Phuket – known for its beaches, clear water & seafood.
It used to be called paradise, although many claim it is too busy now.
You may want to consider Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan instead 😏.
Writing a list of all the cool things to do in Phuket would require another blog post (or a dedicated Phuket 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 1800 THB (50.65 USD) at Phuket International Airport Airport (HKT).
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 365 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 Phuket International 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 Phuket International 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 Phuket International 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 Phuket International 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 Phuket proper.
Check out my Thailand SIM card buying guide for more information about Thai SIM cards.
Alright, back to what Phuket International Airport has to offer to us.
Where to Buy a SIM Card (or eSIM) at Phuket International Airport?
Several booths and stores at Phuket International Airport sell SIM cards (and eSIMs) from the three Thai mobile operators: AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand.
While Phuket International Airport is the third-most busiest airport in Thailand, it is not incredibly big.
So all the mobile operator stores will be close to each other, although Dtac Thailand is on the other side of the path from AIS Thailand and TrueMove H.
Speaking of TrueMove H, it is the only mobile operator with a stall in the domestic terminal, which is a two-minute walk from the international one (uncovered, but it is a quick walk anyway).
Other sites claim this is a 20-minute walk instead. Sure… if you crawl. Even if you have six pieces of heavy suitcases, it will take you three minutes tops 🗿.
If you are a domestic arriver, I recommend getting a TrueMove H SIM card over there.
The stall offers the same plans as the international terminal, so there is no point in going there to compare.
… I did that for you 🤓.
And TrueMove H is the second-best performer in Phuket behind AIS Thailand while being slightly cheaper.
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 Phuket International Airport (+Prices)?
AIS Thailand sells its tourist SIM cards at Phuket International Airport, costing between 299 THB and 1699 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).
There is only one store selling AIS Thailand tourist SIM cards, which is in the international terminal at Phuket International Terminal.
You cannot miss it after baggage claim.
Here, the standard AIS Thailand Tourist SIM cards are available, plus a few variations not available in regular AIS stores.
You have the following nine variants:
| Price | Credit | Data 2 | On-Net Minutes 4 | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 THB | 100 THB | 15 GB | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 399 THB 1 | 15 THB | 20 GB | Unlimited | 10 days |
| 649 THB 1 | 50 THB | 35 GB | Unlimited | 15 days |
| 699 THB | 50 THB | Unlimited @ 4 Mbps | Unlimited | 15 days |
| 899 THB 1 | 50 THB | 50 GB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 999 THB | 50 THB | Unlimited @ 10 Mbps | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 1299 THB 1 | 50 THB | 300 GB 3 | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 1399 THB | 200 THB | 100 GB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 1699 THB | 50 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
1 Phuket International Airport exclusive plans
2 you also get unlimited data on 4G/LTE speeds (except for the 699 THB, 99 THB & 1299 THB plans). This perk was not mentioned at other airports, and I only noticed it when writing this guide. As a result, I am not sure what the speed restriction is
3 no 5G NR access. Moreover, the AIS stores at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) only give you 100 GB for 15 days instead
4 Phuket International Airport exclusive perk
Personally, I would not go for any plans of these speed-restricted plans, but they can be useful for those wanting to use a lot of data without having to worry about hitting their data limit.
However, the AIS store at Phuket International Airport is more generous than the other three Thai airports I visited during this trip (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) & (Koh) Samui Airport (USM)).
Not only do you get credit (for domestic and international use & for calls and SMS), but you also get unlimited on-net minutes.
At other airports, or regular AIS stores, for that matter, you do not get unlimited on-net calls.
Not only that, but all AIS Thailand plans are available as eSIMs at Phuket International Airport.
At Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport, only a handful of plans can be purchased as an eSIM.
At Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, the AIS stores and booths do not sell eSIMs at all.
Then we have Samui Airport, which has eSIMs, but the plans sold there may be speed-restricted (I could not confirm because the booth was closed 🙄).
Not to mention that the store at Phuket International Airport has a handful of more plans available than other Thai airports.
Unlike most airports, including the two in Bangkok, the AIS store at Phuket International 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.
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 Thailand's best mobile network 🥳!
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 Phuket International Airport (+Prices)?
TrueMove H sells its tourist SIM cards at Phuket International Airport, costing between 299 THB and 999 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 is the only mobile operator to have a booth in the arrivals hall of the domestic terminal.
But unlike AIS Thailand in Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport, which sells trash plans in the domestic terminal and reasonable ones in the international terminal, TrueMove H sells the same SIM cards in both terminals.
If you look closely at the two photos, you can see that the same person who was at the TrueMove H booth in the domestic terminal somehow managed to get to the international terminal before me! I thought she was out for lunch… but she just went there to help her colleague out 🗿.
And if you arrive at the domestic terminal of Phuket International Terminal and the TrueMove H booth is still open, I would encourage getting your SIM card there because it has the second-best and second-fastest network in Thailand.
Then again, if you are interested in an AIS Thailand or Dtac Thailand SIM card, the walk from the domestic terminal to the international one is roughly two minutes. So it is not too bad!
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 😍.
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
Unlike other airports, where they have exclusive deals, Phuket International Airport only has the standard TrueMove H Thailand Tourist (Infinite) SIM cards.
And I love them – they are generous for the prices you pay.
But at Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport, I got 30 GB of data and unlimited data for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Kakao, Line, Pinterest, QQ, Skype, Snapchat, TikTok (10 GB only), Twitter, Viber, WeChat, Weibo & WhatsApp for 7 days, costing me only 250 THB.
This is cheaper than the cheapest TrueMove H Tourist SIM card (299 THB) while also giving you double the data (30 GB vs. 15 GB) – and still with 5G NR access (which was important to me).
Yeah… you cannot get such a deal at Phuket International Airport 😔.
Be aware that 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 Phuket International 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 Phuket International Airport (+Prices)?
Dtac Thailand sells its tourist SIM cards at Phuket International Airport, costing between 249 THB and 1549 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 islands), your experience with it will not be pleasant.
Trust me… I have used Dtac Thailand for weeks and compared it to AIS Thailand and TrueMove H 🤓.
Anyway, 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 of Dtac Thailand, lol).
There is only one store selling AIS Thailand tourist SIM cards, which is in the international terminal at Phuket International Terminal.
You cannot miss it after baggage claim.
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 & three plans without specific names (data + unlimited on-net calls, 200 THB credit + unlimited data & unlimited data + unlimited local calls).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 249 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 days |
| 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, like Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), this plan is also known as Unlimited Internet Plans instead, but they are the same.
But there, you also have a 299 THB option, giving you unlimited data and on-net minutes for eight days (but no off-net/international call/text credit, unlike the 349 THB SIM card).
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 1 | 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 |
1 while it looks like the price has been altered for this plan, every Thai airport I visited during this trip also sell this SIM card for 259 THB. I am not sure what used to be listed here though
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.
Now we have three plans without specific names left (data + unlimited on-net calls, 200 THB credit + unlimited data & unlimited data + unlimited local calls).
Some of these plans are also available at other Thai airports (under different names).
At the same time, some are exclusive to Phuket International Airport.
Let's start with the data + unlimited on-net call plans, which have five options:
| Price | Data 1 | On-Net Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 THB | 15 GB | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 349 THB | 20 GB | Unlimited | 16 days |
| 650 THB | 40 GB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 750 THB | 50 GB/month (150 GB) | Unlimited | 90 days |
| 1800 THB | 50 GB/month (600 GB) | Unlimited | 365 days |
1 @ 100 Mbps, although your speeds will average around 26 Mbps instead (based on 76 speed test results in Bangkok, Koh Pha Ngan (island), Koh Samui (island) & Phuket (airport only) – even on 5G NR. AIS Thailand and TrueMove H are significantly faster on 4G/LTE (TrueMove H) and 5G NR (AIS Thailand)
At Bangkok Airport, the equivalent plans of the 750 THB and 1800 THB options give you 60 GB per month instead.
But you pay more for them (899 THB and 1549 THB (for 90 days), respectively).
Moreover, you do not get unlimited on-net minutes. You get 50 THB and 15 THB in credit, respectively.
Next, we have the 200 THB credit + unlimited data plans:
| Price | Credit | Data 1 | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 650 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | 16 days |
| 950 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 1150 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | 90 days |
| 3250 THB | 200 THB | Unlimited | 365 days |
1 I suspect you will get speeds “up to 100 Mbps” because “hi-speed” is a myth with Dtac Thailand, as I discuss extensively in my Dtac Thailand review
These plans are (significantly) more expensive than the data + unlimited on-net call plans, but you get unlimited data.
Whether that is worth it with Dtac Thailand is up to you.
At least I have warned you enough about it already 😏.
Lastly, we have the unlimited data + unlimited local calls plans:
| Price | Data 1 | Local Minutes | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 399 TBH | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 days |
| 699 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 16 days |
| 999 THB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
1 @ 100 Mbps (but closer to 26 Mbps)
I like how it says at max speeds while the note below says at 100 Mbps 🤡.
I have already shown my displeasure for Dtac Thailand – it is getting tiring, lol.
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 not a 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 Phuket International Airport?
I recommend getting a SIM card at Phuket International 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 stores in the international terminal of the airport.
But TrueMove H is the only one with a stall in the domestic terminal (with the same SIM cards sold at the international terminal).
As I did not fly internationally into Phuket International Airport (I flew into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) instead), I cannot tell if there are stores before immigration or at baggage claim.
But seeing how many incoming travelers bought their SIM cards at the arrivals hall, I expect there are none or just one.
AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand sell SIM cards (and eSIMs) within these price ranges:
- AIS Thailand: 299 THB – 1699 THB (nine options)
- TrueMove H: 299 THB – 999 THB (seven options – no eSIMs when I was in Thailand (March 2023))
- Dtac Thailand: 249 THB – 1549 THB (22 options)
Some SIM cards and plans sold at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi 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),& Samui Airport (USM)).
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 Phuket International Airport 🗿.
Overall, AIS Thailand, TrueMove H & Dtac Thailand have attractive starter packs at Phuket International 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.