Moving to Thailand: visas, address reporting and daily setup

Choose the route by activity, not by its marketing label

Thailand has different routes for Thai employment or business, qualifying long-term residents, promoted specialists, remote workers under the Destination Thailand Visa, retirees and family members. A visa’s validity is not necessarily the same as the period stamped or digitally recorded on each admission. Inspect the permission-to-stay date after every entry and determine whether an extension or re-entry permission is required before travel.

A Non-Immigrant B visa alone does not authorise work: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the holder must obtain a work permit before starting. Other programmes may have their own digital work permission or exemption. Confirm the permitted activity, employer and location before doing paid work, freelance services or management. Dependants require their own status and should not assume the principal applicant’s work rights.

• Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa issuance and categories
• Department of Employment: e-WorkPermit

Make the landlord and address-reporting plan explicit

Use temporary accommodation while testing flood exposure, heat and air quality, internet redundancy, commute at peak time, hospital access, school travel and whether the building accepts pets. Before paying, verify the owner or authorised agent, inspect air conditioning, water, appliances and meters, record the condition, and obtain an agreement covering rent, deposit, utilities, maintenance, early termination, immigration documents and return of funds.

Thailand’s TM30 system places the address-notification duty on the house owner, head of household, landlord or hotel manager and states a 24-hour reporting period. Agree before signing who will file, what evidence you will receive, and whether the owner will cooperate with later immigration and bank document requests. A lease alone is not proof that the immigration notification was completed.

• Immigration Bureau: TM30 online notification

Track immigration reporting and work permission separately

A foreign national staying continuously for more than 90 days generally has a recurring notification obligation using TM47; it is not an extension of stay. The official online guide says a new report is counted after the latest arrival when the person leaves and returns. Keep the receipt showing the next date, but separately calendar the permission-to-stay expiry, visa validity, work-permit expiry and any re-entry action.

For Thai employment, ensure the employer completes the correct Department of Employment process and Social Security registration where applicable. The government’s foreign-worker guidance says legally working foreign workers are registered for social security protection, subject to scheme rules. Verify the registered hospital and effective cover rather than assuming any visa provides healthcare. Retirees, remote workers and dependants may need different private or programme-specific insurance.

• Immigration Bureau: Online 90-day notification guide
• Department of Employment: e-WorkPermit
• Thailand government: Social security for foreign workers

Assess tax before remitting or restructuring income

The Revenue Department defines a tax resident as a person in Thailand for 180 days or more in a calendar year. It also publishes current guidance on Thai-source income and foreign-source income earned from 1 January 2024 onward and remitted to Thailand. Keep a travel-day log and evidence of when income arose and when funds were remitted. Visa classification does not settle tax residence or income source.

Before moving investments, pensions, bonuses or business income, determine Thai filing, treaty relief, foreign tax credits and the treatment of each remittance with advice based on the actual facts. A DTV, retirement or LTR label should not be used as a generic tax answer; statutory concessions can be category- and income-specific.

Banks choose their own customer-document and branch practice. Take the passport, current stay evidence, address evidence, tax information and work permit or programme documents where relevant, and ask for the precise list before attending. Compare account fees, transfer evidence, card controls and online access. Bank of Thailand rules distinguish resident and non-resident baht or foreign-currency accounts; open the product that matches the customer classification and intended transactions.

• Thailand Revenue Department: Personal income tax
• Bank of Thailand: Exchange control and bank deposits

Resolve driving, school and pet logistics before shipment

Ask the Department of Land Transport office serving the address whether the foreign licence and international permit are valid for the intended use and what is needed for a Thai licence. Residence evidence, medical evidence, training, testing and appointment practice can depend on the application. Do not buy or import a vehicle until title, tax, compulsory insurance and the licence route are clear.

For children, contact schools directly about admissions, curriculum, language support, age placement, records, transport and the visa held by the child. International-school calendars and deposits can precede the family’s move by months. Keep birth and custody evidence and ensure each dependant’s permission-to-stay date is tracked independently.

For animals, the Department of Livestock Development requires a pre-import process, an import permit with origin-specific conditions, advance notice to the port and an official health certificate. Start with the DLD instructions before buying a flight; airline acceptance is a separate layer. On arrival, a practical order is: inspect entry permission; obtain TM30 evidence; verify the lease and meters; activate the correct health cover; complete work-permit and payroll checks; open and test banking; calendar TM47 and extension dates; determine tax residence; then complete licence, school and pet follow-up.

• Thailand Department of Land Transport
• Department of Livestock Development: Importation of live animals
• Immigration Bureau: TM30 online notification
• Immigration Bureau: Online 90-day notification guide