Just Landed in Thailand? Start Here
Moving here is not a two-week holiday. This page is your map: the order to sort things in, and the JLIT hub, checklist or guide that covers each step in depth.
Get the essentials in the right order
- Before you fly, complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within the three days before you arrive.
- In your first two days, get a Thai SIM registered to your passport and download Grab, Bolt, LINE and Google Maps.
- Book a short-term base for two to four weeks and explore neighbourhoods before signing a lease.
- Make sure your hotel or landlord has filed your TM30 address report, then open a Thai bank account.
- Sort health cover, save the emergency numbers, and diarise your visa and 90-day report dates.
From the week before you fly to the end of month one
Most new arrivals try to do everything at once. Doing things in this order means each step makes the next one easier: the SIM unlocks the apps, the address unlocks the bank, the bank unlocks everyday life.
- Before you fly
Check your visa and file the TDAC
Make sure your visa matches what you plan to do here, then complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card at tdac.immigration.go.th within the three days before you land. It has been mandatory for foreign arrivals since 1 May 2025.
- Days 1–2
SIM card and essential apps
Buy a SIM from AIS, True or dtac with your passport. Under rules published in August 2025, foreigners can register up to three SIMs per operator, and tourist SIMs last up to 60 days without top-up extensions, so staying longer means a proper monthly package.
- Week 1
Settle into a short-term base
Use a serviced apartment or hotel for two to four weeks. Walk the neighbourhoods at different times of day, test the commute and check noise, flooding and food options before committing to anything.
- Week 2
Check your TM30 address report
Whoever houses you, hotel or landlord, must notify immigration within 24 hours that you are staying there. Ask for the receipt: immigration offices have required it for extensions and 90-day reports since 2019.
- Weeks 2–3
Open a Thai bank account
With a local number and proof of address in hand, visit a branch. Requirements vary by bank, branch and visa type, so if one branch says no, another may say yes.
- Weeks 3–4
Sign your lease, sort health cover
Now commit to a longer lease. Get health insurance in place before you need it, and register with a nearby hospital or clinic.
- Month 1 onward
Diarise visa and 90-day dates
Note your permission-to-stay date and, if you stay more than 90 consecutive days, your 90-day reporting date. Missing either is one of the most expensive newcomer mistakes.
Find your area before you find your condo
A neighbourhood that looks perfect on YouTube can feel very different once you live there. Bangkok alone offers completely different lifestyles a few BTS stops apart, and the same is true in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin.
- Sukhumvit: convenience and transport links
- Ari: cafés and a slower, local feel
- On Nut: better value, still on the BTS
- Thonglor & Ekkamai: restaurants and nightlife
- Riverside: views and quieter living
Rule of thumb: never sign a 12-month lease in your first week.
Your phone runs daily life here
Thailand is app-first. Without local data you cannot easily book a ride, order food, pay by QR code or receive bank and delivery verification texts.
- Grab and Bolt: rides, food and parcels
- LINE: how landlords, clinics and many businesses message you
- Google Maps: navigation and finding local services
- Your bank app: PromptPay QR payments, once your account is open
Bank account first, then a realistic budget
You can survive on an overseas card for a while, but local transfers and QR payments are how most everyday payments happen. Branches commonly ask for your passport, visa, a Thai phone number and proof of address.
Thailand can be very affordable or surprisingly expensive depending on housing, schooling, healthcare and how often you eat imported food. Build a simple monthly budget in week one and review it after your first full month.
Know your visa better than anyone
Tourist, DTV, retirement, marriage, education and business visas all come with different stay lengths, extension rules and reporting duties. Check four things for yours: how long you can stay, how to extend, what you must report, and whether you need a re-entry permit before you travel out.
Have a plan before you need one
Private hospitals here are excellent, but care is not free for foreign residents. In week one, find your nearest hospital and clinic, check what your insurance actually covers, and save the emergency numbers below in your phone.
Emergency numbers in Thailand
For a medical emergency call 1669 directly rather than the Tourist Police.
Six mistakes almost every newcomer makes
Live in the area first; the second neighbourhood you try is usually the right one.
Read your own conditions, not a friend’s or a Facebook group’s.
No receipt can mean a refused extension or 90-day report.
Waiting periods only start from the day you buy, and anything diagnosed before then may be excluded.
Price your own life, including rent deposits and schooling.
Different branches and offices can give different answers; be patient and keep copies.
Every step has a full JLIT hub
These hubs carry the long-form guides, directories and tools. Start with whichever step you are on.
Find your homeAreas, rentals and what to check before you sign.Open hubVisas & ImmigrationEvery visa route, extensions and reporting.Open hub
FinanceBanking, money transfers and financial planning.Open hub
Find your transportGetting around cities and between them.Open hub
Find your communityClubs, groups and people to meet.Open hub
Family Life & PetsSchools, kids, pets and family admin.Open hubSIM & InternetMobile plans, eSIMs and home broadband.Open hubMoving HubPlan the move: costs, shipping and checklists.Open hub
Find your insuranceHealth, travel, home and vehicle cover.Open hubKeep going
Questions newcomers ask
What should I do first after arriving in Thailand?
Get a Thai SIM registered to your passport, install Grab, Bolt, LINE and Google Maps, and settle into a short-term base. Banking, a long lease and insurance come next, once you have a number and an address.
Do I need to fill in an arrival card before flying to Thailand?
Yes. Since 1 May 2025 foreign nationals must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online at tdac.immigration.go.th within the three days before arrival.
Who files the TM30 report?
The person or business housing you, such as your landlord or hotel, must notify immigration within 24 hours of you taking up residence. Ask for the receipt and keep it.
Can I open a Thai bank account straight away?
Often not on day one. Banks usually want your passport, visa, a Thai phone number and proof of address, and policies vary by branch and visa type.
What number do I call for an ambulance in Thailand?
Call 1669 for medical emergencies. Police is 191, Tourist Police 1155 and fire 199.
