Week 1: getting functional
- Thai SIM card — AIS or True, right at the airport or any mall: ~฿300–600/month with plenty of data. Your Thai number is required for everything else (bank, Grab, LINE), so it comes first. If your phone supports eSIM, five minutes.
- TM30 — your landlord (or hotel) must register your address with immigration. Ask for the receipt and keep it with your passport: you'll be asked for it in extensions and other paperwork. Full detail in the rental guide.
- Apps that are infrastructure: Grab (transport and food), LINE (this is the WhatsApp here: your landlord only exists on it), offline Google Maps, and your Spanish bank's app with roaming/2FA set up properly before leaving Spain.
- Cash: Thailand still wants cash in markets and taxis. ATMs charge ฿220 for foreign card withdrawals: take out a lot, rarely, or use Wise to bring money at a good rate.
Weeks 2–3: getting into the system
- Thai bank account. The country's most temperamental errand: they ask for a long-stay visa, a lease agreement and sometimes an immigration residence letter. The tactic: a large branch, all your papers, and if one employee says no, another branch of the same bank (yes, it works that way). Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn are the most seasoned with foreigners. With a local account you pay by QR like everyone else and your landlord stops giving you odd looks.
- Thai driver's license. With your Spanish license plus an international permit (IDP), the practical test is waived: what's left is paperwork, a simple medical test and a few hours at the Department of Land Transport. It matters more than it seems: without a local license, many insurance policies won't cover a motorbike accident.
- Health insurance, if you didn't already have it arranged (a mistake — exclusion periods run from the signing date). Prices by age in the healthcare guide.
Week 4: settling in
- 90-day report, in the calendar. With a long-stay visa, every 90 days of continuous stay you notify immigration of your address (online, by mail or in person). Forget it = fine (~฿2,000). Set the phone alarm today, not on day 89.
- TIN (tax number), if you're going to spend 180+ days a year there: the tax reasoning is here. It's obtained at the Revenue Department with your passport and lease agreement.
- Routine and people: a gym or muay thai, your city's Spanish group (it exists, on Facebook and LINE), and your neighborhood market. The first month decides whether Thailand is "a long vacation" or your home.
What's already done if you come with us
Our step 3 includes the SIM, the transfer and the first paperwork, and step 4 leaves you with a signed apartment and its TM30 done. The rest of the list — bank, license, report — we schedule and explain before letting go of your hand. The calculator includes these setup costs in the cost of landing.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to open a bank account?
More than before: long-stay visa, lease agreement and patience. A large branch, all your papers, and if you're turned down, another branch of the same bank. Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn are the most seasoned.
What is the 90-day report?
Notifying immigration of your address every 90 days of continuous stay. Online or in person, five minutes, a fine of ~฿2,000 if forgotten. In the calendar from day one.
Can I drive with my Spanish license?
For the first few weeks, with the international permit. To reside, get the Thai license: the practical test is waived and it's mostly paperwork. Without it, many insurers won't cover a motorbike accident.