Guides
Guides
Visa types, essential tasks, and city guides — organised as reference pages, not travel blogs.
Visa types
View allWhat each stay permission is for, who it fits, typical fees, and official sources.
Visa exemption
Short stays without applying for a visa in advance, stamped at the port of entry.
Tourist visa (TR)
A visa issued by a Thai embassy or consulate for a longer tourist stay than exemption.
Non-Immigrant B
Work and business visits that need a Non-Immigrant B visa and, for employment, a work permit.
Non-Immigrant O
Family, dependent, and several other stay purposes, including some retirement routes.
Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
A long-stay visa aimed at remote workers, participants in specified activities, and accompanying family.
Long-Term Resident (LTR)
A Board of Investment visa for wealthy pensioners, remote professionals, investors, and highly skilled workers.
Thailand Privilege (Elite)
Membership packages with a long-stay visa — costs, VIP perks, and how it differs from DTV.
Retirement visa (Thailand)
Non-Immigrant O retirement extensions for applicants 50+ with bank or pension evidence.
Tasks
View allThe jobs people need to finish: reports, extensions, tax IDs, banks, and SIMs.
90-day report
Notify Immigration of your address every 90 days if you hold a qualifying long stay.
TM.30 house notification
The landlord or householder notifies Immigration where a foreigner is staying.
Extend a stay
Apply in Thailand to add days to a tourist exemption, TR, or other eligible stamp.
Get a tax ID
Apply for a personal taxpayer identification number at the Revenue Department.
Open a bank account
Open a Thai baht account; rules vary by bank and by visa type.
Get a Thai SIM
Register a prepaid or postpaid SIM with a passport; tourist SIMs are time-limited.
Cities
View allPractical notes on living in Thailand’s main foreigner hubs, with a cost-of-living calculator.
Bangkok
The capital: work, hospitals, and the densest housing market foreigners actually use.
Chiang Mai
Northern city with a large long-stay community, seasonal smoke, and lower housing costs than Bangkok.
Phuket
Island province with tourist-peak prices, a large expat rental market, and monsoon timing that matters.
Pattaya
Eastern Seaboard city with a large long-stay population, Jomtien/Naklua housing, and Bangkok within range.
Latest articles
Recent reporting that is not already listed under a visa, task, or city desk.
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First Month in Bangkok: Real Budget for New Expats
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Immigration
Bringing Pets to Thailand: Import Rules and Paperwork
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Visa & Immigration
90-Day Reporting in Thailand
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Transport
Getting Around Chiang Mai Without a Car
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Visa & Immigration
How to Extend a Tourist Stay in Thailand
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Thailand Tourist Visa Guide 2026
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Living in Thailand
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