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Settling in

Settling in Bangkok

Bangkok is tamed step by step: everyone's visa, the arrival report your landlord files, the consular register, a reference hospital, then the SIM card, the bank and the choice of neighbourhood according to school. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked on official websites and with the French-speaking associations.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

Nobody settles in Thailand without a visa, and every family member has their own: the working spouse holds a B visa, the others an O 'dependant' visa. Admin life then revolves around the immigration office, not the town hall.

Good to know

  • Since 15 September 2026, a French passport allows a visa-free stay of at most 30 days, for tourism only, with two visa-free entries per calendar year: to settle, the visa is applied for before departure and 'visa runs' lead to refused entry. Source
  • The spouse and children of a B visa holder apply for a Non-Immigrant O 'dependant' visa: marriage certificate or family record book, the children's birth certificates, the holder's passport page with their visa or work permit. The application is fully online (e-Visa), the visa does not allow work and opens an initial 90-day stay. Source
  • Once in Thailand, the Immigration Bureau extends the whole family's stay to one year (extension of stay), renewable as long as the spouse's work permit runs; the extended permit is valid for multiple entries. Still plan a re-entry permit before leaving the country if immigration asks for it. Source
  • Beyond 90 consecutive days in the country, every foreigner reports their address to immigration, online, at the office or by post, within a window of 15 days before to 7 days after the due date; a delay usually costs 2,000 baht. The owner or manager of your home must also report your stay (TM30) within 24 hours of your arrival. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free, valid 5 years and done online on service-public.fr with French ID, proof of residence in Thailand and a photo. Each registrant is attached to one of the 34 safety 'îlots' of the consular district, useful in a crisis. Source
  • Working without a work permit is an offence in Thailand, as is overstaying: a spouse who wants to work must obtain their own permit through an employer. Source
  • Week 1, in order: check that your host has filed the TM30, buy a SIM card with your passport, register the family with the consulate, choose your reference hospital and open your files there, then open the bank account once the lease is signed. Note the date of your first 90-day report straight away.

Addresses

  • Section consulaire de l'ambassade de France à Bangkok

    Consulate

    35 Rue de Brest, Charoen Krung Soi 36, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500

    By the river, in the Bang Rak district. Open by appointment only, Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 15:00, Friday 8:30 to 12:30. Questions go through the France Consulaire service; a duty line answers genuine emergencies in the evening and at weekends.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families split between Sathorn and Sukhumvit, close to the French preschools, hospitals and the metro; the Lycée français international sits out of the centre in Ramkhamhaeng and most pupils get there by school bus. The market moves fast and rental rules favour the landlord.

Good to know

  • Sathorn is a smart residential district, with embassies, international schools and French restaurants, home to many French families in large compounds where children play safely; Sukhumvit, from Nana to Phra Khanong, is lively and modern, well served but noisy and expensive in its most sought-after sois; Ari offers a village feel with houses. Source
  • The Lycée français international de Bangkok is 'slightly out of the way' of the main expat districts, in Ramkhamhaeng: families in Sathorn or Sukhumvit rely on the school bus and on a commute that depends heavily on traffic. Favour a home close to a BTS or MRT station. Source
  • Not every property is listed online: agents are often specialised by neighbourhood, their fees are generally paid by the landlord (confirm with the agent), ask for photos before viewing, and feel free to knock directly at the office of a condominium you like. Source
  • The custom is one month's rent in advance and a deposit of two to three months' rent, returned without interest about a month after the lease ends. The standard lease runs one year: leaving earlier forfeits the deposit, unless a diplomatic clause is negotiated (60 days' notice in case of transfer). Tenancy law favours the landlord, so everything that matters must be written into the contract. Source
  • The TM30, the accommodation report to immigration, is the owner's or manager's duty and must in principle be filed within 24 hours: ask for a copy, it is then useful for the bank and for the 90-day report. Source
  • Before signing: check the air conditioners and how electricity is billed, as it weighs heavily in an air-conditioned home, the inventory with photos, the mosquito screens and the safety of the pool or balconies if you have little ones. Source

Addresses

  • Sathorn, Yen Akat et Silom

    Neighbourhood

    The historic district of French families: La Petite École and Acacia Sathorn, the Alliance Française nearby (Lumphini), BNH and Saint Louis hospitals, Lumphini Park, MRT and BTS. Large compounds with pools and gardens.

    Source

  • Sukhumvit : Phrom Phong, Thonglor et Ekkamai

    Neighbourhood

    The Sukhumvit of international families: Acacia Ekkamai, Samitivej hospital (soi 49), Benjasiri and Benjakitti parks, the malls and the BTS at every soi. Lively, convenient and among the highest rents.

    Source

  • On Nut et Phra Khanong

    Neighbourhood

    Further east along the BTS line: more affordable than central Sukhumvit, more and more expats, recent condos and reasonable commutes to the LFIB.

    Source

  • Ari

    Neighbourhood

    To the north, a peaceful residential district with a village feel, spacious houses, cafés, international schools, BTS Ari. Far from the LFIB and the French preschools.

    Source

  • Ramkhamhaeng et Bang Kapi

    Neighbourhood

    The district of the Lycée français international de Bangkok, to the east: more affordable houses and compounds, fewer expats, school within walking distance or a few minutes' drive. Worth considering with several children at the LFIB.

    Source

  • Riverside et Charoen Krung

    Neighbourhood

    The Chao Phraya riverside, near the French embassy: river views, high-end residences and hotels, but high prices and more limited access to public transport.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

You get your SIM card on day one with your passport. As for insurance, only one is compulsory, for the car; health cover, however, is essential.

Good to know

  • Since 16 May 2026, SIM cards are registered in person, in a shop or at an authorised dealer, on presentation of a passport; non-Thais are limited to three cards per operator and the card must be activated within 60 days. Source
  • Every vehicle must carry the compulsory 'Por Ror Bor' insurance, created by the 1992 motor accident victims protection law and renewed yearly before the vehicle tax: it compensates bodily injury regardless of fault, but covers no vehicle. Voluntary (comprehensive) insurance is bought separately. Source
  • The French state covers neither health costs nor repatriation: the Caisse des Français de l'étranger (CFE), whose means-tested assisted category is applied for at the consulate, is topped up with private insurance covering hospitalisation. It is the first contract to sign, even before the lease. Source
  • No home insurance is required of tenants in practice; family liability cover and cover for your belongings remain wise, especially in ground-floor houses during the rainy season.

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Banking and money

A Thai bank account unlocks PromptPay QR code payments, which settle everything here, from taxis to markets. Expect some paperwork: banks check foreigners' files closely.

Good to know

  • Banks apply a tightened KYC framework: passport, valid visa, proof of residence registration (TM30), lease or utility bill, Thai phone number, and employer letter or work permit. Requirements vary from bank to bank, some almost always asking for a work permit: check with several. Source
  • A spouse without a work permit opens an account more easily with the TM30 and the lease in their name. Source
  • Until your local account is open, your French card works in malls and big chains, within the limits set by your bank. Wise also offers its account and cards, issued by Wise Thailand, to residents. Source
  • Day to day, you pay by QR code linked to your bank account, down to small shops and taxis. The Bank of Thailand's PromptPay system also lets you transfer money with just a phone number, without knowing the account number. Source
  • Keep at least one account in France, useful for bills and refunds, and tell your bank before you leave: it switches to non-resident status, and some products such as the LEP savings account must be closed. Ask about the conditions it applies to non-residents. Source

Addresses

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Getting set up

Three IKEA stores, including one right on Sukhumvit, Thai furniture and home improvement chains, large supermarket chains and huge malls: Bangkok has it all.

Addresses

Getting around with children

The elevated BTS and the underground MRT run from 6am to midnight and beat the traffic jams; the rest is done by taxi, Grab or boat. Children travel free or nearly so, a car is rarely needed in the centre, and the French licence is exchanged after three months.

Good to know

  • The BTS and MRT run from 6am to midnight, but they are two separate companies: each offers its own top-up card, issued on presentation of a passport, and the BTS card also gives a discount on the Chao Phraya Express Boat. Source
  • On the BTS, the Rabbit card comes in adult, student and senior versions, sold at station ticket offices; single tickets come from the machines, which take coins, notes or QR code. Look for the wheelchair pictogram on the map: it marks stations with lifts, precious with a pushchair. Source
  • On the MRT (Blue and Purple lines), since 13 April 2026, children under 14 and up to 120 cm tall travel free, and children aged 7 and under regardless of height: show the child's passport at the ticket office to get their free ticket. Source
  • An MRT Blue Line ticket costs between 17 and 44 baht since 3 July 2026 and over-60s get 50% off: it is one of the cheapest lines in the family budget. Source
  • Taxis: always have the meter switched on; in the evening it is sometimes hard to find one that accepts the ride, and Grab or Bolt take over at affordable prices. Motorbike taxis are taken with a helmet and never at night; with children, avoid them. Source
  • The Chao Phraya Express Boat leaves from Sathorn pier, at the foot of BTS Saphan Taksin, towards the temples and old Bangkok: the orange flag line costs 19 baht for any journey and runs Monday to Friday; the khlong boats (Saen Saep) cross the city from east to west. Source
  • Your French licence together with an international permit is accepted for three months; beyond that you need a Thai licence, issued by the Department of Land Transport. The embassy certifies a copy of your licence, has it translated by a translator it knows (after the certification, never before) then certifies the translator's signature: paid procedures, by appointment. Source
  • Many families live without a car in the centre: BTS, MRT, Grab and the school bus are enough. A car, often with a driver, becomes useful for houses on the outskirts or weekends out of town.

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Admin: taxes, social security and the consulate

No universal social security number: a tax number if you work, membership of the Social Security Office if you are employed by a Thai employer, and the rest goes through private insurance. The consulate remains your town hall and prefecture.

Good to know

  • Anyone present more than 180 days in a calendar year is a Thai tax resident: they are taxed on Thai-source income and on foreign income brought into Thailand. Income tax is withheld at source by the employer and the annual return is filed by 31 March. Source
  • A tax treaty links France and Thailand and prevents double taxation; your remaining French obligations (rental income, pensions) fall under the non-residents tax office. Source
  • If you are employed by a Thai employer, you belong to the Social Security Fund: the employer withholds your contribution and pays its own, on a capped wage base raised on 1 January 2026. In return, a designated hospital treats you, but with no choice of doctor. Source
  • What the consulate does: register, passports and ID cards by appointment, declaration or registration of births, AEFE school grants for the LFIB, La Petite École and the Acacia schools (January to March campaign on Scolaide, second council in autumn for newcomers), social assistance, elections, certified copies and certifications for the Thai licence. Source
  • A birth is first declared to the Thai civil registry, which is compulsory; then to the consulate, by declaration within the first 30 days or by registration later, by appointment, without the child present. The first passport is applied for about two weeks after the certificate is drawn up, with the child this time. Source
  • What it does not do: Thai visas (immigration), covering your health or repatriation costs, and the France Consulaire service does not answer questions about visas for France. For Thai authorities, any translation must be certified by the embassy, a paid service. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Bangkok is cheaper than Paris for housing, food, transport and domestic help, but two items tip the balance: school and healthcare, both fully paid for. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: for the same space as in Paris, markedly cheaper, with pool and security guard thrown in; the French school districts, Sathorn and Sukhumvit, remain the most expensive in town and air conditioning pushes up the electricity bill. Source
  • School: the biggest line in the budget. The LFIB and the international schools come at a high price, to be negotiated into the expat package; AEFE grants exist subject to means. Our school fees page details the official amounts. Source
  • Health: nothing is free, every consultation and every hospital night is paid for, and private hospital prices are not regulated: family insurance is a real budget line, not an option. Source
  • Domestic help: widespread and affordable. Families employ a housekeeper or nanny, full or part time, live-in or not; homes often include a dedicated room. Candidates are very often Burmese: check and keep a copy of their papers and work permit. Source
  • Transport: negligible. An MRT journey costs between 17 and 44 baht, children up to 120 cm travel free, and taxis are cheap; a car-free family also saves insurance, parking and driver. Source
  • Groceries: street food and local produce cost a fraction of French prices; cheese, wine and imported goods, on the other hand, are often double or triple. Outings are gentle: free parks, museums free or nearly so for children. Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Bangkok will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Section consulaire de l'ambassade de France à Bangkok
  2. 2 France Diplomatie, Thaïlande : entrée et séjour
  3. 3 Ambassade royale de Thaïlande à Paris, visa Non-Immigrant O
  4. 4 Gavroche Thaïlande, guide des visas (octobre 2026)
  5. 5 Bangkok Accueil, les quartiers de Bangkok
  6. 6 Revenue Department, impôt sur le revenu des personnes physiques
  7. 7 Toute la Thaïlande, ouvrir un compte bancaire en 2026
  8. 8 Banque de Thaïlande, PromptPay

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