Nomadism in Thailand in Pattaya

I've always wanted to visit Asia. For one thing, a friend of mine lured me there. And then I found Asia interesting because of its reasonable prices and rice-based food. I'm writing this article as I revisit Thailand next winter, so it allows me to prepare for the trip and plan what I'll do. At the same time, this article is a write up or documentation for me. The article is based on repeated stays in Thailand over several months, and not in the style of a tourist who spends his holidays in bars. But I functioned in Thailand as a person trying to live in the country as a local for a short period of time and get a feel for how it works. While in Thailand I worked and in my spare time I got to know the area and the local people. And since other travelers ask me about various details, this article is an effective way to share information to other travelers and people who are interested in Thailand.

I spent the winter of 2023/2024 in Prague, mainly dealing with buying an apartment. Vice see summary of the year 2024. So I wanted to spend the next winter somewhere foreign and warm. And I've been planning to visit some exotic countries for a long time, and a friend of mine had been tempting me to Thailand for a long time because it's warm, cheap, affordable food and nice people everywhere. So I was clear about what I wanted to visit in the winter of 2024/2025. In order to use my trip to Asia effectively, the plan was to visit another country, for example Vietnam, which I also and I will write a separate article about my visit to Vietnam.
This article will be both about Thailand in general and about the city of Pattaya.

What was the itinerary? To leave in November, no later than December, and spend the whole winter warm in a foreign country. So a stay of about 4 months. The 4 month length worked out well for me, as I had been to the Canary Islands in the city of Las Palmas. It gives you enough time to settle in and enjoy the place.
Especially to touristy places like the islands, it would then make sense to go outside the high season - that is, outside December.

In order to make efficient use of resources and optimise spending and costs, I also managed to secure the use of an apartment in that I live in so, by making it partly available on a short-term rental. This solved the problem where travel is an extra expense for people going on regular vacations.
I then have the added advantage of having arranged my work so that I don't have to work from a specific location, but work remote. Specifically, I work as an independent IT specialist in application development and management server administration. And because of that, even when I travel I can work and therefore have an income. Of course, there's a downside to this, of course, which is that unlike people who are on vacation and who can spend all their time recreating. So I have to find time to work even when I travel.

Why fly to Thailand for the winter

Living in the Canary Islands in Las Palmas is good, but Thailand has other advantages and therefore reasons to choose Thailand.

Probably the main reason is the heat. And in Pattaya, it should also be all year round good and stable weather. Lots of other parts of Thailand have weather dependent on the season. So Pattaya is also potentially suitable for year-round living.

In Thailand they have good and cheap food. Personally, I'm fine with a rice-based diet. Someone else has different preferences, of course. Food is available everywhere. That's why Thailand was the first place I didn't cook at all.

In Thailand and especially in cities where there are a lot of westerners for example tourists there is excellent housing available at a low price. So you can live in a better place at a much lower price than in Europe.

As is obvious all this is crowned with a good price. Asia and Thailand is a long way from Europe. So air tickets will cost more money, but for a long stay, the cost of the flights will be dissolved in the other costs saved.

Pattaya city map:

Accommodation

When you go somewhere for the second time it is easy because you are already oriented. However, the first time you go, you need to pick up information and make a good decision.

As I work from abroad it is important for me to arrange suitable accommodation. This is not always easy. In addition to a good bed, I need a classic desk with a classic chair. You can't repair a garden table. Workplace ergonomics is very important, especially for long-term work. That's why I often work standing up.

Electricity and water are paid separately

Even when ordering through different platforms, they require a deposit/deposit. I give the deposit in EUR because the local currency is no longer of any use to me when I leave. So the exact amount as I put in EUR will be refunded to me and only in local currency I will pay the electricity and water.

In Thailand they are building buildings called condominium. The equivalent from Europe may be a prefabricated house, with the in Thailand, it often includes a gym and swimming pool or other shared common areas. I then refer to a single unit or apartment by the term condo.

What to choose for accommodation

What should such accommodation have?
I definitely want accommodation with a pool, because I can go to it anytime, especially at noon, to cool down. The pool should be big enough and deep enough for swimming, because swimming is good for the body to the point of necessity. Moreover, I need to take into account that the sea in Pattaya city is also disgusting for me, so there is no reason to go swimming in it.
I want Gym. The gym then has the advantage that you have it 5 minutes from your room, so you can go work out every day. And just working out and swimming is actually a must for an IT professional today to keep physically and mentally fit.
Air conditioning is then standard at every accommodation, because during the day in the tourist season in Pattaya It's very hot in Pattaya. Therefore, without air conditioning, it is impossible to be inside during the day and often at night, as today's modern concrete buildings are are hot and keep the temperature so high overnight. Those who go on excursions during the day may not need air conditioning. But I have to work and I work from home. As much as I don't like air conditioners, I couldn't work without one.

It's always important to me when I go somewhere that there's a good quality big bed. A normal table and chairs, because at that table I'm going to be sitting at and working at for a long time. Internet. It doesn't even have to be super fast, but it has to be stable.

Location

The city of Pattaya is actually a metropolis consisting of many parts today. So you have a great choice of several main locations depending on what you prefer.

1. Central Pattaya - Lots of bustling and nightlife until dawn, bars discos etc. Centre of sexual tourism. If you live right there everything is right under your nose . Typically you will be looking for housing on 2nd or 3rd street from the beach. The first street that is right on the beach is called PattayBeach Road.
2. Phratamnak - This is the quiet part. It's a smaller area that runs from the hill to the beach by the sea. There are bars, street food and upscale restaurants. Typically after midnight, except for one street, the businesses close. You can walk everywhere. Personally, I prefer this area because it's quiet and everything is right under my nose. It's between Central Pattaya and Jomtien
3. Jomtien - It's quieter. It has Beach road, there are lots of bars on this illusion and in the adjacent streets and other businesses. Jomtien is a long and sprawling location It's a very long neighborhood. There are about three night markets, but they are far apart and there are gaps between them where nothing is happening and nothing is there, so sometimes it can be a long walk If you live just past the second street, you will need a motorbike to get food and massages, as you will need a motorbike for the second road there are minimal businesses. If you don't want to ride a motorbike for everything, I recommend staying between Beachroad and second road somewhere near the market. Typically you will be looking for housing on 1 or near 2 street.
4. Amazon condominium a large modern condominium that is a long way from everywhere.
5. RomPho Market - This area is Jomtien behind second road. There is a day market and then a night market, so you can always eat here and there are bars at night. So it's an area where everything is available and about a 10 minute walk inland there is plenty available modern housing. So for me personally it is a very interesting and underrated area to live in.
6. Thepprasit Street - In the area of Thepprasit Street you can also find accommodation and there are plenty of markets, but it's a long way from the beach. However, given the quality of the sea water and when there is a swimming pool there may not even be a reason to go regularly to beach.
7. They can also offer you housing all the way at the southern end of Jomtien Beach and even a chunk beyond. For example, Espana condominium . But there's hardly anything in that area anymore and not much going on there either. I don't know what the nightlife is like there. So even getting a food stall, for example, will be a problem. Or rather, you won't have much choice. Plus you'll be a long way from all the other parts,

There are many other sites and some sites that could be described in more detail and I have only known those peripherally.

See the map for an illustrative plot of the three main sites:

How to find accommodation

Someone told me that Airbnb is illegal in Thailand. Not true. Even at immigration they were OK with it, when I had a housing reservation through Airbnb. The fact is that by law, short term accommodation, specifically less than a month, is illegal in condominiums. Condominiums are for regular housing. And for short stays, hotels are meant to have a hotel license. However, that doesn't mean you can't rent an apartment for a month through Airbnb and live there. You just don't have the cleaning and breakfast. If you want to rent a condo, then the minimum period is 1 month locals then refer to it as a short term rental (short term.) Long term rent is for them when you have a contract for a year or at least half a year. Of course the price varies then. And the price will vary even if you want to rent for 1 month in summer or winter when the tourist season.

Monthly rent of a nice condo normally 8-10thb/month on a yearly lease. If you're lucky, you can get that price even with a 1 month lease in the tourist season. The usual price for a 1 month rental in a seasonal is 15k THB. It's obviously more expensive through Airbnb.

In winter when it is tourist season prices go up. Typically in December, you'll have to try to to find something, whereas in the summer, you'll get offers for accommodation yourself.

Just like in the Czech Republic when providing short-term accommodation, so in Thailand the landlord must report/register foreigners. And correctly they should also give you a document from the registration so that if necessary you can prove where you are staying.

Online rental platforms

• Airbnb - Set filter for long stays (28+ days), which will often reduce the price.
• Booking.com - Search for monthly deals and apartments with Kitchen.
• Thailand Property - Specialist website for Long term rentals in Thailand.
• FazWaz - Another portal dedicated to property in Thailand.
• Agoda

Join local Facebook groups

In Facebook groups you can find local listings directly from property owners or managers.

• Search groups like "Phuket Rentals", "Bangkok Expats" or "Chiang Mai Apartment Rentals", Pattaya rentals.
• Contact the owner directly to arrange a discount for a longer stay.

Visit local real estate agencies

If you are already in Thailand, take a tour of the area where you want to live. Many properties are for rent without listing online.

Ask at a condominium

Rent a motorbike and take a tour of the condominiums and ask at the local office if there's anything to for rent. Often they know if someone is renting something or the office in question handles the renting of all the condos in the building and you can go go straight to the viewing. You can look up specific condominiums on the internet or you can go specifically ask at one you know. When you arrange such a rental directly then you will get a good good price because it will not be inflated for tourists and no commission for the broker/platform. This is the ideal way if you are already in the place.

In Thailand it is common to negotiate on price, especially for long stays. It is best to negotiate directly with the owner procedure. Have the WIFI quality checked. Personally, I prefer to search through the AirBnb platform because the search, filtering and map view are the best there. Searching through Facebook groups has always been problematic for me because even though I have a clear description of what I'm looking for, they keep sending me irrelevant and expensive offers.

Examples of housing

Here are examples of housing I have real experience with:

Waterpark condominium

20 nights price : 9,199.19

Shared gym in the building where I rented the apartment:

Cirru condominiums

Price: 12k THB/month for a 1+1 apartment contract direct. Electricity: 8THB kwh. I consumed 74=592THB Water price 50THB per m3. I consumed 4=200THB

View from the roof of Cirrus condominium:

Laguna beach 1 condominium

Price: 26 nights 8 402,82 CZK already after the season for a 1+1 apartment via Arbnb. I paid 1660thb for water and electricity in total

Properties of the specific apartment I rented: The cool thing was that they had yellow LED lights instead of white led lights. Then in the evening it doesn't interfere with the pre-sleep biorhythm. The washing machine in the apartment was a great advantage .

An acquaintance had a studio apartment in the same condominium for 14K THB for 40 days or about 350THB/day.

Insurance

I don't really understand travel insurance. Generally, the way I handle it is that within the European Union, necessary care is covered by health insurance. So I don't deal with supplemental insurance. Outside of the EU, I go on longer trips and always take out insurance. But any insurance policy has rules and exclusions, so you need to study it so you don't get surprised. In the case of travel insurance, for example, sport may be in the exclusions. But from what I've seen, recreational diving, for example. (Adwance Open Water licence) up to 30m is covered. The conclusion therefore is that you need to read all pages of the policy well.

The easiest and cheapest way is to take out insurance for your credit card with FIO. The insurance is then technically arranged by the insurance company Generali. As I understand this insurance has a limited length of stay abroad. So then I set up insurance through AirBank for specific days

In the future I am considering some sort of permanent travel insurance. Of course, even if the policy will cover a delayed flight or lost luggage, for example, I'd rather buy a new one than argue with the insurance company.

Vaccinations

When travelling to Asian countries, it is recommended to get vaccinated for typhoid and hepatitis. I planned ahead to get vaccinated for Hepatitis A+B and typhoid. While I was there, I got the rabies vaccine as well. But rabies makes sense especially if you plan to go out into the wild among the animals. Then the next year I had to get the hepatitis and rabies vaccinations to make it a full, long-lasting and permanent. But in my opinion if you go to cities in nowadays developed countries like Bangkok, Pattaya, HoiAn or Danang, the vaccination is about as necessary as it is in Prague, Czech Republic. Some vaccinations have several doses, so you need to start vaccinating at least a month in advance.

For details and where I got my vaccinations, see here: https://www.ockovani-zahranici.cz/ One vaccination dose usually costs about 2000kč. In 2024 my insurance company (ZPMV) reimbursed me a total of 2000kč. And in 2025, the ZPM reimbursed me a total of 1000kč. Compared to the total payment, it's only a small part, but you just need to send the documents to the insurance company and they will send you the money without any delays.

Since the state board already knows everything about us and therefore has everything digitally, the complete vaccination card can then be downloaded from Citizen's Portal as a PDF so you can save or print it.

DROZD

Before I left, I registered for DROZD. That way the state knows what citizens it has abroad and who it should take care of in case of an emergency. It will also send you information about emergencies for that country and period. For example, if there is a flood or earthquake.

Flight,flight tickets

First of all, make sure you have a passport with at least 6 months validity

I typically buy a one-way ticket because I don't know exactly when and where I'll fly back home from I fly from Prague. There is no direct flight from Prague to Thailand. So I buy a one way ticket and the destination airport is Bangkok (BKK). You can get non-stop tickets from Vienna. Such flights are also faster. You can also get cheaper flights from Vienna tickets for 9,000 kc one way. It might even make sense to fly via Vienna, because after adding the trip to Prague, it could still be cheaper and the same amount of time.

I flew from Prague to Bangkok both times with a change in Istanbul. You can buy the same ticket on Turkish Airlines and Thai Airways, with one part of the route being handled by Turkish Airlines and the other by Thai Airwayes. Ordering through Thai Airwayes, I have always found it slightly cheaper. Thai Airwayes €460 Turkish Airlines €570, which is a difference of at least 100EUR for exactly the same flight. You have to book at least a month in advance, then prices go up.
They don't have online check-in. I did it at the airport. There was good food included on both connections. Travel time 13 hours 45 minutes.

I flew back by airline Qatar airlines: connecting in Doha Hamad. They had public and Internet on on board. They included food which was good.

For example, from Frankfurt you can get a month in advance special tickets to BKK for the price of 15 thousand CZK including return.

What to bring

Thailand is warm and cheap. That's why Thailand was the first place I went with a light suitcase. Just have flip flops, shorts, tank tops and socks and then buy the rest at the local markets.

What to bring:

• cycle clothes - suitable not only for the bike, but also for the boat, sneakers, bottle
• outfit for freediving, swimsuit for swimming/diving
• hygiene items
• shaving razor I bought in Thailand
• 2x phone, notas+source, usbc wireless microphone, mouse, hdmi cable, 2x HW keyring
• action camera+water accessories including light+selfie stick
• power bank
• battle, shorts, socks
• earplugs, sleeping blinders
• barefood - they're good because they're compact and lightweight so they fit in a backpack

Pre-trip preparation

Phone, eSIM

I don't want to make calls from Thailand or receive voice messages. That's why I've set up a voicemail when unavailable, where I tell them to contact me via email or WhatsApp.

ESIM is an easy way to secure cheap mobile Internet before you fly. The condition is to have an eSIM phone
Just install one of these apps on your phone and then purchase an eSIM:

• airalo - discount code JOSEF7387
• https://esim.holafly.com
• https://mobimatter.com/ - expensive
• Revolut card - can be purchased eSIM or included in the price of a paid tariff offers an eSIM
• Saily - cheapest discount code JOSEFU8776

Personally, I buy a SIM for 7days and when I arrive, I go straight for a local SIM.

Driver

In order to legally drive abroad you need to get an international driving licence. If you have a motorbike license, you will definitely take the opportunity to drive a motorbike in Thailand. Therefore, go to the office and for a small fee they will issue you a international driving licence.

Arrival, Immigration

They have something called Metro at the airport so you don't have to walk.

Don't buy a SIM or anything else at the airport because everything there is overpriced. Just exchange money for basic transportation.

Visa

You need to carry cash equivalent to 20k THB per person or 40k THB per family. They don't check it, but if they wanted to it could be grounds for not being allowed into the country.
You need to fill out a

TDAC form

before arrival from 2025 onwards.
For all the latest information see the Foreign Office website on travel to Thailand.

There are several types of visa you can enter the country on. For example, study, retirement , for digital nomads. I entered on a tourist visa which you don't even need to apply for in advance.

What you need to meet to enter Thailand is available on the internet and can change from year to year so see the Ministry's website Foreign Affairs website.

Tourist Visa

No need to apply for a tourist visa.

As of 2024, they automatically give a visa for 60 days, then you need to travel or extend for another 30 days. From the end of 2025 they only give a 30 day visa when crossing the border by country.

ED visa

Educetion visa can be arranged through an agency for a one-off fee of THB 27,000. The visa is for 3 months, then every three months 5k THB per visum or 7k THB per visum + Thai language training. Renewals need to be arranged 30-40 days in advance. Thais check if one has travelled during the study visa. It is possible to 1-2 travel for a fee of 1900THB. But if it was more than once, then they will cancel the visa.

DTV visa

They have a special visa for digital nomads. You need to have the equivalent of 500k THB (13k EUR) in your account it doesn't need to be in a Thai bank. One time fee 20tis THB The visum is handled from abroad. The agency in question offers a visa in Laos for 90tis THB for the duration of securing the visa.

Immigration control

Passage through immigration on the first and second visit was smooth.

When I flew to Thailand in November 2025 they asked me for the exact address where I live: description number and room. Of course, I didn't know that exactly.
I looked something up and when I went to the next window and told them I didn't have a return ticket, they didn't give me a stamp on the entry, but sent me to the office to tell them the details. When I told them that I have my own IT business and work online, that I have my own website offering services. and that I had enough money, it was ok in the end and they let me into the country even without a return ticket. (I heard a few defections last year where they had to buy some sort of return ticket on the fly to get let back in.) They also told me more details about the vises, which I already knew, of course. And they recommended I research the Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) for remote work for next time.
Too bad the lady who discussed it with me had such an accent I could barely understand her. (They didn't even have a problem with me booking a place to stay through Airbnb.) All in all, it took me almost 2 hours to get off the plane through immigration to pick up my luggage and buy a bus ticket. And then waited 50minutes for the bus , although it runs every 30 minutes but I just missed it or it was sold out.

After arrival

At the airport I will only exchange cash for basic bus/taxi transportation. I activate my paid Revolut tafir because of the ability to withdraw more and exchange more without additional fee. I then exchange the money in town or withdraw it from an ATM.

Drive from Pattaya Airport

The journey from Bangkok airport to Pattaya city takes about two hours. It is possible to book a Bolt or a taxi. Price 1100-1500THB.
However, it is cheap and convenient to take a bus which costs about 140thb + about 50thb each additional suitcase. After arriving and going through immigration, go down the left side almost all the way at the airport. There are stalls that selling bus tickets to Hua Hin and Pattaya. The bus then stops in front of the airport and the journey takes about 2.5 hours to Pattaya central or Jomtien. You then just need to book a Grab/Bolt to transfer from the bus to your accommodation.

Bus Ticketing:

Phone

The phone will automatically reset the time. And the smart watch accordingly. That includes transfers. So it's a good idea to check the time against your local clock.

Receiving SMS is free, so feel free to leave your SIM card in your phone. However, making calls would be expensive. Mobile internet roaming outside the EU is equally expensive. That's why it's time to go out and buy a local SIM.

Vodafone should allow calls over WIFI. So when you have Internet you make calls like on your home network. However, my Vodafone SIM did not accept calls at all and I tried it on two phones and even changing the network manually to to which it logs on.

One option for calling from abroad is to get VoIP.

Local Thai SIM

When you buy a local Thai SIM, you have a choice of three operators:

• AIS - slow
• DTAC
• TRUE

True

I personally use a SIM from True, which probably has the most coverage and the speed was excellent. Specifically 100mbit down and 180mbit up see screenshot:

You can buy an expensive tourist SIM. They sell those at the airport. They also have them in shops and some shops will only want to sell you tourist SIMs.
Thai tourist SIM cards on offer:

However, it's better to buy a SIM with a regular plan where you get better specs for less money.
A good option is the 350THB card you can buy at the outlets of the 7-Eleven chain. You need to have your passport with you. Some places will offer tourist SIMs with overpriced tariffs at first. Some won't sell it to you. But all you need go to another shop a few metres away and they'll sell it to you. For 350 THB you get a tariff with a limited internet speed of 10mbit and a flat people think has unlimited data, so data it has limited data! In the year it had a data limit of 45GB per month in 2025 it has a limit of 70GB. To renew the tariff you need to have 350THB on the card every 30 days - this can be topped up at the 7-Eleven store.

The official online description of the offer, where the date limit can be seen:

If you want unlimited data a tariff for 450THB and a speed of 20Mbit should have unlimited data:

If you create an account on a given SIM, for example on WhatsApp, it's good to get SMS even when you're abroad. So activate roaming. Activate it by dialling *112∗1#

DTAC

Page with balance information for the operator DTAC. You log in there using your phone number and an authorization code that will be sent as an SMS

Internet

Locals use this page to measure Internet speed: https://speedtest.adslthailand.com/

Finance. currency

In Thailand, the currency Thai baht is abbreviated THB

The THB CZK exchange rate was around 100THB per 70Kč. In 2025 it is 100THB for 65Kč. The Euro exchange rate is about 35-36THB to 1 EUR in 2024. And about 37THB to 1 EUR the exchange rate is 1THB is 0.7KC As it is about the season in winter so I always notice a slight drop in the exchange rate after arrival. So it makes sense to exchange money before the season. However, THB is hard to find in the Czech Republic.

I use Revolut to exchange CZK for THB and then I use Revolut for withdrawals as well. More more travel and payments in foreign currencies

You rarely pay by card and when you do they add a fee. However, in 7-eleven stores it is possible to pay by card, the only condition is a minimum purchase of 200THB.

Withdrawal from an ATM is charged at 250THB per withdrawal. It is therefore worth withdrawing the maximum amount. The limit is usually 20,000THB. However, yellow ATMs have the highest limit of 30,000THB. Sensible foreigners therefore go to the yellow ATM to withdraw. Withdrawal from a yellow ATM is typically: max 30k THB and a fee of 250THB + according to the tariff fee to the bank for the Revolut card it's an over-the-limit fee.
Yellow ATM in Thailand:

Does it make sense to exchange to get EUR to Thailand? Personally, I have some EUR in cash. And since you should arrive with funds that can be exchanged so you should have e.g. EURa in cash. Personally I use EUR as a deposit for accommodation. If possible I pay by card, but otherwise I mostly do exchange and withdraw money via Revolut card.

Is it more convenient to exchange through revolut and then withdraw? Or exchange cash? Despite the ATM fee and the over-the-limit exchange fee, withdrawing from the ATM via Revolut is still the best value

Cashless payments are common in Thailand. This is a direct payment using a QR code. However, you must have a local account. Again cards are completely useless just funnels money into the pockets of a third party company. People in the country should get used to QR payments if they don't want to carry cash. Using cards is unnecessary and inconvenient.

Various digital wallets (apps) can also be used for payments. The Line app allows you to send payments, but again it has to be against someone who has the Line app. It is registration is required. For foreigners, typically over a passport. And a traditional credit card can be linked there. True also has a digital wallet called True money. Again. requires some sort of registration with a passport, but despite my best efforts, I have not been able to activate this wallet.

I have noticed that, for example, with AirAsia and other Asian services, you can pay using PayPal. Which is good to know, because if you have any money left on PayPal, it's inconvenient to withdraw it. It's better to spend that money somewhere, but no one in the west accepts PayPal anymore.

My daily routine in Thailand

Since Thailand is near the equator, the length of the day doesn't change much here. Similar to, for example, Kara Islands. So there is no period of extremely long days and then short winter days.

Personally, I bet with the dawn, at about 7 o'clock. I have fruit for breakfast and go to the gym, which is part of the of the building I live in. I typically have a split workout. So every day a different body part. Specifically: legs, back+chest, arms+shoulders. I train my abs every time. After the gym, I go swimming. Swimming is a great aerobic exercise and swimming is also great for stretching the body and relax the muscles. Again, the pool is part of the building where I live, Then I have a post-workout fruit and then I cook and eat three eggs. I use the fruit as a source of quick carbohydrates and I have the eggs as a source of protein. Then at about 10 o'clock I go and buy my first major meal. At the same time, I buy a takeaway meal for the afternoon. I like I eat KraPao. Around noon and in the afternoon I work and in the course of that I eat another meal. After noon, I go for a swim in the pool to cool off. Around 7 pm I go for a walk for dinner. For dinner I have Nam Sai soup with three eggs and lots of salad.

Time Shift

In winter in Thailand is +6hours. That means that if it is 10hours in Prague, I have 16 hours in Thailand. Therefore I schedule all meetings in the morning.

Work

The major difference for working from Thailand is just the big time difference. For someone who works in a traditional corporation and therefore has to work synchronously for meetings, it means being up late into the night. Personally, I find it convenient to get a quiet workout in the morning, have a meal and get some work done. I'll arrange any video calls on my afternoons. And I have the evening to myself. If someone needs something when I have the evening as the master of my time I don't have to respond or just handle communication after chat.

Thai culture

Thais are communicative. It's normal for them to talk to the shop assistant about other things than just strictly to settle the deal.

They all ride a motorcycle. They'd probably rather have a car, I suppose for the air conditioning, but riding a motorbike seems much better you have to standing in traffic. So riding a motorbike in Asia is quite an experience as well and you get a nice breeze. So still better than sitting in an air-conditioned car.

Transport

If you have everything close by, you can get around 99% of the time by walking and since the weather is mostly nice it is getting anywhere is a pleasant experience.

You can rent a bike in Pattaya too, but I haven't had time to do that yet.

Taxi

The first option is a taxi. If we're talking about a taxi that you catch on the street, it's overpriced. They typically wait for ignorant tourists. Better to use the Bolt or the Asian version of Grab. PS: I found out that the Grab platform takes 18% of the order.

If you arrange the car in advance, a small car to the airport will cost you about 1300THB.

A Grab ride around town typically 38-45THB

Motorbike

If you have an international motorcycle license it makes sense to rent a motorcycle.

A small motorbike for a week will cost you e.g. 2000 THB The cheapest motorbike rental for a month is 2200-2500THB

Then you can get everywhere comfortably and quickly on a motorbike like me:

Mass transit

For public transport there is the songthaew. Even the locals call it a tuk-tuk, but that's wrong.

A tuk-tuk is a motorcycle that is made like a tricycle and can carry materials or people. See this photo:

The Songthaew is a pickup truck with a body on the hull for carrying people. See this photo from Pattaya:

Routes of how Songthaew operates in Pattaya:

Pattaya songthaew routes on the map Source https://pattaya-pages.com/pattaya-public-transport-and-tuk-tuk-route-map/

The way ingestion works is that when you see Songthaew coming towards you, you wave at him. There are hull-mounted bells that you ring where you want to get off. If you get to the final destination, for example Jomtien Beach, everyone gets off. The price for a single ride in Pattaya is 10THB no matter where you get on you get off. It is paid when getting off.

Food

Thais don't salt instead they use chilli. So it's a pretty good idea to tell them "no spicy" when buying food and then have the chili yourself. Sometimes I take salt to restaurants but there are street food places where they think of foreigners and have salt.

Local Thai food is fresh and cheap you can get it from 50THB. If you want something European then the prices are significantly different. For example, the cheapest burger I've seen in a street restaurant was 95THB.

You can't buy much dairy products in asia and when you do, they are in special places and are expensive. That's why buying soft cheese cottage is pointless. That's why I use eggs as an alternative protein source in Asia. I buy a plate of eggs and I always have a plate of eggs after my workout. three eggs.
For dairy products, the easiest thing to buy is yoghurt at a 7-eleven piece shop for 15THB.
Cottage from a specialty store. And anyway this cottage was not very tasty:

You can buy not only yoghurt but also kombucha at 7-eleven to support your gut microbiome.

You can buy food at the stall attached to the motorbike. I call such a food stand a "motorbike resturant":

You can buy and eat your food in a street restaurant. So there is a possibility to sit there. Or go to a regular restaurant with air conditioning, but there the food will not cost 50-60THB but 150THB.

Introducing three typical Thai restaurants:

Street food - Thai food

:

Thai food is mostly rice or rice noodles and a little meat. This diet suits me. The food is available everywhere and is at a good price, because I European have more market power and secondly small shops have zero bureaucracy and probably zero tax.

So I eat in street stalls which are in Venetian cases without any problems My favorite foods are:

• KraPao - rice with minced meat on basil
• NamSai - clear noodle soup
• Papaya salad - vegetable salad

Thai people like it spicy and often very spicy. Even a little spicy for Thais means spicy I don't eat spicy anymore, so I order without chili on principle and then just sprinkle chili on the tip of the spoon.

Thai food Krapao (sometimes written as Kra Pao, Kaprao or Pad Krapao) is one of the most famous and popular Thai dishes. The name comes from the Thai basil "Holy Basil" (in Thai "ใบกะเพรา" - bai krapao). What is Pad Krapao? It is a quick stir-fried meat with basil Usually ground pork (Moo Krapao) or chicken (Gai Krapao) is used, but there are also versions with beef, seafood or tofu (for vegetarians).

Boiled pork with rice in spicy sweet sauce:

Duck with rice:

Fried breaded chicken with rice. Typically served with a spicy sweet sauce:

Fried feathery with basil rice and egg:

Fried Feather Rice with Basil and Vegetables:

Grilled feathery rice with basil and vegetables:

KraPao feather - minced pork with basil, egg rice:

NamSai/Clear noodle soup - they make chicken, pork or beef versions. In this case two extra eggs and extra vegetables:

Noodle salad:

Omelette:

Sweet pancake:

Something like a pancake it can be sweet or savoury:

Papaya Salad:

Rice and egg plaki:

Some salad:

Minced pork and tofu clear soup:

Tom Yum soup, which is typically made with seafood. I don't like seafood, so I'll have it made with chicken meat:

An example of a menu showing the dishes on offer and their prices:

Meal/order menu translated by translator into English:

Food at the market

I mainly buy fruit at the market. Many exotic fruits are available. My favourite is:

• Mandarin. Here they sell it as orange. They don't have oranges here.
• Annanas
• Bananas
• Passion fruit
• Citrons - more precisely, Lime - I put them in water

Dragon fruit:

Mangosteen

Rambutan:

Mariam:

Yellow melon:

Passion fruit:

Water

Coconut water is not drinkable. Probably due to the water system, which probably works the same way as in Spain for example, That's why they buy and drink bottled water here. Or there are vending machines nearby where you can buy filtered water.

1.5 litres of bottled water costs 14 THB. 5 litres costs about 40THB. For about 3THB you can get about 5 litres of water from a vending machine.

A large bottle of water for 43THB:

A vending machine for filtered water that can then be had:

Services

There is a wide range of services in Thailand. For example:

• shaver
• manicure/pedicure
• massage
• crucian
• hairdresser
• nail studio

Dressmaker

In Thailand they can tailor a suit, shirt or coat for you. However, a tailor's shop is usually just a presale, a job from a sewing shop. So if you're expecting to have a chance to try on a shirt carefully, don't expect much. Since they sell to tourists, they try to sell and ship as quickly as possible. And they usually deliver a specific cut. When I've asked for shirts that aren't too tight, they've made them anyway. tight.
The material they have is just some average modern material, too, in my opinion. Its durability probably won't be great.
Of course the price is a bargain!

What are the prices? Suit price 6200thb better cashmere or 5500thb. 5500THB for a coat, Pants 1400THB, Jeans 1800THB
I talked it down to 5100 for the coat and 3100 for the pants+jeans
In Chiang Mai I had two suits and three shirts made, I haggled the price, so total for 16k THB, otherwise after me they wanted about 20k THB.
In Pattaya they offered me a price on leaving: for a suit (jacket pants) 5k THB, shirts 1200thb.

Application

If you will be in Thailand for a short time use the app to order a "taxi" i.e. Bolt or local Grab. For longer stays like a month or two you can use other apps to buy various consumables for example.

Apps I used in Thailand:

• Lazada - marketplace, similar to Aliexpress
• Bolt - order a motorbike/car taxi
• Grab - like Bolt. Ordering a motorbike/car taxi or even a meal at home
• Line - typical Thai chat app. It has other features as well.

If you want to use the 7-eleven app you need to install the right one and to find it in googlplay you need to have the account set to Thailand or an unset location. The correct app for 7-eleven in Thailand is then this:

How to spend your free time

There are many ways to spend your free time in Thailand. Some people go to Thailand for girls, bars and nightlife, but if I want to spend time with beer I can stay in the Czech Republic. Republic. Personally I prefer to take advantage of the nice sunny warm weather and do outdoor activities.

There are a lot of things within walking distance, so there is opportunity for walking. If you choose a good condominium you can go exercise and swim every day.

You can go to the local beaches or Ko Lan Island

There are plenty of opportunities for sports.

Places

Secret beach - Cozy:

Jomtien Night Market:
There are a total of 3 markets near Jomtien Beach.

Phratamnak Hill is nice for a walk:

The most touristy places are: pattays soi 6, walking street, LK metro street. But for me they were more interesting:

• Sis Café&bar - the owner is a Czech from Litomerice
• Brekfast club - a café serving classic European breakfast
• Pattaya beach, Pattaya beach road
• Jomtien beach, Jomtien beach road
• Yinyom Beach
• Dontang Beach
• Soi Buakhao
• Terminal 21 - shopping centre, night market
• rock bars: Matador, Rock Factory, Rock station
• Ko Lan - island 40 minutes by boat from Pattaya harbour
• Ko Samae - 2 hours south is a national park where it is better for diving
• Buakhao Market
• Phratamnak Night Market

You can see how I traveled around Pattaya and its surroundings on this map with GPS route records:

All entries GPS routes from Thailand here.

Ko Lan Island

If one wants to enjoy the nice sea water, it is ideal to go from Pattaya city to the nearby remote island of Ko Lan.

There are many ways to get to the island. For example, by speedboat. These boats run not only from the main port Pattaya, but also from beaches such as Jomtien Beach. The ticket price is 100THB, the journey is faster, so you pay more for a shorter experience.

The port in Pattaya city, then runs several times a day regular service at a cost of 30THB:

Koh Lan Island has two ports Nabaan Pier which is closer and Tawaen Pier which is on the other side of the island and the road takes a little longer to get there.
Here are the timetables:

You always need to keep an eye on the time for the return journey, because whether you go by regular boat or speedboat, after dark the you can't get off the island after dark. The last boat leaves at 5 or 6 o'clock.

Map of Koh Lan:

There are many nice beaches on Koh Lan Island where you can sunbathe and swim. List of beaches on Ko Lan Island:

• Tawaen
• Ta Yai
• Tien
• Samee
• Nual
• And a few other smaller, less accessible ones

Tawaen beach:

Thonglang Beach:

You can rent a motorbike on the island for about 350 THB with a full tank. But the price can also be negotiated at 200THB. I recommend checking that it brakes well as the island is hilly. You can then explore the whole island of Koh Lan in one day on a motorbike:

It is also possible to pay for a paragliding flight on Koh Lan.

You can go to Ko Lona island with some Thai friends to go to the beaches. I personally used to go there to snorkel or straight up do freediving.
There are also some nice views from the top of Koh Lan island.

Activities

Many people go to Thailand for the nightlife. For me, the most interesting part of the nightlife is to play bowling. But there are many other more interesting activities to do in Thailand. For example: scuba diving, trips to the countryside or islands, bungee jumping, paintball, kitesurfing, parachute flight, which that is pulled by a boat and more.
Personally, I have spent the most on scuba diving and scuba diving courses.

Nightlife

The city of Pattaya is renowned for its nightlife and associated activities. I, however, go to bed at nightfall. So tourists and locals often have the opportunity to meet here in the late afternoon or when I go to sleep. Nightlife is of course taught if you want to do daytime activities.
So for the tourists and locals I was an exotic, I follow the natural daily biorhythm here. Next time I will visit some less touristy city for example HuaHin city

Grooming

The advantage of living in Thailand is that you can strengthen your body very easily because there are plenty of places to exercise. If you stay in a building with a gym, then you are literally a few steps to the gym .

Typically there are aerobic machines, dumbbells and a combination tower type weight machine. Combined weight machine in Laguna Beach condominium 1:

Video of the gym at Water Park Condominium:

There are also outdoor covered pay gyms or this modest public gym on the beach:

Public place with hobby fitness machines:

A more detailed video of this public gym:

Video of a home-built gym:

To keep my musculoskeletal system from getting stunted while traveling, I always carry a rubber booster wheel with me for light strengthening and a weight training rubber. It's no miracle, but it weighs nothing and has great added value when you want to stretch after a long session muscles.

Massage

The typical price of a Thai massage is 200THB. Oil massage is 300THB.

The masseuse gets 50% of the price and the other 50% goes to the massage parlour.

If the masseuse rents a room in the building above the massage parlour, the typical price for renting such a room is 3000THB.

Price list for massages in Thailand:

Diving

I haven't found anyone providing freediving services. But the advantage of freediving is that you just need to find a nice spot and you can dive for a breath.

Otherwise, the concept of taking a boat from Pattaya to KoLan Island and snorkeling or freediving there is quite doable.

You will, however, find plenty of local companies providing snorkelling boat trips. Try your hand at scuba diving with a scuba tank or straight up scuba diving courses. The prices of scuba diving courses in Pattaya are even lower than in the Thai islands or even in HuaHin.

Price list and offer of diving and snorkeling services:

I paid for the Jomtien Divecenter course. They have one shop on Jomtien beach and one in central Pattaya. Their advantage is that they have big boats not speedboat. And they have one boat in the island's nature reserve. Samaesan, where you can then go diving. The other dive schools in Pattaya only dive off the islands around Pattaya city.

Rates:

• open water diver - 14990 THB - first day in the pool two days in the sea.
• advance open water - 11500THB - 2 days total 5 dives
• 10 guided dives for licensed divers - 12,000 THB

The theory is then taught online via an app which is in several languages including Czech Specifically, it's E-learning through the PADI system. And there is theory that is required e.g. regarding pressure etc.

Windsurfing

Windsurfing: with teacher 1000thb solo 500thb They start at 8am are until 5pm or later. Morning and evening winds are more favorable for beginners. But it depends on the overall weather.

Windsurfing prices:

jet-sky

You can rent a jet ski for 900THB for 30 minutes. I just recommend sometime when it's warm and the sea is free of waves.

Shopping

It's ideal to come to Thailand light and buy everything there. I personally bought: t-shirts, shorts,caps, wallet bag and shoulder keys. The price of this bag was 250THB. Normally I move around town with a backpack, but in Thailand you can buy everything you want cheaply on the way. I also bought slippers and swimwear etc.. The caps sell for 250THB but it can be negotiated down to 200THB. Generally to keep them entertained I bargain.

There are lots of things to buy at Buakhao Market, such as new clothes. But interestingly, they also sell used clothes and used clothes are not only cheaper than new clothes which is to be expected, but it's better quality because it's imported from the West and so it's got a good cut, good material and it's much more comfortable to wear. I'm sure these clothes last longer. Besides, when you wash it, it doesn't shed colour.
I personally bought shirts there. They were made of better material and cheaper. You could buy a shirt there for 100THB, a T-shirt for 50THB.

You can shop on the street, in the market, there are several shopping malls in 7-eleven sky. I personally went to check out the Terminal 21 mall. In the center of Pattaya there is a commercial house called Cetral Pattaya

A 7-eleven shop where you can buy water and some biscuits and other essentials. There is a 7-eleven shop on every corner.

Buying fruit at the market:

A plateau of 60 eggs is 110-130 for a whole plateau i.e. 60 pieces.

Redemption

How does waste management work in Thailand? Here, waste is not primarily sorted at all. Everything is thrown into common bins and waste, whether it's plastic or bio-waste. But there's a market economy here, so then there are people who go around or rather go around the bins and collect from paper and plastic, for example. Because they then sell those for recycling So basically the recycling here works on the basis of economics, not on the basis of citizens being responsible or being told to sort and recycle. Which is an interesting observation.

Language

Basic Thai phrases:

Basic Thai numerals:

More Thai words to learn.

Time

In Pattaya, the weather is relatively stable. In winter it is clear, that is, very warm from the sun. In the summer you can expect rains, but they will pass and it's nice again

How the rain clouds are moving can be seen in this Asia Meteor Radar.

Prices

Average salary ~9000thb ~5300kc

Rent of the room where the masseuse lives 3000 THB

Renting a regular studio apartment 5k THB

Wages in a factory 15k THB

Salary of a dancer in Pattaya 25k THB

Price of 72m house with land in approx 2005 2.8mil THB, actu8ln9 price in 2024 5mil THB. For electricity then at such time will pay 3k THB because of air conditioning for dog. And for water they pay 100-200THB.

Laundry

Some apartments have their own washing machine. However, it is more common that there are shared washing machines located somewhere within the condominium into which you drop coins. According to the size of the washing machine, it's 30 or 40THB. Some places have small washing machines for 20THB. You don't need a dryer because it's always warm so your laundry will be dry in a morning.

Photo of shared washing machines:

Another option is to take your laundry to a laundromat, where they will wash your clothes for a per-kilogram price and iron them for you as well.

Infrastructure

Buildings

Thai concrete shacks are still hot. The original traditional barracks are wooden so they don't get hot and accumulate heat like concrete, plus even such traditional building also ventilates better.

Building is fast here. But the quality of the condition is poor. It's common for the light switches not to be logically aligned. Tiles are falling off early. Or the walls of the building are cracking, probably due to poor foundations.
In the long run, the maintenance of modern buildings is not cheap, and at the same time, given the quality of the work done is needed very soon.
In one apartment the door frames were so badly fitted that the door opened by itself when closed, so we had to locked and there was always light shining through the gap between the door and the frames.

Typical of Thailand, like Spain, the power lines are on poles outside and it looks terrible, because they're often horrible bundles of cables. It's not even you sump that gets caught in such a tangle of cables occasionally.

Water meters are on the street:

Housing here is cheap with more comfort for a European. So a lot of people are wondering whether to buy an apartment here to live or at least an investment. Personally I see it as a pretty risky investment or not risky but not sure even investment. And in the long run I see a lot of problems there too. Of course, if I lived in Thailand, I would probably buy a condo anyway.
The other option is to use the apartment for regular stays in Thailand and rent it out the rest of the year. But that means not having an apartment for myself. At the same time, you have to take into account that short-term rentals are most interesting in the high season, so going there ideally in the off-season.
The biggest problem I see when buying an apartment in Thailand is maintenance and then subsequent sale. After all, the condition of some condominiums and apartments are visible. And it is common that a good number of condos are abandoned. I would guess it's like 30% of the apartments that no one in in an older condominium. As someone from an industrial country, some things wouldn't even occur to me. Something to do with faith as well. Very interesting information is in this video:

Meanwhile, in Europe, the standard price of an apartment rises with the floor number. In Thailand, the first floor is normally the most expensive. Reportedly because if they have a pool in front of the building, they can jump right into the pool.

Silnice

The main roads are in good condition. Probably because they don't get frost here. The secondary roads, then, have been in varying states. Can you could turn off a perfect main road into a side street and it's full of potholes and you have to go and you have to pace.
The main road between Bangkok and Pattaya is toll road. The fee is paid at the toll gate:

Reconstruction of Jomtien beach road and pavement:

Business

In Thailand, the income tax system follows certain rules that depend on the tax residency status and on the source of income.

Tax returns in Thailand are filed online or at the offices, usually by 31 March of the following year.

Tax resident vs. non-resident

• Tax Resident: If you spend more than 180 days in a calendar year in Thailand, you become a tax resident. As a tax resident, you are liable to tax:
  • Income earned in Thailand.
  • Global income if it is brought into or remitted to Thailand in the same year as they were earned.So if you transfer income to Thailand after the year, you are exempt from tax. However, this has now changed and no longer applies.
• Non-resident taxpayer: If you are in Thailand for less than 180 days, taxation applies only to income originating in Thailand.

Personal income tax rates

Thailand has a progressive tax system with the following rates (for 2024):

Annual income (THB)	Tax rate
0 - 150,000	0 %
150,001 - 300,000	5 %
300,001 - 500,000	10 %
500,001 - 750,000	15%
750,001 - 1,000,000	20 %
1,000,001 - 2,000,000	25%
2,000,001 - 5,000,000	30 %
5,000,001+	35%

Taxation of rental income

Income from renting an apartment in Thailand is subject to Thai tax laws:

• Tax base: Rental income may be adjusted for allowable deductions (such as the cost of maintenance and administration).
• Tax rates: Progressive (0-35%), depending on total annual income.
• Tax returns must be filed in Thailand if rental income is subject to local tax laws.

• As a Czech tax resident, you must report global income, including rental income in Thailand.
• Double taxation avoidance: The Czech Republic and Thailand have a double taxation treaty. The following applies The credit for tax paid in Thailand method is applied:
  • You report the income in your Czech tax return.
  • You set off the tax paid in Thailand against the Czech tax (up to the amount of Czech tax on that income).
• Calculation of the tax base: In the Czech Republic, you can deduct rental expenses according to Czech rules (e.g. depreciation, repairs).

Business from abroad

There is much more corruption in Thailand than in the country. Bribes are common. In the city of Pattaya, it is alleged that business cannot be done without bribes. The only way to set up a company is if a local has a 51% stake. In order to secure a major share in the company, it is possible can be resolved in the contract when the company is founded, for example, that even if you have no shares in the company, you have the main say because of it, you have to sign everything.

Women

Obviously Thai women are on the money, but which woman isn't. However, unlike Czech women, a Thai woman will not demand that you have a new BMW and your own apartment. What are the main differences then? Thai women have beautiful big full lips. They are typically nicely groomed, but they don't dress up kitschy even as is customary in the west, where women wear typically men's clothes. Unlike Czech women, Thai women are pretty. This means they are not fat, they have beautiful skin and the typical Thai woman in her 30s looks still excellent and often a Thai woman looks very good at 40. Another thing is that Czech women are unpleasant and can't communicate often they can't even say hello. A Thai woman will say hello, she is nice and even though she doesn't speak proper English, she tries to communicate.

Links

List of interesting links:

• thai-and-their-age
• cowork in Pattaya
• https://www.surfspotthailand.com/rental/
• https://kiteboardingasia.com/kitesurf/
• https://scubadivingpattaya.asia/dive-sites/
• https://pattayarentacar.com/blog/bicycle-rentals-in-pattaya-thailand-everything-you-need-to-know
Counting the Age of Thais and Recognizing the Old

Disadvantages of Thailand

I don't recommend overly spicy food, but you can always tell them to make it non-spicy. Some places the food is a risk. It's too hot in Thailand. It is necessary to use air conditioning. The big cities lack nature. It would probably be better to live in the Thai countryside . I don't know their language and they don't speak much English. Plus, their writing is different, so I can't read without knowing the writing. a menu in a restaurant.

Lost and Found

As it happens, there are some losses during every journey. Usually, when I travel to warm regions to the sea, I "eliminate" my phone, specifically the camera glass. This time I've I "eliminated" my watch (January 2025).