Moving to Hua Hin: the first month, step by step

Moving to Thailand is easier when things are done in the right order. This is the order that works in Hua Hin, from someone who has lived here for years. Each step links to a detailed guide.

Before you fly

1. The right visa for your stay. Visa-free entry is meant for holidays. For months, you usually need a visa applied for before you travel. Check your options in the visa calculator.
2. Passports valid for at least six months after your planned return, for everyone travelling.
3. Health insurance covering the whole stay, all of you, with clear rules on hospital bills.
4. A driving permit: an International Driving Permit together with your national licence; category A if you plan to ride a scooter. See driving in Thailand.
5. School if you have children. See international schools in Hua Hin.
6. The arrival card (TDAC), filled in no earlier than 3 days before you land. See the TDAC guide.

The first week

• A short stay first: two or three weeks in a hotel or holiday flat while you look at areas. See where to live in Hua Hin.
• Phone and internet: a SIM card or eSIM from day one. See SIM card or eSIM.
• Money: a multi-currency card and some cash; Thai QR payments with the tourist wallet. See paying without a Thai bank account.
• Transport: app taxis in town; a rented car or scooter once you know the roads.

The first month

• A long lease: view in person, read the contract and the deposit terms, take photos of everything at handover.
• The address report (TM30): your landlord reports where you live. Make sure it is done. See 90-day report and TM30.
• A Thai bank account, if your visa allows it and you stay long. See opening a Thai bank account.
• A Thai driving licence for a long stay, swapped from your own. See Thai driving licence.
• A doctor and a hospital: find them before you need them, and check how your insurance pays.
• Public holidays: on some of them banks and offices close and alcohol is not sold. See the holiday calendar.

Mistakes newcomers make most

• Coming visa-free and hoping to “sort it out later” for a long stay.
• Signing a year’s lease on the first day, without seeing the area.
• Riding a scooter without the right licence category, which can leave you without insurance cover after an accident.
• Paying for official forms on unofficial websites (the TDAC is free).
• Not checking the address report, then having problems at immigration.

Help on the ground

Help with the flat, school, car, bank and driving licence in Hua Hin is what I do: one person who takes care of the practical side, with a clear price before anything starts. See my services or write to me.