What should I prepare or do in the US before moving permanently to Thailand in 40 days?

Bring a second cell phone with ALL apps pre loaded. A friend in Thailand is not able to load certain apps such as banking, etc. i brought him a spare phone last year. Also most wire transfers are tied to US phone number.

Also spare credit and debit cards. If scammed, or lost, a real pain to replace.

Give someone you trust in the US a POA to conduct business for you. Many things can come up, possibly save you a trip back.

Just bring some A-1 sauce …..555

maybe i already said this. i have been here 20 years. i have developed a simple rule...0 - 50 -100. it means the first time you go to the gov or bank or whatever, if you follow directions, you have 0 chance of getting what you want. they will want more info. then when you return, you have a 50% chance. On the 3rd time it should be 100% but sometimes it takes 4 times. no anger. just realize things are never the way they tell you

Don't burn ya bridges mate. It's deffo not what it's cracked up to be..

Land of Smiles 😃 na na... , but hey, I guess you're going to learn the hard way 🤔 ..

Get a second Atm card for a different bank. Set up transfers between banks in case you lose Atm card or money machine eats it, or you lose it

How can we tell what you are forgetting?

Switch the lights off and come enjoy

Credit cards

Lmao

You must have a USA address you can count on. Nice to have USA bank acct that allows for international number.

Yeah,bring your brain with you !

Get a Charles Schwab debit card (no fees). Sign up for Travelling Mailbox so you'll have a US address. Park your US cell number at Number Barn so banks can verify you.

Good choice! Congratulations and good luck!

Turn out the lights

Get a Capital One 360 Checking Account. No fees for foreign transactions including ATM fees and there’s no currency exchange fee.

Get a travelers mailbox/address.

If you’re on Medicare figure out if you’re going to cancel part b.

If you’re going to purchase travel/medical insurance I highly recommend United Healthcare Safe Trip. Depending on what state you’re from you can get coverage for up to 6 months. This will give you plenty of time to find coverage in Thailand. After exhausting research I found their policies have superior coverage with lower premiums than everyone else and they pay directly to the healthcare providers. I have used the policy and it was great.

You're pretty naive if you think you can just up and move to Thailand "permanently." You must be in the country 3 years LEGALLY before you can be considered for a permanent residency.

Don't forget to turn the lights out when you leave mate

Socks

Decide what you want to do with health insurance. Get IDP, set up phone service for 2fa. Manage assets to be liquid. Hug your family.

Yes make sure you bring your common sense with you . A surprising number of foreigners arriving in Thailand seem to leave their brain back home .

Early Vote for Trump/Vance.

If you tall, clothes.

Food spices that you often use and you will miss at some time.

I brought dry ranch dressing, paste sauce, mexican spice packs, meatloaf seasoning and etc.

I love the food here, but sometimes miss flavors from home.

Deodorant, toothpaste, over the counter meds. and vitamins.

Sport shoes if you're athletic and have above size 10 feet.

Work out with you're bank how to do transaction at low cost and how to open and cancel accounts.

You're leaving the greatest country in the world. Before you reach thailand, don't have any expectations and see if you still want it.

If you are a maga moron stay away.

Make sure the stove is turned off.

Maybe list what you have Done/Covered?

Get a Charles Schwab debit card if you ever need to withdraw cash, although you'll probably get a Thai bank account

Certified Copies of birth certificates in case passport ever gets stolen/lost….

Check this out from the expat den team:

Just get a Skype number. Works for my US bank and Fidelity account. No issues with the IRS or Social Security.

Condoms!

Licorice is a must!

I am having a difficult time opening an investment bank account in the US from Thailand. If you do not have one already I would suggest you do that before you leave.

I use Google Voice to make/receive US calls. I would recommend you set-up something like that before you leave.

If you pay taxes in your current state I would recommend changing to a tax free state.

If you can renew your license before you leave that may be helpful, if you want to drive in any other countries. The International Driver's License is a myth and the International Driver's permit is not as helpful as some think it.

Thailand has no flat sheets so if you feel those are must, bring them with you.

I use a mail forwarding service which works pretty good most of the time (see investment bank account). I would recommend you set-up that before you come but it's not fully necessary.

Talk with

@American *****************************

and check if there's anything you should set up tax wise prior to leaving.

@https://www.facebook********************

Vote for Donald Trump before you leave 🙂

Get banking verifications sent to email NOT text msg.

Oh and bring a bottle of Blanton’s

Update your address/forward your mail before you go! I learned the hard way that sometimes they want you to come in person to show your ID.

Set up multiple two factor authentications on your important logins. That way if you don’t have access to your US number, you can still get in.

Make sure your cellphone is unlocked so you can get a SIM card

Go to AAA and get your international drivers permit. Takes like 30 minutes and only $20ish

Order new bank cards if any are expiring within the next year

Request medical records

Tapcon screws

Yes, what have you done?

My immediate thoughts

1. Make sure you have a reliable means of transferring money to Thailand. Note that not all banks will accept voice over internet phone numbers

2. Passport, drivers license, and credit cards should have expiration dates as far out as you can. 1 year minimum.

3. 2 credit cards from two banks to back each other up

4. 6 months of essentials until you can figure out where to buy what you need. Essentials could be medications or large clothing sizes or stick deodorant or your favorite toothpaste. You can buy almost anything here or online but it may take a while to find out where.

5. Bring some cash to get started. I brought $10,000 long ago. All the currency notes must be new or pristine condition or you will have trouble exchanging them.

6. Bring originals of marriage certificates or divorce documents.

7. I did not need an international drivers license to get my Thai drivers license but many people recommend it. It might be something to look into.

8. It can be helpful to maintain a US address. Use a family members address or a friend. Last resort you can try a mail forwarding service.

9. Unlock your cell phone. I have kept my AT&T international calling plan for 7 years now. I’m glad I did.

In the end you don't have to bring many material possessions. I and many people arrive with just a couple of suitcases of stuff.

IDP very important if you plan to drive here, makes application for local driving license easier, you can use your US driving license for 3 months after arrival after which you are not legal.

get an international drivers permit so that you can go directly to a Thai drivers license without taking the tests

If you have time, I would move the flight up by about 39 days, but that’s it. Bring passport. The rest can be sorted out here

Get out of there

Get an international drivers licence prior to leaving, and don't forget your US licence. Open a Thai bank account to transfer your funds to and use the Thai ATM card here. With the right visa seek out a yellow card, and get a pink Thai identity card, along with a Thai drivers licence.

Some of these will take some time after arriving, but worthwhile when you stay long term.

Maintaining a USA address and a USA phone # is a good idea for credit cards and banking

A us phone number, for us banking texts.

Pretty wide open query chief. 🤪

1 visa

2 money

3 proper US addresses to keep creditors and the like from shutting down accounts.

Something not always seen is atm use in Thailand accumulates quite a bit. I would suggest having an account like Charles Schwab that refunds atm fees and works everywhere. Right now the fee is ~$6 per transaction. So, that adds up. 👍

Get a Google voice number and associate it with your US mobile number. This can’t be done once you leave the US.

If you are a fan of US tv shows then get a FireStick or similar device and use VPN service once you get here.

Hi, I’ve been here two Years from USA.. what have you already done.