What is the recommended sequence of events when moving to Thailand for expats?

The Ministry of Checklists and Infographics needs to be created.

Everything can be done quite easily as long as you have your visa situation sorted.

As from the 1st of next month, certain airlines will be able to issue your 30-day extension during the flight.

Sort your visa. The rest is peanuts in comparison's ...

You can get a visa online thru your nearest Thai consulate. Goggle Thailand E Visa and it should take you to the website.

Once you are here and you rent a place to live, you should be able to get a bank account as you will need some documentation of where you are staying. I found that Bangkok Bank was the most friendly towards Farangs. 

Most rentals will include utilities, if you want good Internet and TV, we use BBB and I like that a lot.

You may wanna keep two cell phones. One for your US phone number and get another one for your Thai Phone. I found AIS to be very good as far as Internet while in Thailand and pretty reliable phone service.

An international drivers license is recognized in Thailand and good for one year. You can work on your tide drivers license later, but it’s not a high priority as long as you have your international license. If you plan a motorbike, make sure your international drivers license is also approved for motorcycles .

It's all part of the adventure of being a new immigrant😊

Good tip is when you go to immigration to get a certificate of residency, get 2 or 3 at the same time, as you might need for different things.

Only 30 day extension of the 30 day exemption. And not at the airport but at the local immigration office. 60 days not enough to open bank account, clear 800k and season for 2 months. Opening bank account without a Non-O visa tricky. So do get a Non-O visa in your home country before you arrive.

Have you ever stayed longer than a couple of weeks holiday in Thailand ?

If no, then start out doing a 60 days touristvisa and extend that with 30 days.

That way you will get a feeling of how it is to stay in Thailand, when everyday life kicks in, and it may / may not be as interesting as a couple of weeks holiday.

You will also need to try out a couple of places, before you decide where to settle down.

Hahaha, you a funny guy 👦

I came last year for a month and used an agent to open an account. Returned to US and deposited/transferred the prerequisite 800k in the account. Returned 2 months later after it was "seasoned" Then used an agent to apply for my Retirement visa. Took a month for Immigration approval. In the meantime I used an agent to get my driver's license - had IDP so only had to take color and reaction test. Make sure you have both motorcycle and auto on IDP.

I understand the desire to be prepared and/or organized. But this is Thailand and you'll quickly nothing is what it seems.

The driver's license isn't necessary unless you want to drive a car. Some people choose to drive cars, I prefer a motorcycle (scooter in American speak). International Driver's permit aren't as useful as people think. There are a couple of individuals in this group that insist there is a benefit, I haven't found that to be the case... Maybe for car rentals.

My recommendation is plan to stay one place or another for only a month at a time. Get to know the place before you rent for a year. AirBnB is good for this but AirBnB aren't entirely legal (nothing is as it seems). If you choose to go with a non-hotel situation you will need to concern about the TM30. This is the process of informing immigration you are in town. This must be done within a couple of days of arrive. Hotels will do this for you, private individuals (airbnb) may or may not do this for you... The TM30 is a whole other conversation and a silly process to boot but its necessary.

You will not likely put utilities in your name until you own. You simply just pay the bills.

You get your extension from immigration which requires you file the TM30. Every immigration office is different and some will only accept the application 2 weeks before or stamp (visa stamp) expires. So you worry about this requirement after you've been in town for a little while.

You will want to consider your visa options before you come. If you are 50+ you have a couple of retirement visa options available to you. Another option is Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) this will get you 9 months if you manage your border bounces correctly. Each retirement visa has different requirements and the money requirement can be a little challenging if you do have a bank account.

You will find it difficult to open a bank account, especially on a visa exempt or tourist visa. This means you will have to go to several bank branches, hire an agent, or get advice from someone who knows.

Banks are a little odd. You open an account at one branch, that becomes your home branch and other branches may not be able to help you with some of your requirements. So if you open a bank account in Bangkok and decide to live in Koh Tao, you will have some headaches at immigration getting bank paperwork, or you have to go back to Bangkok... Again this is something you will navigate when you get here and you have an opportunity to talk to other foreigners (not all of them are on this facebook face).

I think your plan should be.. Come on a tourist visa tour around Thailand find the place you want to call home for 1+ year, then look at step 2. Chaing Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok, Koh Samui, etc. Many places to visit to know the place that is best for you.

The OP is clueless

@Henry ********

I'd still recommend the IDP. That way he can drive legally until he gets around to getting the license. That first few months can be quite busy so it's one less thing to worry about right away.

As others have said, get the appropriate visa before leaving. You cannot extend a 30-day visa exempt entry at the airport anyway. I used my UK driving licence to get my first Thai licence, no need for an IDP.

I’d STRONGLY suggest you search this group for information on three things:

1) retirement visas (that’s what it sounds like you’re seeking)

2). Driver’s licenses

3). ***bank accounts***

Your head will spin but you’ll have soooo much information. Amongst what you’ll find is confirmation of what Brandon and Stuart told you. You’ll see folks (maybe even me 🙂 ) desperately trying to open bank accounts to no avail on a tourist visa. Opening one on a long-term visa is soooo much easier. You can then focus on the license and the extension.

Read up. There’s so much info available from very helpful people.

YouTube working for you. He’s a Canadian and has good advice.

As

@Bra****

says it’s probably better to get a Non O visa from your country before coming to make getting the bank account easier. It’s doable on an exempt or tourist visa entry but generally only by using an agent.

Bring an IDP with you which makes getting your Thai license much easier and not having to do the theory or practical tests.

There’s almost certainly a 7-11 in or near the airport that will supply the Leo and ham and cheese toastie that you’ll need before any venture further.

Well the first thing is that you won't be getting any extension at the airport, because there's no immigration office at the airport. You get an extension from your local immigration office. You'd probably be better off applying for a tourist visa before you arrive so you can get 60 days and can apply for a 30 day extension, giving you 90 days to figure things out.

But if you want to go the retirement visa route, you might consider getting the visa from the Thai embassy at home before you travel since it'll help you get a bank account that you'll need.