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The Fine Print, Decoded
| Provider | Advertised | High-Speed Allowance | After That |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Unlimited | 3GB/day | ~1 Mbps |
| Saily | Unlimited | Daily fair-use threshold (check current terms) | Reduced speed |
| Yesim | Unlimited | Fair-use threshold (check current terms) | Reduced speed |
| Drimsim | Pay-per-MB (no "unlimited" plan) | No cap — you pay for what you use | N/A |
| AIS Tourist SIM | Unlimited | No cap | Full speed |
| True Tourist SIM | Unlimited | No cap (most tiers) | Full speed |
What 3GB/Day Actually Gets You
- ✅ Unlimited messaging, maps, browsing, social media
- ✅ ~1 hour of HD video streaming
- ✅ ~6 hours of navigation
- ❌ All-day laptop tethering (you'll hit the cap by afternoon)
- ❌ 4K streaming or big uploads
At 1Mbps throttled speed: messaging and maps still work. Video calls stutter. Streaming buffers. It's usable, not comfortable.
Who Should Buy "Unlimited" vs Fixed Data?
Buy unlimited if: you tether a laptop, stream daily, or just don't want to think about it → Yesim from $1.68/day or Airalo 10-day unlimited $31 — but read the fair-use terms first
Buy fixed data if: you're a normal tourist (maps + social + photos). 10GB/30 days for ~$11 (Airalo) covers most 1–2 week trips. Check Saily's current plans too.
Buy pay-per-MB if: you're a light user who hates choosing plans → Drimsim (€10 eSIM, ~€0.01/MB, no throttle because there's no bundle to throttle)
Buy a Thai carrier SIM if: you want genuinely unlimited max-speed data → AIS 8 days 499 THB (~$15) at 7-Eleven or the airport, Thai number included.
Checklist Before You Buy Any "Unlimited" Plan
- Find the high-speed allowance (GB/day) — not the headline
- Find the throttled speed — 1Mbps vs 512Kbps is a big difference
- Check hotspot rules — some plans restrict tethering
- Check the refund policy — Saily gives 30 days, Airalo 14 days, Yesim offers a 100% refund guarantee
Checked October 2026. Carriers change fair-use terms — verify before buying.