Airport Wi-Fi will not get you through the taxi queue, and a Krabi week without maps is how you climb into the wrong longtail. I read Yesim, Saily and Airalo on 27 October 2026 and kept only prices that were on their own Thailand pages. A local AIS, True or dtac tourist SIM is the option that is not an affiliate link, if you want a Thai phone number. I am not quoting a shop price for that. The AIS tourist page was on a maintenance notice when I opened it.
Quick facts
Read 27 October 2026, on each provider’s Thailand page. The Airalo fixed-data prices are from Airalo’s Thailand package feed the same day. The unlimited Airalo prices are from the public Thailand eSIM page.
- My pick: Airalo Maew, 10 GB, 30 days, $11.00 ($1.10/GB). True and AIS. The package says it covers Krabi and Phi Phi.
- Smallest 30-day plan I could read: Saily, 3 GB, $5.99 (about $2.00/GB).
- Lowest price per GB I could read: Yesim, 50 GB, 30 days, $40.80 ($0.82/GB).
- Local SIM: AIS, True and dtac sell tourist SIMs and want a passport. No baht figure on this page, because I could not re-read a live price.
The plans I could actually read
Airalo
Airalo’s Thailand plan is called Maew. It is data only, on True and AIS, and the feed marks both as 5G. The package note says it covers the mainland and islands, including Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Phi Phi. That is the line that makes it my Krabi pick. The other two Thailand pages I read do not name Krabi.
The clock starts the first time the eSIM connects. You have 365 days to install it. Top-ups are in the Airalo app, and the package is marked rechargeable. These are the fixed plans in the feed:
| Plan | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB, 7 days | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| 2 GB, 15 days | $5.50 | $2.75 |
| 3 GB, 30 days | $6.00 | $2.00 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | $8.00 | $1.60 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | $11.00 | $1.10 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | $18.00 | $0.90 |
The public Thailand page also lists unlimited data: $9.50 for 3 days, $15 for 5, $21 for 7, $31 for 10, $39 for 15 and $49 for 30. On the 10-day unlimited package, the feed says speed drops to 1 Mbps after 5 GB in a day. Airalo’s general unlimited policy says the default cap is 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps, unless the package prints a different number. I am quoting the 5 GB line only for the 10-day package, because that is the one that printed it.
Airalo’s unlimited policy says you can use the phone as a personal hotspot. The fixed Maew packages I read do not repeat a hotspot line. Look at the plan screen before you pay if the laptop is coming with you.
Saily
Saily’s Thailand page starts at US$2.99. The cheapest plan they spell out is 1 GB for 7 days at $2.99. The cheapest 30-day plan they spell out is 3 GB for $5.99, which is $2.00 a GB if you split it evenly. Unlimited for 15 days is $38.99, with 5 GB a day at full speed and then up to 1 Mbps.
Hotspot on that page is “unlimited access with no restrictions.” Top up in the Saily app. The plan turns on when you arrive, if the eSIM is switched on and data roaming is enabled. You have 180 days to do that. After 180 days they activate it for you. Calls and texts need a separate Saily number plan. The data plan is data. You can still call on WhatsApp.
The coverage line says Thailand, and it names Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. It does not name Krabi. I would still expect a Thailand plan to work in Ao Nang. I will not pretend the page promised the Phi Phi boat.
Yesim
Yesim’s Thailand page is data only. These are the 30-day fixed plans printed on it. The crossed-out higher numbers are Yesim’s own “before” prices. I am using the price you would pay.
| Plan | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB, 30 days | $3.12 | $3.12 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | $8.40 | $1.68 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | $13.20 | $1.32 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | $20.40 | $1.02 |
| 30 GB, 30 days | $27.60 | $0.92 |
| 50 GB, 30 days | $40.80 | $0.82 |
The page marks 30 GB as the popular one. Validity starts when the eSIM connects to a compatible network. Buy it within 180 days of purchase or that window closes. Top-up is available. Yesim says speed can be limited under the operator’s fair-use policy, and it does not print a daily gigabyte cap, so I am not inventing one.
Hotspot is the messy bit. Next to the plan details, Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator. Further down, the same page says you can share the data with other devices. I would trust the plan-details line. Turn the hotspot on in the hotel before you promise anyone a laptop connection.
The city list is Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen and a run of other towns, then “other cities in Thailand.” Krabi is not named.
A local SIM, if you want a Thai number
AIS, True and dtac sell tourist SIMs. They are the right buy when a boat office or a resort will only answer a Thai number, and they usually want your passport at the counter. That is a normal shop purchase. It is not an affiliate link from this page.
I am not putting a baht price next to it. I opened the AIS tourist plan page on 27 October 2026 and got a maintenance notice, so a remembered fare would be a guess. Read the card at the airport desk or at a shop in Ao Nang. The travel eSIM is the one you can install on the sofa before the flight. The local SIM is the one you buy after you land.
How I would set it up
Saily says the phone has to be eSIM-compatible and unlocked. Install on Wi-Fi at home, while you still have a connection that is not the arrivals hall. Leave the travel line off until you are on the ground in Thailand, then turn it on and allow roaming on that line only.
That matches the three clocks I read. Airalo and Yesim start on first use. Saily starts when you arrive with the eSIM on and roaming enabled. Turning it on in your kitchen, on your home SIM, is the mistake. The airport transfer guide is the next tab: shuttle desk, taxi counter, and what to ignore on the way out.
Which should I buy?
A normal beach week, with maps, Grab when it feels like showing up, and photos that are not a movie: Airalo, 10 GB, $11. The package names Krabi.
Mostly hotel Wi-Fi, and you want the smallest 30-day bill I could verify: Saily, 3 GB, $5.99.
A laptop on the hotspot, or a long stay: Yesim, 20 GB at $20.40 or 50 GB at $40.80. Cheaper per gigabyte, with the hotspot caveat above. If the hotspot fails on day one, Airalo’s 10 GB is the backup I would already have screenshotted.
Once the phone works, the ride is the other half of landing. Shared shuttle, taxi counter and pre-booked cars are in the Krabi airport transfer guide. Songthaews and the Railay longtail are in getting around Krabi.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best eSIM for Krabi?
Airalo’s 10 GB Maew plan, $11 for 30 days. It names Krabi and Phi Phi and uses True and AIS. Saily’s 3 GB plan is $5.99 if you will live on hotel Wi-Fi. Yesim wins on price per GB once the plan is 20 GB or bigger.
How much does a Thailand eSIM cost?
Read 27 Oct 2026. Airalo fixed plans were $4 (1 GB, 7 days) up to $18 (20 GB, 30 days). Saily was $2.99 for 1 GB over 7 days and $5.99 for 3 GB over 30 days. Yesim’s 30-day plans were $3.12 for 1 GB up to $40.80 for 50 GB.
Can I hotspot?
Saily says yes, with no separate cap. Yesim says it depends on the operator. Airalo allows a hotspot on unlimited plans. The fixed Maew packages do not repeat that line, so check before you buy.
Does it work on Phi Phi?
Airalo’s Maew text says Krabi and Phi Phi are covered. Saily and Yesim did not name either place on the pages I read. Download the return boat time before you leave the beach anyway. Signal on the water is a different question from a plan name.
Local SIM or eSIM?
eSIM if you want maps in the arrivals hall. Local AIS, True or dtac SIM if you need a Thai number. No shop price on this page. The AIS tourist page was down for maintenance on 27 Oct 2026.
When do I install it?
At home, on Wi-Fi. Turn the travel line on after you land. Airalo and Yesim bill the days from first connection. Saily starts on arrival if roaming is enabled.
