Whether you’re visiting Thailand on vacation or planning on living here, getting a SIM card is one of your top priorities. I’ll run you through the big three providers and give my opinion on who is the best.
The Big Three
All good things come in threes. The same applies to the Thai telephone market, kind of. Actually there are more than three providers but the big three are where you should focus your search. As such I’ll maybe mention a few alternatives at the end of article but I’ll focus on the big three – DTAC, True and AIS.
I’ve used all three and have done a lot of research into current packages and deals to save you the time shopping round.
Can't be bothered to read it all, the winner is....
If you can’t be bothered to read to the end then I’ll ruin the rest of the article by saying that DTAC is the best option if you are looking for just a phone provider in my opinion. If you are interested in a phone / internet / TV bundle then True may well work out a better deal.
If you care about the why and how and then keep going for more.
Price
I’ll link below to the current prices of the three network’s packages. I’ll also include information such as what the average tourist would need for a couple of weeks in Thailand.
Do note that all networks have special promotions and prices may change almost daily. The numbers below should be used as a guide and follow the links to check up to date prices. If you are switching from one network to another you’ll likely get a promotional rate with up to 50% off.
All three networks offer billing online by email or app or postal billing. Bills can be paid online, in stores or via online banking.
DTAC
You can check their Pre-Paid packages here.
299 baht for a month’s 4G / 3G (5G limit) after this you will get slower speeds.
After being with DTAC you can apply for Post-aid packages if you are a Thai national or have a valid work permit. Current packages with unlimited data and 100 minutes of calls are 399 baht per month.
For tourists they have a special SIM available at airports and 7-Elevens among other places. Click here to read more about it. You can even purchase it in advance and have it ready for collection at the DTAC store at BKK airport.
TRUE
True seemingly have millions of packages which you can view here.
They have some decent packages with internet and 200 minutes of calls starting at 299 baht for postpaid customers.
They also have a lot of add-on packages for data, calls and texts. You can check these out here.
Tourist SIMS are decent value too for 299 baht (8 days) or 599 baht (15 days) click here to see more about these.
AIS
AIS offers great prices for new customers but then after a year prices increase a lot.
Click here for standard package prices. 2 GB data and AIS WiFi is 399 baht so more expensive than other options.
AIS also offer extra packages and options such as overseas calls.
Click here for more information on the AIS tourist SIM card. As you will see the price is pretty much identical to the True option.
Internet Speed
Wow this is such a hard aspect to accurately test. All networks offer 3G and 4G connections and claim to be the same speed. This article suggests that TRUE have the fastest mobile internet but other articles suggest AIS do. Below I have put my experience as well as that from a few others. Again this isn’t official, just personal experience.
DTAC
I found that overall the internet connection and speed of DTAC was the most reliable of the three networks. The speed remained consistent throughout the day and was able to quickly load websites and stream videos.
When I had used my data the reduced internet speed loaded sites within five seconds and still allowed for video streaming.
TRUE
Normal internet speed was good although at times there was buffering issues with videos, especially via Facebook.
After using my data allowance at maximum speed the internet was still decent for website browsing but video streaming was hit and miss.
AIS
I’m currently with AIS and duing my first year the internet was good as I had unlimited data as a new customer.
However, now in my second year the data allowance is much lower and the reduced speeds mean that sometimes I’m waiting 15 or 20 seconds for websites to load and pictures on social media sometimes don’t load. Videos buffer every few seconds on the slower speeds. If speed stayed the same regardless of usage I’d have AIS as number one in this category.
Calls
These days I don’t call very often but when I do there is a clear winner in this section in my opinion.
DTAC
I very rarely had problems with call quality using DTAC. Calls weren’t always perfect but I never had issues with calls cutting out or the sound quality being reduced.
TRUE
Calls using True were fantastic. I never had problems with the network. The sound quality was good and the other person had no problems hearing me either.
AIS
Calls are sometimes great, sometimes poor on AIS. Crystal clear one second to terrible reception and cutting out the next. It really is a bit hit and miss.
Customer Service
In my opinion this is a huge factor for me. when prices are quite close, customer service is often a deciding factor. If True had better customer service then I’d reccommend them over DTAC but as you’ll see they let themselves down a little here.
DTAC
Customer service is by no means perfect at DTAC but they are a country mile ahead of the others in my opinion.
The staff at the call center speak great English and I’m never left holding a long time.
In the branches there are always English speaking members of staff and I’ve always had my problems dealt with in a timely matter.
TRUE
True, True True… Customer service service at True is pretty poor in my opinion. There’s always huge queues and the process of sorting out a problem can take ages.
If you forget your passport when asking for help at True then be prepared to see a melt down among the staff which will have you waiting around for donkeys years.
The call center staff are a little better but I dread having to actually speak to anyone at True.
AIS
I’ll give AIS some credit and say wait times are short and my problems are normally fixed. However, their call center have my details twice, once for phone and the other for internet and always mix them up when dealing with my problems. Rather than putting bills together they keep everything separate which just seems really backwards to me.
Their staff do speak good English and their payment system is easy to use.
Deals
All three providers offer special deals. These could be when it comes to buying phones, adding home internet / TV packages or getting discounts in shops.
If you are looking at getting internet for your condo or home at the same time then True is a great option as they will often give you a free SIM. AIS do similar promotions but let themselves down in other areas.
DTAC
DTAC don’t offer home internet or TV so are best if you are looking for a phone only package.
In some shops and restaurants DTAC customers get special deals and discounts. For example they offer free cinema tickets on some days.
DTAC have a number of discount handsets available with the caveat that you pay a more expensive SIM fee for a period of 6-24 months.
TRUE
If you want internet and a phone then take a look at the True packages here. they are great value. The only issue is the staff in the stores are quite inflexible in that you can’t adjust the minutes and data allowance on the SIM. Also check they don’t charge you extra after a promotional period.
There are also many shops which offer discounts for TRUE customers. They also have a loyalty card which will get your further deals after you’ve been with them for five years.
As with all the other networks they offer deals on new handsets, based on you taking a more expensive SIM deal.
AIS
AIS offer discounts to internet customers but you have to have an AIS SIM first. As such it isn’t as good as the offer TRUE give where you can get the SIM and internet in one transaction. As I said I have a separate SIM and AIS fiber package and it causes no end of problems.
There are a lot of shops offering discounts to AIS customers, perhaps more than the other networks.
Same as the other two networks, AIS offer discounts on handsets if purchased with more expensive, long term SIM packages.
Other Providers
A couple of other SIM options include LINE MOBILE and MY By CAT.
I can’t vouch for the quality of these but Line Mobile seems to have very cheap prices in comparison to other networks. They could wort looking at in the future if they become established.
What's The Best Phone Network in Thailand?
Personally I’m putting DTAC forward as the best phone network in Thailand. I feel they are the easiest to use, have the best customer service and are pretty flexible. They also have reliable internet data which is a big thing for me.
True come a close second and are worth considering if you need internet for your condo or house. Just try not to deal with their customer service too often or you’ll go crazy.
AIS looked set to be challenging DTAC until I finished my promotional first year and the quality of internet has dropped considerably. This, coupled with complex billing, makes AIS my least preferred option of the three.
Let me know if you have a different opinion or any questions below!
Two years ago I bought a new phone and called DTAC’s customer service to upgrade to 4G. They said they did, but I didn’t have the 4G symbol on my screen. I called back a few months later to confirm I was on 4G and they said yes. A couple weeks ago I got an SMS saying I had to upgrade my SIM card within 5 days or my service would be cancelled. When I went into the shop they told me my SIM card isn’t even capable of 4G! Fortunately, the manager gave me a discount for a year. I’ve been with DTAC almost 15 years and the only other problem I’ve had was money was being taken from my account every day by a scam website, but they quickly refunded everything. While far from perfect, I agree their customer service is good, especially for Thailand!
I had something similar with AIS where I’d get random SMS and get charged for just receiving them. Quick visit to the shop and was sorted but it is annoying.