Thinking of moving to Thailand? You’re in the right place. Having moved to, and settled in Thailand for 6 months, I know how difficult it can be to navigate the process – all the Visa issues, finding a place to rent, learning a language etc. So, I wrote this article to help others understand how to navigate this process more easily. In this article, I will explain everything you need to know before moving to Thailand, and by the end of it, I promise you’ll leave with a much clearer understanding of how to achieve your goal.
Why Do You Want To Live in Thailand?

First off, think why do you even want to live in Thailand?
Sometimes, people jump the gun and move straight away, instead of getting their feet wet, booking an extended holiday and figuring out why it is they want to move, before actually doing it. This is a key stage I think most people miss, and should think through thoroughly. Is it that you really want to live somewhere else? Or are you tired and fed up with your life right now? Either one is fine, and we’ve all been at the latter stage and sometimes change is a great catalyst for that. But, on the flip side, maybe you just need an extended holiday, and I would advise that first, rather than committing to the huge task of hauling your entire life to another country, expecting all your problems will disappear. *Hint* they won’t.
So, book a ticket and a holiday to Thailand. Explore, take a look around, and see which places you really vibe with. Some people love Bangkok, others absolutely hate it! The same is true for any city or town anywhere in the world. Imagine yourself truly living there, schedule, 9-5 job, taxes, home, bills etc. How does that look? Map it out, and if you still want to continue, do it!
You could even test it for a month or two using Airbnb in Thailand (if your business is remote and you can do it from anywhere).
If you’re genuinely excited to live in, explore and integrate into a new culture, then 100% go. I just think some thought and testing is necessary before pulling the trigger.
Formulate Your Plan
Ok, so you’ve been to Thailand, you’ve tested out living in some places for short stints, and you’re happy you want to move! How do you even start the process? This section will run you through everything you need to know to move.
You’re going to need to plan:
- Where to stay
- Finding a place to stay
- How to stay – visas etc.
- Finances & Banking
- Getting around (driving, public transport etc.)
- Finding jobs or working online
- Medical & dental costs
- Getting connected (SIMs, WiFi etc.)
Get Your Finances in Order
To move to Thailand I would suggest having savings of $5000-$10000 to get yourself set up and give yourself a few months of breathing room to figure everything out. This is especially the case if you do not have an online income and are searching for a job. If you have an online income that is more than $600/month, you can reduce those savings to $5000.
This gives you money for a plane ticket, deposit for a condo agreement and some breathing room money for peace of mind.
Most blogs will recommend you have at least $2000/month to move to Thailand and $5000-$10000 saved. I think this is utterly pointless and an arbitrary number. You can live very comfortably in Thailand on $1000/month, if you do not look for luxury in everything you do and limit your activities, drinking habits etc.
While you could have an amazing time on $2000/month, you really don’t need that much to live a functioning and enjoyable life in Thailand. How do I know? I lived off $800/month very recently, I had a great time, was healthy and in great shape, and I lived in a well-connected, good area (Victory Monument).
For instance here was my average cost of living in Thailand:
- $200/month condo agreement
- $8/month SIM card
- $5-10/day food expenditure
- $200/month activities
- $100/month travel expenses
I was living pretty well for this, going out everyday, checking out different work spots, spending time with friends, travelling, and working out in the provided park gyms. Most people come to Thailand and often spend too much, but you can cut costs without lowering your quality of life much.
How To Stay in Thailand (Visas)




It’s important to have a plan for visas. There are a couple of options for you in Thailand. The easiest route people take is obtaining the ED visa. This is where you enter Thailand to train Muay Thai, learn language (can be any language), or join a cooking school. There is now also a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV Visa) which gives you a 5-year multi-entry visa that has to be renewed each year, however the requirements are more difficult to reach for many, which is why a lot opt for the ED visa.
You could also do border runs on a tourist visa, however this limits you during your stay here. For instance, you won’t be able to get a bank account, a Thai Driving license, or access many of the services that you might like to as a resident in the kingdom. It also makes getting a condo slightly more difficult, but it is still possible.
Whichever you choose, weigh up the pros and cons of each. For instance the digital nomad visa costs more, and has more requirements. However, you don’t have to do loads of border runs, get access to real services, the ability to purchase vehicles, drive etc. whereas the tourist visa is free, limits your stay and you have to do border runs while not receiving any of the latter.
On the flip side with more lengthy visas you have to report to Immigration Division 1 every 90-days.
Where To Stay



For the most part, people who move to Thailand generally stick to the big cities and hubs where the expat community is big. If you’re moving to Thailand without any language skills, I would recommend doing the same at first. English is not widely spoken well in the outskirts, villages etc. so, it will be exceptionally hard to integrate into life out there. Thailand is quite nationalistic and in most places, you’ll always be seen as ฝรั่ง “farang” or “foreigner”. This becomes much better when you actively learn Thai, because you can make genuine connections and Thai people really respect it when foreigners take the time to learn (more on learning language later).
It’s not that you can’t make friends with English, it’s just harder to come by. When you’re not near expat communities, you can also feel disconnected and lonely, especially when you cannot communicate with anyone, which is why I recommend staying closer to those communities, incase you want to find people you can have deeper conversations with.
For this reason, I would recommend choosing from:
- Bangkok (Central)
- Chiang Mai (North)
- Khon Kaen (Isaan or North Eastern)
- Udon Thani (Isaan)
- Chiang Rai (Northern)
- Pattaya (Central South)
- Phuket (Southern Island)
- Krabi (South)
- Pai (North)
- Islands (Koh Samui, Phangan)
I would avoid places like Pattaya, Phuket, and Pai. Although they have large communities of expats, they are also quite heavily party-oriented tourist spots. Of course, there are quiter pockets and you’ll find people who are like-minded here too, but you’ll definitely run into more holiday-mindset people in these regions.
For me, Bangkok, Khon Kaen or Chiang Mai are great intros to living in Thailand. You have everything you need in all cities.
- Decent sized expat and digital nomad communities
- Great local areas to explore and integrate
- Lots of activities (especially Bangkok)
- Varied food styles & restaurants
- Great public transport around the city
- High quality gyms
- Good nightlife
If you like a quieter vibe, I would start out in Chiang Mai or Khon Kaen. If you love busy, bustling cities, start in Bangkok. People generally tend to avoid Bangkok when coming on holiday. This is understandable, it doesn’t have the same beautiful, crystal waters and beaches of the South, but living and holidaying are two different things. Many of the more remote islands, and villages do not support a fun, engaging, social lifestyle. If you are ok with that, and like me, like to delve deep into a culture, then I would highly recommend it. I just issue a word of caution for people starting out, who do not know Thai language.
Renting A Flat or Condo in Thailand




Next, you’ll need to figure out a place to stay. If you’re staying short-term (less than 6 months), I would recommend using Airbnb. Airbnb is technically not legal in Thailand for rentals under 30 days, so I would advise renting for 1 month at a time. This gives you enough time to settle, look around, and really understand what the area is like.
I would also recommend renting Airbnbs when scouting areas to live in to get a feel for what the neighbourhood is like before getting into a condo agreement.
If you’re committed to staying in one area for longer, I would recommend renting a condo under a 12 month agreement. using services such as Renthub.th to browse units online, and Facebook groups for initial research. After doing this, make a list of condos you want to view and simply turn up and ask to view. Most will require a 12-month contract for staying, and a 2-month deposit upfront. This contract can be left early, but you will lose your deposit.
Costs can be as low as $200/month, or as high as $2500/month it all depends on the unit you rent, and the amount of electricity and water you use.
Important note: When renting, be careful of using agents, because, if you are a foreigner, they will see money signs and and try to charge you more.
Paying For Bills, Shopping etc.
If you’ve ever been to Thailand, most of you will know that paying with Credit or Debit cards outside of a shopping centre, is pretty difficult. Most of the time you will have to use cash in Thailand to pay for everything, and this can get expensive with ATMs in Thailand charging exorbitant fees. You can avoid these fees by using transfer services like Wise, Payoneer etc. but the best way to do this, is to get a Thai bank account.
If you have a bank account you can additionally set up direct debits which make’s your life so much easier.
Unfortunately if you’re not on the correct visa, getting a bank account can be fairly difficult as a foreigner. In this case, you will have to continue using cash and Wise transfers for payments in the Kingdom, although some people have success with expensive agents (not recommended, not legal).
To get a bank account you need:
- Condo lease agreement
- TM30
- Passport
- 500 baht
- 2 hours of free time
Getting Around in Thailand




For the most part, getting around Thailand is fairly easy. It is well connected by rail, bus and air. Public transport such as the BTS Skytrain system in Bangkok is very well run, clean, on time and fairly affordable with tickets ranging from 30-50 baht/ride ($1-2). There’s also a non-AC bus system which is crazily cheap 8 baht/ticket, but it’s pretty unreliable and slow. Taxis are readily available, Tuk Tuks (if you want to get ripped off), and Grab & Bolt (Thailand’s equivalent of Uber) are cheap, fast and reliable to get around.
Outside of Bangkok, public transport tends to get a lot worse. Grab & Bolt are mostly available in cities and towns, but become less available the more remote you go. Usually you will have to get Songtaew’s, Minibuses or SRT rail outside of Bangkok for public transport. Songtaew’s are your most likely form of short journey transport. These are pickup trucks modified to hold up to 12 passengers and commonly cost anywhere between 20-50baht/ride depending on route and length.
My honest recommendation is (if you can drive and have a license), rent or buy a motorcycle yourself.



Getting around by motorcycle is cheap, and quick. However, Thailand’s roads are pretty dangerous with many motorcycle accidents happening frequently. Please ensure that you have insurance that will cover you, and a valid driver’s license! If you do not have a license in your home country, getting a Thai driving license (provided you have the correct visa) is easy and we have a guide for that.
We also have a guide for renting motorcycles if you believe that might be more cost-effective (it usually is for short-term stays)
Working in Thailand & Finding A Job



Finding A Job
You cannot legally work in Thailand, in a Thai-based company on any of the Digital Nomad Visas, Tourist Visas etc. if you want to find work, you have to get a work permit from the company you have been employed for. This is commonly paid for by the company who wants to hire you, and they will help sort out everything for you, so you can legally work in the Kingdom, pay taxes etc.
To find a job, I would recommend searching on JobsDB. This is a Thai specific app that posts job listings. It is likely that the only available jobs for foreigners who are not highly skilled will be English Teaching, Chinese Teaching etc.
To employ a foreigner in Thailand, Thai companies must prove that, that foreigner has unique skills that are hard to come by. Basically, Thai companies need to employ Thai people. Only in unique circumstances will they employ foreigners.
Working Online & Taxation
Working on a business that is outside of Thai jurisdiction is completely fine on the Digital Nomad Visa, Tourist Visa and ED Visa.
However, if you do have the Digital Nomad Visa and stay within Thailand for more than 181 days, with the new DTV Visa, you will have to pay tax. If you are a DN that wants to avoid tax, I would highly advise against getting a Thai bank account, DTV vis and putting a lot of money in your Thai bank account, especially if you are already paying tax in your home country.
To avoid this, you can just withdraw cash from ATMs. You will pay fees, but there are ways to mitigate these fees. Depending on your spending habits and your earnings, these fees could be far less than the tax you would be required to pay in Thailand.
Tax rates are pretty high starting at 20% on $21-$28k/year incomes.
Finding Places To Work
In major cities and hubs throughout Thailand, you will find amazing co-working spots for reasonable prices. There are all kinds of cafes that have been setup specifically to serve digital nomads. You will generally find these in major cities like Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc.
There are also a lot of free co-working spaces, offered by different malls and shopping centres. One that is absolutely amazing (that I use regularly) is C ASEAN Samyan Co Op. You need to download the app MITR to sign up, and it is totally free to use! Parking a motorcycle at the mall is also fairly cheap.
If you want to look deeper into finding spots to work we have full, more in-depth articles on the topic:
Getting Connected (WiFi & SIM Cards)



To setup WiFi in Thailand, you will need to contact any of the three providers: AIS, True, DTAC. The best of the three is AIS, but True comes in a pretty close 2nd, and is a bit cheaper. Prices can range from 300-1200baht/month and you will be required to get a 12-month contract when obtaining WiFi. Most Condo units do not come with WiFi, but can help install it if you ask.
I would recommend trying to get a unit that comes with WiFi, so you don’t have the extra added worry or cost of getting internet.
For your SIM card in Thailand. I simply recommend getting a pay as you go top-up plan. This allows you to cancel at any time, and it comes in at a low cost of 300baht/month for unlimited data. If you are staying a year, getting a contract gives you access to better speeds for lower costs so I would recommend this if staying 12 months or more. However, staying 3-9 months, there is no point.
Making Friends in Thailand



If you’re moving by yourself, this section is especially important. It’s well know that humans need a social connection to thrive, and that goes for you too! If you’re based around Bangkok or any other major city, the nightlife is absolutely incredible and I’d highly recommend making use of it, even if you don’t drink! I don’t drink, and go out sipping soda waters just to chat with people (it’s fun)!
Chiang Mai has a great scene too, Pattay is a bit seedy but still has one, however, if you’re in lesser known places like Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, Pai etc. you’ll find it a lot harder to find the activities that will get you out of the house and meeting new people. To combat this, I’d suggest using apps like Meetup.com, Couchsurfing, Facebook events etc. to meet other like-minded people who have already moved.
You can also find expat communities in Thailand at Digital Nomad cafes, Co-working spaces, events, bars, gyms and sport courts etc.
Should I Learn the Thai Language?
The short answer to this is, yes. You should learn Thai. But you probably want to know if you can get around Thailand solely using English. The answer to that is yes, English is widely spoken in Thailand, but the level to which it is spoken varies massively.
When you are in a major hub like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, lots of people will speak English, and they’ll speak it well. However, this does not mean EVERYONE speaks English and you should not expect them to.
But if you want to test out living for a bit, and don’t want to commit to the hours learning a new language takes, then the good news is, you don’t have to and you’ll get along fine without Thai.
However, I would highly recommend learning. You would not believe how many doors learning the language opens for you.
You are generally treated much better, people respect you because you took the time to learn, and you get a lot more out of people – recommendations, help, invites to parties etc. It also helps massively when you’re dealing with things like immigration, and important documents. I have been put ahead in queues, gone over my number of border runs and all sorts of things other people get in trouble for, simply because I can speak Thai well. Learn it. It’s very useful!
If you don’t learn you can get by, but it’s worth the effort.

I’m Harry – and I was tired of the same old “10 best places I’ve never been but I’m writing about for some reason” blog posts. So… I’m a young traveller on a mission to travel the world and share my true, unfiltered experience, including all the gristly details. From packing my life into one bag for a year, to traveling Vietnam by motorbike, to sorting out Visas for specific countries – I’ve done it all, am doing it all and only give my advice on things I have done – not regurgitated cr*p from another source *cough* most publications *cough*. So bear with us! This project will take some time to grow, and will take a fair bit of money. But I’m determined to make it the single best source of information about traveling on the internet.