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Wat Arun temple in Bangkok at dusk

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🇹🇭  Retiring in Thailand from the US

What Americans need to know: the visa, how your pensions are taxed, what to do before you leave and every year after.

By the retireacross editorial team · Last reviewed

Visa for Americans

You can visit Thailand without a visa for 30 days (30 days for tourism since 15 September 2026): enough for a trial stay before you apply. To live there you need a residence route:

  • Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay, retirement): income from 65,000 THB a month or savings from 800,000 THB, from age 50. Official page
  • Long-Term Resident visa: wealthy pensioner: income from 80,000 USD a year, from age 50. Official page
  • LTR visa, Wealthy Global Citizen (10 years): savings from 1,000,000 USD. Official page

Check your figures in the visa checker

Sources: Thai e-Visa (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): retirement visas O, O-A, O-X (checked 2026-10-22) · Board of Investment: Long-Term Resident visa (wealthy pensioners) (checked 2026-10-22) · UK travel advice: Thailand, entry requirements (checked 2026-10-22) · Royal Thai Embassy: updated tourist visa exemption (30 days, from 15 September 2026) (checked 2026-10-25)

How your pensions are taxed

The US keeps taxing its citizens wherever they live: file your US return each year. Social Security is the simple case. For other income, how much you transfer to Thailand each year matters: plan transfers with an adviser. US government pensions (federal, state or local, military retired pay) generally stay taxable only in the US under the treaty's government-service article, unless you are also a national of your new country.

  • Under the US–Thailand treaty (Article 20(2)), US Social Security is taxable only in the United States, even for a Thai resident.
  • Private pensions are taxable only in your country of residence (Article 20(1)): Thailand taxes them when remitted, and the US still taxes its citizens, with a foreign tax credit.

Sources: IRS: US–Thailand tax treaty (checked 2026-10-22) · IRS: US income tax treaties A to Z (checked 2026-10-26)

United States: The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live: keep filing a US return each year (automatic extension to 15 June abroad) and the FBAR if your foreign accounts exceed $10,000. Official page

Thailand's own rules: Since 2024, residents pay Thai tax on foreign income earned from 1 January 2024 when they bring it into Thailand, in the year of transfer or later; money earned before 2024 can be brought in tax-free. Rates are progressive from 0% to 35%. Thailand has an inheritance tax on very large inheritances; there is no wealth tax.

Before you leave the US

  1. Decide about Medicare Part B (US): Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the US. Keeping Part B costs a monthly premium; dropping it and re-enrolling later means a lifetime penalty and enrolling only from January to March. See our Social Security and Medicare guide before you decide. Official page (from age band 65-74)
  2. Tell Social Security your new address and bank: Social Security keeps paying US citizens in our 20 countries: give them your foreign address and choose direct deposit to a local bank (where available) or a US account. Answer the questionnaire they mail abroad, or payments can stop. Official page (from age band 65-74)
  3. Medicare at 65 while you live abroad (US): Medicare does not pay for care outside the US. When you turn 65 abroad you can delay Part B, but if you enrol later (for example when you come back) you pay a lifetime late-enrolment penalty and can only enrol from January to March. Decide before 65 whether to keep Part B; see our Social Security and Medicare guide. Official page (before State Pension or Social Security age)
  4. Social Security later, from abroad (US): You can claim Social Security from abroad from 62. When you do, give the SSA your foreign address and bank, and answer the questionnaire it mails each year or two, or payments stop. Official page (before State Pension or Social Security age)

Every year, from abroad

  • Answer the Social Security questionnaire abroad (when it arrives (usually May or June)): Social Security mails beneficiaries living abroad a questionnaire (form SSA-7162) every year or every other year, usually in May or June. Return it promptly: if it is not returned after a second mailing, payments are suspended.
  • File your US tax return (Form 1040) (by 15 June when you live abroad): US citizens are taxed on their worldwide income wherever they live, so keep filing a US return every year. Living abroad gives an automatic 2-month extension, to 15 June, without asking (interest still runs from 15 April on tax due). Foreign tax credits or the foreign earned income rules prevent paying twice: ask an adviser who knows both countries.
  • Report your foreign accounts (FBAR) (15 April (automatic extension to 15 October)): If your foreign bank and financial accounts together exceeded $10,000 at any time in the year, file the FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) online through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System, separately from your tax return. It is due 15 April, with an automatic extension to 15 October.

More for Americans

Rules and figures change and we can make mistakes: confirm with the official source or a licensed advisor before acting.