Laos eSIM

Staying connected in Laos

Many trips to Laos link Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, often by the Laos–China Railway, while others cross from Thailand at Huay Xai for the two-day slow boat down the Mekong. Install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you land. AirOva sells Laos plans from $1.99, with a fixed amount of data or unlimited, all data only, with no call minutes, SMS or local phone number.

Which Laos plan to choose

GB plans suit most trips, since maps, messaging and booking apps take little data, and run on Lao Telecom. Unlimited plans give unlimited data with no data cap and no fair-usage limit, priced by the number of days, and run on Lao Telecom. Each plan card shows whether it is listed as 4G or 5G; on a 5G plan, expect 4G, with 5G where available.

Laos's networks and 5G

Our plans run on Lao Telecom. Lao Telecom, the incumbent operator, is 51% owned by the Lao government, and its rival Unitel is not on our plans. 5G arrived in parts of Vientiane in September 2020, and by the end of 2024 it was offered at selected spots in Luang Prabang, Champassak, Bokeo and Savannakhet too, not across whole provinces.

Arriving in Vientiane or Luang Prabang

Wattay International (VTE), the main gateway, is 3 km from central Vientiane, and Luang Prabang International (LPQ), the second busiest airport, lies about 4 km from the town centre. UK travel advice says you must complete the Lao Digital Immigration Form online within 3 days before arrival, so do it at home on Wi-Fi. After landing, switch on the eSIM line, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line.

Railway, river and rainy season

The Laos–China Railway, open since December 2021, runs almost half its length through 75 tunnels, so download what you need before boarding. The slow boats between Huay Xai, on the Thai border, and Luang Prabang take two days with a night in Pakbeng, and we cannot confirm coverage on the river. UK travel advice says that in the rainy season, from May to October, cross-country journeys can take much longer than scheduled and have limited mobile coverage, and that unexploded weapons remain a hazard, so keep to main routes in rural areas.

Tip: crossing the Friendship Bridge into Thailand or travelling on to Vietnam? A Laos plan works in Laos only, so add a plan for the next country; more in our Laos eSIM guide.