Free, practical guides for anyone moving to, living in, working in, or retiring in Thailand, written by people who have already done it here.
Moving to a new country means a hundred small decisions with no obvious answers. Which visa fits your situation? Is that health insurance any good? What should rent actually cost? Thailand Starter Kit exists to answer those questions clearly, so you spend less time guessing and less money learning the hard way.
The site began as a handful of Thailand posts on the personal blog of our founder, Karsten Aichholz. It has grown into a full publication with an editorial team and a network of expert contributors, covering the practical side of expat life in depth.
Who it’s for
Whatever brings you to Thailand, there’s a path through the site built for it:
What you’ll find here
- In-depth guides across visas, money, healthcare, housing, work, study, and family life.
- Free tools — a Cost of Living Calculator, a Where Should You Live? quiz, and a growing set of planning tools.
- A daily news desk tracking the visa, tax, and policy changes that affect foreigners.
- Guides in four languages — read them in English, German, French, or Spanish.
How we keep our guides trustworthy
Written from experience
Our contributors live in Thailand or have spent years here. Every article carries a byline and a short bio, so you always know who is telling you what.
Checked against primary sources
For visa, tax, and legal topics we cite official Thai government sources, and we bring in qualified professionals (lawyers, insurance brokers, doctors) where the stakes are high.
Kept current
Thailand’s rules change often. We date our guides and revise them as the rules shift, rather than leaving outdated information online.
Free, and honest about how
The guides stay free because some articles carry affiliate links or sponsored partnerships, always clearly labelled. What we recommend is based on merit, never on who pays us.
The team
We are long-term expats and Bangkok natives who have navigated every step of living, working, and running businesses in Thailand for over a decade.
Contributing writers
Guides also draw on a wider network of residents and subject specialists: a professional counsellor in Bangkok, a wildlife conservationist, a Muay Thai fighter and author, a former journalist, and long-term expats with 20 years or more here.
Anette Pollner · Antony Lynam · Ben Kenyon · Francine Kaye Acelar · Heather Scott · John in Siam · Jon Bonomo · Kelly Dunning · Matt Lucas · Pat and Rae · Patrick Taylor · Richard McCully · Thomas Wanhoff · Tod Daniels · Travor Akwenye
Our partners
We keep a curated set of trusted, vetted partners: the lawyers, doctors, brokers, and specialists we speak with regularly to pressure-test our facts and keep our guides accurate. When a topic needs a professional, these are the people we recommend, because they’re the ones we rely on ourselves.
Legal, tax & visa
Health & insurance
Property & moving
Who runs the site
Thailand Starter Kit is published by Lyaras Limited, an independent online publisher.
Registered office: Room 607, Yen Sheng Centre, 64 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Get in touch
Have a question, a suggestion, or a guide you wish existed? Contact us here.