Planning your move to Thailand? This step-by-step checklist covers everything you need—from visas and paperwork to finding a place to live and settling in confidently.

Moving to Thailand is exciting, but it is also very easy to miss one boring step that costs you money later — the wrong visa route, not enough savings, no health insurance, missing paperwork, or booking the wrong first place to stay.

Between us, we’ve moved to Thailand three times: I’ve lived here for over eight years on work permits, and my partner Jason recently relocated using Thailand’s Digital Nomad (DTV) visa. We’ve done it the hard way (with mistakes we’ve learnt from), the right way (that’s how we are here now), and now we’re sharing the process that actually works.

Whether you’re moving for work, remote life, or a fresh start, this checklist will help you make the move with confidence, clarity, and no missed steps.

We have a budget calculator and a self-audit, practical workbook to help you avoid costly mistakes and to walk you through your planning preparation.

Quick checklist: what to do before you move to Thailand

✅ Money: savings buffer + upfront move costs
✅ Income: job in Thailand or remote work plan
✅ Visa: choose the visa route that matches your income
✅ Insurance: get covered before you land
✅ Where to live: city/area decision + short-term stay booked
✅ Documents: printed copies + key originals
✅ Packing: essentials + what to buy in Thailand
✅ Arrival setup: SIM, transport apps, community, routines

We have a free Thailand Move checklist you can get here.

Step 1: Save Money

Regardless if you have a steady job or not, moving to Thailand will cost you money. There are many circumstances in which things go wrong, like when Jason first moved here and immediately lost his remote job or I underestimated how much I would spend of my ‘settling in’ allowance when I moved back to teach for the second time in Bangkok.

Thailand is a very affordable country and the cost of living is low, especially when compared to Western Europe, the UK or the US. However, bringing at least $3000 in savings is advisable for a single person and more if moving as a couple or family.

Work out your own actual costs using our prefilled calculator.

Step 2: Jobs in Thailand

You have some options when you are planning to live in Thailand. You can either find a job in country or you can work online. In our situation, I’m a teacher in Thailand and am therefore employed here in country. For Jason, he works online legally as a remote worker – more here on the DTV (remote worker visa).

There are various job options for people in Thailand and foreigners are employed across all job sectors. There are some sectors in which it is easier such as education and real estate. Some jobs are protected under Thai law and are for Thai nationals only so this is something to consider when moving to Thailand. You can see a full list of these jobs here.

It is best if you have something to offer that makes you stand out such as high levels of experience or ability to speak multiple languages.

If you want to move to Thailand as a teacher like Steffi, you will need to figure out what qualifications you need and salary expectations, if you want to work at language schools or international schools. Then you’ll be well on your way to living the good life as a teacher!

If you want to move to Thailand as a teacher, I’ve written a full step-by-step guide for teachers here.

Step 3: Get a Thailand Visa

Getting a valid and legal visa for Thailand will be completely dependent on your job above. You will likely be on a Non Immigrant B Visa with Work Permit if you are employed in Thailand. If you are a remote worker then you can apply for the digital nomad visa known as the DTV. Jason went through this process but it will be different for everyone as different embassies around the world do not have the exact same requirements (helpful I know!).

Disclaimer: We’re sharing what has worked for us and what we’ve learned along the way. Visa rules and work regulations in Thailand can change, and they may vary based on your nationality and situation. Please do your own due dilligence.

It’s always a good idea to double-check the current requirements with an official Thai embassy or consulate, or to speak with a legal expert before making any big moves.

Step 4: Health Insurance

We learnt about this one the hard way. When Jason had just moved to Thailand he had an accident and need emergency stitches. It cost him A LOT of money because he didn’t have health insurance that covered it. So learn from one of our many mistakes and make sure you get health insurance before you land! Jason always uses Safety Wing now.

If you are employed in country, your employer should provide health insurance like my schools have always done so we are covered.

This is one of the many things you can check during our self-audit, part of our Thailand Move Reality Check bundle.

Step 5: Where to Live in Thailand

Deciding where to live in Thailand is going to be the fun part! You’ve probably visited Thailand before and got a feel for some of the areas, islands or cities.

The best tip I can give is to book a hotel for the first few weeks when you move so that you can have enough time to find accommodation.

Get a feel for the different areas and then decide where to live. If moving to a larger city like Bangkok or Chiang Mai then know that traffic can be truly terrible and so if you are commuting you should take this into account. We love living in Bangkok, the pros outweigh the cons massively and it’s been home for Steffi for nearly a decade now!

Feel free to ask questions about where to live in our free Facebook community.

Don’t live too far from your place of work and ideal if you can live along the BTS or MRT train lines in Bangkok.

Step 6: Packing to Move to Thailand

It can be difficult to know what to pack when moving to Thailand. I know as I’ve done it twice and also lived in 5 different countries so packing to move abroad is my speciality!

Luckily I’ve written an entire blog post here about what to bring when you’re moving to Thailand.

Step 7: Settling in to Life in Thailand

It is going to feel very weird at first when starting your new life. It’s somewhere between the holiday excitement and the sadness of leaving loved ones in your home country. I’ve moved to Thailand twice by myself (before I met Jason) and it’s not an easy thing to do, but it is worth it.

I made an effort to say YES to everything when I first moved to Bangkok, age only 24! Once you get a few invites you get more. It’s normal to not find your people straight away so I kept saying yes until I felt I had a solid friendship circle and could relax a bit! Friendship is very important to me as mates become more like family when living abroad. If you’re moving solo then here are all my single in Thailand tips because I moved here twice solo before meeting Jason!

Luckily Thailand is a wonderful place to meet new people and make friends. You can start already with our own Move to Thailand community.

Planning your move to Thailand?
Join our private (& free!) Facebook community for realistic advice, budgeting help, and a troll-free space to ask questions before you move.
Join our supportive Facebook group here

Step 8: Thrive in Thailand

It can take time to settle in to a new place, recent studies say 6-9 months to settle into a new home, and that might even be in a place you know already!

Once you do though you will feel that big deep contented sigh of, I’m in the right place and I’m so glad I moved to Thailand!

Learning Thai and starting a new hobby can be a great way to meet new people and help you make the place feel more like home.

Planning to move to Thailand? Check the expensive gaps before you go.

We lost $4,560 moving to Thailand through mistakes we didn’t see coming — from medical bills and banking problems to savings gaps, visa costs, and underestimating daily life here.

That is why we created the Thailand Move Reality Check: a practical bundle to help future expats spot what they may have missed and work out what their move could actually cost before they commit.

✔️ Spot the expensive gaps in your move plan
✔️ Work out whether Thailand is actually affordable for you
✔️ Build a realistic budget before you relocate

👉 Get the Audit + Calculator for $49

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Not ready for the Reality Check yet? Start with the free Facebook group