Guide · Relocation
Moving to Thailand: requirements, visas and first steps
Thailand is one of the world's favourite relocation destinations – warm climate, lower living costs, excellent private hospitals. But Thailand is not an immigration country in the classic sense: there is no permanent residence permit you simply apply for. You live here on visas that get extended. Understand the system and it works smoothly.
The requirements in one sentence
You need three things: a suitable visa, secure income or savings, and private health insurance – because your home country's public health cover usually ends when you leave.
The visa routes
| Route | Who it is for | Core requirement (orientation) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Immigrant O ("retirement") | age 50+ | 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account or approx. 65,000 THB monthly income; annual extension |
| Non-Immigrant O (marriage) | spouses of Thai nationals | 400,000 THB in the bank or 40,000 THB monthly income |
| DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) | remote workers, long stays under 50 | proof of approx. 500,000 THB in funds; 5 years validity, up to 180 days per entry |
| LTR (Long-Term Resident) | wealthy pensioners, professionals, investors | high income or investment depending on category; 10 years |
| Privilege/Elite Visa | those who prefer to buy simplicity | membership fee from a mid six-digit THB amount, 5–20 years |
| Non-Immigrant B | employees and entrepreneurs | work permit via a Thai employer or company |
For most expats over 50, the retirement route is the standard path – details in Retiring in Thailand.
Duties in the country: 90-day reports and TM30
Two formalities accompany every long stay: every 90 days you report your address to immigration (also possible online), and your landlord or host must register your accommodation via TM30. Both are routine – but without the receipts, visa extensions stall.
Leaving home – what hangs on it
- Health insurance: public cover from home rarely works in Thailand; you need an international or Thai private policy. At higher ages this is the biggest single budget item.
- Banking: some banks close accounts when you move abroad. Sort it out before you leave and keep an account in your home currency.
- Mail and authorities: a postal address at home (family or a scanning service) saves endless trouble.
Tax: the point most people miss
Spend more than 180 days a year in Thailand and you are tax resident there. Since the 2024 reform, Thailand taxes foreign income that is remitted into the country – the old "transfer it next year = tax free" planning no longer works. Double-taxation agreements with most Western countries allocate taxing rights, including for pensions. Get your personal setup reviewed by a tax adviser who knows both sides – before you move, not after.
The honest downsides
- No permanent right to stay: your residence hangs on annual extensions and their conditions.
- Healthcare costs in old age: superb private hospitals, but every treatment is billed; premiums rise steeply with age.
- Property with limits: no land ownership for foreigners (details here).
- Heat and rainy season: March to May is very hot, June to October humid – not everyone tolerates it year-round.
- Language and bureaucracy: without Thai you will depend on help at government offices.
Our advice: rent first, then decide
Most people who regret the move bought too fast. Rent in Pattaya for six or twelve months first, experience both rainy season and high season – then decide about buying. We help with both.