Wasted $40 on a global SIM card that barely worked in Thailand

I grabbed a $40 global SIM from an airport kiosk before flying to Chiang Mai, thinking it would save me hassle finding local options. Turns out the data speeds were so slow I couldn't even load Google Maps, let alone join a video call for a client. Anyone else had bad luck with those universal SIM cards or found a better way to stay connected abroad?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisab325d ago

Look, local SIMs are definitely cheap but that $40 global card might have been fine if you'd checked the fine print before buying. A lot of those universal SIMs throttle speeds after you hit a certain data cap, even if they claim "unlimited" data. For Chiang Mai specifically, I'd argue the bigger problem was probably the network congestion in tourist areas rather than the SIM itself. The TrueMove and AIS towers get slammed in places like Nimman. If you're doing video calls for clients, you really need to research what carrier has the best coverage for your specific locations, not just grab whichever card is at the counter. That said, I've had decent luck with Airalo eSIMs for short trips but only when I manually switched the network to AIS in the settings.

lisab325d ago

Stick to local SIMs once you're there. They're way cheaper and actually work.

kevin_williams3d ago

You guys ever have one of those moments where you realize you've been overcomplicating something for years? Because I used to be all about those global SIMs and eSIMs thinking local ones were a hassle, but this thread honestly changed my mind.