Can I get CommBank NetCode SMS in Thailand with an eSIM? Yes, keep your Aussie SIM on for SMS and use the eSIM for data

Yes. Keep your Australian SIM switched on for calls and SMS with data roaming off, and use a Thailand eSIM (Thai Simcard runs on AIS, TrueMove H and DTAC) for data. CommBank NetCode SMS still reaches your Australian number in Thailand, and on Telstra receiving an SMS does not trigger the $10 Day Pass. The simplest fix is to switch NetCode to CommBank app notifications, which arrive over any data connection, including the eSIM.

CommBank sends a NetCode either as an SMS or as a CommBank app notification. Its own travel page says to "make sure the device you're planning to use overseas can receive SMS or has the CommBank app installed with notifications allowed (or both)". You need a NetCode for things like an online password reset, an International Money Transfer, or adding or deleting a biller. So losing access in Thailand can lock you out of exactly the tasks you might need on a trip. Below we compare what each Australian carrier says about roaming in Thailand, using their own pages.

Australian carriers in Thailand: does a NetCode SMS cost you?

Carrier	Daily roaming charge in Thailand	Does receiving an SMS trigger it?	Pay as you go rate	What we could verify
Telstra	Day Pass Zone 2: $10 per day, 2 GB, unlimited standard calls and SMS	No. "Receiving an SMS will not trigger your Day Pass."	SMS 75c per message, data $3 per MB	Thailand is listed in Zone 2. The page does not say if 75c applies to incoming SMS.
Vodafone	$5 Roaming per day on postpaid; prepaid add-ons $5 (1 day), $15 (3 days), $35 (7 days)	Charged when you make or receive a call, send an SMS or use data. Receiving an SMS is not on that list.	Not shown on the page we read	Thailand was not named in the text we could load. Check Vodafone's destination list.
Optus	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Optus' roaming page timed out twice on 12 November 2026. We have no checked figure, so ask Optus before you fly.

How to read it: on Telstra, receiving NetCode texts with data roaming off should not start a Day Pass. Sending a text, making a call or using any data, even in the background, does. Telstra also warns that voicemail or MessageBank can create charges even when you think roaming is under control, so consider turning voicemail diversion off before you go.

What Thai Simcard uses here

Thai Simcard's Thailand eSIM runs on TrueMove H 5G, DTAC 5G, True Move 4G and AIS 5G. It is data only, so your Australian number stays on the phone for SMS. It does not give you a Thai number.

Plan	Price (USD)
1 GB, 7 days	$1.99
5 GB, 30 days	$5.49
10 GB, 30 days	$7.99
20 GB, 30 days	$12.49
1 GB per day, then 1 Mbps, 7 days	$9.99

Prices checked 12 November 2026 on the Thailand eSIM page.

To be fair: one Telstra Day Pass costs about the same in Australian dollars as our 10 GB plan does in US dollars, and it gives you calls too. If you are in Thailand for one or two days and want to call home, the Day Pass is simpler. For a week or longer, a data eSIM plus free incoming SMS on your Australian line usually costs much less. For more on the carrier side, see Telstra roaming SMS charges and receiving 2FA SMS overseas.

Dual SIM setup for NetCode in Thailand

• Install the eSIM before you fly, while you have home Wi-Fi.
• Keep the Australian line on for voice and SMS. Do not remove it or turn the line off, or the NetCode SMS cannot reach you.
• Set the eSIM as your mobile data line. On iPhone, also turn off "Allow Cellular Data Switching", so the phone never falls back to the Australian line for data.
• Turn Data Roaming off for the Australian line only. Telstra says either number on a dual SIM phone can incur roaming charges, so check both.
• Do not reply to the NetCode or other texts from the Australian line. On Telstra, sending an SMS starts a $10 Day Pass.
• Switch to app NetCode if you can. CommBank lets you get NetCode as an app notification. With notifications allowed, it works over the eSIM's data and does not depend on roaming at all.
• Test it before you leave Australia, for example by starting a small task that asks for a NetCode, so you know which way the code arrives.
• Weak signal: on a remote island beach an SMS can arrive late. Do important banking where you have good signal or Wi-Fi.

Sources: CommBank, Internet banking while overseas, Telstra, International roaming, Vodafone Australia, Roaming, Optus, International roaming (page did not load for us). Checked 12 November 2026.