“I don’t want to read anything, just take me to the list.“
Modern day travellers have, for better or worse, a plethora of communication options available to them. These days when we head off halfway around the world for a week, a month or even a year it’s not as though we’re out-of-the-loop anymore. It seems as though everyone has some kind of smartphone, laptop or other mobile device capable of connecting to services like Facebook, Skype, Instagram, Facetime, Whatsapp, Blackberry, Gmail, Twitter and just way too many more. [Side note: options or excess?]
The Rise of Social Media.
Today’s social media options have made communication an instantaneous affair and as a by-product, they have shown a side of us off that we knew nothing about. Humans want to share everything (e v e r y t h i n g.)
“On the plane, about to take off!”, “Just landed in Vietnam baby!” “OMG, look at my food!” “Asia is so beautiful, but what is that smell?!” “Selfie time! xoxoxo” and so on… I’m not judging, i’m just as guilty as the next person.
Whereas in the past it was the postage stamp and basic literacy that gave us access to communication, today that batton has been handed over to data. Megabytes and Gigabytes sit at the top of the food chain and at the base of Maslow’s hierarchy.
It’s not all bad though (save the abandonment of literacy), in fact modern communication is actually pretty amazing. And it’s saved my skin on numerous occassions, like at Border Posts and Immigration Offices where a lack of information is the last thing you want.
Cut to The Chase, What Are My Travel Sim Options?
All of this communicative goodness comes at a cost and generally three options are available for today’s techno savvy traveller:
1) Travellers these days can either leave their current SIM card in their phones and turn on roaming (not recommended) and proceed to incur ludicrous data charges. I’ve heard of one person being charged in excess of $6000 US for a two week trip – enough to leave anyone feeling nauseous.
2) Travellers can turn off roaming (sensible) and only use WiFi in hotspots such as hotel lobbies, cafe’s and restaurants. When I lived in Thailand even my dentist offered free WiFi. Southeast Asia generally has good coverage, especially if you are on the “beaten track.” Obviously if you’re on a business trip this may not be ideal, but if that’s the case then hopefully your company is picking up the bill and you aren’t stopping to Instagram your footprints every 15 minutes.
3) Travellers can get a travel SIM card upon arrival (most sensible) pop it into their phones, top up and go! This only requires a slight amount of research and as you’ve already guessed, we’ve done it all for you. For free! The list below contains a summary of the best mobile network options for you in every Southeast Asian country.
Note 1: These options are angled at short-term travellers and only take pre-paid data charges into account (you probably won’t need to call or sms very often.) If you are planning to stay in the country longer (live and work) then it is best to look at contract plans (or post-paid plans) as they call them here.
Note 2: Smartphones use a variation of SIM card sizes. You get normal SIM cards, micro-SIM cards & nano-SIM cards. Most countries in Southeast Asia offer normal and micro and usually have a SIM card cutter available for nano’s. You can always buy your own SIM card cutter and take it with you but for the most part this is unnecessary.
Note 3: All prices are displayed in US $.
List of Southeast Asian Countries
Click on the country that you’re visiting to get the information you want.
Brunei
Cambodia
East-Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar (Burma)
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Brunei SIM Card.
Brunei only has two mobile operators and therefore you can expect prices to be pretty much exactly the same. And they don’t come cheap. Depending on the length of your stay you may want to skip getting a SIM card here and use WiFi instead.
B-Mobile: Price for prepaid SIM card = $24 including $4 free credit
Data charges = $ 0.04 / MB
Available for purchase at the Airport
Cambodia SIM Card.
Cambodia has great data rates and good service. You definitely want to get a SIM card when landing at the airport. The best option right now is Smart.
Smart: Price for prepaid Travel SIM card = $5 with $3 free credit and 1GB free data.
Data charges = $3 / 1GB
Available for purchase at the major airports.
East-Timor SIM Card.
The current telecommunication situation is extremely poor in East-Timor. When they gained independence from Indonesia in 1999 all communication systems were basically destroyed. They are building up slowly and starting to offer voice and even data but the current rates are extremely expensive and ineffective. It’s best to use your phone as a camera and perhaps your hotel will have a WiFi connection.
Indonesia SIM Card.
Indonesia has several mobile operators but the largest and cheapest is Telkomsel. Prices reflected in US $. Thankfully this is another cheap data Southeast Asian destination and you can tweet till your heart is content. WiFi is also fairly widespread.
Telkomsel Flash: Price for prepaid Travel SIM card = $2
Data charges = $3 – $4 / Unlimited data for one month.
Available for purchase at the major airports.
Laos SIM Card.
Unitel is our operator of choice in Laos as they have the best coverage. The process of setting up your 3G is more convoluted than most Southeast Asian countries and it is best to ask the person that you purchased the card from to set it up.
Unitel: Price for prepaid SIM card = $10
Data charges = $18 / Unlimited data for one month.
Available for purchase at the major airports and Unitel stores can be found pretty much everywhere.
Malaysia SIM Card.
Malaysia has fantastic service and data plans that are easy to setup and use. You will however need your passport when purchasing a SIM. Generally the guy at the shop sets it up for you and you’re set to go.
Maxis / Hotlink: Price for prepaid SIM card = $15 but comes with $10 free credit
Data charges = You get unlimited data for free. but should you want a faster connection you’ll pay about $0.30 per day.
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
Myanmar (Burma) SIM Card.
Myanmar doesn’t have the greatest connectivity options. Travel SIM cards can be purchased but only for phones calls and texting. Phone calls can be made internationally but you can only text within the country and there are no 3G / Data services. However, most hotels do have WiFi.
MPD: Price for prepaid SIM card = $20
Data charges = No data, this is for voice only.
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
Philippines SIM Card.
The Philippines have good communication options and are very affordable. The process of getting connected is simple and shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes. We recommend the mobile operator SMART for their coverage and the 99 All in One package (thats 99 pesos not dollars) for it’s flexibility.
SMART: Price for prepaid travel SIM card = $3 (credit valid for 7 days before top-up)
Data charges = Free 80MB, free texts, unlimited Facebook.
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
Singapore SIM Card.
Singapore is one the most advanced countries in Southeast Asia and so is it’s communication options. WiFi is prevalent and is free in most area’s if you’re using SingTel as a service provider.
SingTel (Hi): Price for prepaid travel SIM card = $8
Data charges = 5.4c/10Kb or activate data bundle ($7 = 1GB valid for 7 days)
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
UPDATE: According to reader C-Dizzle’s comment below “You can’t get the 7 day 1GB data for $7 unless you already have a Singtel SIM, which costs $38 (though when you buy it initially it does include data and credit.)”
You can purchase a $15, 5 day sim where you get data, voice, text and international call packs.
“The sim expires after 5 days but you have the option to pay $3 a day for extra packs to extend it.
There is also a $30, 30 day version of this sim. Just present your passport to a Singtel shop or authorised dealer.”
Thailand SIM Card.
Thailand has great deals, great flexibility and excellent coverage. The speeds are pretty good and the price is cheap. You can get SIM’s anywhere as, with most Southeast Asian countries, mobile phone shops pop up everywhere.
DTAC (Happy): Price for prepaid travel SIM card = $1.5
Data charges = 0.3c/ min or activate data bundle (vary depending on length of stay) A good deal though is the $10 for one month unlimited plan.
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
Vietnam SIM Card.
Vietnam’s best operator for coverage is Viettel and 3G is readily available, reliable and quick.
EDIT: We’ve just gotten back from Vietnam (March 2015) and my new recommendation is a Mobifone unlimited data access card.
Viettle: Price for prepaid travel SIM card = $10
Data charges = The SIM card does come with a data plan, you just need to select how much and for how long you want it. This is done at the booth where you buy it.
Available for purchase at the airports and in all cities and towns.
If you have any other options to add or great deals you would like to share with travellers please share them beneath, in the comment section. It would be great to hear from you.
And finally, as an alternative option to Sim Cards when travelling why not consider calling cards?