Your First Week in Phuket: A New Arrival Checklist

Day 1: arrive and get connected

• Buy a tourist SIM at the airport or a shop, as the SIM guide explains. Local guides quote about 299 to 599 baht for a 30-day data plan, and a Thai SIM is useful because bank apps often bind to it.
• Get to your accommodation, and check how you will pay the first rent or deposit.
• Check your visa type and write down your permitted stay and any reporting dates.
• Download the apps you will need for rides, maps and translation. See the getting around guide.

Days 1 to 3: address registration and transport

• Ask your landlord or hotel to file your TM30 address notification, which is due within 24 hours of your arrival, and ask for a copy. Several later steps depend on it.
• Arrange transport. Many newcomers rent a scooter by the month, but check your licence and insurance first, as the driving guide explains.
• Locate the nearest hospital and save the emergency numbers.
• Start your health insurance before you ride or travel around, because a hospital emergency can cost a lot. See the health and insurance guide.

Days 3 to 7: banking and admin

• If your visa allows it, ask a bank branch what it needs and start the account process. Many banks want a long-stay visa and proof of address, as the banking guide explains.
• Put your 90-day report date in your calendar. The report is your own duty every 90 days of continuous stay, separate from the TM30, and can often be done online, by post or at the immigration office. Guides disagree on the exact form names, so confirm the current method with Immigration.
• If you plan to leave Thailand and return, ask Immigration about a re-entry permit so you do not lose your extension.
• Visit the immigration office once if you hold a long-stay visa, and check its current address and opening hours, because sources disagree on where it is.

Week 1 to 2: housing and daily life

• If you are in a short-term rental, start looking for a longer one. Read the rental contract guide before you sign.
• Order home internet if needed, as the SIM and internet guide explains.
• Find supermarkets, a pharmacy and a clinic near home.
• Learn a few Thai phrases and read the etiquette guide.
• Join one or two local groups, as the social life guide suggests.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a hotel or landlord has filed the TM30 and never checking.
• Missing a 90-day report, which can bring a fine. Guides quote 2,000 baht and up, so do not rely on a figure, and ask Immigration.
• Riding a scooter without the right licence or insurance.
• Signing a long lease or paying a large deposit before you have seen the contract and inspected the property.
• Moving in high season, when rents are higher. One guide says Phuket rental prices rise 30 to 50 percent from November to March.
• Not keeping copies of passports, visa pages, TM30 receipts and contracts.

Where to go next

Once the first week is done, read the visa hub for your long-term plan, the cost of living page for budgeting, and the Field Guide for everything from schools to taxes. The area guides help you choose where to settle.