What is TM30?
It is the address notification filed with Thai Immigration by the accommodation provider after you arrive at an address. Ask for evidence that it was filed; later immigration and administrative steps may depend on it.
Your first 30 days in Pattaya.
Prepare entry documents and temporary accommodation before departure. After arrival, work through the local setup and record later deadlines only when they apply.
Key checks
- Before departure
- Confirm entry, documents and temporary accommodation.
- First week
- Record your address, connect and inspect homes in person.
- Later dates
- Record reporting dates only when the duties apply.
Sort your visa first — the whole plan below assumes you arrive on the right entry. Start in our visa comparison.
One move, one manageable list
Your arrival checklist.
Work through the decisions that apply to you. Check a task once you have completed it or confirmed that it does not apply. The suggested phases are a planning order, not official deadlines.
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Official checkpoints
TDAC guide and TM30 handbook checked 7 September 2026. The government TM47 overview is dated March 2023 and supports the general trigger, not today’s full document list. Use Immigration’s live service for filing details.
TDAC · TM30 · TM47 · Immigration TM47Five phases, in the order that actually works
Some steps unlock later ones: a confirmed entry basis comes before travel, an accommodation address comes before TDAC and TM30, and a long-term home is easier to choose after you have tested the area. A 90-day report is not a week-two filing; only record the future due date if your continuous stay will exceed 90 days.
- Confirm the entry basisCheck the visa or exemption, permitted activity and any health-cover condition before paying for non-refundable travel.
- Book an initial addressYou need accommodation details for the TDAC and a provider who will complete the TM30 notification after arrival.
- Complete TDAC in its windowUse only the official Immigration service during the three days before arrival, including the arrival date.
- Record—not invent—due datesWrite down the end of your permitted stay and, if relevant, when 90 consecutive days in Thailand will be reached.
Phase 0 · Before you fly
Get sorted while it's easy
Everything is simpler from home than from a hotel lobby with jet lag.
Confirm the entry basis. Match your intended stay and activity to the responsible authority's rules—start with the visa route guide. Check health-cover conditions. Visa requirements and sensible personal cover are separate questions; compare both in the healthcare guide. Keep secure document copies. Save the passport, visa, relevant certificates, licence and policy details somewhere you can reach if a device is lost. Book an initial address. A short test stay preserves flexibility and supplies the accommodation details required by TDAC. Complete TDAC in the official window. Use the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card service during the three days before arrival, including the arrival date.
Phase 1 · Days 1–3
Connectivity, rides and cash
The three things that make the city usable on day one.
Get a local connection. Compare current prepaid and monthly terms at an operator's official shop; passport identification is normally part of SIM registration. Set up transport apps. Install the services you plan to use, verify the vehicle and driver in the app and keep a backup route for late arrivals. Plan cash access. Check both the Thai ATM's displayed fee and your home bank's foreign-withdrawal charge before accepting a transaction. Decline dynamic currency conversion unless you have compared the offered rate.
Phase 2 · Week 1
The home search and banking
The admin foundation everything later sits on.
Test the long-term area in person. Check noise, transport, flooding access, mobile signal and the actual route to work or school before signing. Decide whether you need a Thai account. Eligibility differs by bank, visa status and branch. Check the bank's official document list before visiting; a DTV or tourist status does not guarantee account opening.
Phase 3 · Week 2
Health, transport and future dates
Prepare recurring systems without filing anything early.
Record immigration dates. Note the end of your permitted stay. If you will remain in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days, calculate when TM47 reporting becomes relevant and confirm the submission window with Immigration; do not file it in week two. Choose a provider and save emergency details. The healthcare guide separates emergency care, routine care and insurance questions. Choose transport deliberately. Confirm licensing, insurance and deposit terms before renting or buying.
Phase 4 · Weeks 3–4
Driving, schools, a social life
Settle in and start building a life, not just logistics.
Resolve driving eligibility. Confirm whether your home licence and the correct convention-format International Driving Permit cover your vehicle class, then use the driving-licence guide and official DLT material for a Thai application. Complete school admissions. Compare published fee sheets and visit shortlisted campuses via the schools guide. Build repeatable routines. Test a gym, local market, grocery route and one social activity before committing to long memberships.
Mindset
Patience beats panic
Thai bureaucracy rewards calm, repeat visits and the right paperwork.
Requirements can differ by route and office, so carry the current official checklist plus organized copies of your passport, permission to stay, address evidence and any appointment record. If an office asks for something different, record the request and verify it before paying an intermediary. Leave buffer for a second visit and keep original documents under your control.
Protect the address record and your identity documents
TM30 — confirm that the accommodation provider notified Immigration
Thai Immigration describes the house owner, householder, possessor or hotel manager as responsible for the address notification, generally within 24 hours of arrival. Ask the provider how it was filed and retain the acknowledgement. Whether a later office asks for that evidence depends on the transaction and your case, so keep it available rather than assuming it unlocks every service.
Rentals — keep control of your passport and document the vehicle
Use a written agreement that states the vehicle, price, deposit, insurance position and existing damage. Photograph the vehicle at collection and return, retain payment evidence and do not leave your passport as collateral. If a dispute becomes unsafe or coercive, contact Thailand Tourist Police on 1155.
Keep the checklist with you
Export the checked and unchecked tasks as a text file or print the checklist above. It contains the planning sequence and supporting links; no account is required.
Open my arrival checklist →Continue with evidence
Turn the sequence into three concrete next actions.
Prepare the documents, test the place and keep one durable checklist. Each action opens the exact supporting task instead of restarting a broad questionnaire.
Where the sequence needs judgment
Not every task belongs in the first month. TM47 reporting is triggered by a stay beyond 90 consecutive days, not by the week in which you arrive. A bank account may not be available on your immigration status, and a Thai driving-licence application may require documents that take time. The useful first-month action is often to verify eligibility and record a due date, not to force an early filing.
Keep three different records separate. TDAC is an arrival registration completed before entry. TM30 is the accommodation notification handled by the responsible host or property party after arrival. TM47 is periodic address reporting for a qualifying continuous stay. One does not replace the others, and a visa or extension has its own conditions.
Banking is an eligibility decision, not a branch-shopping guarantee. Published policies can exclude particular visa categories even when anecdotes suggest otherwise. Start with the bank's official criteria, take the listed originals and copies, and ask for a clear explanation if an application cannot be accepted.
Test the daily system before you lock it in. A short rental, real commute, grocery run, school journey and rainy-day access check reveal more than a listing. Use the first month to reduce uncertainty; long contracts can follow after the routine works.
Next steps. Lock your visa in the visa comparison, get into the medical system via the healthcare guide, weigh schools in the schools guide, and pick your base in the neighbourhoods guide. Those four, plus the checklist above, are your first month.
Primary-source register
The official checkpoints behind the sequence.
Sources accessed 23 August 2026. Bank, transport and immigration officers can request case-specific evidence.
- Thailand Immigration · TDAC manualOfficial arrival-card timing, required information and submission process.Open source ↗
- Thailand Immigration · TM30Official accommodation-notification service for the responsible property party.Open source ↗
- Thailand Immigration · TM47Official guide for reporting a stay longer than 90 consecutive days.Open source ↗
- Department of Land TransportOfficial licence-learning material and the DLT Smart Queue service.Open source ↗
- Thailand Tourist PoliceTourist-assistance information and the 1155 contact route.Open source ↗
The practical questions
Know what each step unlocks.
Can a foreigner open a Thai bank account?
Possibly, but the bank and branch decide after checking your status, address, tax information, purpose and supporting evidence. Request the branch's current document list directly; neither a TM30 nor a long-stay visa guarantees approval.
Do I need a Thai driving licence?
Do not assume that every foreign licence or International Driving Permit covers every stay or vehicle class. Confirm recognition and insurance first; for a Thai licence, use the current DLT document and appointment requirements.
How long does setup take?
The core tasks can fit inside four weeks when done in sequence, but banking, licences, immigration and provider appointments can require repeat visits. Leave buffer rather than planning the month as a perfect checklist.