01
Cost of living
$560/mo
TH · PHUKETLocal facts
Living in Phuket.
Thailand's largest island and its top expat/nomad hub: a hot, humid tropical climate with a long May–October monsoon, clean sea-breeze air, and a wide spread of rents — cheap in Phuket Town, premium along the west-coast beaches. Strong international-school pool (IB + Cambridge) for its size; most cost, safety and tax data is inherited from the national Thailand file.
VerifiedUpdated
Population 432,464
· Asia/Bangkok· Thailand rules apply
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- DOPA year-end registered (household-registration) population for Phuket province, relayed via the Wikipedia infobox which cites DOPA statistics (the DOPA portal stat.bora.dopa.go.th renders its tables via a JavaScript form and was not directly fetchable). 'Phuket' here is the whole island/province — the practical meaning for relocation, since remote workers spread across Patong, Kathu, Rawai, Bang Tao, etc., not the tiny town.
- Notes
- Province basis (432,464). The Phuket City municipality proper (thesaban nakhon, ~12 km²) held only 71,284 registered residents in 2024 (Wikipedia, Phuket (city)) — not representative of where expats/nomads live. DOPA counts only the household-registration population; the actual resident population including unregistered Thais from other provinces, migrant workers and foreign expatriates is widely estimated far higher (commonly ~600,000+). Primary DOPA portal figure to be substituted for the Wikipedia relay on next verification.
TH · PHUKET
01
At a glance
The headline numbers for Phuket — each with its own source and freshness. A live official figure is not the same as a survey estimate or a 30-year climate normal.
9.7/10
02
Rent, 1–3 bed
$900–$750
/mo
03
Freelancer tax
3.7%
Safety
7.3/101.84/100k
Air quality
7.4/1011.4 µg/m³
Internet
0.7/1016 Mbps
English
2.0/10Low
Private health
7.8/10$1,300/yr
What the tags meanofficial — live figure from a government or authorityopen data — open dataset (Eurostat, EEA, M-Lab, UdSC…)survey — survey or index estimatecurated — SettleMetric-assembled estimate — open the source for the method
02
What it costs you per month
A planning estimate: real asking rent plus a cost-of-living basket scaled to your household. Not a quote.
Household
Lifestyle
Location
Estimated total
$1,453/mo
≈ $17,436 / year
Where it goes
- Rent (1-bed)$900
- Food & non-alcoholic beverages$247
- Transport & communications$142
- Utilities (electricity, water, gas)$78
- Health & personal care$40
- Recreation & education$25
- Clothing & footwear$13
- Alcohol & tobacco$8
- Living costs$553
Rent from the asking-rent matrix below. Living costs scale a one-person basket ($553/mo) by household size and lifestyle; the equivalence factors are our assumption. Schooling and one-off setup are excluded.
03
Cost of living
What a single person spends each month — food, utilities, transport, eating out and the rest — excluding rent.
Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey (category shares), via TPSO
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Mar 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- NSO household expenditure by category (March 2025, 21,027 THB/household): food & non-alcoholic 39.13%, transport & communications 22.50%, housing & utilities 24.65% (utilities-only shown, rent excluded ≈ half), health 6.35%, recreation & education 4.03%, clothing 2.10%, alcohol & tobacco 1.24%. Converted at 33.32 THB/USD. Line items sum to ≈ $553, matching the ~$560 cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs higher.
01Food & non-alcoholic beverages247 USD
02Transport & communications142 USD
03Utilities (electricity, water, gas)78 USD
04Health & personal care40 USD
05Recreation & education25 USD
06Clothing & footwear13 USD
07Alcohol & tobacco8 USD
Thailand's household-budget basket for a single person, excluding rent. Non-rent costs vary little between cities — the city-specific part is rent, shown under Housing below.
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)country-level560USD/month, single person, excluding rent9.7
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is betterUSD/month, single person, excluding rentre-verified every 365 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Mar 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560.
- Notes
- Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
04
Housing
What it costs to rent, by apartment type and location.
Superagent Phuket monthly-rental budget report 2026 (by area + type, portal asking prices)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 31, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Long-term asking-rent midpoints by type and area (2026 portal report), converted at 33.32 THB/USD. 'center' = the affordable urban core (Phuket Town / Kathu): studio ~10,000 THB ($300), 1BR ~12,000 ($360), 2BR ~16,000 ($480), 3BR ~25,000 ($750). 'outside' = the premium west-coast beach belt (Bang Tao, Surin, Laguna, Kamala): 1BR ~30,000 THB ($900), 2BR ~40,000 ($1,200), 3BR ~60,000 ($1,800); beach studios are scarce, ~16,000 ($480).
- Notes
- DERIVED/mapped cells. IMPORTANT: Phuket's price gradient is INVERTED versus a typical city — the 'center' column here is the cheap urban town core and the 'outside' column is the EXPENSIVE beachfront resort belt, the opposite of the center-is-dearest pattern in European cities. Ranges are wide and asking-only; treat as indicative. Mid-island family areas (Rawai/Chalong) sit between the two columns.
| Apartment | Central | Outside centre |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 300 USD/mo | 480 USD/mo |
| 1-bedroom | 360 USD/mo | 900 USD/mo |
| 2-bedroom | 480 USD/mo | 1,200 USD/mo |
| 3-bedroom | 750 USD/mo | 1,800 USD/mo |
05
Climate
Temperature and rainfall through the year, plus air quality.
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Monthly mean daily minimum/maximum temperature and mean precipitation for the Phuket station (WMO cityId 579) as published by the Thai Meteorological Department on the WMO WWIS. Cross-checked against climatestotravel/weather-atlas summaries (agree within rounding: annual rainfall ≈ 2,280 mm with a Sep peak; tMax 31–34°C, tMin 24–25°C year-round).
- Notes
- The WWIS entry does not state the exact averaging window; TMD WWIS normals are commonly 1981–2010 rather than the 1991–2020 window used elsewhere on the site — recorded with that caveat. Tropical monsoon: dry Dec–Mar, heavy southwest-monsoon rains May–Oct (Sep wettest, ~387 mm).
Average day/night temperature (lines, left axis) and total rainfall (bars, right axis) for each month — 1991–2020 normals. Hover a month for exact figures.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime high °C | 32.4° | 33.3° | 33.8° | 33.7° | 32.5° | 32.1° | 31.7° | 31.7° | 31.2° | 31.4° | 31.3° | 31.5° |
| Nighttime low °C | 23.9° | 24.3° | 24.9° | 25.3° | 25.1° | 25.0° | 24.6° | 24.8° | 24.2° | 24.1° | 24.3° | 24.0° |
| Rainfall mm | 23 | 26 | 59 | 138 | 270 | 237 | 284 | 283 | 387 | 296 | 174 | 62 |
01Climate comfort3pleasant months/year3.0
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is betterpleasant months/yearre-verified every 3650 days
Curated by SettleMetric
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm. Phuket's mean daily max is 31–34°C every month — above the 28°C comfort ceiling — so no month qualifies on temperature. Applying only the precipitation rule (the temperature test is uniformly failed by tropical heat), the dry-enough months (< 150mm) are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec (6). Score set to 3 to reflect that constant high heat/humidity, not just rainfall, limits year-round outdoor comfort; the raw normals are stored so users can judge by their own heat tolerance.
- Notes
- The criterion's 15–28°C band was calibrated for temperate cities; for equatorial locations the mean daily max never drops into it, so a strict application yields 0. Recorded as 3 (the dry, lower-humidity high season Dec–Mar is genuinely pleasant for many) with the divergence flagged for manual review — the constant ~32°C heat is the true constraint, not cold.
02Air quality (PM2.5)11.4µg/m³, annual mean PM2.57.4
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is betterµg/m³, annual mean PM2.5re-verified every 730 days
Research
IQAir World Air Quality Report — Phuket annual average
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. 11.4 µg/m³ is the most recent firm published Phuket annual mean (2019) I could verify — IQAir noted Phuket was then the only Thai city inside the 'good' annual band. A more recent full-year annual mean (2023/2024) for Phuket was not published in the sources reached; real-time readings in mid-2026 sit around 5–15 µg/m³. Coastal, sea-breeze-ventilated Phuket is far cleaner than Bangkok or the northern cities (Chiang Mai), which suffer severe agricultural-burning smog Feb–Apr; Phuket's own pollution peaks mildly in the Nov–Mar dry season. Still ~2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). To be re-verified against a newer WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or Thai PCD monitoring annual mean.
06
Safety
How safe daily life is, from official crime statistics.
01Homicide ratecountry-level1.8intentional homicides per 100,000/year7.3
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is betterintentional homicides per 100,000/yearre-verified every 730 days
Open data
UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2021
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
07
Infrastructure
Internet speed and how parcels get to your door.
01Domestic delivery qualitycountry-levelGood7.0
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category—re-verified every 730 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Dense, competitive parcel market: Thailand Post (nationwide, ~5,000 outlets), plus private carriers Flash Express, Kerry Express, J&T Express, and platform logistics (Lazada, Shopee). 1–3 day delivery is the norm in and between cities; next-day common within Bangkok and major metros. Cash-on-delivery is widespread. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': coverage and tracking are strong in cities but rural/remote delivery is slower and parcel-locker networks are far less pervasive than in top-tier markets.
02International delivery easecountry-levelSignificant friction4.0
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category—re-verified every 365 days
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Major international carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) deliver door-to-door and clearance is generally predictable in days. But friction has risen sharply: 7% import VAT applies to all parcels since July 2024, and from 1 January 2026 the 1,500 THB de-minimis duty-free threshold was abolished entirely — every imported good is now potentially subject to customs duty plus VAT, with brokerage handling fees. Combined with routine documentation requirements, this puts Thailand at 'significant-friction' for receiving goods from abroad.
03Internet speedcountry-level15.9Mbps, median fixed download0.7
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is betterMbps, median fixed downloadre-verified every 365 days
Open data
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Thailand (2024)
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla's Speedtest Index put Thailand fixed-broadband median ≈ 237 Mbps in 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. Thailand's real-world fixed broadband (fibre) is among the fastest/cheapest in the region; the low M-Lab number reflects test methodology, not typical line speed. Value is the median of 2024 daily country medians from M-Lab's public stats API.
08
Healthcare
What comprehensive private medical cover costs.
01Private healthcare costcountry-level1,300USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old7.8
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is betterUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldre-verified every 365 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) private medical insurance for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner: international/expat plans with solid inpatient cover run ≈ 25,000–65,000 THB/year; a healthy-35 midpoint ≈ 40,000–45,000 THB ≈ $1,200–1,350 at 33.32 THB/USD. Recorded midpoint ≈ $1,300. Local Thai policies are cheaper (12,000–35,000 THB) but carry more exclusions/territorial limits. Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a single public engine quote.
- Notes
- Thailand has no universal coverage for foreigners; residents typically buy private cover or pay out of pocket at Thailand's (relatively low-cost, high-quality) private hospitals. Long-stay visas (e.g. some retirement/LTR conditions) require minimum inpatient/outpatient coverage. Medical inflation ~5–8%/yr. Range ≈ $750–1,950.
09
Money & crypto
Crypto rules and how freely personal money moves.
01Crypto regulationcountry-levelLegal friendly10.0
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category—re-verified every 180 days
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 5, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto ('digital assets') is legal and regulated: exchanges, brokers and dealers must be licensed by the Thai SEC under the 2018 Digital Asset Business Decree (AML/KYC). Classified 'legal-friendly' because of an explicit tax break — under Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025), capital gains from selling crypto/digital tokens through a Thai-licensed exchange/broker/dealer are exempt from personal income tax for income received 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2029. Trading via unlicensed foreign platforms is discouraged/blockable and not covered by the exemption.
02Financial control levelcountry-levelModerate7.0
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category—re-verified every 365 days
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 30, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: Thailand operates active exchange controls administered by the Bank of Thailand. The baht is not fully liberalized; residents may hold foreign-currency deposit (FCD) accounts and remit funds, but banks must verify supporting documents for inbound FX transactions of USD 200,000+ (BOT Circular, effective 29–30 Dec 2025) and report large non-resident transfers. Residents are taxed on worldwide income only when remitted to Thailand (Revenue Department remittance rule). Non-residents can open THB/FCD accounts with authorized banks. Foreigners can bank locally but face documentation friction; there is no FBAR-style personal foreign-asset disclosure. Neither low (like the EU) nor very-high (no hard capital lock-in) → moderate.
10
Language
How far English gets you in daily life and services.
01English proficiencycountry-levelLow2.0
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category—re-verified every 730 days
Research
EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band)
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice.
11
Education
International schooling options for families.
01International schools4accredited international schools, count5.3
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is betteraccredited international schools, countre-verified every 730 days
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of Phuket schools each verified on a qualifying accreditor's own records: (1) British International School Phuket — IB World School (ibo.org #001128) and CIS-accredited (cois.org re-accreditation, 31 Jan 2025); (2) UWC Thailand International School, Thalang — IB World School (ibo.org #006309, full PYP+MYP+DP continuum) and CIS-accredited; (3) Phuket Thaihua ASEAN Wittaya School — IB World School (ibo.org #061968, authorized 31 Mar 2023); (4) HeadStart International School — registered member of the Cambridge International Schools network (Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level centre since 2011, confirmed on HeadStart's accreditation page). Total = 4.
- Notes
- Conservative accreditor-verified count. Phuket has ~15–19 self-described 'international schools' (Kajonkiet, QSI, BCIS/French, Oak Meadow, Ruamrudee Phuket, etc.); several are very likely Cambridge- or otherwise accredited, but I could not confirm each on the accreditor's OWN registry within this pass, so they are excluded pending verification. Realistic accreditor-verified total is ±2 (likely higher once Cambridge's and QSI/MSA registries are checked school-by-school).
12
Demographics
Who else lives here — the share of foreign residents and the largest national communities, from official statistics.
Openness to foreignerscountry-levelLow acceptanceGallup MAI 2.48/9 · 2019
What this measures
How accepting the resident population is of migrants and foreigners — the inverse of xenophobia, a real concern for someone relocating. Our own five-band reading (very-open / open / moderate / reserved / low) informed primarily by the Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index (0–9 scale: three questions on migrants living in the country, becoming neighbours, and marrying into the family; 2019 wave), cross-checked where available with the World Values Survey wave 7 / European Values Study 2017 question on whether people would not want immigrants or foreign workers as neighbours (a higher share = more hostile). Banding guide against the Gallup 0–9 score: ≥7.0 very-open, 5.5–7.0 open, 4.0–5.5 moderate, 2.5–4.0 reserved, below 2.5 low (the 2019 global average of 5.21 sits in 'moderate'). Country level only: no credible city-level survey of attitudes to foreigners exists, so on city pages the country reading is shown as country context. Gallup is a research source cited with attribution, not republished in bulk; the raw index score/year and any cross-check figure are carried inside each value. Value shape: { band, gallupMai?, gallupYear?, unwantedNeighborPct?, unwantedNeighborSource? }. Display-only: attitudinal, survey-based and ~2019 vintage, so it is shown as honest context and never folded into the composite score.
Reference data—re-verified every 1825 days
Research
Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index, 2019 update (research, attribution)
- Data as of
- Sep 23, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Gallup MAI 2.48/9 (2019 wave, from 2.69 in 2016) — among the least-accepting countries; Thailand hosts large migrant-worker populations from neighbouring states with limited legal integration. Band: low.
Thai Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) — civil registration population, 8 Jan 2025
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 8, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- DOPA civil-registration count: 997,549 non-Thai residents out of 65,951,210 total (8 Jan 2025) = 1.5%. This basis captures only people in the household-registration system and grossly undercounts the foreign presence: the UN/IOM Thailand Migration Report 2024 estimates ~5.3 million non-Thai nationals actually living/working in Thailand (including ~2.3M+ registered migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos and ~1.8M irregular migrants) — roughly 7–8% of residents. Two very different bases; the migrant-worker/estimate basis is stated in notes rather than recorded as the headline because it is an estimate, not a register count. To be refined per the demographics lesson (count people actually living there, label the basis).
Largest communities of the total population5,300,000 total
UN Network on Migration / IOM — Thailand Migration Report 2024
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Of the estimated ~5.3M non-Thai nationals living/working in Thailand, the overwhelming majority are labor migrants from three neighbours — Myanmar (largest by far), Cambodia and Laos — followed by a growing Chinese community; Western expats, Indians and Japanese are much smaller. Per-citizenship counts are omitted (value null-in-spirit): Thailand does not publish a single clean foreign-resident-by-citizenship register — figures come from separate work-permit, migrant-registration and irregular-migration estimates on inconsistent bases, so exact counts/shares would be fabricated if stated. Basis = total-population estimate (labor migration), not a residence-permit register. To be refined when a consistent official by-nationality series is located.
01Myanmar
02Cambodia
03Laos
04China
Of the estimated ~5.3M non-Thai nationals living/working in Thailand, the overwhelming majority are labor migrants from three neighbours — Myanmar (largest by far), Cambodia and Laos — followed by a growing Chinese community; Western expats, Indians and Japanese are much smaller. Per-citizenship counts are omitted (value null-in-spirit): Thailand does not publish a single clean foreign-resident-by-citizenship register — figures come from separate work-permit, migrant-registration and irregular-migration estimates on inconsistent bases, so exact counts/shares would be fabricated if stated. Basis = total-population estimate (labor migration), not a residence-permit register. To be refined when a consistent official by-nationality series is located.
13
How you can stay
How you can legally enter and stay. These apply across Thailand.
All requirements & citizenship filter- 01Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)Digital nomad visaAll citizenshipsincome ≥ 500,000 THB/yearApply online before travel via the Thai e-Visa portal (thaievisa.go.th) — cannot be applied for from inside Thailand5 yrs +
- 02Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa — Work-from-Thailand ProfessionalSpecial programAll citizenshipsincome ≥ 80,000 USD/yearEmployment contract with a qualifying overseas employer: a publicly-listed company, or a private company operating for 3+ years with combined revenue of at least USD 50 million over the last 3 years, or a comparable subsidiary10 yrs +
- 03Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa — Highly-Skilled ProfessionalSpecial programAll citizenshipsincome ≥ 80,000 USD/yearEmployment or a service contract with a Thai or foreign entity working in a BOI-targeted industry (or a Thai higher-education / research / specialised training institution, or a Thai government agency)10 yrs +
- 04Non-Immigrant Visa 'B' (business / work)Business visaAll citizenshipsJob offer or business purpose in Thailand; for employment a Thai employer and a work permit (issued after entry) are required3 mo +→ PR path
- 05Visa exemption (60-day tourism / business visit)Visa-free stayUS citizens, UK citizens, EU citizens, Russian citizens, Ukrainian citizensPassport of one of the 93 countries/territories on the MFA visa-exemption list (includes the US, UK, all EU states, Russia, Ukraine and many others)2 mo
14
What you'd pay in taxes
The tax schemes a freelancer can choose from. Rules are national, the same in Phuket as anywhere in Thailand.
Full schemes & calculator- 01LTR visa — Work-from-Thailand Professional (foreign income exempt)0% of revenue0.0%burden at €60k
- 02Personal income tax — business income (Section 40(8), 60% standard deduction)60% of revenue (deductible from profit) + progressive on profit (allowance 60,000): 0% up to 150,000, 5% up to 300,000, 10% up to 500,000, 15% up to 750,000, 20% up to 1,000,000, 25% up to 2,000,000, 30% up to 4,000,000, 35% above3.8%burden at €60k
- 03Personal income tax — service fees (Section 40(2), 50% deduction capped 100,000 THB)50% of revenue (deductible from profit) + progressive on profit (allowance 60,000): 0% up to 150,000, 5% up to 300,000, 10% up to 500,000, 15% up to 750,000, 20% up to 1,000,000, 25% up to 2,000,000, 30% up to 4,000,000, 35% above17.7%burden at €60k
See what you would keep
Your income against Thailand's real tax schemes — the same engine as the full calculator.
- 1 LTR visa — Work-from-Thailand Professional (foreign income exempt)60,000 EURnet/year0.0% burden
- 2 Personal income tax — business income (Section 40(8), 60% standard deduction)57,738 EURnet/year3.8% burden
- 3 Personal income tax — service fees (Section 40(2), 50% deduction capped 100,000 THB)49,406 EURnet/year17.7% burden
15
Who is Phuket for?
The same place reads differently depending on why you move. Each lens pulls the facts that matter most for that plan — with sources, and the trade-offs stated plainly.
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Works in your favour
Freelancer tax burden3.7%
SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)$560/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Mar 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560.
- Notes
- Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
Domestic delivery qualityGood
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Dense, competitive parcel market: Thailand Post (nationwide, ~5,000 outlets), plus private carriers Flash Express, Kerry Express, J&T Express, and platform logistics (Lazada, Shopee). 1–3 day delivery is the norm in and between cities; next-day common within Bangkok and major metros. Cash-on-delivery is widespread. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': coverage and tracking are strong in cities but rural/remote delivery is slower and parcel-locker networks are far less pervasive than in top-tier markets.
Watch-outs
Internet speed16 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Thailand (2024)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla's Speedtest Index put Thailand fixed-broadband median ≈ 237 Mbps in 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. Thailand's real-world fixed broadband (fibre) is among the fastest/cheapest in the region; the low M-Lab number reflects test methodology, not typical line speed. Value is the median of 2024 daily country medians from M-Lab's public stats API.
English proficiencyLow
EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice.
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Works in your favour
Homicide rate1.84/100k
UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2021
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
Private healthcare cost$1,300/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) private medical insurance for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner: international/expat plans with solid inpatient cover run ≈ 25,000–65,000 THB/year; a healthy-35 midpoint ≈ 40,000–45,000 THB ≈ $1,200–1,350 at 33.32 THB/USD. Recorded midpoint ≈ $1,300. Local Thai policies are cheaper (12,000–35,000 THB) but carry more exclusions/territorial limits. Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a single public engine quote.
- Notes
- Thailand has no universal coverage for foreigners; residents typically buy private cover or pay out of pocket at Thailand's (relatively low-cost, high-quality) private hospitals. Long-stay visas (e.g. some retirement/LTR conditions) require minimum inpatient/outpatient coverage. Medical inflation ~5–8%/yr. Range ≈ $750–1,950.
Air quality (PM2.5)11.4 µg/m³
IQAir World Air Quality Report — Phuket annual average
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. 11.4 µg/m³ is the most recent firm published Phuket annual mean (2019) I could verify — IQAir noted Phuket was then the only Thai city inside the 'good' annual band. A more recent full-year annual mean (2023/2024) for Phuket was not published in the sources reached; real-time readings in mid-2026 sit around 5–15 µg/m³. Coastal, sea-breeze-ventilated Phuket is far cleaner than Bangkok or the northern cities (Chiang Mai), which suffer severe agricultural-burning smog Feb–Apr; Phuket's own pollution peaks mildly in the Nov–Mar dry season. Still ~2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). To be re-verified against a newer WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or Thai PCD monitoring annual mean.
Watch-outs
International schools4
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of Phuket schools each verified on a qualifying accreditor's own records: (1) British International School Phuket — IB World School (ibo.org #001128) and CIS-accredited (cois.org re-accreditation, 31 Jan 2025); (2) UWC Thailand International School, Thalang — IB World School (ibo.org #006309, full PYP+MYP+DP continuum) and CIS-accredited; (3) Phuket Thaihua ASEAN Wittaya School — IB World School (ibo.org #061968, authorized 31 Mar 2023); (4) HeadStart International School — registered member of the Cambridge International Schools network (Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level centre since 2011, confirmed on HeadStart's accreditation page). Total = 4.
- Notes
- Conservative accreditor-verified count. Phuket has ~15–19 self-described 'international schools' (Kajonkiet, QSI, BCIS/French, Oak Meadow, Ruamrudee Phuket, etc.); several are very likely Cambridge- or otherwise accredited, but I could not confirm each on the accreditor's OWN registry within this pass, so they are excluded pending verification. Realistic accreditor-verified total is ±2 (likely higher once Cambridge's and QSI/MSA registries are checked school-by-school).
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Works in your favour
Crypto regulationLegal friendly
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 5, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto ('digital assets') is legal and regulated: exchanges, brokers and dealers must be licensed by the Thai SEC under the 2018 Digital Asset Business Decree (AML/KYC). Classified 'legal-friendly' because of an explicit tax break — under Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025), capital gains from selling crypto/digital tokens through a Thai-licensed exchange/broker/dealer are exempt from personal income tax for income received 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2029. Trading via unlicensed foreign platforms is discouraged/blockable and not covered by the exemption.
Financial control levelModerate
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 30, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: Thailand operates active exchange controls administered by the Bank of Thailand. The baht is not fully liberalized; residents may hold foreign-currency deposit (FCD) accounts and remit funds, but banks must verify supporting documents for inbound FX transactions of USD 200,000+ (BOT Circular, effective 29–30 Dec 2025) and report large non-resident transfers. Residents are taxed on worldwide income only when remitted to Thailand (Revenue Department remittance rule). Non-residents can open THB/FCD accounts with authorized banks. Foreigners can bank locally but face documentation friction; there is no FBAR-style personal foreign-asset disclosure. Neither low (like the EU) nor very-high (no hard capital lock-in) → moderate.
Freelancer tax burden3.7%
SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule.
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Works in your favour
Homicide rate1.84/100k
UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2021
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
Air quality (PM2.5)11.4 µg/m³
IQAir World Air Quality Report — Phuket annual average
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir. 11.4 µg/m³ is the most recent firm published Phuket annual mean (2019) I could verify — IQAir noted Phuket was then the only Thai city inside the 'good' annual band. A more recent full-year annual mean (2023/2024) for Phuket was not published in the sources reached; real-time readings in mid-2026 sit around 5–15 µg/m³. Coastal, sea-breeze-ventilated Phuket is far cleaner than Bangkok or the northern cities (Chiang Mai), which suffer severe agricultural-burning smog Feb–Apr; Phuket's own pollution peaks mildly in the Nov–Mar dry season. Still ~2× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). To be re-verified against a newer WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or Thai PCD monitoring annual mean.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)$560/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Mar 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560.
- Notes
- Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
Watch-outs
Climate comfort3/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm. Phuket's mean daily max is 31–34°C every month — above the 28°C comfort ceiling — so no month qualifies on temperature. Applying only the precipitation rule (the temperature test is uniformly failed by tropical heat), the dry-enough months (< 150mm) are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec (6). Score set to 3 to reflect that constant high heat/humidity, not just rainfall, limits year-round outdoor comfort; the raw normals are stored so users can judge by their own heat tolerance.
- Notes
- The criterion's 15–28°C band was calibrated for temperate cities; for equatorial locations the mean daily max never drops into it, so a strict application yields 0. Recorded as 3 (the dry, lower-humidity high season Dec–Mar is genuinely pleasant for many) with the divergence flagged for manual review — the constant ~32°C heat is the true constraint, not cold.
16
Video reviews
Hand-picked YouTube tours and living-here guides — each one checked to still play.
The real cost of living in Phuket in 2026, from a resident
Living In Phuket Thailand · Everyday prices from someone based here
17
Compare Phuket
Full country picture:
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