Thailand, sorted.

From the airport to your first month. A practical guide to landing, staying, and living in Thailand. Pick the track that matches your trip, then follow the steps.

Cartoon illustration of a tuk-tuk on a beach beside a longtail boat, a temple and limestone cliffs

Who is this trip for?

Three tracks. Same country, different rules, money, and paperwork.

≤30 days

Tourists

First visit, a few weeks, visa exemption. TDAC, eSIM, cash, Grab, and the 30-day stamp.

Open the tourist track
1–6+ months

Digital nomads

Workcation on the Destination Thailand Visa. Bank balance, embassy rules, and living without a Thai bank account.

Open the nomad track
Long-stay

Retirees & expats

Non-Immigrant O and O-A, 90-day reporting, Thai banking, and settling in for the long haul.

Open the long-stay track

Your first 24 hours

Tick these off between the aircraft door and your hotel bed. The list saves on this device.

  • Official free form. Never pay a look-alike site.
Full arrival guide

Guides

Shared topic pages. Use them from any track.

Day one

Arrival

Airports, TDAC, immigration questions, SIM desks, taxis, and ATMs.

Read arrival
Before you fly

eSIM & data

Install a plan at home, or buy a tourist SIM after you land.

Read eSIM
How long

Visas

30-day exemption, DTV, retirement routes, and what changed in 2026.

Read visas
Cash and QR

Money

ATMs, Wise, PromptPay, TAGTHAi Easy Pay, and which Thai banks open accounts for foreigners.

Read money
Getting around

Transport

Grab, Bolt, 12Go, buses, SRT trains, BTS/MRT, and domestic flights.

Read transport
Cover

Insurance

Short-trip, nomad, and expat health. Read the motorbike clause.

Read insurance
Phone

Apps

LINE, food delivery, maps, weather, and the numbers to save.

Read apps
Day to day

Living tips

Etiquette, scams, safety, healthcare, weather, and the northern haze.

Read tips
Where to go

Regions

Bangkok, the North, Isaan, the Gulf islands, and the Andaman coast.

Read regions

Quick tips in 60 seconds

TravelPulse Shorts from the same guide. Want the long version? See all our videos.

Thumbnail: Tuk-Tuk Said ฿300?! Check This First▶ Tuk-Tuk Said ฿300?! Check This First Thumbnail: Hotel Wi-Fi Can Spy on You (Do This First)▶ Hotel Wi-Fi Can Spy on You (Do This First) Thumbnail: Thai ATMs: Don't Make THIS Mistake▶ Thai ATMs: Don't Make THIS Mistake Thumbnail: Do THIS before you land in Thailand▶ Do THIS before you land in Thailand ▶ Full videosWatch the full videos, with the write-up

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Also from the Pulse sites

eSIM setup, public wifi, and a connection test sit on the sister pages.

TravelPulse

eSIM guide

What an eSIM is, how to check the phone, and four providers that publish Thailand plans.

Open the eSIM guide
VPNPulse

VPN for public wifi

Hotel and cafe networks, lookalike hotspots, and what a VPN changes.

Open VPNPulse
NetPulse

Test the connection

Once you are online in Thailand, check the line you actually got.

Open NetPulse

Official sources

Last checked Oct 2026