Bangkok SIM Card: Where to Buy One and Where 5G Works
You skipped the airport line because it was long, and now you are in Bangkok with no data. Or you are staying near Khao San and cannot find a phone store on the street. Either way, you need to know which mall to go to and when it closes.
The short answer: go to a big mall. AIS shops at Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, Terminal 21, and ICONSIAM are open until 10 p.m. Khao San has no carrier store, so head to The Old Siam mall, about a mile away. If your phone supports eSIM, you can skip all of this by installing one at home.
In short:
- AIS shops in the major malls listed 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day on 2026-09-30. MBK closes earlier, at 8 p.m.
- Tourist SIMs from AIS cost 499 baht (about $15) for 8 days and 699 baht (about $21) for 15 days, on 2026-10-30.
- On nPerf's map, AIS and True show 5G in 95% to 100% of measured spots in Siam, Sukhumvit, Khao San, and Chinatown.
- For a week of maps, taxi apps, and short video calls, a 5 GB plan is enough.
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Where to buy a SIM card in Bangkok
Carrier stores in Bangkok are mostly in shopping malls. This table comes from the official AIS and True store lists on 2026-09-30. AIS gives floors and hours. The True list gives addresses only, and it covers dtac stores too, since True Corporation runs both brands.
| Mall | Area | AIS | True or dtac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siam Paragon | Siam | 4th floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | True, units 304 to 306 |
| MBK Center | Siam | 4th floor, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | True, 4th floor |
| Siam Center | Siam | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Not listed |
| CentralWorld | Ratchaprasong | 4th floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | True and True Sphere, 4th floor |
| Terminal 21 | Sukhumvit, BTS Asok | 6th floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | True |
| EmSphere | Sukhumvit, BTS Phrom Phong | 2nd floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | True, 2nd floor |
| The Old Siam | Old town | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | dtac, 1st floor, unit A105 |
| ICONSIAM | Riverside | 4th floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | True Sphere, 4th floor |
| Central Ladprao | About 1.2 miles from Chatuchak | 2nd floor, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | dtac, 2nd floor |
AIS lists one set of hours for every day, holidays included. For a late stop, pick a mall where AIS stays open until 10 p.m. and avoid MBK. For True and dtac, check the mall's closing time, as their list shows no hours.
Bring your physical passport. True and dtac register each tourist SIM to a valid passport, and True caps it at 3 SIMs per brand for one person.
Near Khao San, Chinatown, and the old town
There is no AIS, True, or dtac store on Khao San Road. The closest ones are in The Old Siam, at 12 Burapha Road, about 0.2 miles from MRT Sam Yot. AIS opened there in September 2025 and dtac is on the same floor.
Straight-line distances to The Old Siam:
- From Khao San: about 0.9 miles
- From central Yaowarat: about 0.8 miles
- From Wat Pho: about 0.6 miles
If that is too far, try the nearest 7-Eleven. True promotes its tourist SIM there. Ask which lengths are in stock, and bring your passport.
At the airport
At Suvarnabhumi, AIS listed two 24-hour points on the second floor of arrivals on 2026-10-01. dtac's guide places its counter on the same floor at gate 7. True says its service centers run 24/7 at airport locations. So a late landing does not rule out a SIM. Long lines are the bigger risk.
What a tourist SIM costs
Prices were checked on 2026-10-30, using 33.73 baht to $1.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| AIS, 8 days | 499 baht (about $15) | Unlimited data, AIS Super WiFi |
| AIS, 15 days | 699 baht (about $21) | Same |
| AIS, 30 days | 1,199 baht (about $36) | Same |
| True and dtac Tourist Infinite | 8, 15, or 30 days | Unlimited data, local calls up to 15 minutes each |
| True and dtac data-only SIM | 10 days | Data, incoming calls and texts, no outgoing calls except emergency numbers |
True does not show one clear price for all plans. Its plan cards listed 499, 699, and 1,199 baht on 2026-10-11, while the FAQ on the same page still says 449 baht for 8 days. Ask to see the current card.
For the plan details and what to check at the counter, see our Phuket SIM card guide. The plans are the same nationwide.
Where 5G works in Bangkok
These numbers come from nPerf, a crowd-sourced map built from tests on ordinary phones over the last two years. The maps were dated 2026-09-30. Each figure is the share of measured map cells within about 150 yards of the spot where phones saw 5G.
| Place | AIS | True | dtac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siam: BTS Siam, Paragon, MBK, CentralWorld | 100% | 100% | 96% to 100% |
| Sukhumvit: Nana, Asok, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo | 95% to 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Khao San | 100% | 100% | 97% |
| Chinatown: Yaowarat, MRT Wat Mangkon | 98% to 100% | 98% to 100% | 99% to 100% |
| Grand Palace | 94% | 53% | 35% |
| Wat Pho | 92% | 100% | 88% |
| Chatuchak Market | 100% | 100% | 74% |
| River piers, Phra Arthit to Sathorn | 97% to 100% | 97% to 100% | 71% to 96% |
The river is well covered. Along about 4 miles of the Chao Phraya between those two piers, 5G led at all 27 points for all three networks. On about 3.7 miles of the Saen Saep canal, it led at 23 of 24 points on AIS, all 24 on True, and 18 on dtac.
The Grand Palace is the weak spot. Only about half of True's cells show 5G there, and fewer for dtac. The rest are mostly 4G and 4G+. AIS looks strong, but it has fewer measurements around that point.
Two limits apply. First, these numbers describe the networks. Whether your phone sees 5G depends on your phone and your plan. Second, nPerf ties tests to GPS, and GPS does not reach tunnels, so the numbers over MRT stations are street-level only. Save your route offline before you go underground.
Part of dtac's data predates its merger with True, which may explain some of the gap. True says it finished combining the True and dtac networks in 2025, and reported an 84.22% gain in 5G and 4G signal quality in Bangkok. It also named Siam, Ratchaprasong, Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn, and the Chao Phraya area for added capacity. Those are the carrier's own figures. In April 2026, True said it added indoor coverage in Bangkok malls.
Wi-Fi in Bangkok
Hotels and cafes will carry most of your Wi-Fi use. If you buy an AIS tourist plan, it also includes AIS Super WiFi with no data limit. Leave video, app updates, and photo backups for your hotel connection, and use mobile data for payments and banking.
How much data for a week in Bangkok
Plan on more map time here than at a beach. Rides, transit, and malls all mean checking your phone. Our cautious rule: 1 GB covers about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or about 1.5 hours of video calls.
A week with 2 hours of maps a day uses about 2.8 GB. Add a 15-minute video call each day and you reach about 4 GB. Go with 5 GB. Streaming on mobile data is much heavier, so if you plan to do that, a 10 GB or 20 GB plan makes sense. You can also add data to the same eSIM.
eSIM or SIM for Bangkok
A tourist SIM is good value if you want unlimited data or a Thai number. An eSIM suits you if you would rather not spend your first hours looking for a mall.
| Data | Valid for | Price on 2026-10-30 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $5.50 |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $9.50 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $13 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $19.50 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $30 |
Our Thailand plans list AIS, dtac, and TrueMove H. You install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi with a QR code, and days count from your first connection in Thailand. Your US number stays on as a second line. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked, so check your phone first.
Roaming is the simple choice for a very short stop. Verizon lists TravelPass at $12 a day outside Mexico and Canada, with 5 GB of high-speed data per 24 hours. Seven days of use comes to $84. Check that Thailand is on your plan, and see our TravelPass comparison for the full math. If your US plan already includes enough data in Thailand, you need neither a SIM nor an eSIM.
Questions
Where can I buy a SIM card in Bangkok at night?
Before 10 p.m., go to an AIS shop at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, CentralWorld, Terminal 21, EmSphere, or ICONSIAM. After that, the airport is your best bet. MBK's AIS shop closes at 8 p.m.
Is there a phone store on Khao San Road?
No. The closest AIS and dtac stores are in The Old Siam, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line. AIS there listed 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Does mobile data work on the Chao Phraya River?
Yes, on the stretch between Phra Arthit and Sathorn piers. nPerf shows 5G leading at all 27 points checked, for AIS, True, and dtac.
Which network should I pick for Bangkok?
In the center, AIS and True both show 95% to 100% 5G on nPerf, and dtac dips in a few places. True is weaker around the Grand Palace.
How much data do I need for a week?
About 4 GB for 2 hours of maps and a short video call each day. A 5 GB plan covers that.
Sources
- AIS, Lucky Tourist plans, checked 2026-10-30
- True and dtac, Tourist SIM terms, checked 2026-10-30, plan cards 2026-10-11
- True, Tourist SIM at 7-Eleven, checked 2026-10-30
- True, One Network and year-end upgrades, December 24, 2025, checked 2026-10-30
- Verizon, TravelPass FAQs, checked 2026-10-30
- True, network preparation for Songkran 2026, April 9, 2026, checked 2026-09-30
- AIS, AIS Shop locations, checked 2026-10-01
- True, store locations, list dated 2026-09-15, checked 2026-10-01
- dtac, where to buy a tourist SIM, checked 2026-10-01
- nPerf, AIS Mobile map, updated 2026-09-30
- nPerf, True Move H map, updated 2026-09-30
- nPerf, dtac map, updated 2026-09-30
- OpenStreetMap, coordinates on 2026-09-30
- Frankfurter, ECB reference rates, 2026-10-30