Laos eSIM

How Laos works on our eSIM

Laos doesn’t have its own plan in our shop. It’s covered by the Asia eSIM, which also works in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and 12 more countries. For most travellers that’s a bonus rather than a compromise: almost nobody visits Laos alone. You come in from Thailand over the Friendship Bridge or by slow boat, or from Vietnam, and you leave the same way.

The buy box on this page sells the Asia eSIM. Prefer more countries? Asia 28 also covers Laos, plus places like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Australia.

Where you’ll have signal

On the Asia eSIM, Laos runs on ETL and Lao Telecom. They don’t reach as far as Unitel, the network with the widest coverage outside the cities, and Unitel isn’t on this plan. We’d rather tell you that here than have you find out in Nong Khiaw.

What that means on the ground:

• Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng: you’ll be fine in town.
• The slow boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang: long stretches without signal on any network. Download offline maps, music and your guesthouse booking before you board.
• The far north and the Plain of Jars: patchy at best, on every network. Plan as if you’ll be offline between towns.

How much data for Laos

Laos is a slower country, and your phone use usually follows. A week of normal use comes to about 4 GB; two weeks to about 8 or 9. If Laos is part of a bigger trip, size the plan for the whole trip, not just Laos. The table above has today’s prices.

One thing to know: the Asia plan stops when the data is used up. It doesn’t slow down. If you’re in doubt, take the next size up.

The route through Laos

Most people do Laos as part of the Banana Pancake Trail: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. That page compares one eSIM for the whole loop with separate ones, at today’s prices.

Sources: on networks and coverage in Laos, operator comparisons on internetlaos.com and Hanoi Voyage. Networks and plans come from our own catalogue.