Frequently asked questions

For most Western passports, not for a short trip: the visa exemption gives 60 days on arrival, extendable by 30. Warning: the Cabinet approved a return to 30 days in May 2026 and the switch can happen any time. For longer stays there are the tourist visa, the 5-year DTV and the retirement visas. Details in our visa guide.

Between 900 and 1,400 dollars a month solo with a simple lifestyle, 1,800 to 2,800 for a comfortable life, and 4,000 to 7,000 for a family with kids in international school. The line-by-line detail is in our cost of living guide.

A foreigner cannot own the land. The legal routes: a freehold condo (within the 49% foreign quota per building), a registered 30-year lease for a villa, usufruct or superficies rights. Thai nominee company structures are illegal. All explained in buying property in Thailand.

Serious entry-level starts around 75,000 dollars for a pool studio villa on a 30-year lease, like the Beausoleil collection on Koh Samui from ฿2.7 million. Family 3-4 bedroom pool villas trade between 300,000 and 800,000 dollars in Phuket or Samui. See our selection.

It depends on your life: Bangkok for city life and schools, Phuket for beaches and infrastructure, Koh Samui for the island-comfort balance, Chiang Mai for budget and cafés, Hua Hin for retirees. Full comparison in where to live in Thailand.

The cool dry season, November to March. April is the hottest month (and Songkran, Thai new year). On the Andaman side (Phuket) the monsoon runs May to October; on the Gulf side (Samui) the wettest months are October to December. There is almost always a dry coast.

Violent crime against foreigners is rare. The real risks: scooter accidents (the top cause of foreigner hospitalization), swimming currents in monsoon season, dengue. With a helmet, insurance and common sense, Thailand is safer than most big Western cities.

Yes: the DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) gives 5 years of multiple entries, 180 days per entry, for people working for foreign clients. The red line: working for Thai clients or employers without a work permit. Details in working remotely from Thailand.

Past 180 days in a calendar year you are a Thai tax resident. Since 2024, foreign income remitted to Thailand is assessable; an exemption for fast remittances is pending enactment. Tax treaties prevent double taxation. The full picture is in our tax guide.

Absolutely. Private hospitals are excellent but expensive, and an evacuation from an island costs thousands of dollars. The O-A visa requires insurance of at least 3 million baht. Our health insurance guide covers it all.

An independent media in three languages (English, French, Spanish) for people who want to live in Thailand, invest there or travel there. The guides are free and never sponsored. When a partner compensates us for an introduction, we say so. Our villa selection is visited and verified before publication.

Describe your project in two minutes via our form: we organize viewings on site or by video call, with the full dossier (title, lease, figures), and you buy accompanied by an independent lawyer.