Thailand, Laos, Thailand: Using Several eSIMs on One Trip

Short answer: no single eSIM covers both Thailand and Laos, so a Thailand, Laos, Thailand trip means three plans and three QR codes. Each plan only starts when it first connects in its own country. Keep the QR codes in your email and install each plan when you need it.

Which plan works where

Plan coverage comes from our catalog: Thailand plans connect to TrueMove H in Thailand only, and Laos plans connect to Unitel in Laos only. The regional plans don’t bridge the gap either. The 15-country Asia plan includes Thailand but not Laos, and the 30+ country Asia plan includes Laos but not Thailand. Plan lengths and prices are on the Thailand and Laos pages (checked 2026-11-03).

For a route like Thailand 12 to 19 November, Laos 19 to 28 November, Thailand 28 November to 6 December, that means one Thailand plan, one Laos plan and a second Thailand plan.

One QR code per plan

You receive one QR code per plan, by email after payment. You don’t have to install them together. Install the first, use it, and move on to the next when you change country.

When each plan starts

The validity countdown starts when the eSIM first connects to a network in its own country, not when you buy it and not when you install it. A Laos plan sitting on your phone in Thailand therefore does nothing. The Thailand TrueMove plans give you 180 days to make that first connection and the Laos Unitel plans give you 365 days (catalog, 2026-11-03), so buying ahead costs you nothing.

Border spill-over: don’t let a plan start early

Networks cross borders. Travellers on the Tripadvisor Laos forum describe Thai phones picking up signal from the other bank of the Mekong, and the same works the other way, so a Laos plan can connect to Unitel while you are still on the Thai side. In places like Vientiane, a plan that is installed and switched on near the river can connect to a neighbouring network and start its days.

To stay safe:

1. Keep every QR code in your email until you need it.
2. Install a plan on Wi-Fi shortly before you arrive in that country.
3. Switch only the plan you are using on for mobile data.

Buying the second Thailand plan while you’re in Laos

Nothing stops you doing this. The QR code arrives by email, so keep it there and install it on Wi-Fi at your Laos hotel or the airport shortly before your flight back to Thailand. It starts when it first connects to a Thai network.

Deleting an active eSIM is final

Once a plan is active, deleting it from your phone is final: we cannot restore it, even if it still has days or data left. Thailand TrueMove eSIMs cannot be reinstalled. A Laos Unitel eSIM can be reinstalled up to 5 times in total, for example after a phone change. Keep each plan on your phone until its days have run out and only then delete it. If you only want to stop using a plan for a while, switch its line off instead of deleting it.

Choosing plan sizes

Take the longer plan if your dates are tight: the days count from the first connection in each country. For data, Google Maps navigation is light and video is what uses real data. Thailand’s 8-day plan is unlimited at full speed, and the 7-day plan gives 35GB at full speed and then stays unlimited at a 1 Mbps minimum, which is fine for maps and messaging but not for HD video. Laos plans have a fixed data allowance and the data stops when it is used up, with no slow-speed fallback; current sizes are on the Laos page.