Non-EU SIM

Doshwaster

Just buy a local SIM on arrival.  If landing in Bangkok all of the network  (AIS, True and DTAC from memory) have booths where they will set everything up for you. You will need a different one in Singapore. You could get some slightly cheaper from a local store but the extra hassle isn't worth the cost savings especially if you need data immediately.

jbrassy

I would disagree with a previous poster that esims are cheaper than local sim cards. Most the time they are not. You pay more for esims due to their convenience and because they sometimes connect to more than one network.

Like I said, just buy a local SIM card in the airport. If you don't know already, you should download the Grab app when you arrive. It's basically the SE Asian version of Uber and will save you getting ripped off by local taxi drivers. 

saajan_12

Surprised by many of the answers, I generally get an esim for  around £5 for a couple of GB on a 2 ish week holiday. Local sims have generally been more in the region of £10-20 easily. 
Granted only based on annecdotal experience from the 10 or so trips in the last few years that esims have been prevalent. But I'm guessing other posters are also basing it on the same thing as comprehensive data on foreign sim companies is likely hard to obtain. 

DullGreyGuy

saajan_12 said:

Surprised by many of the answers, I generally get an esim for  around £5 for a couple of GB on a 2 ish week holiday. Local sims have generally been more in the region of £10-20 easily. 
Granted only based on annecdotal experience from the 10 or so trips in the last few years that esims have been prevalent. But I'm guessing other posters are also basing it on the same thing as comprehensive data on foreign sim companies is likely hard to obtain. 

Inevitably depends where you are going etc, also tends to make more difference on longer trips. 

Travel eSim was £31.50 for 28 days and 5GB for our recent 3 month LatAm trip, a local sim was £9.28 for 12GB per month and also came with a decent amount of local calls and texts. If we'd gone for 2 weeks then it would have been £14 for 2GB but there is no local 2 week option so the prices would have been closer and maybe wouldnt have bothered with it 

jimi_man

saajan_12 said:

Surprised by many of the answers, I generally get an esim for  around £5 for a couple of GB on a 2 ish week holiday. Local sims have generally been more in the region of £10-20 easily. 
Granted only based on annecdotal experience from the 10 or so trips in the last few years that esims have been prevalent. But I'm guessing other posters are also basing it on the same thing as comprehensive data on foreign sim companies is likely hard to obtain. 

Sure but the OP has stated more than once that an eSim will not work on their phone. 

silvercar

Probably buying a local SIM outside the airport will be half the cost of buying in the airport in Thailand. The airport will more than likely have WiFi. Local market stalls in Vietnam were selling SIMs for 30 days, 50GB for about £10. Prices in south east Asia are so reasonable, that is probably your cheapest option. Your first accommodation can probably direct you to where to buy. Most people can manage without connectivity for a couple of hours.

Doshwaster

silvercar said:

Probably buying a local SIM outside the airport will be half the cost of buying in the airport in Thailand. The airport will more than likely have WiFi. Local market stalls in Vietnam were selling SIMs for 30 days, 50GB for about £10. Prices in south east Asia are so reasonable, that is probably your cheapest option. Your first accommodation can probably direct you to where to buy. Most people can manage without connectivity for a couple of hours.

Absolutely this is the cheapest option but often (even though this is MSE), there is a balance between price and convenience.  Buying in the airport will be more expensive but you get online immediately and they will set everything up for you. 

jimi_man

Doshwaster said:

silvercar said:

Probably buying a local SIM outside the airport will be half the cost of buying in the airport in Thailand. The airport will more than likely have WiFi. Local market stalls in Vietnam were selling SIMs for 30 days, 50GB for about £10. Prices in south east Asia are so reasonable, that is probably your cheapest option. Your first accommodation can probably direct you to where to buy. Most people can manage without connectivity for a couple of hours.

Absolutely this is the cheapest option but often (even though this is MSE), there is a balance between price and convenience.  Buying in the airport will be more expensive but you get online immediately and they will set everything up for you. 

Agreed. And the price difference between all these options is usually very small - often a couple of pounds at most. 

jimjames

jbrassy said:

In Thailand, AIS is a network with good coverage and in Singapore Singtel is a good network. 

We found Singtel very good and also worked in Thailand that we visited afterwards. Unfortunately with the order of your trip that probably won't be of use.