Arriving in Bangkok

This page covers your first days in Bangkok - the practical stuff you need sorted before anything else. It's written in order of priority. Do the SIM first, worry about everything else after you've got data on your phone.

Get this before you leave the airport. You need data to call a Grab, find your accommodation, and do anything else on this list. Don't skip it and assume you'll sort it later.

Where to buy at Suvarnabhumi (BKK): There are carrier booths on the arrivals floor - AIS, DTAC (now True Move H), and TrueMove H. They're easy to find once you clear customs. You can also buy online before you arrive and pick up at the airport, which saves time.

What to get: A tourist SIM with unlimited data for 30 days costs around 299–399 THB. If you're staying longer, AIS does monthly plans you can manage through their app or website - you don't need to go to a shop every month.

Line app: Download it immediately. Line is Thailand's WhatsApp - landlords, building management, co-working spaces, your dentist, everyone uses it. Register with your new Thai number.

The airport exchange rate is bad. Not catastrophically bad, but you'll lose a meaningful amount if you exchange everything there. Here's how to do it properly.

SuperRich Thailand consistently offers the best rates in Bangkok. There are two SuperRich brands - the original green logo (SuperRich Thailand) and an orange one - both are good, but the green one is generally slightly better. There are branches across the city including in major malls and BTS stations.

Don't sign a 12-month lease before you've spent time in Bangkok. The city is big, each neighbourhood is genuinely different, and what sounds good on paper often doesn't suit how you actually live. Spend your first month somewhere flexible.

Short-term options (first 1–4 weeks):

See the Housing guide for a full breakdown of neighbourhoods, lease terms, what to look for in a condo contract, and how to use agents properly.

If you're staying somewhere short-term, you'll rely on your SIM data and building WiFi for the first few weeks. When you move into a long-term place, you'll want your own connection sorted within the first week.

Installation: Most providers require a copy of your passport and a Thai address. You don't need a Thai bank account to sign up - cash payment is standard. AIS Fibre is the easiest to set up as a foreigner and the most reliable for WFH use.

Opening a Thai bank account as a foreigner is possible but requires going to the right branch with the right documents. Don't show up to any branch and expect it to work - some branches flat out won't open accounts for foreigners regardless of what you bring.

Best options for foreigners:

What you need: Passport with valid entry stamp. Some branches also ask for proof of address in Thailand - a lease agreement or hotel booking printout works. Requirements shift, so call ahead or check current reports on forums before going.

See the full Banking guide for a complete walkthrough - which specific branch to go to, what to say, how to set up PromptPay, and how to receive international transfers.

TM30 is a legal requirement. When a foreigner stays at a private residence in Thailand, the owner of that residence is supposed to notify Immigration within 24 hours. In practice this means your landlord files a TM30 for you. Most established landlords and condo buildings do this automatically.

Why it matters: You need a TM30 receipt when you do any visa extension or 90-day report at Immigration. Without it, they may refuse to process your application.

There is a legitimate visa agent industry in Bangkok and it is genuinely useful for certain situations - LTR visa applications, work permit paperwork, extensions that require document translation. There is also a significant scam layer sitting on top of it, mostly operating through Facebook groups and Instagram DMs.

Here is how to tell the difference.

When you actually need an agent: For straightforward tourist visa extensions, you don't. Go to Immigration yourself - it's not complicated, just time-consuming. Where agents genuinely add value is for LTR visas, retirement visa applications, work permits, and company setup. For those, use someone with a verifiable office and real references.

What agents legitimately charge: Expect to pay 3,000–8,000 THB for an extension service on top of the government fee. LTR visa assistance can run 15,000–30,000 THB. Anyone charging dramatically less is cutting corners or taking your money and doing nothing.