VPNs in Thailand and Vietnam

Using a VPN is legal for ordinary purposes in Thailand and a grey area in Vietnam, and most foreigners living in either country have one. The main reasons are dull ones: watching TV from home and keeping home banking and government logins working. Install it before you arrive, because some VPN websites are blocked in Vietnam.

This is for anyone living long term in Thailand or Vietnam. The streaming examples are Australian and British, but the same applies to services from any country.

Why you’ll probably want one

TV from home. ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 9Now, 7plus, 10 and Stan only work from an Australian internet address, the same way BBC iPlayer needs a UK one. A VPN connected to a server back home gives you one. It’s against most services’ terms of use, so the worst that usually happens is the service blocks that server and you switch to another.

Banking and government logins. Some banks and sites flag logins from overseas, and a VPN can smooth that over. The bigger problem is usually security codes sent by SMS to your home mobile number, so sort that out first (see banking when you move to Asia).

Public Wi-Fi. Most sites already use HTTPS, so the risk is lower than VPN ads suggest. Turning the VPN on in hotels, airports and cafes is still a cheap habit.

Is a VPN legal in Thailand?

Yes. No law stops an individual using a VPN, and expats use them openly. Thailand does block websites, including gambling and some political content, and Freedom House reports it has blocked some VPN services before.

In July 2026 the Digital Economy Ministry sped up court-ordered blocking of scam, gambling and other illegal sites. None of that targets ordinary VPN users. But a VPN doesn’t make a banned activity legal, so don’t use one to reach gambling sites.

Is a VPN legal in Vietnam?

It’s a grey area, and Vietnam is stricter. There’s no rule aimed at individuals using a VPN, and plenty of foreigners do. But circumvention tools get blocked, and the rules around the internet keep tightening:

• Since 25 December 2024, Decree 147 requires social media accounts to be verified with a Vietnamese phone number or ID number before you can post or comment.
• Telegram was blocked nationwide in 2025.
• A new Cybersecurity Law took effect on 1 July 2026, giving the Ministry of Public Security a role in managing IP address identity and verifying online accounts.

Install your VPN before you arrive, and pick one with an obfuscation or “stealth” mode for when the normal connection fails. Keep your use to privacy and your own home-country services.

How the main VPNs compare

Prices are the providers’ own US-dollar list prices as of October 2026. Introductory deals change constantly and renewals cost more, so check the renewal price before you pay.

There’s no single best one. ExpressVPN and NordVPN put the most effort into staying unblocked by streaming services, which matters if TV from home is your main reason. Surfshark is the budget pick. Proton and Mullvad suit people who care most about privacy.

When a streaming service blocks you

Switch to another server in your home country, or another city. Clear the app’s cache or your browser cookies and try again. If nothing works, that service has blocked the provider’s addresses. The bigger VPNs usually fix it within a day or two.

Banking from overseas

Before you go, tell your bank you’re moving overseas and check how it will send security codes. If you keep your home number on a cheap roaming or eSIM plan, most banks keep working, VPN or not. If you do get locked out, call the bank’s overseas number over Wi-Fi.