Living in Thailand

Schools, healthcare, seasons, flights and the cost of a household.

Living in Thailand

Banking and daily life in Thailand for foreign owners

Opening a Thai bank account as a foreigner, mobile and internet, driving licences, household staff, 90-day reporting and running a property from abroad.

5 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Buying a holiday home in Thailand: use, letting and the costs

Planning a Thai holiday home: which coast suits your months, letting it while you are away, owner-use limits, what it costs to keep and how long you can stay.

5 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Thailand's climate and seasons, coast by coast

Month-by-month weather on the Andaman coast, the Gulf and in the north, with rainfall figures, monsoon timing and the northern burning season.

5 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Cost of living in Thailand for a well-off household

Realistic monthly budgets for a comfortable family life in Phuket and Bangkok, covering school fees, rent and everyday prices.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Flights to Thailand and getting around the country

The airports that serve Thailand's property markets, long-haul routes into Bangkok and Phuket, domestic flights, driving, rail and island ferries.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Golf in Thailand for homeowners: Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya

The golf courses near Phuket, Hua Hin and Pattaya compared for homeowners, with green fees, membership costs, seasons and homes near the fairways.

7 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Healthcare in Thailand for foreign residents

How private healthcare works in Thailand, covering Bumrungrad, the Bangkok Hospital group and Samitivej, JCI accreditation, insurance and paying.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

International schools in Thailand by region and fees

The main international schools in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Hua Hin and Krabi, with curricula and 2026/2027 fee ranges.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Moving to Thailand with a dog or cat: rules, vets and homes

How to bring a dog or cat into Thailand: the import permit, vaccines, health certificate and timeline, then vets, condominium by-laws and going home.

7 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Phuket beaches, coast by coast: which suits which buyer

A buyer's guide to Phuket's beaches from Mai Khao to Rawai, with the character of each, swimming by season, safety rules and the homes nearby.

9 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Working remotely from Thailand: visas, internet and coworking

How to work remotely from Thailand lawfully: the DTV and LTR visas, tax on foreign income, internet speeds by city and the areas that suit a working base.

8 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Retiring to Thailand: visas, healthcare, costs, where to buy

Retiring in Thailand: the retirement and LTR visas compared, health insurance, monthly costs by city, pensions and tax, wills, and where retired owners buy.

8 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Living in Thailand

Sailing, marinas and boat life on Phuket

Phuket's four marinas compared, the sailing seasons, the cruising grounds, rules for foreign yachts and where to buy a home near a berth.

8 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Visas and residency

Buying property does not by itself give a right to stay. These routes do.

Up to 180 days per entry on a five-year, multiple-entry visa

Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): who qualifies, cost, limits

The DTV is a five-year, multiple-entry visa giving 180 days per stay to remote workers and people on approved activities. Who qualifies, the fee and the limits.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Up to one year at a time, renewable while the investment is held

Thailand investment visa: the THB 10 million route explained

Thailand's investment visa is a one-year extension of stay for THB 10 million placed in a condominium, bonds or a fixed deposit. The rule and its limits.

5 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

10 years: five years on issue, extended by five if you still qualify

Thailand LTR visa: who qualifies and how property counts

The four LTR visa categories, the current BOI thresholds after the 2025 changes, how Thai property counts toward the investment, the tax treatment and the fee.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

One year at a time (O and O-A), or five years renewable once (O-X)

Thailand retirement visa from age 50: O, O-A and O-X

Thailand's retirement visas start at age 50. The THB 800,000 deposit or THB 65,000 income test, O-A insurance, the 10-year O-X, 90-day reporting and renewal.

5 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

5 to 20 years depending on tier, with up to one year per entry

Thailand Privilege: membership tiers, prices and what you get

Thailand Privilege membership costs THB 650,000 to THB 5 million for 5 to 20 years of residence. What each tier gives, and what none of them gives.

4 min readUpdated 14 November 2026Read more

Coast and season explorer

Two coasts, opposite seasons.

When the Andaman is rough the Gulf is calm. Pick a month and see where the weather, and the rental demand, is.

Choose a month

The Andaman coast and the Gulf islands have opposite wet seasons. Choose a month to see where the sea is calm, where the rain falls and how busy the rental market is.

Thailand in

January

In January the sea is calm on the Andaman coast and along the eastern seaboard, and nowhere is rated wet.

Andaman coast

Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak

Best

Andaman coast: average rainfall and daytime high in January
Weather station	Rain	High
Phuket	23 mm	32°C

Sea

Calm, clear water on the west coast. The main months for sailing, diving and island trips.

Rental demand

Peak

High season at full rates. Chinese New Year, in late January or February, adds a second surge.

Gulf islands

Koh Samui, Koh Phangan

Good

Gulf islands: average rainfall and daytime high in January
Weather station	Rain	High
Koh Samui	138 mm	29°C

Sea

The north-east monsoon is easing. Showers linger and the sea can still be choppy.

Rental demand

Peak

Busy from New Year despite lingering showers. Chinese New Year, in late January or February, adds to demand.

Eastern seaboard and upper Gulf

Pattaya, Hua Hin

Best

Eastern seaboard and upper Gulf: average rainfall and daytime high in January
Weather station	Rain	High
Pattaya	14 mm	31°C
Hua Hin	10 mm	30°C

Sea

Sheltered water, generally calm, with dry and breezy days.

Rental demand

Peak

The cool, dry months are the main season for overseas visitors and long winter stays.

The north and Bangkok

Chiang Mai, Bangkok

Best

The north and Bangkok: average rainfall and daytime high in January
Weather station	Rain	High
Chiang Mai	8 mm	29°C
Bangkok	9 mm	32°C

On the ground

Cool season. Dry, clear days, with cool nights in the north.

Rental demand

Peak

Cool season. The strongest months for visitors to Chiang Mai and for short stays in Bangkok.

The year at a glance

Each row is a zone and each cell a month. Read across to see a coast's season, and down to compare coasts in the same month.

Andaman coast

Gulf islands

Eastern seaboard and upper Gulf

The north and Bangkok

Best: under 80 mm of rain
Good: 80 to 149 mm
Mixed: 150 to 224 mm, or haze
Wet: 225 mm or more

How the ratings are set: each zone is rated on its average rainfall for the month, taken as the mean of the weather stations shown on its card. The north and Bangkok are marked mixed from February to April whatever the rainfall, because smoke haze lowers air quality in the north in those months.

Rainfall and daytime highs are long-term monthly averages recorded by the Thai Meteorological Department, and any single year can differ widely. Sea state and rental demand are our general reading of the monsoon and tourism calendars, not a forecast for any one property.

Next step

Match the coast to your calendar

If you will use the property in the European winter, the Andaman coast is in season. If you will use it in July and August, look to the Gulf islands. The months you stay away are the months a rental programme has to fill. See climate and seasons in full, the Phuket area guide and the Koh Samui area guide.

WhatsApp us Property for sale in Phuket Property for sale in Koh Samui

Where should we send it?

Climate averages: WMO World Weather Information Service, Phuket, WMO, Ko Samui, WMO, Pattaya, WMO, Hua Hin, WMO, Chiang Mai, WMO, Bangkok, Thai Meteorological Department. Bangkok figures are for 1961 to 1990.