SIM Cards and eSIMs in Asia: The Current Best Options

The choice that affects every day of your trip

Getting data in Asia used to mean hunting for SIM cards at airports and dealing with language barriers at phone shops. eSIMs have changed this — buy and install digitally before you fly, activate on landing. For multi-country trips especially, this is a significant improvement. — book a Yesim eSIM in advance for the best price.

Country-by-country quick guide

Thailand: AIS, DTAC, and True Move tourist SIMs at any airport. 30 days unlimited: around $10–15. Or Airalo eSIM for $8–12 per week.
Japan: IIJmio and OCN tourist SIMs are excellent. Or Saily eSIM is good value for Japan — 5GB for about $13.
Vietnam: Viettel and Vietnamobile tourist SIMs at airports. eSIM options increasingly available.
Indonesia/Bali: Telkomsel tourist SIMs widely available. Good eSIM support for most Indonesian carriers.
Singapore: Singtel and StarHub tourist SIMs at Changi. Singtel’s tourist SIM is particularly good — 100GB/week for SGD 15.

Multi-country eSIM

For travelers covering 3+ countries, a multi-country eSIM through Airalo, Holafly, or Saily beats buying individual SIMs at each country. Check the coverage map carefully — some regional eSIMs have lower data speeds in certain countries. The convenience premium is real and usually worth it.