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Living in Thailand, told straight
What we tell people on the phone, written down: visas, taxes, money, healthcare, schools and renting. 2026 numbers, zero hype, and the same rule as always — if something doesn't suit you, we tell you that too.
01 · 13 guides
Taxes and income
The reason many people make the leap. How taxes work in Thailand, how to stop being a Spanish tax resident without surprises, and what the treaty between the two countries says. Start with the pillar tax guide.
Tax
Taxes in Thailand for Spaniards
The 180-day rule, the 0–35% brackets, the 2024 remittance rule and the treaty with Spain, in plain English.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax · Pillar guide
Legal tax optimization in Thailand
The guide that ties it all together: how to legally pay less tax by relocating to Thailand, step by step, without crossing the line.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
The 180-day rule
When you become a Thai tax resident, the clash with Spain's 183 days, and how the treaty breaks a dual-residency tie.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
What counts as remitted money
Transfers, cards, ATMs and pre-2024 savings: what counts as a remittance and why it decides how much you really pay.
20 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Ending Spanish tax residency, the orderly way
Consular deregistration, Modelo 030, the Thai certificate and the evidence folder: how to stop being a Spanish tax resident.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Spain–Thailand double-taxation treaty
Which income is taxed where under the 1997 treaty: pensions, salaries, rentals and dividends, one by one.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Working remotely from Thailand: the tax side
The 180-day rule, the DTV visa, deregistering as self-employed in Spain, and what happens to your invoices once you move.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Cryptocurrency in Thailand: taxes
Capital-gains exemption until 2029, local vs offshore exchanges, and what to do with your wallets before leaving Spain.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
The exit tax: who it really affects
The departure tax, its 4-million and 1-million thresholds, what it doesn't cover, and why it hits almost no one who moves.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Modelo 720 and 721 when you move
When the foreign-asset and crypto declarations kick in, when they stop applying, and the trap in the year you leave.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
CRS and CARF: your data travels on its own
How Spain and Thailand share your financial and crypto data, and why hiding was never a real strategy.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Renting out your flat in Spain from abroad
Non-resident tax (IRNR), Modelo 210 and the 24% on gross income for non-EU residents: why keeping it rented changes the math.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Tax
Returning to Spain under the Beckham law
If you ever move back, the inbound-expat regime lets you pay a flat 24% for up to six years. Requirements, and why living abroad first helps.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
02 · 10 guides
Visas and residency
The six visas that exist, which one fits your case, and what each fee actually costs. Start with the full guide or take the two-minute test.
Visas
Which visa fits you: the full guide
DTV, Non-O, Non-B, ED, LTR and Elite in one table, with requirements, duration and the real cost of each fee.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Test · Visas
Which Thailand visa do I need?
Answer 7 questions and walk away with your recommended visa, whether your case is viable, and what the first year would cost. Free and instant.
17 · 07 · 2026Take the test →
Visas
The DTV visa: 5 years for nomads
€270 fee, €13,000 in provable savings and 180-day stays: the best visa in decades, explained in full.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
The LTR visa: 10 years of residency
The four categories, the income requirements, and the honest math on when it beats the DTV.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
Thailand Privilege: the visa you buy
The Elite membership: 5 to 20 years with no age or income requirements, from €17,000 to €130,000. When it pays off and when it doesn't.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
Working in Thailand: the Non-B visa
The work visa and the work permit come as a pair, and both depend on a sponsoring company. Why it can't be arranged from outside.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
The ED visa: living there while studying
Thai language, university or muay thai as a route to living in Thailand for €80. The flexible option for under-50s, and its trap.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
The marriage visa (Non-O)
Married to a Thai national: annual residency with ฿400,000 or ฿40,000/month, and the most accessible route to a work permit.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas
Renewing your visa and the 90-day report
The three recurring procedures: the 90-day report, the re-entry permit and the annual renewal. Deadlines, fines and how not to lose status.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Visas · Business
Starting a company in Thailand
The 49% foreign-ownership rule, BOI for full ownership, and the capital and staff needed for your own work permit. Why it rarely pays off just for the visa.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
03 · 6 guides
Money, cost of living and housing
What it really costs to live there, city by city, plus the money it takes to land: renting or buying, opening a bank account, and collecting your pension from Thailand.
Money
How much does it cost to live in Thailand?
Real budgets for the five cities, alone, as a couple or with kids — and what it costs to land, line by line.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Housing
Renting without stepping on the traps
The 2+1 deposit, marked-up electricity, the deposit that never comes back, and what you actually can negotiate. We see it every week.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Housing
Buying property as a foreigner
Condos under the foreign quota, the land ownership trap, 30-year leaseholds and purchase fees. What you can actually buy.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Opening a bank account in Thailand
The country's most unpredictable errand: what paperwork they ask for, which banks are easiest, the tactic that works, and how to move money without losing it.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Retirement
Retiring in Thailand on your pension
The Non-O visa, collecting your pension from there, the proof-of-life certificate, the insurance that actually matters, and where people settle.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Retirement
Collecting your Spanish pension from there
The proof-of-life certificate, payment abroad, the exchange fees that eat into your money, and what happens with withholding tax.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
04 · 13 guides
Living there: health, family and daily life
What you actually notice once you land: healthcare and insurance, schools, safety, climate, the Spanish community and your first month's paperwork, in order.
Health
Healthcare and insurance, with prices
What a doctor costs without insurance, how much a policy runs at each age, and which hospital is the reference in each city.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Health
Health insurance for expats
Local vs international policy, the four coverages that matter, and prices by age. The decision that's most expensive to get wrong.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Family
Moving with kids: schools and prices
International schools city by city, the children's visa, and the full budget for a family of four.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Family
International schools: 2026 prices
From €2,400 to €23,000 per child per year depending on city, the mid-tier option nobody mentions, and the extra costs the school's website leaves out.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Arrival
Your first month: the complete checklist
SIM card, TM30, bank account, driver's license and the 90-day report — in the right order, no wasted trips.
17 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Moving to Thailand: bring your things?
Sea container vs. plane vs. starting fresh: costs, timelines and customs. The cold math of what's worth bringing and what to leave in Spain.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Safety: the reality versus the myth
Day to day, it's calm. The real danger isn't robbery, it's the motorbike. Common crime, the usual scams and how to avoid them, with data.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Climate and the best time to move
The three seasons, monsoon by coast (Andaman vs Gulf), and the northern smoke season: when to move to each city to get the weather right.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
The Spanish community in Thailand
Where it is in each city, how to get into the groups without knowing anyone, and why landing with company speeds up the whole adjustment.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Learning Thai: how much do you need?
You can live without it, but four phrases change the country for you. Tones, the alphabet, and why the grammar is genuinely easy. Apps, schools and the ED visa.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical · Nomads
Internet and coworking for remote work
Fiber at 300–1,000 Mbps for €15–23, local SIM, eSIM and the best coworking spaces by city. How to set up your remote office from day one.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
The Thai driver's license
The international permit on arrival, converting your Spanish license, and why the local license is your safety net against a motorbike accident.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
Practical
Bringing your pet: dogs and cats
Microchip, rabies, health certificate and import permit. With paperwork in order there's usually no quarantine — but start early.
18 · 07 · 2026Read →
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Everything on the blog, applied to your case, in a twenty-minute call. Free, and no obligation.