Daily life in Thailand runs on a Thai bank account and a Thai mobile number. With those two you can pay almost anything by QR code, receive rent, settle building fees and deal with government offices. A foreigner can obtain both, though the bank account takes persistence. The other routine obligations are the 90-day address report and, if you drive, a Thai licence. Owners who live abroad should appoint someone on the ground.

Opening a bank account

There is no single rule. Each bank sets its own requirements and the branch has discretion, in part because of controls against fraud and money laundering. Banks usually ask for:

  • A valid passport.
  • A long-term Thai visa, such as a non-immigrant visa or Thailand Privilege membership.
  • A second identity document from your home country, such as a driving licence.
  • A work permit, if you have one.
  • A guarantee letter, if the branch asks for it.

A visitor on a tourist entry can at most open a savings account, and may be declined. Holders of a Long-Term Resident visa, Thailand Privilege membership or a retirement visa are in a stronger position. Branches in Bangkok apply closer scrutiny than those in cities such as Pattaya.

Go in person with originals, take evidence of your Thai address such as a purchase contract or lease, and ask the developer or your lawyer which branch regularly opens accounts for foreign buyers. Mobile banking is approved case by case, so request it when the account is opened.

Why the account matters for property

The money to buy a condominium must come from abroad in foreign currency. The receiving Thai bank issues a Foreign Exchange Transaction Form for transfers of USD 50,000 or more, and you need that document to register freehold ownership and, later, to send sale proceeds home. Read sending money to Thailand before you make the first transfer, because a mistake in the remittance instruction is hard to correct.

After completion the account does the routine work: common-area fees, electricity and water, insurance, the annual land and building tax, and rent received from tenants. If you plan to borrow, see mortgages for foreigners.

Paying for things

QR payments from banking apps are used at nearly every shop and street vendor, and the same apps pay rent, utilities and tax. Foreign cards work, but withdrawals on a foreign card carry extra fees that a local account avoids.

Mobile and internet

A SIM is registered against your passport at an operator's shop. In Bangkok a plan with at least 10 GB of data costs about THB 480 a month, and home broadband of 60 Mbps or more at about THB 610. Check mobile coverage and fixed-line availability at a hillside or rural villa before you buy.

Keep the Thai number active when you are abroad, because banks send one-time passwords to it.

Driving licence

Visitors should carry their home licence and a 1968 International Driving Permit. Residents can apply for a Thai licence using their home licence, through the Department of Land Transport.

A first licence is probationary and valid for two years. It is then renewed as a five-year licence. Applicants need a medical certificate and take a physical test of reactions, peripheral vision and colour vision. Official fees are small: THB 205 for the two-year car licence and THB 505 for the five-year one. Offices set their own document lists for foreigners, so call ahead. More on roads in flights and getting around.

90-day reporting

Any foreigner who stays in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days must notify the Immigration Bureau of their address, and repeat the notice every 90 days. It applies even if your address has not changed.

  • When. From 15 days before the due date to 7 days after it.
  • How. In person at an immigration office with your passport and form TM.47, or by registered post sent at least 15 days before the due date. Immigration also offers online filing. Check its current conditions.
  • Penalty. A fine of THB 2,000 for a missed report, or THB 5,000 if the lapse is found when you are stopped for another reason.
  • Travel. Leaving Thailand resets the count. The next report is due 90 days after you return.

The report does not extend your permission to stay. Immigration offices may also ask for your TM.30, the form that records a foreigner's stay at a particular address. Ask your lawyer who should file it for your property.

Long-Term Resident visa holders report once a year instead. Compare the routes with the visa pathfinder.

Household staff

Housekeepers, nannies, gardeners, drivers and pool technicians can be found through agencies, estate managers or other owners.

Anyone who is not a Thai national needs a work permit or a visa that allows work, so check documents before hiring. Employers also have obligations under Thai labour law. Ask your lawyer or an agency to set the arrangement up properly. Take local quotations for wages. See cost of living.

Owning from abroad

A property left empty in the tropics deteriorates quickly, so plan for the following.

  • Management. In a condominium, the juristic person looks after the building but not your unit. Appoint a property manager to inspect, air, clean and maintain it.
  • Bills. Put electricity, water, internet and common-area fees on automatic payment from your Thai account, and keep it funded.
  • Tax. The land and building tax is billed yearly. Rent paid from Thailand to a non-resident owner is subject to 15% withholding. See rental income and tax.
  • Letting. Lets of under 30 days need a hotel licence. See short-term rental rules.
  • Succession. Consider a Thai will for your Thai assets. See inheritance and wills.
  • A local contact. Give a lawyer or manager a limited power of attorney for routine matters, and review it yearly.

For the yearly deadlines, tenant reporting and the papers to keep, see managing a Thai property from abroad and build your own list with the owning from abroad planner.