We've tested six eSIM providers across Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia in the last four months. Here's the honest summary of what worked, what didn't, and what we'd recommend for a family relying on data daily.
Why eSIM over local SIM?
For long-term travel with kids, the constant friction of finding a SIM shop, getting documents translated, and re-registering with each border crossing adds up. eSIMs trade a small price premium for being able to install a working data plan in five minutes from your hotel room.
Our top picks
For most families travelling Southeast Asia, the answer is one of two:
Airalo — the most reliable, best-supported, and easiest to use. Slightly more expensive per GB than the alternatives but rarely caused us problems. Their regional Asialink plan covers 14 countries with a single eSIM.
Saily — newer, often noticeably cheaper, and the family plans are genuinely good value if you have multiple phones. Performance has been solid across the three countries we've tested.
What didn't work
We tried two other providers that we'll politely decline to name. Both had inconsistent network coverage in rural Cambodia and Vietnam, and customer support was effectively non-existent when activation issues came up.
The full breakdown of speeds, prices per GB, and country-by-country reliability is in our comprehensive Southeast Asia eSIM guide — but the short answer for families is: stick with Airalo or Saily and don't experiment.
