EXPAT2000

📘 Know

• Visa-free entry is now 30 days, for tourism only. From 15 September 2026 Thailand cut the visa-exempt stay from 60 days to 30 for around 60 countries, including the UK, EU, US and Australia. You can ask to extend once by 30 days at an immigration office (1,900 baht), but it is up to the officer.
• The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is the digital-nomad visa: valid for 5 years with multiple entries, 180 days per entry, and one 180-day extension per entry. You need about 500,000 baht in savings (most embassies want it held for 3 months). The fee is around 10,000 baht, charged in local currency (London charges £300).
• New since 31 August 2026: you apply for the DTV in a country where you are a citizen or permanent resident, and you need a police clearance certificate.
• The DTV lets you work remotely for employers and clients OUTSIDE Thailand. Working for a Thai company or Thai clients needs a proper work visa and work permit.
• Every foreign visitor fills in the TDAC (digital arrival card) online, free, in the 72 hours before landing. Use only the official site — look-alike sites charge for it.
• Staying more than 90 days in a row? Report your address to immigration every 90 days (online or in person). Your landlord or hotel must also file a "TM30" telling immigration where you live — check they have.

Official sources: 🔗 Thai e-Visa (official applications) 🔗 Thai Immigration Bureau 🔗 TDAC — Digital Arrival Card (free)

✅ Do

• Passport valid for at least 6 more months
• Pick your route: 30-day visa-free, DTV or a work visa
• TDAC filled in on the official site (72 hours before landing)
• Landlord has filed my TM30
• Reminder set for my first 90-day report

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Thailand pays by QR code. PromptPay QR codes are on street stalls, taxis and rent invoices, and you need a Thai bank account to use them.
• Whether you can open a bank account depends on the bank AND the branch. Most want your passport, a long-stay visa (DTV, work, study or retirement) and proof of address. Some also ask for a letter from immigration or your embassy. If one branch says no, try another.
• Thai ATMs charge foreign cards around 220–250 baht per withdrawal, on top of whatever your bank charges. Wise and similar cards usually cost less than airport exchange counters and bank transfers.
• Tax: if you spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year, you are a Thai tax resident. Since 1 January 2024, foreign income you bring into Thailand while resident can be taxed at 5–35%. A proposed exemption is still only a draft as of October 2026. This is not tax advice: check with the Revenue Department or a tax adviser, and with your home country, which may have a tax treaty with Thailand.

Official sources: 🔗 Thai Revenue Department

✅ Do

• Low-fee travel card (e.g. Wise) ready
• Some baht in cash for the first few days
• Thai bank account opened
• Banking app installed and PromptPay working
• Counting my days in Thailand this year (the 180-day tax line)

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• You need a Thai number for banking apps, Grab and food delivery, so get it sorted early.
• SIM cards must be registered to your passport. Airport kiosks and the networks' own shops do this on the spot. The big networks are AIS and True (which merged with dtac).
• If your phone takes an eSIM, you can buy one before you fly and land already connected.
• LINE is Thailand's main messaging app. Landlords, shops and even some government offices use it.
• Home fibre internet is cheap and fast in the cities. Ask whether your condo already includes it.

✅ Do

• Thai SIM or eSIM, registered to my passport
• LINE installed
• Home internet sorted

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Most newcomers book a serviced apartment or short let for the first month, then look at condos in person. Never pay a deposit on a place you have only seen in photos.
• Monthly leases are common. 6–12 month leases cost less per month.
• Expect a deposit of 1–2 months' rent, plus the first month in advance. Photograph every room when you move in so you can get the deposit back.
• Ask whether you pay the government rate for electricity and water or a higher "building rate". It can make a big difference to the bill.
• Ask your landlord to file your TM30 (see Visas). It is their job, but you are the one who has trouble at immigration if it is missing.

✅ Do

• First month booked somewhere short-term
• Viewed condos in person
• Contract read, deposit agreed, rooms photographed

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Grab and Bolt work like Uber, for cars, motorbike taxis and food delivery. They show the price before you book, so there is no haggling.
• Bangkok has the BTS Skytrain and the MRT underground. They are fast, cheap and air-conditioned.
• To drive or ride legally, carry an International Driving Permit with your home licence. If you are staying long term, get a Thai licence. Riding without the right licence can void your insurance, and helmets are the law.
• Rental shops sometimes ask to keep your passport. Do not hand it over. Offer a copy and a cash deposit instead.

✅ Do

• Grab and Bolt installed
• International Driving Permit (if I'll drive or ride)

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Private hospitals in the big cities are excellent and used to foreign patients, but bills add up fast without insurance.
• Get health insurance that covers you in Thailand for as long as you stay. Ordinary travel insurance often stops covering you after a set number of days.
• There are pharmacies on almost every street, and the pharmacists are happy to help with minor problems.
• Emergency numbers: 1669 ambulance · 191 police · 1155 tourist police (English spoken) · 199 fire.

✅ Do

• Health insurance that covers long stays in Thailand
• Emergency numbers saved in my phone
• Found my nearest private hospital
• Prescriptions packed, with a doctor's letter

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the islands are the big nomad hubs. Coworking spaces almost always sell day passes, so try a few before committing.
• Working from cafés is normal. Buy something every couple of hours and leave the big tables free at busy times.
• Meetups, coworking events and local Facebook groups are the quickest way to meet people. Learning a little Thai is the quickest way to meet Thai people.
• Remember the visa rule: remote work for clients abroad is fine on a DTV, but Thai clients need a work permit.

✅ Do

• Tried a coworking day pass
• Joined a local meetup or group
• Learned my first 10 Thai phrases

🗣️ Say it in Thai

📘 Know

• Respect for the monarchy is taken very seriously, and it is also the law. Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas.
• The head is the highest part of the body and the feet the lowest. Don't touch anyone's head, and don't point your feet at people or at Buddha images.
• Take your shoes off when you go into a home, and into many shops and offices too. If you see shoes by the door, follow suit.
• Keeping calm wins. Raising your voice makes everyone lose face, including you.
• Dress modestly at temples: cover your shoulders and knees.

Go deeper: 🎭 Thai culture & temple etiquette

✅ Do

• Learned when (and when not) to wai
• Read the temple etiquette guide

🗣️ Say it in Thai