Moving to Thailand

The visa you arrive on shapes your legal life in Thailand. The 60-day tourist visa exemption is fine for testing the waters but creates ongoing hassle if you stay long-term. The main long-term options are: Non-Immigrant B (work visa — requires a Thai employer or your own company); Non-Immigrant O-A (retirement visa — requires age 50+, proof of 800,000 THB in a Thai bank or 65,000 THB/month income); Non-Immigrant ED (education visa — requires enrollment in a school or Thai language program); and the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa introduced in 2022, aimed at high-earners and retirees with income/assets of $80,000+/year. Each visa has different work rights, extension rules, and requirements. Consult the Royal Thai Consulate for your country of citizenship before making plans.

Shipping costs are high relative to what Thailand's cheap prices can replace. Electronics are broadly comparable in price to the West (sometimes cheaper for iPhones and laptops via grey imports). Furniture is cheap and plentiful. Clothing and shoes are cheap if you're smaller-framed; harder and more expensive to find in Western sizes. Books in English are available but expensive in Thailand — bring Kindle or ship books. Things worth bringing: sentimental items, specialist work equipment, a good laptop, quality shoes if your feet are large. Things to buy in Thailand: furniture, bedding, kitchen items, fan/appliances, most everyday clothing. Avoid shipping a car — the import taxes are prohibitive (300%+ duty).

For the first month or two, rent a serviced apartment or guesthouse while you explore. Do not sign a long lease before you've spent time in a neighbourhood. The best apartments are found by walking streets, talking to local agents, and using Thai Facebook groups for your target city — not just international platforms like Airbnb which charge a significant premium. DDProperty and FazWaz list Thai rental properties. Most landlords require 2 months security deposit plus 1 month advance rent. Standard leases are 6–12 months with auto-renew clauses. Read the lease carefully — many are Thai-language only; get a translation. Utility billing arrangements vary and should be confirmed in writing.

Open a Thai bank account as soon as possible — it makes everything easier and eliminates ATM withdrawal fees (220 THB per foreign card transaction). Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn (KBank) are the most expat-friendly. Requirements vary but typically include your passport, visa page, and proof of address in Thailand. Some branches are more helpful to foreigners than others — ask in expat Facebook groups for recommended branches. For a SIM card, buy at the airport immediately: AIS, DTAC (now True Move), and True Move H all offer prepaid tourist SIMs with good data plans for 300–500 THB. A local number also makes landlords and service providers more comfortable dealing with you.

Foreigners staying 90+ days must report to immigration every 90 days (90-day reporting). This can now be done online, by post, or in person. Your landlord is legally required to file a TM30 form notifying immigration of your address within 24 hours of your arrival at a new address — in practice many don't, which can cause issues at immigration renewals. Keep copies of all your visa documents, TM30 receipts, and border stamps. If you work remotely for a foreign company you're technically in a legal grey area — the LTR visa or a reputable professional employer organisation (PEO) arrangement are the cleaner solutions.

Almost everyone goes through an adjustment curve even if they've visited Thailand many times as a tourist. Living here exposes the seams that tourism hides: bureaucratic opaqueness (things work in Thailand but often in ways that aren't written down anywhere), the 'face' culture that makes direct complaints and confrontation feel impossible, the assumption that as a foreigner you have money and can be charged more, and the sometimes lonely reality of being permanently 'outside' the local social fabric. This doesn't mean Thailand is unwelcoming — it's remarkably hospitable — but building a genuine life here takes time and intentionality. Join expat groups, learn some Thai (even basic phrases make a huge difference), and accept that some things will never work the way you expect.