Best international eSIM for Asia: 5 regional plans by trip length
Choose how long you'll be away to see each plan's price. Airalo comes first, then who the four others suit better.
AiraloBest overall
My pickPlan10 GB, 15 daysin 18 countries
Price$24.00
Per day$2.40
One plan from Tokyo to Siem Reap to Colombo, on AIS in Thailand and Viettel in Vietnam. Staying longer than 15 days? Its 10 GB for 30 days costs only $1.00 more.
What you actually get with Airalo network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Airalo
- If your trip changes
- Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, not cash. A faulty eSIM is refunded in Airmoney or to your card in 7 to 10 business days.
- Countries
- 18: Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan
- Network
- AIS, dtac and True in Thailand, Viettel in Vietnam, KDDI and SoftBank in Japan
- 5G
- Listed in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, among others; 4G in Cambodia and India
From Airalo's Asialink plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
NomadCheapest 10 GB
Plan10 GB, 30 daysin 14 countries
Price$21.00
Per day$2.10
The lowest price here for 10 GB, as long as Cambodia, Laos and South Asia stay off the route. $21.00 covers 30 days in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali and on to Australia, $3.00 less than Airalo, and hotspot use is allowed.
What you actually get with Nomad network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Allowed
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Nomad
- Countries
- 14, Australia and New Zealand included; no Cambodia, Laos, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Pakistan
- Network
- AIS and dtac in Thailand, MobiFone in Vietnam, KDDI and SoftBank in Japan
- 5G
- Listed in Japan, South Korea and Thailand
From Nomad's Regional APAC plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
UbigiClock starts on arrival
Plan10 GB, 30 daysin 17 countries
Price$28.00
Per day$2.80
Book it with your flights: the 30 days only begin once your phone moves onto the Ubigi line in one of its countries. It covers Airalo's list minus Bangladesh, costs $4.00 more for 10 GB, and puts no limit on hotspot use.
What you actually get with Ubigi network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed, without restriction
- When the days start
- When you switch to the Ubigi line in a covered country
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Ubigi
- Countries
- 17, the same as Airalo's without Bangladesh
- Network
- AIS and True in Thailand, VNPT in Vietnam, Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank in Japan
- 5G
- Listed in Japan, South Korea and Thailand
From Ubigi's Best Asia plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
SailyMost countries
Plan10 GB, 30 daysnetwork not published
Price$35.99
Per day$3.60
22 countries, the longest list here: Airalo's 18 plus Australia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Worth it for a trip that ends in Sydney or runs along the Silk Road, at $11.99 more than Airalo for 10 GB, though Saily names no network anywhere.
What you actually get with Saily network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 5 GB a day
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Saily
- If your trip changes
- Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated.
- Countries
- 22, with Australia, New Zealand and Central Asia
- Network
- Not stated by Saily
- 5G
- Not stated by Saily
From Saily's Asia and Oceania plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
HolaflyNo daily cap
PlanUnlimited, 10 daysin 16 countries
Price$37.50
Per day$3.75
For long bus rides through Vietnam with shows streaming all the way. No daily limit, for $2.50 more than Airalo's unlimited plan over 10 days. India and Bangladesh are missing, and laptop sharing stops at 1 GB a day.
What you actually get with Holafly network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- No published daily cap
- Hotspot
- 1 GB a day
- If your trip changes
- Refund to your card within 6 months, in full if never activated, in 5 to 10 business days.
- Countries
- 16, without India or Bangladesh
- Network
- Not stated by Holafly
- 5G
- Listed where available
From Holafly's Asia page and refund policy, Nov 9, 2026.
Prices checked Nov 9, 2026, in US dollars. The provider's checkout shows today's price before you pay.
How much data do you need for a trip across Asia?
Hostels and guesthouses almost all have Wi-Fi, so the data goes on travel days: maps, ride apps and booking the next bed. The data calculator adds it up for your route.
A day of Grab rides and Google Maps around Bangkok
about 0.2 GBPhotos and clips sent home from Angkor Wat or Ha Long Bay
up to about 1 GBAn evening of HD video while the rain falls in Bali
about 6 GBBest eSIM for Asia with unlimited data
Ubigi is the only one with no unlimited plan here; the other four differ in how much full-speed data you get each day.
| Plan | Full speed a day | Price | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 2 GBthen 1 Mbps | $29.0010 days | Allowed |
| Airalo | 3 GBthen 1 Mbps | $35.0010 days | Not stated |
| Holafly | No cap | $37.5010 days | 1 GB a day |
| Saily | 5 GB | $38.9910 days | Not stated |
Unlimited earns its price on video days. For 10 days, Nomad gives 2 GB a day at full speed for $29.00, Airalo 3 GB for $35.00 and Saily 5 GB for $38.99. Holafly sets no daily limit, at $37.50. If 10 GB covers your ten days, Airalo's fixed plan saves $11.00.
Working from Chiang Mai or Canggu, laptop tethered to your phone: Nomad's 20 GB, 45 days at $35.00 allows hotspot use and outlasts a month. Need Cambodia or India too? Ubigi's 25 GB, 30 days costs $44.00, with tethering unrestricted.
Which countries each Asia eSIM covers
A regional plan is only as good as its country list. The five here range from 14 to 22 countries, and the gaps fall on classic routes.
| eSIM | Countries | Cambodia, Laos, South Asia |
|---|---|---|
| Saily | 22 | All of them |
| Airalo | 18 | All of them |
| Ubigi | 17 | All but Bangladesh |
| Holafly | 16 | No India or Bangladesh |
| Nomad | 14 | None of them |
The Southeast Asia loop of Bangkok, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang and Hanoi needs Cambodia and Laos, which rules out Nomad. Japan and South Korea are on every list. Nepal and Mongolia are on none of the five plans above; Ubigi sells a wider Asia plan that includes both, at a higher price. Inside each country, Airalo uses Thailand's three networks (AIS, dtac and True), Viettel in Vietnam and Cellcard or Metfone in Cambodia. Nomad's Vietnam plan runs on MobiFone and Vietnamobile instead of Viettel.
How to set up an eSIM for Asia
A flight from the US to Tokyo runs 11 hours or more, and the arrival hall is no place to type a code, so the install happens at home.
1The week before
Check that your phone is unlocked
Your carrier has to release the phone before it accepts a foreign line. Still paying it off? Ask them before the trip. Not sure your model takes an eSIM? Here is the list.
2Before you leave home
Install Airalo once, on Wi-Fi
Scan the QR code or install from Airalo's app on your home Wi-Fi, name the line "Asia", and leave it off for the flight. That single install carries you through every border on the plan; there is no new code in each country.
3Once you land in Bangkok, Tokyo or Seoul
Switch data to the Asia line
In Settings > Cellular, choose the Asia line for Cellular Data and turn on its Data Roaming. AIS, dtac or True shows up in Bangkok, KDDI or SoftBank in Tokyo. After a land border, if no network appears within a few minutes, switch Airplane mode on and off.
Keep Data Roaming off on your US line for the whole trip. On a carrier day pass, one background sync starts a $12 day, and every day after that is billed the same way. Ten days at that rate come to $120.
Before you go to Asia
Get Grab before Southeast Asia
Grab runs rides and food delivery in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia. Install it and sign in at home, while your US number still receives the text code.
Staying a month in one country?
A regional plan pays off when you cross borders. For three weeks in Japan or a month in South Korea, the country's own plan usually costs less, Ubigi's 10 GB in Korea at about $14.00: see Japan and South Korea.
Asia eSIM for calls and data
These are data-only lines. Hosts in Thailand and Japan answer on LINE, in Korea on KakaoTalk, so install both before you fly. Your US line, with roaming off, still gets bank texts.
Asia eSIM questions
Which eSIM is the best in Asia?
Airalo's Asialink, at about $24.00 for 10 GB, 15 days in 18 countries, with strong local networks such as AIS in Thailand and Viettel in Vietnam. If you stay in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia, Nomad's plan costs less.
What is the best travel SIM card for Asia?
For most trips, a regional eSIM you install at home: one line works in every country on the route, so there is no new SIM to buy at each border. If you stay a month in one country, that country's own plan is usually cheaper. See South Korea, Japan or India.
Is Holafly or Airalo better for Asia?
Airalo for most travelers: 10 GB costs about $24.00 and covers India too. Holafly fits heavy streamers, with no published daily cap, at about $37.50 for 10 days.