HOW TO BUY A SIM CARD IN VIETNAM?

Doing research on local SIM cards before traveling to another country is a must-do because it would make your trip more convenient with easy access to local networks, to make a quick phone call or sent messages in urgent situations. Local SIM cards can be used on most unlocked phones from Europe, Asia and Australia and some unlocked phones from North America.

The SIM card itself costs 50,000 VND ($2.20), without credit.There are many types of local SIM card brands with different uses in Vietnam. In this blog, we only share the 3 main mobile internet providers in Vietnam:

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• Viettel
• Vinaphone
• MobiFone

Viettel

Viettel is owned by the Ministry of Defence and thus the Vietnamese army. It’s the market leader in Vietnam with about 40% of all customers on its network (most of them is living in the countryside or rural area). To check your balance, call: *101# for main account and *102# for bonus account. To top-up by voucher, type: *100*<voucher PIN>#. The vouchers are sold all around town, you just need to take look for the Viettel’s logo in the corner of the voucher. Be aware that Viettel sends a lot of advertising SMSs (spam).

Send: VTVANG to 109 before you leave the country. This will cost you 50.000 VND, but it keeps your card safe for 365 days without any worries.

Viettel’s 4G Data package:

Package Name Data / Month Price VND Price $ v90 60.0 GB 90,000 3.88 MIMAX70 3.0 GB 70,000 3.02 MIMAX90 5.0 GB 90,000 3.88 MIMAX125 8.0 GB 125,000 5.39 MIMAX200 15.0 GB 200,000 8.62 UMAX300 30.0 GB 300,000 12.93

To book a data package with Viettel simply send: <Packagename> via SMS to 9123

To cancel send an SMS with: HUY <Package name> to 191

Tourist SIM:

Price Data Dom.

Calls

Int.

Calls

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Validity 100,000 VND 1 GB 20 mins 10 mins 5 days 200,000 VND 2 GB 40 mins 20 mins 10 days 300,000 VND 3 GB 60 mins 30 mins 15 days 500,000 VND 5 GB 100 mins 50 mins 25 day

Vinaphone

Vinaphone has two types of packages same as mentioned above and in addition another type called “BIG DATA” packages, these will give you more 3G data than the throttled packages BUT does not offer free throttled data after you hit the limit.

To sign up to these plans by yourself, you send a text of the plan name (e.g. “MAX”) to the number “6088”. 6088 is Vinaphone’s number which automates the transaction.

Package Name Data / Month Price VND Price $ DK1 BIG70 4.8 GB 70,000 3.02 DK1 BIG90 7.0 GB 90,000 3.88 DK1 BIG120 12.0 GB 120,000 5.17 DK1 BIG200 22.0 GB 200,000 8.62 DK1 BIG300 36.0 GB 300,000 12.93

To book a data package with Viettel simply send: DK <Packagename> via SMS to 888. To cancel, send an SMS with: HUY <Packagename> to 888

For the soft-capped MAX packages, you can add the following data to avoid the throttle:

• 350 MB: 19,000 VND – activation: X19
• 550 MB: 29,000 VND – activation: X29
• 850 MB: 39,000 VND – activation: X39
• 2 GB: 49,000 VND – activation: X49

For all activations, text: ‘DK<blank><activation code>’ to 888.

For longer periods, Vinatel sells their big packages for 6 or 12 months with a discount.For shorter periods Vinatel has released these packages valid for 3G and 4G/LTE:

Data Time Price Package name 2 GB 2 hours 5,000 VND DK H5 5 GB 10,000 VND DK H10 1 GB 24 hours 5,000 VND DK D5 1.2 GB 7,000 VND DK D7 2 GB 10,000 VND DK D2 5 GB 15,000 VND DK D15 1 GB 7 days 20,000 VND DK DT20

Call: *101#. “TKC” is the official balance and the others are the promotional balances.

To top-up by voucher, type: *100*<voucher PIN>#.

Mobifone

Mobifone is the 3rd provider in the country with 18% market share. It’s in the process of privatisation. Speed and coverage are good in the centers and around the coast, but can be weak in the mountains.

The speed of the 3G network has a max. of 7.2 Mbps. The default data rate outside of packages is: 75 VND per 50 KB. This can be set by texting ‘M0’ to 999. The 3G packages can’t be used on 4G.

They have one daily package: 1.5 GB for 24 hours that costs 10,000 VND. For activation, text: ‘D10’ to 999

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This package auto-renews. To stop text: ‘HUY QT’ to 999. Furthermore, you can book these monthly 3G packages:

Monthly 3G packages: Data Price Activation Overuse 50 MB 10,000 VND M10 25 VND

per 50 KB

150 MB 25,000 VND M25 450 MB 50,000 VND M50

For activation text: <code> to 9084.

These packages can be upsized with the following data:

• 500 MB: 15,000 VND, activation: MAX15
• 1 GB: 25,000 VND, activation: MAX25
• 2 GB: 35,000 VND, activation: MAX35

To subscribe text: “DK”<blank><activation code> to 999. All packages auto-renew. To stop text: “HUY”<blank><activation code> to 999. To check data balance, text “KT DATA” to 999. All texts to 999 cost 200 VND per SMS.

4G/LTE data packages

For 4G/LTE be sure to have a new 4G-enabled SIM card. In July 2018 Mobifone has released these monthly plans for their new 4G in up to 150 Mbit/s and 3G Mobifone:

Data Price

Activation

Overuse Monthly 4G basic data packages 3.8 GB 70,000 VND HD70 throttled 5.5 GB 90,000 VND HD90 8.8 GB 120,000 VND HD120 16.5 GB 200,000 VND HD200 33 GB 300,000 VND HD300 44 GB 400,000 VND HD400 55 GB 500,000 VND HD500 Monthly 4G Data Plus packages + Call minutes 1.5 GB 70,000 VND DP70 cut-off 70 mins 2 GB 100,000 VND DP100 100 mins 3 GB 120,000 VND DP120 120 mins 4 GB 200,000 VND DP200 200 mins 6 GB 300,000 VND DP300 300 mins 9 GB 600,000 VND DP600 600 mins 15 GB 1,500,000 VND DP1500 unlimited

Activate by texting: ‘DK <code>’ to 999. To check data balance text: ‘KT DATA’ to 999. All packages auto-renew. To stop text: “HUY”<blank><activation code> to 999. Voice included in the Plus packages is domestic only for all lines.

To see your balance, call: “*101#”. “TKC” is the official balance and the others are the promotional balances. To top-up by voucher, type: *100*<voucher PIN>#.

Where can you buy SIM cards in Vietnam?

• At the Airport: After stepping off the plane, passing through the checkpoints, and picking up your baggage, you will see many booths or kiosks at the airport that are selling “the best sim card”. If you’ll buy a SIM card from a legit place in Vietnam, you will need to present your passport.
• Sim cards are also sold in grocery stores, supermarkets, at small shops on the streets, phone shops, credit kiosks etc.

Source: https://en.congthucvatly.com
Category: Technical