Asia tours may give you an opportunity to travel to several countries at one package and stay connected to the rest of the world is really important. And when you travel to Las, it is not an exception. However, what is the best Cambodia SIM card and how to get it? No need to worry, with our most updated guidance, stable internet connection, and mobile network is in the palm of your hand.
Just like other countries, Laos has witnessed a good development in telecommunication infrastructure during the last 20 years. Because of this, nowadays, anybody with a valid ID number can easily purchase a SIM card and use mobile and Internet service. The country has launched 4G/LTE since 2014 and right now most of the big cities and provincial centers are now covered.
Where to buy a Laos SIM card?
Travelers landing at Wattay International Airport can buy a prepaid SIM card after immigration and baggage claim, at a Laos telecom kiosk. But if your plane lands at night time, it is likely that it will already be closed.
There are a lot of stores that sell SIM card in every big street so you will have more options to choose from. Official retail stores of mobile network operators are recommended because the staff here are very helpful. Normally, the salesperson at the shop that you purchase the SIM will gladly help you with the process of registration and activate the card.
The last option is to buy it in any convenience store that you can find and there are plenty of them in tourist destinations and crowded residential areas.
Laos mobile network providers
New laws and regulations by the Laos government put control of the price of mobile network and Internet use on all operators. As a result, there is not much of a difference between the prices of these companies. What users should really care about in order to find the most suitable SIM card is their coverage based on your destination.
Here are a few main operators in Laos: Unitel, Lao Telecom, Beeline, ETL, … Their coverage varies with locations. But generally, Unitel is said to be the best with most of the country is covered. If you travel to distant places far from the cities, especially in the North, expect to suffer a bad connection. Some locals will use dual SIM phones in case one of the SIM has no signal.
We provide you with some suggestions below:
Unitel – the largest telecom operator in Laos
The SIM card will cost 10,000 kips (~US$ 1,15). With that, you will have 15,000 kips and 200 MB to surf. You can choose data packages for a day or 30 days. For example, 60 MB usable in 24 hours for 2000 kip or 3 GB use in 30 days for 100,000 kips.
| Duration | Data | Price | Code |
| 24 hours | 25 MB | 1,000 kip | *209*1# |
| 60 MB | 2,000 kip | *209*2# | |
| 125 MB | 5,000 kip | *209*3# | |
| 30 days | 270 MB | 10,000 kip | *209*4# |
| 1.5 GB | 50,000 kip | *209*7# | |
| 3 GB | 100,000 kip | *209*8# | |
| 4 GB | 120,000 kip | *209*9# |
If you pass the limit of a daily package, you will be charged 300 kip/MB. The code to cancel any package is *209*0#.
If you prefer a data-only SIM, buy Unitel NET SIM for 10,000 kips with 300 MB. You can buy extra data with their packages as below.
| Limit | Data | Price | Code |
| 24 hours | 1.24 MB | 5,000 kip | *209*21# |
| 2 days | 6 GB | 10,000 kip | *209*30# |
| 3 days | 5 GB | 10,000 kip | *209*33# |
| 5 days | 2 GB | 10,000 kip | *203*22# |
| 7 days | 1.5 GB | 10,000 kip | *209*23# |
| 30 days | 5 GB | 50,000 kip | *209*24# |
| 12 GB | 120,000 kip | *209*25# | |
| 30 GB | 200,000 kip | *209*32# | |
| 60 GB | 300,000 kip | *209*28# |
The code to cancel is *209*0#.
Lao Telecom
LaoTel provides 3G access in most provinces but their 4G is only available in Vientiane. Lao Telecom is a good choice for foreigners as they provide English websites and apps.
They offer SIM card designed specifically for the need of tourists with 3 common lengths of stay.
| SIM | Price | Data | Call |
| 3 days stay | 25000 kip | 2 GB | 5 min |
| 7 days stay | 50000 kip | 5 GB | 10 min |
| 15 days stay | 100000 kip | 12 GB | 20 min |
You can easily buy top-up cards for 5000, 10000, 25000 and 50000 kips in all convenient and official stores.
Lao Telecom also provides data-only SIM cards for 10000 kips. Data packages for this type of SIM card are:
| Data | Price | Limit | Code |
|
Hard-capped |
|||
| 1 GB | 5000 | 24 hours | *131*5# |
| 1.5 GB | 10000 | 7 days | *131*10# |
| 7 GB | 50000 | 30 days | *131*6# |
|
Soft-capped |
|||
| 15 GB | 150000 | 30 days | *131*11# |
| 30 GB | 250000 | 30 days | *131*12# |
|
Add-on package |
|||
| 5 GB | 50000 | *131*21# | |
Code to top-up account balance: *121**# then
ETL
ETL is not considered a good option because their 3G coverage is bad and they have not provided the 4G network. So make sure to check for the availability of your location before buying their SIM card.
| Data | Time | Price | Activation code |
| 240 MB | 24 hours | 1,000 kip | eN1 |
| 800 MB | 5,000 kip | eN5 | |
| 1.5 GB | 7 days | 10,000 kip | eN10 |
| 5.5 GB | 30 days | 50,000 kip | eN50 |
| 12 GB | 100,000 kip | eN100 | |
| 30 GB | 200,000 kip | eN200 |
Note: Top-up card can be bought in most stores and shops. Get the serial number under the scratch part, then use the code as instructed on the card to charge that credit to your account.