Guide › Thailand

Thailand

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

59 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: one rent period, at most two months
Civil and Commercial Code sec. 566 for an open-ended lease. If the landlord rents out five units or more, the 2018 contract notification also lets you leave early with 30 days' written notice.
14 weeks before
Give written notice and keep proof it was received
A letter or a message with a date is enough; keep the reply for the deposit.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Deposit: one month, plus at most one month's rent in advance
The 2018 contract notification caps both at one month for landlords with five units or more and orders the deposit back within seven days of the end of the lease.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Fire and contents insurance for the new address
Fire insurance is compulsory while a mortgage runs; contents cover is voluntary and worth it for expensive things.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book a bulky waste collection
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Track the return of the deposit

New home

6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Inspect the unit and record the meter numbers with photos
A signed annex to the lease. Without photos of the condition, a deposit is hard to get back.
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Electricity: transfer the meter at MEA or PEA
MEA in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, PEA everywhere else. A controlled lease may only pass on the utility's own rate, not a marked-up one.
7 days before
Water and internet: transfer or take out a new contract
Water runs through MWA in the Bangkok area and PWA elsewhere; in a condo it usually goes through the building. Internet providers move an existing line, which takes a few days.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Reserve parking outside both buildings
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

1 day after
Foreign residents: the landlord files the TM.30 within 24 hours
The owner or possessor of the property reports a foreign guest to Immigration within 24 hours. Keep the receipt, the 90-day report asks for it.
3 days after
Condo management: moving hours, lift, common fee
The juristic person sets the hours for moving furniture, usually takes a deposit for the lift and wants the common fee paid from the day of the move.
7 days after
House registration: report the move within 15 days
The householder reports the move out and the move in at the district office within 15 days; a late report carries a fine of up to 1,000 baht. Tenants often keep the registration at their family address and use a temporary one instead.
7 days after
Thailand Post and the delivery apps: change the address
Thailand Post redirects mail on request at the post office. Most parcels arrive by private courier, so change the address in every shopping app as well.
10 days after
Change the hospital on your health cover
Universal coverage takes the new hospital straight away through the NHSO app or line. Social security uses form SorPorSor. 9-02 and allows one change a year.
2 weeks after
School: the catchment area follows the address
State schools admit from their service area first, and enrolment runs in a fixed window each spring.
2 weeks after
Bank, employer and insurers: change the address
Banks ask for the ID card and often for the house registration; the employer needs the new address for social security and tax.
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
4 weeks after
Vehicle and driving licence: change the address
The address in the vehicle book is changed at the Department of Land Transport; a move to another province also changes the registration office.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

Get Homeshift and take the list with you

The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.