Arrival card, TM30, the 90-day report, SIM card limits, a bank account that needs a non-immigrant visa, the tax ID and the driving licence trap: in the order you need them.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first month in Thailand is an immigration month: file the free digital arrival card (TDAC) before you fly, make sure your landlord or hotel has filed your address notice (TM30), register a SIM in person with your passport, and diarise the 90-day report. A bank account is the hard part: the sources agree that a tourist stamp is not enough and that a non-immigrant visa is the usual minimum. Non-Thais may hold at most three SIMs per operator since 16 May 2026.
Before the clock starts: which status are you in?
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and offices differ; check each step with the Thai Immigration Bureau and the office concerned. None of the sources I found says anything specific about Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passports, so ask the office or the bank. For the general order of the first month in any country, see the first-30-days hub.
Almost every later step depends on one fact: what is stamped in your passport. A visa-exempt entry or a tourist visa is a short stay. A non-immigrant visa, a long-stay visa such as the DTV or a retirement extension is a longer status. Banks, driving offices and some landlords treat the two very differently. Owning a condo does not by itself give you a visa; see the article on the visa options for property buyers and the article on what a purchase gives a Russian speaker.
Days 1 to 3: arrival card, address and TM30
Before you fly, fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). It replaced the paper arrival card, applies to every foreigner arriving by air, land or sea, and is free on the official site tdac.immigration.go.th. Sources describe a submission window of about three days (72 hours) before arrival, and the system may refuse an earlier submission. Paid copy sites exist; you do not need them. The sources disagree on the start date, so do not rely on a date: just file it before every arrival.
On arrival, the question is where you sleep. Thai law makes the landlord, hotel or property owner responsible for notifying immigration of a foreigner staying at the address. This is the TM30. A hotel normally does it for you. In a rented flat or a house you own, you or your landlord must make sure it is done, and you should keep the receipt. Landlords who fail to file face a fine of 800 to 2,000 baht according to the sources, and some immigration offices refuse to process a 90-day report or a visa extension until a current TM30 is on file. A new address means a new TM30.
If you plan to stay beyond the tourist period, ask the immigration office which status you need before the stamp runs out. Keep a photo of your passport page with the entry stamp and your TDAC confirmation.
Week 1: SIM, bank and tax number
SIM card. Registration is done in person at an operator branch or an authorised dealer, with your passport and a face check. Since 16 May 2026, a person without Thai nationality may register at most three SIMs per operator, and a registered SIM must be activated within 60 days. The NBTC has also consulted on stricter identity rules; I found no final outcome. Do not buy a pre-registered SIM from a stranger: it can be cancelled.
Bank account. Opening an account online is not available to foreigners at the major banks. The rule quoted most often is a passport plus a non-immigrant visa of any type; tourist visas, visa-exempt entries and the DTV are reported as not accepted. One bank page tells foreigners to contact a branch, a major bank reportedly tightened its practice in January 2026, and branches differ. An opening deposit of about 500 baht is reported. Some branches ask for papers that show why you are in Thailand, such as a work permit, a school certificate or a rental agreement. Nothing I found is specific to Russian or Belarusian passport holders, so ask before you queue, and read the article on resident bank accounts for the usual refusals and alternatives.
Tax ID. A foreigner with assessable income in Thailand, for example rent from a flat, needs a personal tax identification number. It is free. One guide says to apply in person at the local Revenue office within 60 days of earning income, with a passport and a valid visa, and a lease of six months or more with a copy of the landlord's ID. Sources disagree on whether the number has 10 or 13 digits, so ask the office what you will receive. As a general rule, a person who spends 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year becomes a Thai tax resident; read the article on tax residency when relocating before you count days.
Weeks 2 to 4: the 90-day clock, insurance and driving
The 90-day report (TM47) is separate from the TM30. It applies if you stay in Thailand for 90 days in a row on a long-stay status. It is free; the sources describe a window that opens 15 days before the 90th day, and one guide allows up to 7 days after, which I would not rely on. Re-entering Thailand restarts the count. A late report reported voluntarily is fined about 2,000 baht; if you are caught while overdue, the sources mention up to 5,000 baht. Only permanent residents and some special-visa holders are reported as exempt. Put the date in your phone on the day you arrive.
Health cover. What you need depends on your visa. Do not assume the state system covers you. Read the article on health insurance after moving abroad, and buy a policy that explicitly covers hospital stays before your first week of illness, not after.
Driving. A Russian licence alone is not a safe plan. For a longer stay the Thai licence route needs a non-tourist visa and, according to the sources, about 60 days in the country, a medical certificate, proof of address and a certified translation or an international permit, and a theory test is mentioned. How the Thai authorities treat a Russian licence is not confirmed anywhere I found. Read the article on driving licences abroad and ask the Department of Land Transport before you drive.
Tourist stay versus long-stay status
A tourist stay gives you an arrival card, a bed and a SIM. It does not give you a bank account in practice, a Thai driving licence or a tax-ID path that you control. A non-immigrant or long-stay status adds the 90-day report and the TM30 on every address, but it opens the bank and the driving office. If you plan to live in Thailand, decide the status first; the cheapest mistake is to spend the first month on tourist errands and the second on a visa that should have been the first step. See the article on DTV, LTR and other long-stay options.
Mistakes that cost a month
- Using a paid site for the arrival card, or filing it too early and having it rejected.
- Staying in a rented flat with no TM30, then finding the immigration office will not process your 90-day report.
- Going to a bank on a tourist stamp and being refused; the second visit is a month away if the branch also wants a work or school paper.
- Buying more than three SIMs on one passport, or leaving a registered SIM unactivated for 60 days.
- Missing the 90-day date because the clock restarted on your last re-entry.
- Driving on a Russian licence and relying on an international permit that the insurer later refuses to recognise.
- Assuming that owning a condo gives you a long-stay visa or a tax residence.
One-page checklist
- Before the flight: TDAC filed on the official site; passport valid; entry plan; travel insurance.
- Days 1 to 3: TM30 confirmed by the hotel or landlord, receipt kept; photo of the entry stamp; local SIM registered in person.
- Week 1: ask your bank branch which visa it accepts; open the account; apply for a tax ID if you have Thai income.
- Weeks 2 to 4: diary the 90-day date; buy health cover; decide the long-stay status; start the driving-licence conversion only if your visa allows it.
- Always: keep a copy of the TM30 receipt, the entry stamp and the 90-day slip.
FAQ
Do I have to file the TDAC every time I enter Thailand? Yes, according to the sources: it is required for every foreigner arriving by air, land or sea, it is free on the official site tdac.immigration.go.th, and the submission window is about three days before arrival.
Who files the TM30, me or my landlord? The landlord, hotel or owner of the address is responsible; in practice you should check that it was done and keep the receipt. Failure can mean a landlord fine of 800 to 2,000 baht and trouble when you try to file a 90-day report or extend a visa.
Can I open a Thai bank account on a tourist visa? Sources say most major banks require a non-immigrant visa of any type and reject tourist stamps, visa-exempt entries and the DTV, although one forum post reports exceptions at one bank in big cities. Call the branch first.
What happens if I miss the 90-day report? A late report made voluntarily is fined about 2,000 baht in the sources; if you are caught while overdue, they mention up to 5,000 baht. Re-entry resets the count.
Does buying a condo give me a visa or tax residence? No. A purchase is not a visa, and tax residence depends on days spent in Thailand, with 180 days as the general rule. See the article on visa options for buyers and the article on what a purchase gives a Russian speaker.