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Americans in Bangkok

Everything you need to move to, rent in and enjoy Bangkok as an American, and how it fits with your US taxes, money and paperwork.

Official US

Embassy

U.S. Embassy Bangkok

US diplomatic mission to Thailand: passports, citizen services, visas

95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

Website · Map · +66 2 205 4000

Your community group

ExpatStateside Thailand: Americans in Thailand

Free group for Americans in Thailand: questions, tips, meetups, Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl.

Opening soon

Vote from BangkokRegister and request your ballot with one form, the FPCA. Send a new one every January.

How to vote

Bangkok Partners

Global partner · online

The emotional move

A move abroad changes more than your address. Katharina Bergauer (innsicht) supports individuals, couples and families before the move and until everyone feels at home. Online, in English or German.

Book a first conversation

Katharina Bergauer

innsichtEintragungsnummer: 17784

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Your business here: partner in Bangkok

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Guides for life in Bangkok

Basics

Cost of living in Bangkok vs Miami: what your dollars really buy

A Greater Bangkok household spends about USD 900 a month on average. A Miami-area household spends about USD 5,340. Here's what that gap means for rent, food, trains and healthcare.

Basics

90-day reporting and TM30 in Thailand: how to report your address without paying a fine

Every 90 days, Thai immigration wants to know you're still at the same address. Here's how to file the TM.47 online, by mail or in person, and why your landlord's TM30 matters.

Money and work

Thai taxes for Americans: the 180-day rule, the remittance change and your US return

Spend 180 days in Thailand and you're a Thai tax resident. Since 2024, foreign income you bring in can be taxed. Here's how that fits with the return Uncle Sam still wants.

Money and work

Banking in Thailand as an American: opening an account, FATCA and moving money

A passport and the right visa get you a Thai bank account. The fine print is in the FATCA forms, the transfer paperwork and your own US filings. Here's how it works.

Money and work

Thai tax on foreign income: what changed in 2024 and what it means for Americans

Since January 1, 2024, Thailand taxes residents on foreign income they bring in, whenever it was earned. Here's how the rules work for Americans, what's exempt, and where the US treaty helps.

Home

Renting in Bangkok: condos, deposits and the TM30 your landlord owes you

Most Americans in Bangkok rent a condo near the BTS. Here's how to pick a neighborhood, what the 2025 lease rules say about deposits, and why your landlord's TM30 matters to you.

Home

Buying a condo in Bangkok: the 49% rule, the FET and what you can't own

Americans can own a Bangkok condo outright, but not the land under a house. Here's how the 49% foreign quota works, how to wire the money so it counts, and what the transfer costs.

Moving and visas

Moving to Bangkok as an American: the visa routes that actually work

Thailand cut its visa-free stay to 30 days in September 2026. Here's how Americans really stay in Bangkok: DTV, retirement, LTR, a job, school or family, plus your first-month checklist.

Moving and visas

Thailand's retirement visa: Non-O, O-A and O-X for Americans over 50

Retiring to Thailand is still one of the easier moves for Americans over 50. Here's how the Non-O, O-A and O-X visas differ, the money tests, the insurance rule and the yearly extension.

Moving and visas

Thailand's Long-Term Resident visa: 10 years, if you clear the bar

The LTR visa gives high earners, remote workers, retirees and investors 10 years in Thailand and real tax breaks. Here's who qualifies, what it costs and how to apply through the BOI.

Health

Healthcare in Bangkok: private hospitals, health insurance and what Medicare won't do

Bangkok's private hospitals are excellent and used to foreign patients. The catch is paying for them: Medicare stays home, so your insurance plan matters more than your doctor.

Health

Air pollution in Bangkok: when PM2.5 season hits, what the numbers mean and how to protect your lungs

From about December to March, Bangkok's air can turn orange for days. Here's how to read Thai and US air quality numbers, what to buy and how families plan around smog.

Schools and study

Schools in Bangkok: American and international schools, fees and the road to US college

Bangkok has a deep bench of international schools, including one that started on the US Embassy grounds. Here's what they cost in 2026/27 and how families choose.

Schools and study

Learning Thai in Bangkok: the schools, the education visa and what it won't let you do

Five tones, a 44-consonant alphabet and a city where English only gets you so far. Here's where Americans study Thai in Bangkok, how the ED visa works and where it stops.

Getting around

Driving in Thailand with a US license, and getting around Bangkok without one

Your US license plus an International Driving Permit gets you started. Staying longer means a Thai license, and in Bangkok the Skytrain often beats the car anyway.

Getting around

BTS, MRT and river boats in Bangkok: lines, fares, cards and the boats that beat the traffic

Bangkok traffic is legendary, so smart Americans go over it, under it or along the river. Here's how the BTS, MRT, airport trains and boats work, and which card to use where.

Community

American life in Bangkok: Thanksgiving, the Fourth and finding your people

Bangkok has an American community that's been here for decades. Here's where to find it: holidays, AMCHAM and clubs, churches, sports, both party groups and the US Embassy.

Community

Expat and retiree clubs in Bangkok: where Americans find friends, networks and a reason to get out of the condo

Bangkok can be lonely at first, even in a city of millions. These established clubs, from the American Women's Club to AMCHAM and Rotary, are where Americans build a circle.

Going out

American food in Bangkok: burgers, import grocers, the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving turkey

You moved for the pad kra pao, but some days you want a ShackBurger and real peanut butter. Here's where Americans in Bangkok find US food, groceries and Thanksgiving dinner.

Going out

Nightlife in Bangkok: rooftops, Sukhumvit and the rules that bite

Bangkok does nightlife at full volume, from 60th-floor rooftops to Thonglor cocktail bars. Here's where to go, when places close, and the laws and scams that catch Americans out.

America in Bangkok

The embassy or consulate, business groups, clubs, sport, schools, churches and a taste of home. Checked 2026-11; tell us if something has changed.

Official US

Embassy

U.S. Embassy Bangkok

US diplomatic mission to Thailand: passports, citizen services, visas

95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

Website · Map · +66 2 205 4000

Fulbright

Fulbright Thailand (TUSEF)

Binational foundation running the Fulbright exchange program between the US and Thailand

Thai Wah Tower 1, 3rd floor, 21/5 South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120

Website · Map · info@fulbrightthai.org

Business and networking

Chamber

American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM Thailand)

US business association in Thailand; events, advocacy, networking

101 True Digital Park, Griffin Building, Level 12A, Unit No. 12A-06, Sukhumvit Road, Bangchak, Phra Khanong, Bangkok 10260

Website · Map · +66 2 119 3350 · membership@amchamthailand.com · Facebook · X · LinkedIn

Clubs and associations

Club

American Women's Club of Thailand (AWC)

Nonpolitical, nonprofit club promoting friendship in the American community and with Thai women

76 Phasuk Kasem Soi 4, Pattanakarn 63, Prawet, Bangkok 10250

Website · Map · awcpres@awcthailand.org · Facebook

Party groups abroad

Listed side by side for information. We are nonpartisan.

Party group

Democrats Abroad Thailand

Official Democratic Party country committee for US citizens in Thailand

Website · Map

Party group

Republicans Overseas

Republican-aligned organization for Americans living abroad; voter engagement and overseas-tax advocacy

Website · Map · Facebook · Instagram · X

Schools and universities

School

International School Bangkok (ISB)

Thailand's first international school, opened in 1951 to serve the US diplomatic community; US-based curriculum with AP and IB

39/7 Soi Nichada Thani, Samakee Road, Amphur Pakkret, Nonthaburi 11120

Website · Map · +66 2 963 5800 · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

Ruamrudee International School (RIS)

Pre-K to Grade 12 international school offering AP and IB courses

6 Ramkhamhaeng 184, Minburi, Bangkok 10510

Website · Map · +66 2 791 8900 · info@rism.ac.th · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

XCL American School of Bangkok, Sukhumvit Campus

American curriculum with AP and AP Capstone, Pre-K to Grade 12; WASC-accredited

59-59/1 Sukhumvit Soi 49/3, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Website · Map · +66 2 620 8600 · info@asbsk.ac.th · Facebook

School

American School of Bangkok, Green Valley Campus

American curriculum with AP, AP Capstone and optional IB Diploma, Nursery to Grade 12; NEASC-accredited; on Bangna-Trad Road in Samut Prakan

900 Moo 3, Bangna-Trad Road Km. 15, Bangplee, Samut Prakan 10540

Website · Map · +66 2 430 8888 · asbgv@asb.ac.th · Facebook

School

Berkeley International School

American college-preparatory curriculum with AP in high school, Pre-K to Grade 12; WASC-accredited

123 Debaratna Road, Bangna Nuea, Bangna, Bangkok 10260

Website · Map · +66 2 747 4788 · info@berkeley.ac.th · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube

School

International Community School (ICS)

American curriculum, K4 to Grade 12; second campus in Udon Thani

1225 The Parkland Road, Bangna Nuea, Bangna, Bangkok 10260

Website · Map · admissions@ics.ac.th · Facebook · Instagram · LinkedIn · YouTube

School

Wells International School

American and IB programs with AP and the IB Diploma, Nursery to Grade 12 across campuses (On Nut, Bang Na, Thong Lo kindergarten); WASC-accredited

2209 Sukhumvit Road, Bangchak, Prakhanong, Bangkok 10260

Website · Map · +66 2 730 3366 · wells85@wells-school.com · Facebook · Instagram · X · YouTube

School

Thai-Chinese International School (TCIS)

American curriculum with trilingual (English, Thai, Mandarin) focus, Pre-K to Grade 12; WASC-accredited; in Samut Prakan

101/177 Moo 7, Soi Mooban Bangpleenives, Prasertsin Road, Bangplee Yai, Samut Prakan 10540

Website · Map · +66 2 751 1201 · Facebook · Instagram · X · YouTube

University advising

EducationUSA at AUA Language Center

US State Department advising center for students planning to study at US colleges and universities

179 Rajdamri Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

Website · Map · +66 64 791 3839

American restaurants and bars

More in our guide: American food, restaurants and bars in Bangkok. Listings are not paid.

BBQ

Smokin' Pug American BBQ

American barbecue and blues bar on Langsuan Road: ribs, brisket, pulled pork.

105 Langsuan Road, Lumpini, Bangkok

Website · Map · +66 83 029 7598 · smokinpugbangkok@gmail.com · Facebook · Instagram

Cajun

Bourbon Street Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Long-running Louisiana-style restaurant in Ekkamai (gumbo, jambalaya, oysters); runs a Thanksgiving buffet.

9/39-40 Soi Tana Arcade, Sukhumvit 63, Ekkamai, Bangkok 10110

Website · Map · +66 2 381 6801 · Facebook · Instagram

BBQ

Roadhouse Barbecue

Three-floor American barbecue restaurant and bar on Rama IV: ribs, brisket, pulled pork, big draft beer list.

942/1-4 Rama IV Road, Suriyawong, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500

Website · Map · Facebook · Instagram

Bar & diner

Fatty's Bar & Diner

Midwestern-style bar with Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, cheese curds, craft beer and live music.

598/66 Asoke-Dindaeng Road, Bangkok

Website · Map · +66 2 245 2965 · Facebook

Diner

Mickey's Diner BKK

1950s-style American diner at Gaysorn Village: chicken and waffles, milkshakes.

G Floor, Gaysorn Village, Bangkok

Website · Map · Instagram

Burgers

25 Degrees Burger Bar

24-hour burger diner at Pullman Bangkok Hotel G: burgers, hot dogs, wings, breakfast.

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, Silom, Bangkok

Website · Map · Instagram

Burgers

Shake Shack CentralWorld

Shake Shack's first Thai location (opened March 2023).

CentralWorld, Bangkok

Map

Churches and congregations

Church

Evangelical Church of Bangkok (ECB)

International English-speaking congregation founded in 1966, sponsored by the Christian and Missionary Alliance

42 Sukhumvit Soi 10, Bangkok

Website · Map · +66 2 653 0521 · Facebook · Instagram · X