How to Find a Cheap eSIM for Your Trip to Thailand

Ad. Do you want to go on vacation in Thailand (or travel through several countries in Asia) and would like to be online and reachable there immediately? I’ll show you how to get a SIM card in advance of your trip to Asia – it’s super easy, cheap and can be done in just a few minutes!

Buy a single eSIM for 13 countries in Asia* here

Online while traveling: Safe on the road

If there’s one tool I always have with me when I’m traveling and I would never go on a trip without it, it’s my cell phone.

Welcome to my travel blog

Hey, I’m Tatiana and I’m the blogger behind The Happy Jetlagger. Since 2014, I’ve been sharing my personal travel stories on this blog. I don’t have a big team behind me, so I’m pretty much a one-person show: I’ve researched and tested all recommendations myself.

Calling an Uber, booking a hotel for the next few nights, researching a few restaurant tips for the evening: My cell phone is my mobile travel agency, my daily planner and my quick helper in emergency situations. Being able to access the Internet is an absolute must.

As a lot of people, I’d be totally lost without my phone – but aren’t we all?

Avoid huge data roaming charges in Thailand

In most countries in Europe, you don’t have to worry: Data roaming is free within the EU. Although some telecommunications providers have their own fair use policy, you can generally use your data volume from your home country in another EU country.

But what about other countries? What if you have to go further afield? I often travel to Asia, North or South America and I know the problem. You can certainly access the Internet there with your phone. But once you’ve forgotten to switch off data roaming in a non-EU country, you won’t soon forget the high phone bill (and believe me, this has happened to me several times too many!).

How to buy a SIM card for Asia?

So what to do? I love to travel spontaneously, especially through Southeast Asia, and I travel individually, i.e. I book and organize everything myself. Always being online is super important: tickets have to be bought, transportation organized and accommodation arranged.

So it’s best to have a local SIM card on every trip – and that’s annoying: SIM card prices and packages are difficult to google in advance; the situation on site is often confusing. It can take a while to get mobile online again. And especially if you’re traveling alone, a phone also gives you a sense of security, for example if you land at a foreign airport on the other side of the world in the middle of the night.

Practical: eSIM from Holafly

With the eSIM from Holafly, you no longer have to worry. You can simply buy your eSIM online on the Holafly website, install it within minutes and get back online as soon as you land in Thailand, for example.

Use the code THEHAPPYJETLAGGER to get a 5% discount on your eSIM
Click here to get to the shop*

Tip: There is even an eSIM that covers 13 countries in Asia – in addition to Thailand, you can also use it for mobile Internet access in South Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Laos!

If you have a physical SIM card, you don’t even have to remove it from your phone – simply install and activate the eSIM, leave the data roaming of your actual SIM card switched off and off you go!

What is an eSIM?

Unlike physical SIM cards, the eSIM only exists virtually or on the circuit board of your cell phone. You can install and activate your eSIM on your device within a few minutes using a QR code that you receive by email after purchase. It can then be used immediately!

Most cell phones (e.g. iPhone XR/XS/11 and newer) are eSIM-compatible. You can simply continue to use your existing SIM card in your cell phone, regardless of whether it is an eSIM or a physical chip.

By the way: Many devices such as laptops, tablets or smartwatches are also eSIM-compatible and can therefore be equipped with an eSIM from Holafly.

This article was sponsored by Holafly, but reflects my personal experience.