Is Thailand not suiting your needs while on a DTV visa, and where are you considering going next?

Chiang Mai is the most magical city in Thailand. Try that.

I'd like to get a Smart Visa next but it's more hassle to apply.

What about it isn't for you? Even someplace like Bangkok has a range of lifestyle experiences available. If you like city life and want some expat interaction but found Bangkok too busy, try a smaller city like Udon Thani. If you want to sip sunset beers on the beach but Phuket was too touristy, try the islands or some of the more rural parts of the Andaman coast. Were they both not the authentic Thai experience you hoped for? Even on the outskirts of Bangkok, places like Nonthaburi are very different from central Bangkok. Want a more rural experience? Go 30 minutes out of any city in Isaan and it's a whole different world.

If you check out a bunch of the 'daily life' youtubers and find one that resonates, check out their province, rent a place for a month and see how you feel about it, in addition to getting a broader look with someone like Paddy Doyle and his year plus long trip through all of the provinces. Something may spark your interest.

I don't know you personally so I cant make any assumptions as to if you have already done so, but if you are looking at staying long term, study Thai. Not just the language, but the people, the culture, everything about Thailand.

Additionally, assuming you are a digital nomad, why not hop to a neighboring country for a month or two and take advantage of the multiple entries the visa gives you. Just don't go with a tourist mindset; evaluate things like you would if you were just offered a job that required you to relocate there. Would you accept?

People become oddly tribal on social media, and there’s a weird possessiveness when it comes to Thailand. A lot of people have a lot of complicated reasons for being there.

I can offer this advice for you. As someone who first lived in Thailand with a Thai family in a suburb of Bangkok as a 20-year-old, and later worked there, there was a lot I initially struggled with. That included the pollution, corruption, and what I initially felt was a sense of moral nihilism.

I was and still am an overly serious person in some regards with a strongly-defined sense of how things should be.

Thailand will challenge that. If you brace against it you’ll break. So as the cliche goes, bend like bamboo.

Now it’s the place I want to spend the rest of my life. I study Thai everyday and feel a sense of deep well-being every time I return. But I had to invest a lot of time to get there, and I had to confront a lot of static in my own soul about meaning and this whole act of living.

Not everyone wants an existential trip. You’re perfectly within your rights to not want to see how you may have to change to see Thailand as some do.

Some people want nothing more than a nice beach to telework on, or a not so nice brothel to get worked over in.

There’s a lot of beaches and brothels in the world.

The gem of Thailand is Thai people. I’ve never met people so capable of finding joy in the moment no matter their circumstances. And the chaos becomes quite orderly once you start to pick up the patterns.

There aren’t a lot of options in terms of big cities, but there are lots of mid-sized towns which may look the same on the surface, but have very specific vibes due to the cultural differences of the peoples there.

Pick some places in different geographical regions of the country and travel. WiFi is pretty decent everywhere, except for some of the smaller islands.

The only way to see if Thailand is for you is to, well, see it. Good luck!

Things I should have considered before getting a 5 year visa

Thailand makes a perfect HQ but certainly not suitable as a permanent residence.

BKk and Phuket and the worst parts of Thailand, get to CM or Phang Ná

Who in their right might would apply for 5 year visa if they didn't like Thailand already lmao.

Well, DTV is dirt-cheap. So, just leave if you don’t dig it here. You can always come back for five years. ;0)..

Try Hua Hin ❤️

The standard advice to people who post. I want to retire to Thailand where is best is as follows. Go and live in a few places for 2 months or so. The atmosphere and culture is very different in places all over Thailand.

Have you seen different parts of thailand and tried them? Thailand is incredibly diverse and different regions have vastly different vibes.

Did you research about the country before coming? Of course not all places are for everybody. In my case, I'm just thinking on how to get another 5 years after this current visa ends in 2029 😂

Which part of Thailand are you? Thailand is super great especially Nov-March time. Since you might have to pay tax after six months why don’t you spend six months in Thailand and then six months somewhere else

It is a 5 year multi entry visa. Make use of that to visit/stay in other countries you are interested in. Thailand is a large country with very different cultures. Have you visited all over the isles?

Well you have a 5 year visa now so you will have to tough it out 💪

What were your bad experiences?

Why get the DTV if you were unsure about Thailand? We've been traveling for over 3 years before deciding to "settle" in Thailand.

Vietnam was our second favorite, followed by Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia in that order.

What’s missing? Could be you chose the wrong city? Or have you been around by now ?