Arriving in Thailand: From the Airport to Your First Week
The first 72 hours set the tone. This is the practical sequence from the arrivals hall to a working phone, cash in your pocket and a base you can settle into, with the JLIT guides that go deeper on each step.
The short version
- File the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within the three days before you fly.
- From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link runs to the city for 15–45 baht; use the official taxi queue or a pre-booked transfer if you have luggage.
- Get a Thai SIM with your passport before you leave the airport or on day one.
- Use a fee-aware card or withdraw larger amounts less often; Thai ATMs charge foreign cards a fee per withdrawal.
- Spend your first week in a short-term base: no long lease, no big purchases.
Arrival, step by step
Do these in order and each step makes the next easier: the SIM unlocks the apps, the apps unlock getting around, and a calm first week stops expensive decisions.
- 3 days before
Arrival card and documents
Complete the TDAC at tdac.immigration.go.th within the three days before arrival, and keep your visa, onward booking and first address handy for immigration.
- Landing
Immigration, baggage and cash
Clear immigration, then take out only what you need for the first day or two. Airport exchange counters are convenient but compare rates before changing a large sum.
- Into the city
Rail, taxi or transfer
At Suvarnabhumi the Airport Rail Link runs 5:30am to midnight to Phaya Thai, where it meets the BTS. With heavy bags, the official taxi rank or a pre-booked transfer is easier.
- Day 1
SIM card and apps
Register a SIM with your passport, then install Grab, Bolt, LINE and Google Maps. Tourist SIMs last up to 60 days, so plan a monthly package if you are staying.
- Days 2–3
Get your bearings
Walk your area at different times of day, find a pharmacy, supermarket, clinic and ATM, and save the emergency numbers.
- Days 4–7
Start the bigger jobs
Begin viewing rentals, check your address has been reported for TM30, and plan your bank account and visa next steps.
Pick the right way into town
From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link covers 28 km to Phaya Thai with stops including Makkasan (for the MRT) and connects to the BTS at Phaya Thai. Fares run from 15 to 45 baht. It is the cheapest and most predictable option outside the late night.
If you have several suitcases, children or a late flight, use the official public taxi queue inside the terminal or book a transfer before you fly. Agree the meter or a fixed price before you set off, and expect tolls on the expressway.
Cash, cards and not overpaying
Thailand is increasingly cashless through QR payments, but you will still need cash for taxis, markets and small shops in your first days. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards a fixed fee on every withdrawal, so fewer, larger withdrawals usually cost less.
When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in baht; the conversion rate offered is rarely in your favour.
- Bring: one main card and a backup kept separately
- Decline: "charge in your home currency" offers
- Plan: a Thai bank account once you have an address
Get connected before anything else
A Thai number is what makes everything else work: ride-hailing, food delivery, bank verification texts and messages from landlords and clinics. Under rules published in August 2025 you register with your passport, foreigners can hold up to three SIMs per operator, and tourist SIMs last up to 60 days without top-up extensions.
- Grab and Bolt: rides, food and parcels
- LINE: how many businesses and landlords message
- Google Maps: transit directions and opening hours
A short-term base buys you time
Book a hotel or serviced apartment for at least your first week, ideally longer. It lets you test neighbourhoods, commutes and noise before committing. Your hotel files your TM30 address report, which keeps your immigration paperwork clean from day one.
Emergency numbers
For a medical emergency call 1669 directly.
Five first-week mistakes
Change enough for a day or two, then use a card or ATM in the city.
Always choose to pay in baht.
Viewings are fine; contracts can wait.
A local SIM is what makes apps and banking work.
Hotels file TM30; private landlords often need reminding.
Everything on arriving in Thailand
Deeper guides from the JLIT library, grouped by what you are doing.
Getting in and around
Your first weeks
Money on arrival
Settling in socially
The hubs for your first week
Each hub has the tools, directories and long-form guides for one part of arriving.
Find your transportAirport transfers, taxis, rail and buses.Open hubSIM & InternetMobile plans, eSIMs and home broadband.Open hubTravel Money & CardsCards, ATMs and avoiding fees.Open hubFind your hotelYour first base while you look around.Open hub
Visas & ImmigrationYour stay, extensions and reporting.Open hub
Moving HubPlanning, shipping and moving quotes.Open hubKeep going
Questions newcomers ask
Do I need to fill in an arrival card for 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.
What is the cheapest way from Suvarnabhumi into Bangkok?
The Airport Rail Link, which runs from 5:30am to midnight between Suvarnabhumi and Phaya Thai and costs 15 to 45 baht depending on the station.
Can I buy a Thai SIM at the airport?
Yes. You register it with your passport. Tourist SIMs last up to 60 days without top-up extensions, so long-stayers should switch to a monthly package.
Should I change money before I fly?
Usually only a small amount, if any. Compare rates, avoid changing large sums at the airport, and decline home-currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.
