Moving to Koh Samui: Your First 30 Days Checklist (2026)

The first month after moving to Koh Samui is mostly paperwork, not palm trees: a residence report your landlord has to file, a SIM card that needs your original passport, and — depending on your visa — a bank account, a driving licence and proof of address that different offices will ask for in different ways. None of it is complicated on its own, but the order you do it in matters, since several of these steps depend on the ones before them.

This checklist walks through the first 30 days in the order that actually works, based on the official immigration, banking and transport rules that apply as of September 2026.

The first 30 days at a glance

TM30: your landlord's job, not yours

TM30 is the notification that tells Thai Immigration where a foreign national is living. Under the Immigration Act, the legal duty to file it sits with the landlord or house owner, who must report it within 24 hours of you moving in — not with you as the tenant. You don't need to do anything here except make sure it actually happens: ask your landlord for a copy of the TM30 confirmation once you move in, and keep it with your rental paperwork, since several other steps below may ask you to show it. Our guide to Thailand's 2026 rental law covers TM30 and landlord obligations in more detail.

The 90-day report: a different thing, and not due yet

Don't confuse TM30 with the 90-day report — they serve different purposes and have different deadlines. The 90-day report is something you file yourself (or your immigration agent files for you), and it only applies once you have been in Thailand continuously for 90 days. It isn't relevant in your first month, but it's worth knowing you can file it online up to 15 days before it's due, so it's worth putting a reminder in your calendar for around day 75 rather than waiting until the deadline.

Getting a Thai SIM card

Every SIM card in Thailand must be registered against a passport — this applies to Thai and foreign customers alike, and shops will not activate a SIM without seeing your original passport (a photo or copy is not accepted). If you arrived with an airport SIM aimed at tourists, it's worth checking with your network at the shop whether that registration carries over cleanly once you have a longer-term visa, or whether you should register a fresh SIM tied to your current address and visa status.

Certificate of Residence: proof of address, not a residency permit

A Certificate of Residence (issued on form TM.16 by Immigration) is a simple confirmation of your current address in Thailand. It has no immigration effect of its own — it doesn't extend your visa or change your status — but it's commonly asked for when you apply for a Thai driving licence, register a vehicle, or in some cases open a bank account.

Do not confuse this with a Thai Permanent Residence application, which is an entirely separate, far more expensive and much more involved process (with official fees in the tens of thousands of baht) for those seeking to settle permanently. The Certificate of Residence is a routine address document, not a step towards permanent residency.

According to our local team, the Certificate of Residence at Koh Samui's immigration office in Maenam is currently free of charge. Expect to wait about seven days before you can collect it, and you can ask for it in duplicate straight away — useful, since the bank, the driving licence office and a vehicle registration may each want an original. Check which documents to bring before you go, so you aren't sent away over a missing paper.

Opening a Thai bank account

In practice, opening a bank account as a foreigner is realistic mainly if you hold a Non-Immigrant visa (for work, marriage, retirement or similar) — a tourist visa or visa-exempt entry makes this difficult at most major banks. Beyond the visa itself, expect to be asked for your passport, and often a work permit, address proof such as TM30 or a Certificate of Residence, and sometimes a Thai mobile number for account alerts. Exactly which documents a specific bank or branch will accept varies noticeably — even between branches of the same bank — so it's worth calling ahead, or asking a Thai-speaking friend to call for you, before making a special trip. Our separate guide to opening a bank account as a foreigner in Thailand covers this in more depth.

Once you have an account, PromptPay — Thailand's instant transfer and QR payment system — can be linked to your Thai mobile number, which is how most day-to-day payments and transfers work on the island.

Getting a Thai driving licence

Koh Samui's Department of Land Transport (DLT) office is in Lipa Noi. To apply, you'll typically need your passport, your current visa, a Certificate of Residence, and a medical certificate no more than 30 days old. Official fees for the temporary two-year licence are low — commonly cited as around 105 THB for a motorcycle licence and 205 THB for a car licence — though it's worth confirming current requirements directly with the DLT Koh Samui office, since document requirements for foreigners can change. Our detailed guide to driving and licensing on Koh Samui covers the application process step by step.

Health insurance

Whether health insurance is legally required depends on your visa. It is a legal requirement for holders of the Non-Immigrant O-A and O-X visas, with a minimum coverage level set by immigration rules — the exact figures differ depending on which visa subtype you hold, so check the current requirement for your specific visa before buying a policy. For most other visa categories there is no legal insurance requirement, but given the cost of private hospital care on the island, arranging cover before you need it is worth treating as a practical necessity rather than an optional extra. Our guide to healthcare and insurance on Koh Samui goes through coverage levels and what local hospitals actually cost.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice — confirm current visa, insurance and banking requirements for your specific situation with the relevant Thai authority, your insurer, or a qualified adviser.

Settling in beyond the paperwork

Once the admin above is underway, the rest of the first month is about practical day-to-day setup: getting home internet and utilities connected, working out transport (renting a scooter typically starts at around 4,000 THB a month, according to our local team), and finding your way around banking, shopping and schools. If you are still finalising where to live, our guides to choosing an area on Koh Samui and the real cost of living here are worth reading alongside this checklist, and if you haven't signed a lease yet, see our comparison of monthly rentals versus a yearly lease and our guide to renting a pool villa long term before committing to either.

Your first-30-days checklist

• Confirm your landlord has filed your TM30 within 24 hours, and get a copy
• Register a Thai SIM card with your original passport
• Check whether you need a Certificate of Residence, and allow about seven days and ask for two copies
• Open a Thai bank account if your visa allows it, confirming required documents with the branch first
• Apply for a Thai driving licence at the DLT office in Lipa Noi if you plan to drive
• Arrange health insurance matching your visa's requirements, or suitable private cover if none is legally required
• Set a reminder for your 90-day report around day 75, if your stay is continuous

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to file TM30 myself when I move to Koh Samui?

No. That responsibility legally sits with your landlord or house owner, who must report your address to Immigration within 24 hours. Ask them for a copy of the confirmation for your own records.

What's the difference between TM30 and the 90-day report?

TM30 is your landlord's address notification, filed within 24 hours of you moving in. The 90-day report is separate, filed by you (or an agent) after 90 days of continuous stay in Thailand, and can be submitted online up to 15 days early.

Is a Certificate of Residence the same as permanent residency?

No. A Certificate of Residence is a simple, currently free proof-of-address document (form TM.16) used for things like a driving licence or vehicle registration. Permanent Residence is a completely separate, much more expensive and demanding application process.

Can I open a Thai bank account on a tourist visa?

In practice, this is difficult at most major banks. Opening an account is realistically possible mainly with a Non-Immigrant visa, and required documents vary by bank and branch, so confirm directly before visiting.

Do I legally need health insurance to live on Koh Samui?

Only if you hold a Non-Immigrant O-A or O-X visa, which carries a minimum coverage requirement. Other visa categories have no legal insurance requirement, though private cover is strongly recommended given local hospital costs.

Sources

Last checked: 19 September 2026. Facts were cross-checked against several sources; official ones take priority.

• Local knowledge of the properties-away team (2026-09-19)
• Immigration Bureau: สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (2025-11-04)
• TM30 Home — Immigration Bureau
• Guide TM47 (90-day report) — Immigration Bureau
• Public Handbook: Application for Certificate of Residence (TM.16) (2023-01)
• NBTC: SIM card registration requirement
• DLT: temporary driving licence for foreigners (2026-02)
• Guideline on Non-Immigrant O-A Visa — Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2026-03-16)
• Internal fact-check: 2026-09-19-mietratgeber-welle3.md, question 3 (2026-09-19)