What lands in your account
Take-home on a US salary (federal tax + FICA, no state tax) next to the same earning power in Thailand, converted at current exchange rates. Single filer, standard deductions.
| US salary | US take-home /mo | Thailand gross /mo | Thailand take-home /mo | In dollars | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80,000/yr | $5,389 | ฿217,563 | ฿175,352 | ≈ $5,373 | 19.4% vs 19.2% US |
| $120,000/yr | $7,731 | ฿326,328 | ฿251,488 | ≈ $7,707 | 22.9% vs 22.7% US |
US take-home is a national baseline — add state income tax where it applies (0% in Texas or Florida, up to ~13% in California). Thailand figures use its own tax calculator. Run your exact pay below.
Where to land in Thailand
One-bedroom rent ranges from AffordWhere's data. Open any city with a $80,000 US salary already plugged in.
| City | 1BR rent /mo | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | ฿6,500 – ฿18,000 | 3/5 | See my budget |
| Hua Hin | ฿7,500 – ฿29,000 | 4/5 | See my budget |
| Pattaya | ฿8,500 – ฿34,000 | 4/5 | See my budget |
| Phuket | ฿9,000 – ฿27,000 | 3/5 | See my budget |
| Bangkok | ฿12,000 – ฿55,000 | 3/5 | See my budget |
Healthcare, after the US
Thailand runs a Public + Private system. Excellent private hospitals at low cost. Health insurance required for long-term visas (~฿3,000-5,000/month). private sits around ฿100 a month — against roughly $400–700 for a US marketplace plan before any employer contribution.
Getting in from the US
Work route: Non-B visa + work permit. Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa for remote workers and professionals. Processing typically takes 2-4 weeks.
Remote-work route: Thailand runs the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) (5 years multi-entry, 180 days per stay (extendable once per entry for another 180 days)), generally needing proof of about $14,000 a month in remote income. Thailand rewrote its rules on foreign-earned income in 2024. Spend 180+ days per year in Thailand and you become a tax resident. Foreign-source income remitted into Thailand during the same tax year you earn it is now taxable at progressive rates of 0-35%. Money kept outside Thailand, or remitted in a later tax year, stays tax-free for now — but this is an active area of policy change, so any stay past 180 days deserves a tax plan of its own.
Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current route with the Thailand immigration authority before you commit.
Up-front to move in
Deposit: 2 month(s) of rent.
Agency fee: 0.5 month(s) of rent.
Usually 2 months deposit + 1 month advance. Furnished apartments common.
The weather trade
In Bangkok, summers average about 29°C (84°F) and winters about 27°C (81°F).
Run your own salary against Thailand
Enter your US pay. We'll show what lands after Thailandtax, which neighborhoods you can actually afford, and what's left over each month.
Weighing other countries?
Questions Americans ask
How far does a US salary go in Thailand?
Earning the equivalent of a $80,000 US salary in Thailand — about ฿217,563 a month gross — leaves roughly ฿175,352 after tax and contributions, or about $5,373 in dollar terms. A single American on that salary keeps about $5,389 a month at home after federal tax and FICA.
Do Americans pay more tax in Thailand?
On the US-equivalent of $80,000, the effective rate is about 19.4% in Thailand versus 19.2% in the US (federal + FICA). At $120,000 it is about 22.9% versus 22.7%. These are single-filer baselines with standard deductions and no US state tax; your own rate shifts with state, city, and situation.
What does healthcare cost in Thailand compared to the US?
Thailand runs a Public + Private system. Excellent private hospitals at low cost. Health insurance required for long-term visas (~฿3,000-5,000/month). private sits around ฿100 a month. For contrast, a US marketplace plan typically runs $400–700 a month before any employer contribution.
Can I move to Thailand from the US on a remote-work visa?
Yes — Thailand runs the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) (5 years multi-entry, 180 days per stay (extendable once per entry for another 180 days)). It generally requires proof of remote income of around $14,000 a month. Thailand rewrote its rules on foreign-earned income in 2024. Spend 180+ days per year in Thailand and you become a tax resident. Foreign-source income remitted into Thailand during the same tax year you earn it is now taxable at progressive rates of 0-35%. Money kept outside Thailand, or remitted in a later tax year, stays tax-free for now — but this is an active area of policy change, so any stay past 180 days deserves a tax plan of its own. Verify current terms with the official immigration authority before applying.
How much is rent in Thailand?
In AffordWhere's Thailand data, one-bedroom rents start around ฿6,500 a month in Chiang Mai and climb from there in the larger cities. City-by-city ranges are on each Thailand city page.