Mobile data in Laos is cheap and far more dependable than café Wi-Fi, and almost everything useful — LOCA and KOKKOK Move, LAO QR payments through your banking app, the LCR train app, Google Translate, maps — needs it. Sort it out before or at arrival. Here is how the options compare.
The carriers
Unitel has the widest coverage and is the usual pick for travelers, including outside the cities and on the train line. Lao Telecom (LTC) is the other major network and is fine for Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang. ETL and TPLUS are smaller. Both big carriers sell tourist SIMs that are registered on the spot with your passport.
Tourist packages (physical SIM)
Both Unitel and Lao Telecom sell tourist bundles in similar tiers: around 10 GB for 5 days, 15 GB for 15 days, and 30 GB for 30 days, priced from roughly 80,000 to 125,000 kip at the time of writing, with a small charge for the SIM itself. Regular monthly data bundles for locals are also available if you stay longer. Prices change, so treat these as a guide and read the board at the counter.
Where to buy a SIM
Arrivals at Wattay airport has carrier counters; staff insert and activate the SIM and register your passport in a few minutes. Counters also exist at the Friendship Bridge border and in carrier shops and many minimarts in town, where prices are the same or lower than at the airport. Bring your passport — registration is required.
eSIM: local or international
Local-carrier eSIMs are still hard to get in person; the airport counters generally sell physical SIMs only, although carriers advertise eSIM plans online. International travel eSIM providers sell Laos data plans (often running on Unitel's network) that you install before you fly and that connect the moment you land. They cost more per gigabyte than a local SIM but save the queue, keep your home number active, and suit trips of a few days. Check that your phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked.
Which to choose
Short trip, eSIM-capable phone, want to be online on the taxiway: international eSIM. Ten days or more, heavy data, or you need a Lao number for LOCA, LCR, or WhatsApp verification: local physical SIM, ideally Unitel. Dual-SIM phone: do both — eSIM for arrival, local SIM once you are in town.
Setting it up
Keep your home SIM's roaming off to avoid surprise charges. Turn on data for the Lao SIM only, and enable Wi-Fi calling for your home number if your carrier supports it. Download offline maps and the Lao pack for Google Translate before you leave home, so a weak signal never leaves you stuck.
Coverage reality
4G is solid in Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang and along the railway. In the mountains and on rivers around Vang Vieng, signal drops in and out regardless of carrier — plan for it on day trips.