Short answer: for a trade fair trip to one country, a country eSIM from Saily or Airalo is the cheapest way to stay online, and 5 GB, at about $8 to $14, is a sensible size for a week of maps, messaging and email. If you send photos and video all day, Holafly’s unlimited plans save you from watching the meter. Jump to your destination below, or see the price table first.
VPN Life is run by SNI, a joint venture of two Japanese companies, Water X Technologies and New Connections. New Connections supports companies exhibiting at trade shows in Asia, so we wrote this guide for people heading to a fair rather than for holidaymakers. Prices below are the providers’ own, checked on their official sites on October 25, 2026. We earn a commission from Saily, Airalo and Holafly when you buy through our links, and we mark those links as affiliate links.
- Saily, Airalo and Holafly prices for 10 Asian destinations, side by side
- Our own speed tests from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines
- The main exhibition venues in each country, and what to check before a fair
Already know which provider you want? These are the eSIMs we recommend (affiliate links):
eSIM Prices at a Glance: 10 Asian Destinations
A trade fair trip usually means four to seven days on the ground. This table compares the plans that fit that best: 5 GB valid for 30 days from Saily and Airalo, and Holafly’s 7-day unlimited plan.
| Destination | Saily 5 GB / 30 days | Airalo 5 GB / 30 days | Holafly Unlimited / 7 days |
| Hong Kong | $11.99 | $12.00 | $27.90 |
| Taiwan | $11.99 | $12.00 | $27.90 |
| South Korea | $10.99 | $11.00 | $27.50 |
| Thailand | $7.99 | $8.00 | $27.50 |
| Vietnam | $10.99 | $11.00 | $27.50 |
| Singapore | $9.99 | $10.00 | $27.50 |
| Malaysia | $12.99 | $12.00 | $27.50 |
| Indonesia | $13.99 | $13.50 | $27.50 |
| Philippines | $11.99 | $12.00 | $27.50 |
| India | $13.99 | $14.00 | $39.50 |
Prices in US dollars from each provider’s official site on October 25, 2026. Prices change often, so check the final price at checkout. Each country section below also lists the smallest and largest plans. Holafly sells only unlimited plans, so its rows show only the 7-day price.
Our Own Speed Tests in Asia
Our team tested several of these eSIMs on the ground and first published the screenshots on our Japanese sister site, International eSIM Guide. Speeds were measured with the USEN Speed Test, and the IP address with our own IP checker.
| Where | eSIM | Download | Upload | Ping | IP address in |
| Hong Kong | Saily | 21.42 Mbps | 1.41 Mbps | 140 ms | Singapore |
| Hong Kong | Airalo | 24.40 Mbps | 0.30 Mbps | 177 ms | Hong Kong |
| Hong Kong | Holafly | 70.08 Mbps | 66.58 Mbps | 81 ms | Spain |
| Taiwan | Saily | 52.59 Mbps | 17.01 Mbps | 119 ms | Hong Kong |
| South Korea | Saily | 12.94 Mbps | 11.16 Mbps | 303 ms | Australia |
| Thailand | Saily | 48.78 Mbps | 16.56 Mbps | 166 ms | Hong Kong |
| Vietnam | Saily | 36.08 Mbps | 3.59 Mbps | 147 ms | Singapore |
| Philippines | Saily | 51.55 Mbps | 3.91 Mbps | 126 ms | Singapore |
| Philippines | Holafly | 13.88 Mbps | 4.75 Mbps | 131 ms | Spain |
The IP address shows where your traffic leaves for the internet, not where you are standing. In Hong Kong, the fastest result came from Holafly, routed through Spain, while Airalo, the only one with a local Hong Kong address, measured about 24 Mbps. Speed depends more on how much capacity a provider has bought than on the exit country. Every result above was fast enough for maps, messaging and email. The one exception for video was Holafly in the Philippines: at 13.88 Mbps, web pages and messages were fine but video was a little sluggish.
What a Trade Fair Trip Needs from an eSIM
- Enough data for the busy days. Maps, messaging, translation apps and sending product photos to colleagues add up quickly. A 1 GB plan can run out on the first day of a fair, so size up if you will share a lot of photos and video.
- Know the limits of “unlimited”. Saily’s unlimited plans run at full speed for 5 GB a day (3 GB in India), then slow to about 1 Mbps. Airalo’s slow to 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day (5 GB in Thailand). Holafly’s plans are unlimited, with hotspot sharing limited to 1 GB a day.
- Hotspot, if you work on a laptop. Saily and Holafly allow hotspot use (Holafly up to 1 GB a day); Airalo’s country pages do not say. If you need your laptop online at the booth all day, a large fixed plan from Saily is the safer choice.
- Install before you fly. Add the eSIM at home on your own Wi-Fi and switch it on when you land. Hotel and venue Wi-Fi is often busy during big fairs.
- Keep your home line on for codes. Leave your home SIM active for calls, texts and two-factor codes, set the eSIM as your data line, and turn off data roaming on the home line.
Best eSIM for Hong Kong
Most fairs are held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with a few at AsiaWorld-Expo next to the airport. Google, WhatsApp and Gmail work normally in Hong Kong, so you do not need a VPN there. The Hong Kong plans below do not cover mainland China: if you are taking the train to the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, add a China eSIM or choose one of the regional plans further down, which include the mainland.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $11.99 | $36.99 | $26.99 | HKT (Hong Kong Telecommunications) |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $12.00 | $29.00 | $26.50 | — |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.90 | — |
Check current plans: Saily Hong Kong eSIM · Airalo Hong Kong eSIM · Holafly Hong Kong eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Taiwan
Most fairs are in Taipei, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and the Taipei World Trade Center, with others in Taichung and Kaohsiung.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $11.99 | $30.99 | $26.99 | Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $12.00 | $29.00 | $27.00 | Taiwan Mobile |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.90 | — |
Check current plans: Saily Taiwan eSIM · Airalo Taiwan eSIM · Holafly Taiwan eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for South Korea
The main venues are COEX in Seoul, KINTEX in Goyang just northwest of Seoul, and BEXCO in Busan. The plans below are data only. If you need a Korean phone number, you will need a local SIM.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $10.99 | $29.99 | $26.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $11.00 | $30.00 | $29.00 | SK |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | SK Telecom, LGU+ |
Check current plans: Saily South Korea eSIM · Airalo South Korea eSIM · Holafly South Korea eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Thailand
Bangkok has three big venues: BITEC in Bang Na, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani north of the city, and the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in the center.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $2.99 (7 days) | $7.99 | $19.99 | $20.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $8.00 | $18.00 | $21.00 | True, AIS |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | True / DTAC |
Check current plans: Saily Thailand eSIM · Airalo Thailand eSIM · Holafly Thailand eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Vietnam
Most fairs in Ho Chi Minh City are at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC). In Hanoi, look for I.C.E. Hanoi and NECC.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $10.99 | $28.99 | $26.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $11.00 | $29.00 | $27.00 | VNPT |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | GPC Vinaphone (VNPT) |
Check current plans: Saily Vietnam eSIM · Airalo Vietnam eSIM · Holafly Vietnam eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Singapore
Fairs are held at Singapore EXPO near Changi Airport and at Marina Bay Sands in the city center.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $9.99 | $22.99 | $26.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $10.00 | $23.00 | $27.00 | Singtel, M1 |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | Singtel |
Check current plans: Saily Singapore eSIM · Airalo Singapore eSIM · Holafly Singapore eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Malaysia
In Kuala Lumpur, the main venues are the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $12.99 | $35.99 | $26.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $12.00 | $32.00 | $27.00 | Maxis |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | Celcom / Digi |
Check current plans: Saily Malaysia eSIM · Airalo Malaysia eSIM · Holafly Malaysia eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for Indonesia
Jakarta fairs are held at Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) in Kemayoran and at NICE in PIK 2. Surabaya has Grand City Convention & Exhibition.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $4.79 (7 days) | $13.99 | $35.99 | $26.99 | Telkomsel |
| Airalo | $4.50 (3 days) | $13.50 | $35.00 | $27.00 | INDOSAT OOREDOO, Telkomsel |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | XL (Excelcom) / Telkomsel |
Check current plans: Saily Indonesia eSIM · Airalo Indonesia eSIM · Holafly Indonesia eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for the Philippines
Manila fairs are mostly at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay, Metro Manila.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $11.99 | $29.99 | $26.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $12.00 | $30.00 | $27.00 | Smart |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $27.50 | Globe |
Check current plans: Saily Philippines eSIM · Airalo Philippines eSIM · Holafly Philippines eSIM (affiliate links)
Best eSIM for India
The big venues are Bharat Mandapam (Pragati Maidan) and Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, the Bombay Exhibition Centre and Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, and BIEC in Bengaluru.
| Provider | 1 GB | 5 GB / 30 days | 20 GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Network |
| Saily | $3.99 (7 days) | $13.99 | $38.99 | $38.99 | — |
| Airalo | $4.00 (3 days) | $14.00 | $38.00 | $39.50 | — |
| Holafly | — | — | — | $39.50 | Airtel India / Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited |
Check current plans: Saily India eSIM · Airalo India eSIM · Holafly India eSIM (affiliate links)
Visiting Several Countries? Regional Asia Plans
If one trip takes in two or more of these countries, a regional plan can be simpler than buying one eSIM per country. All three below also cover mainland China. Check that every country on your route is on the list before you buy.
| Provider | Plan | Destinations in this guide | Mainland China | From |
| Saily | Asia and Oceania | All 10 | Included | 1 GB / 7 days: $4.99 |
| Airalo | Asia (Asialink) | All 10 | Included | 1 GB / 3 days: $4.00 |
| Holafly | Asia | Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines (not India) | Included | Unlimited / 1 day: $3.90 |
Going on to Mainland China?
Mainland China is different: Google, WhatsApp and Gmail are blocked on local networks and hotel Wi-Fi. The Hong Kong plans above do not cover the mainland. Many travel eSIMs for China route data through Hong Kong, which keeps those apps working. See our China eSIM guide, and if you will also rely on hotel Wi-Fi, our tested VPNs for China. Not sure which you need? Read VPN vs. eSIM for China travel.
FAQ
- Do these eSIMs give me a local phone number?
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No. All the plans in this guide are data only. You can still call and message over apps like WhatsApp, and your home number keeps working for texts if your phone supports two lines.
- Is it worth buying an eSIM for a two-day fair?
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Usually yes. The 1 GB plans start at $2.99 to $4.79 depending on the country, and you avoid queuing for a SIM card at the airport or paying daily roaming fees to your home carrier.