fees, you do not have to worry about this.
Once you have selected your SIM card, you have to hand over your passport and phone so that they can activate the plan and adjust your APN settings when needed.
The salesperson will also take a photo of you as part of Thailand's SIM card registration laws.
This whole process will take up to three minutes if there is no long queue ahead of you.
Now you are ready to use Thailand's second-best mobile network 🥳!
All TrueMove H plans sold at Samui Airport are available as physical SIM cards only and not as eSIMs.
If you do not want to deal with Thailand's SIM card registration requirements but still want to be connected here, consider a travel eSIM that can be used in the country.
Why does it matter? Optus from Australia had a large-scale hack where the identities of more than 10 million people were stolen in October 2022, including mine 🤯.
Luckily for me, only basic (and outdated) info was leaked.
In my boyfriend's case, his passport document number was also stolen… so that was nice 🫠.
And hacks like this happen all the time – apparently. 1.3 billion SIM card registration-related data was stolen in Indonesia around the same time 😒.
Anyway, I write about the best travel eSIMs for Thailand in my Best Thailand eSIM buying guide.
I even tried many of them extensively for my Thai eSIM review series.
What SIM Cards & Plans Does Dtac Thailand Sell at (Koh) Samui Airport (+Prices)?
Dtac Thailand sells its tourist SIM cards at (Koh) Samui Airport, costing between 259 THB and 1199 THB.
I will list all the prices in THB (Thai Baht).
To convert THB to your currency (let's say MYR – Malaysian Ringgit) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Dtac Thailand is the smallest mobile operator in Thailand.
Even then, it still has more than 16 million subscribers.
Dtac Thailand is the cheapest mobile operator in the country.
But… it also has the worst network and the slowest speeds in Thailand.
Although Dtac Thailand performs well in urban areas, and surprisingly in rural areas too (including Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan), your experience with it will not be pleasant.
Dtac Thailand has three tourist SIM cards from the Happy Tourist SIM line:
| Price | Credit | Data | Social Data 1 | On-Net Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 149 THB | 15 THB | 5 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 4 days |
| 299 THB | 15 THB | 15 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 599 THB | 15 THB | 30 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 15 days |
1 for Facebook Messenger, Kakao, Line, WeChat & WhatsApp
The 149 THB SIM card is almost impossible to find.
They are not sold at any international airport, and I could only find them in a Familymart on an island (Koh Samui) – not even in Bangkok.
But I may have been unlucky 🤷🏿♂️.
Do note that Dtac Thailand promotes the fact that all its Happy Tourist SIM cards @ “max. speeds”.
But on the back of the starter pack, speeds are up to 100 Mbps.
On itself, 100 Mbps is not bad at all… but getting speeds faster than 30 Mbps is a challenge (even in Bangkok) 🗿.
But I will discuss that in my Dtac Thailand review instead… we still have a few more plans to talk about that are sold at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport!
When you approach a Dtac store, you will notice more plans are being advertised than the three I mentioned earlier are advertised.
These SIM cards are only sold at airports – you cannot get them in regular Dtac stores or from resellers.
You have the Worry-Free Packages, Value for Money Packages & “Unlimited Data” SIM cards.
Let's start with the Worry-Free Packages, which are, according to Dtac staff, the most sold ones.
You have these five Worry-Free Packages:
| Price | Credit | Data | On-Net Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 349 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 699 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 16 days |
| 999 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 1199 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90 days |
At other airports, including the two in Bangkok (BKK – main airport and DMK – budget airport) and Phuket, you also have the 249 THB SIM card giving you the same perks for three days instead.
Next, we have four Value for Money Packages (also known as Best Value Packages at other airports):
| Price | Credit | Data | On-Net Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 259 THB | 15 THB | 7 GB | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 349 THB | 15 THB | 20 GB | Unlimited | 16 days |
| 699 THB | 15 THB | 40 GB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 999 THB | 15 THB | 90 GB | Unlimited | 90 days |
Yes, all plans mentioned so far and upcoming ones can be purchased as an eSIM too 🥳 Dtac Thailand is the only Thai mobile operator offering this consistently at airports. The others often do not or with select plans only.
Finally, we have four Unlimited Internet Plans:
| Price | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 299 THB | Unlimited | 7-16 days 1 |
| 399 THB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 649 THB | Unlimited | 60 days |
| 899 THB | Unlimited | 90 days |
1 the validity is based on how long you need your plan to be active. You will pay the same 299 THB whether you use it for 7 days or 16 days. Better go for the max to get your money's worth!
So, which SIM card did I get?
I purchased the 299 THB Happy Tourist SIM (with unlimited data for 8 days) – but I got it at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) instead.
There, the salesperson was kind enough to extend the validity to 12 days instead of upselling me to a higher-tier plan.
And the best part… I did not even ask for this extension! She just did it for me unprompted.
I have bought many SIM cards (at airports) in the decade, and no other country would extend the validity of plans like that… missing out on sales 😳.
Anyway, note that Dtac stores do accept card payments.
Even then, I want to remind you that practically all Thai ATMs charge the same 220 THB fee for withdrawing cash with international cards, so I recommend getting (close to) enough money to last you your trip to save on withdrawal fees (as they can add up quickly).
But if your bank or credit union automatically refunds ATM fees, you do not have to worry about this.
Once you have selected your SIM card or eSIM, you have to hand over your passport and phone so that they can activate the plan and adjust your APN settings when needed.
The salesperson will also take a photo of you as part of Thailand's SIM card registration laws.
This whole process will take up to three minutes if there is no long queue ahead of you.
Now you are ready to use your Dtac Thailand SIM card 🥳.
You can get some/any plan mentioned in this section as an eSIM (without extra charges).
But you can also get the Dtac Happy Tourist SIM cards as an eSIM before going to Thailand.
Many resellers have Dtac Happy Tourist eSIMs in stock, including my favorite Airalo.
Unlike getting a Dtac Happy Tourist eSIM in Thailand, purchasing it from Airalo does not require registration.
Why does it matter? Optus from Australia had a large-scale hack where the identities of more than 10 million people were stolen in October 2022, including mine 🤯.
Luckily for me, only basic (and outdated) info was leaked.
In my boyfriend's case, his passport document number was also stolen… so that was nice 🫠.
And hacks like this happen all the time – apparently. 1.3 billion SIM card registration-related data was stolen in Indonesia around the same time 😒.
But do note that you cannot extend the validity of the eSIM if you buy it from Airalo or other resellers – you would need to buy another eSIM.
Moreover, the ones sold on Airalo are slightly more expensive than those purchased in Thailand.
299 THB is roughly 8.45 USD – Airalo charges 9.90 USD for this eSIM (15 50 GB for 8 days).
599 THB is about 16.95 USD. If you were to get this eSIM from Airalo (with 30 GB for 15 days), you would pay 19.95 USD.
Are these outrageous surcharges? Not at all – especially knowing you can skip the (potentially long) queues at the airport.
It looks like Airalo sells an exclusive and much more generous Dtac Happy Tourist plan than Dtac Thailand itself.
Previously, Airalo sold the Dtac Happy Tourist 15 Days eSIM, which gave you “unlimited” data, which was actually 30 GB of high-speed data. But it got replaced with an exclusive 1000 GB variant, costing the same (19.95 USD). However, even this one got replaced with the TrueMove H Tourist Infinite eSIM, giving you truly unlimited data on a much better network for the same price.
But remember this: unlike most Airalo eSIMs, which get activated as soon as you connect to a supported network (so you can install it months in advance without starting the validity), the validity of Dtac (or TrueMove H) eSIMs starts as soon as you install it on your phone.
So do not install this eSIM any sooner than a day before arriving in Thailand.
Better yet, wait until you are in Thailand before scanning the QR code.
Many more travel eSIMs will perform well in Thailand (especially those not using the Dtac Thailand network.
You can read about them in my Best Thailand eSIMs Compared guide for an in-depth comparison.
Should You Get a SIM Card (or eSIM) at (Koh) Samui Airport?
I recommend getting a SIM card at (Koh) Samui Airport because tourist SIM cards with generous allowances and perks are available at normal prices from AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand.
The three mobile operators have their stalls next to each other in the arrivals hall (domestic and international arrivals share the same arrivals hall).
For some reason, the AIS booth was closed that whole day (the TrueMove H and Dtac staff did not know why either, but the AIS store is normally open at the same time as the other two).
AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand sell SIM cards (and eSIMs) within these price ranges:
- AIS Thailand: 299 THB – 399 THB (two options )
- TrueMove H: 299 THB – 1799 THB (16 options – no eSIMs when I was in Thailand (March 2023))
- Dtac Thailand: 259 THB – 1199 THB (15 options)
Some SIM cards and plans sold at Samui Airport are not advertised on the mobile operators' websites.
As they are only sold at airports (including other ones like Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) & Phuket International Airport (HKT)).
Either way, the SIM cards are reasonably priced for the perks you get – let alone the service quality (except for Dtac Thailand).
This may sound strange to some readers, as SIM cards sold at any Thai airport used to be overpriced.
And that used to be the case because of COVID-19 (at least in 2017) – something must have changed since then.
For example, A SIM card that generally would have been 500 THB would be sold for 800 THB or more.
I visited four airports during this trip, and none of the staff at any of these airports tried to overcharge me.
For example, TrueMove H at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport sold me 30 GB of data for only 250 THB and extended it to 12 days because they were nice (and I did not even know this was possible).
Or Dtac Thailand, at the same airport as above, sold me the 299 THB eight-day SIM card while extending it to 12 days.
And as I did not know salespeople at airports could do this, I did not ask for any of these extensions – they just offered it unprompted 😳.
But do not expect this type of treatment at Samui Airport 🗿.
Overall, AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand have attractive starter packs at Samui Airport, and I recommend getting a SIM card here as you will not pay the tourist/convenience tax.
Thai SIM Card Reviews
I tried out the best Thai SIM cards that you can easily buy as a tourist in Thailand.
You should read those reviews.
>>> AIS Thailand Review | TrueMove H Review | Dtac Thailand Review <<<
But you can still make an educated purchase after reading the Thai SIM card reviews.
I also tried out various travel eSIMs in Thailand: Airalo (Asialink & Discover Global), Holafly, Nomad (Thailand & SEA-Oceania).
You should also read those reviews.
>>> Airalo Asialink eSIM in Thailand Review | Airalo Discover Global eSIM in Thailand Review | Holafly Thailand eSIM Review | Nomad Thailand eSIM Review | Nomad SEA-Oceania eSIM in Thailand Review <<<
Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other Asian SIM cards.