Thailand Internet Speed: Mobile Data, 5G, and AIS vs True

A national speed number tells you little when you are on a ferry to Phi Phi with a boarding pass that will not load. Thailand's internet is fast, but the weak spots are where travelers tend to go: boats, waterfalls, and packed festival streets.

Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for September 2026 puts Thailand's median mobile speed at 133.71 Mbps down and 24.86 Mbps up, with 20 ms latency. That ranks 29th in the world. Maps, taxi apps, and video calls need far less than that, so the real question is where the network drops. Below you will find three independent sets of numbers, AIS against True, what 5G really means here, and whether 4G is enough.

We have not tested these networks ourselves. The numbers come from Ookla, Opensignal, nPerf, and the carriers. Moosetrip sells eSIMs, so keep that in mind as you read.

In short:

  • Ookla's median mobile download stayed between 129.73 and 137.98 Mbps across its 13 monthly editions from September 2025 to September 2026.
  • In Ookla's data for the first half of 2026, AIS was fastest at 164.84 Mbps against 120.79 for True dtac. Opensignal's April to June numbers show a near tie.
  • AIS says 5G covers over 95% of Thailand's people, and True says 94%.
  • 4G is enough for maps, taxi apps, and video calls. Our eSIM does not promise 5G.
Thailand eSIM from $5.50Install at home, connect when you land.See plans

Thailand mobile speed by source

Ookla's index uses tests people run on their own phones, over a rolling three months. The median is the middle result, so a few record tests barely move it. Its average for the same edition was 172.28 Mbps, which shows how much fast tests pull up a mean.

Fixed broadband is far ahead. Ookla's median was 303.68 Mbps down and 248.78 Mbps up, 8th in the world. So good hotel Wi-Fi can beat cell data, though that figure says nothing about your particular hotel.

Carrier comparisons come from separate reports, and each one measures in its own way:

Source and periodMethodAISTrue / TrueMove Hdtac
Ookla, Jan to Jun 2026Median of user tests164.84 / 29.37120.79 / 23.37Counted with True
Opensignal, Apr to Jun 2026Average from phones40.8 / 15.038.7 / 9.841.1 / 8.3
nPerf, 2025Average of user tests77.02 / 19.9077.16 / 24.2450.73 / 15.17

Figures are download / upload in Mbps. Ookla's numbers run three to four times higher than Opensignal's because the methods differ. Compare carriers inside one source and not across them.

AIS vs True: which is faster in Thailand?

Ookla says AIS. Its first half 2026 report shows AIS with a median download 36% above True dtac. On 5G the gap is similar: 191.95 Mbps against 149.88. The slow end is better too. One test in ten on AIS fell below 36.21 Mbps, and one in ten on True dtac fell below 23.53.

Opensignal says it is close. From April to June 2026, average download was 41.1 Mbps on dtac, 40.8 on AIS, and 38.7 on TrueMove H. On 5G, dtac led at 102.7 Mbps. AIS won on upload at 15.0 Mbps, against 9.8 and 8.3. Opensignal gave its Best Network title to dtac and True.

Location changes the order. On 5G in Bangkok, Opensignal has dtac at 137.3 Mbps, TrueMove H at 116.3, and AIS at 109.4. In the south, where Phuket, Krabi, and Samui sit, it flips: AIS 94.4, dtac 80.4, TrueMove H 74.5.

For everyday use the two feel alike. In Ookla's data, 91.26% of AIS users and 92.73% of True dtac users watched video at 1080p or better. About 99% of both had no stalls, and pages loaded in 1.83 to 1.85 seconds.

TrueMove H and dtac belong to one company, True Corporation, which finished merging the two networks in 2025. Ookla now counts them as one network, while Opensignal and nPerf still split them. Opensignal says the brands share infrastructure but have different network policies and customer phones, so results can differ.

There is no single winner for the whole country. On the road, the brand matters less than where you stand.

5G in Thailand: where it reaches

AISTrue (TrueMove H and dtac)
5G coverage, carrier claimOver 95% of people, Q2 202694% of people, end of 2025
5G bands700, 2100, 2600 MHz2600, 2300 MHz
Time on 5G, Opensignal87.9%90.2% TrueMove H, 87.2% dtac
Median 5G download, Ookla191.95 Mbps149.88 Mbps

A 5G icon does not promise 5G speed. Opensignal counts a phone as on 5G when it sees a 5G signal, even if data is moving over 4G. So time on 5G is a measure of signal, not of speed.

AIS launched 5G-Advanced in May 2026, and its investor report lists more than 19.7 million 5G customers. True says 4G reaches 99% of people. Its standalone 5G runs in every district of 14 provinces, including Bangkok, Phuket, and Chonburi, where Pattaya sits, plus 747 districts in the other 63 provinces.

Ookla's September 2026 look at Southeast Asian cities gives a street-level view. In Q2 2026, 5G phones spent 83.8% of their time on 5G in Phuket, 80.5% in Bangkok, and 76.3% in Chiang Mai. Those were the top three of 13 cities in the report. Median mobile download was 167.62 Mbps in Phuket and 167.27 in Bangkok, both above the country's 137.04 for that period.

5G gives Thailand a smaller boost than its neighbors get. Opensignal says 5G was 3.2 times faster than 4G here in Q2 2026, against 5.9 times in Malaysia and 5.8 times in Vietnam.

Will your phone get 5G? Apple says AIS, dtac, and True support 5G on iPhone 12 and later with a Thai plan. We found no shared Android list from the carriers, so ask in a shop if you buy a Thai SIM.

Islands, parks, and crowds

Fast cities do not mean fast everywhere. nPerf's map shows ferry stretches of up to 13 miles between Krabi and Phi Phi with no test results at all. At Doi Inthanon's waterfalls, tests show 4G only. Those blank areas mean nobody ran a test, which is not proof of no signal, but plan as if you might lose it.

Crowds matter too. For Songkran 2026, True said it would place mobile cell sites at packed spots, including Khao San, Silom, and Siam in Bangkok.

Before a ferry or a park day, download an offline map and save your tickets to the phone. For local detail, see our guides to Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya.

Is 4G enough for a trip to Thailand?

Yes, for most people. We use a cautious rule: 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or about 1.5 hours of video calls. Those hours set the average speed you need. We compare that with the slow end of True dtac in Ookla's data, 23.53 Mbps, and with 512 kbps.

What you doAverage speed neededRoom at 23.53 MbpsAt 512 kbps
Maps and taxi appsAbout 0.45 MbpsOver 50 timesEnough
Video callAbout 1.5 MbpsAbout 15 timesToo slow

Why 512 kbps? Opensignal says some Thai plans with a daily data cap drop to that speed once you pass the cap. Maps still work, but a video call may not. Read the terms of any unlimited Thai plan before you pay.

A 2 MB photo uploads in under a second at True dtac's median upload of 23.37 Mbps, and in about three seconds at its slow end of 5.01 Mbps. The gain from 5G shows up mostly on big files.

Most of the time, pick a plan by data volume and not by speed.

Moosetrip eSIM speed in Thailand

Our Thailand eSIM lists the AIS, dtac, and TrueMove H networks. We do not promise 5G on it, even if your phone supports it. The numbers above come from all users of those networks, so we cannot tell you the exact speed on our eSIM in a given place.

Prices on 2026-10-30:

DataValid forPrice
1 GB7 days$5.50
3 GB30 days$9.50
5 GB30 days$13
10 GB30 days$19.50
20 GB30 days$30

Days count from your first connection in Thailand, your US number stays on as a second line, and you can add data to the same eSIM. A Thai plan with unlimited data is often the better value on trips of a week or more, if your phone is unlocked. Compare in our guide to internet in Thailand. If your US plan already covers Thailand at a price you like, you may not need either.

Check your phone first, then see plans on our Thailand page.

Questions

What is the internet speed in Thailand?

Ookla's September 2026 index shows a median mobile speed of 133.71 Mbps down and 24.86 Mbps up, with 20 ms latency. Fixed broadband was 303.68 Mbps down.

Is 5G available in Thailand?

Yes, on both AIS and True. AIS claims over 95% of the population in Q2 2026, and True claims 94% at the end of 2025. In Opensignal's data, 5G phones see a 5G signal 87% to 90% of the time.

Is AIS or True faster?

It depends on the source. Ookla has AIS ahead for the first half of 2026, 164.84 Mbps to 120.79. Opensignal has a near tie for April to June: AIS 40.8, dtac 41.1, TrueMove H 38.7.

Is Thailand's internet fast enough for video calls?

Yes. By our cautious rule, a video call needs about 1.5 Mbps on average. Even the slow end of True dtac in Ookla's data, 23.53 Mbps, gives about 15 times that.

Will my iPhone get 5G in Thailand?

On a Thai plan, iPhone 12 and later can, according to Apple. On a travel eSIM, it depends on the plan. Ours does not promise 5G.

Sources

More guides

Pick a destination