Leaving or Returning to Phuket: A Checklist for Residents (2026)

Whether you are going home for the summer, leaving Thailand for good or coming back after a break, a short checklist prevents expensive mistakes. This page covers visa and reporting points, housing, bills, money and health, checked in November 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm each point with Immigration or your visa adviser.

Before you leave for a trip or a season

Check your permission to stay. If you hold an extension of stay and leave Thailand without a re-entry permit, the extension is cancelled when you go. A single re-entry permit has been 1,000 baht and a multiple one 3,800 baht, so confirm the current fees and buy it before departure.
Know your next 90-day report date and whether you will be away when it falls due. Time abroad resets the count in many cases, but confirm this for your visa type.
Check the expiry date of your passport. Many visas and airlines require six months of validity.
Make sure your address notification (TM30) will still be correct for your landlord or hotel when you return.

Your home and bills

Read your lease for rules on leaving a unit empty, and agree who looks after it, particularly in the rainy season when mould and water leaks are common.
Turn off the water at the main valve and unplug appliances. Leave the air conditioner settings that your landlord recommends to prevent mould.
Set up automatic payment for electricity, water and internet, or pay in advance, so the service is not cut off.
Arrange for post, parcel and security checks if you own the home.
Tell your insurer if the home will be empty for a long time.

Money, phone and health

Tell your banks you are travelling, and check that your Thai bank app and your home-country cards will work abroad. Keep some baht or a card that works in Thailand for your return.
Keep your Thai SIM active if you rely on it for banking codes, or arrange another way to receive them.
Check that your health insurance covers you abroad, and the dates it renews. Take medicines, prescriptions and key medical records with you, and note the generic names of drugs.
Store scans of your passport, visa pages, lease and insurance documents online.

If you are leaving Thailand for good

Give your landlord the notice required in the lease, and arrange the return of your deposit. Record the condition of the property with dated photos.
Cancel or move contracts for the internet, phone, gym and subscriptions, and pay final bills.
Report your departure date for any vehicle, and cancel or transfer insurance on a car or scooter. Check the rules for exporting a vehicle if you own one.
Decide what to do with your Thai bank account and any money in it, and ask the bank how to close it or leave it open. Check your own country's rules on foreign accounts.
Think about tax. If you were in Thailand 180 days or more in the year you leave, you may need to file a Thai return, as the tax guide explains.
Keep copies of your visa history and bank statements, in case a question arises later.
Update your will and your address with your home-country authorities.

When you come back

Enter on the correct visa or permission, and check how many days you may stay on arrival. The rules for visa exemption and extensions have been changing, as our visa news explains.
Report your address again if the TM30 notice is required for your accommodation.
Restart your services, check the home for damp and leaks, and run the air conditioner and water before you unpack.
Update your 90-day report date if it has changed, and renew your health insurance and scooter or car insurance before you ride or drive.
Re-check prices and your budget, since costs change from year to year.

This is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Rules and conditions change, so check current official guidance for your situation.

Plan your stay: Thailand visa guides · Phuket area guides · Long-term rentals · Cost of living · More: Arriving and settling in · Phuket Field Guide

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