The Fernshore Index
The factors tradespeople look at first.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
93 of 100Strong
Price level 0.307 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (Destination Thailand Visa), but fixed broadband is 14.9 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Washington publishes the checklist for US applicants, with no nationality restriction.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. The Vancouver consulate lists the same visa for Canadian applicants; it publishes the details as images, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for them.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Thailand's new visa measures: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Canberra (and Sydney for New South Wales) takes the application through the e-Visa system and publishes no checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the rules.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Announcement: adjustment of supporting documents for Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) applications. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Wellington lists the same visa for New Zealand residents (5 years, multiple entry) and publishes no checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the rules.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Types of visas (e-Visa applications). Checked 15 October 2026.
English
0 of 100Weak
EF EPI 2025 score 402, below the 499 weak line.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
33 of 100Weak
Global Peace Index 2026: 101st of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
73 of 100Strong
WHO UHC service coverage index 82 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
The rest of the research on Thailand.
The country page grades every factor, with its sources.
ThailandQuestions from tradespeople about Thailand.
What would an electrician, plumber or builder need to work for a Thai employer?
A Non-Immigrant B (working) visa. The Washington embassy lists an invitation letter from the Thai employer and a Ministry of Labour approval letter (WP32); 90 days single entry costs US$80. Visa-free entry is for tourism, and Canada's advice says DTV holders may not work for Thai companies.
Which trades are reserved for Thai nationals, and is a foreign trade licence recognised?
A BOI one-stop-centre FAQ (undated) lists 39 jobs only Thai citizens may do, including labouring and 'bricklaying, carpentry or other construction work'. It does not name electrical or plumbing work. Recognition of a foreign trade licence is not known here; ask the Ministry of Labour.
How much English will I find at work in Thailand?
The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores Thailand 402, 116th of 123 countries and regions, in its 'very low' band. The index comes from people who chose to take EF's online test, so it does not show how much English is used on building sites or in a given trade or firm.
What do prices and rents look like, and what do trades pay in Thailand?
Prices overall are about 0.31 of US prices (World Bank, 2025), an average, not a budget. One-bedroom condo adverts in Chiang Mai asked THB 10,000 to 18,000 a month on 10 October 2026. We found no sourced pay for trades in Thailand, so whether a wage covers these costs is unknown.
How safe is Thailand, and what is healthcare like for a worker?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Thailand 101st of 163, a national score. WHO's service coverage index is 82 of 100 (2023). Canada says care is excellent in major cities, particularly private hospitals, and varies in rural areas; facilities may ask for proof of insurance or a deposit. Cover prices are unknown.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Thailand, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 30.69 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [K1] Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 10 September 2026. Lists remote workers, Thai soft-power activities and family members; states no minimum age and no nationality restriction; five-year validity; bank statements ending each of the last three months at THB 500,000 or US$16,000; fee US$400; stay per entry not stated. Written for applicants living in the United States.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 14.89 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [V3] Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension, Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 3 September 2026. Written for applicants in Finland and Estonia (fee in euros); used only for validity (5 years, multiple entries), 180 days per entry and the one 180-day extension, then leave and re-enter, which the Washington page does not state.
- [R1] Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026; for people aged 50 and over.
- [V4] Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Checked 15 October 2026. Work-from-Thailand Professionals: average personal income of US$80,000 a year over the past two years (US$40,000 to 80,000 with a master's degree or higher); 5 years, renewable for 5 more. The page shows no publication date.
- [V5] Thailand's new visa measures: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Royal Thai Consulate-General, Vancouver. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for Canadian applicants. The page is images only and opened on 15 October 2026 with a Destination Thailand Visa entry; its infographic (July 2024) gives THB 500,000 financial evidence, 180 days per entry and one 180-day extension. The Washington and Helsinki pages are used to confirm the details.
- [V6] Announcement: adjustment of supporting documents for Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) applications, Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for Australian applicants. Posted 1 September 2026 as an image: it shows the DTV is open through Canberra, with new documents from 31 August 2026. Canberra publishes no text checklist or stay rules, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for those.
- [V7] Types of visas (e-Visa applications), Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for New Zealand applicants. Page updated 23 July 2024: the DTV is open to residents of New Zealand, with a period of stay of 5 years with multiple entry. Wellington publishes no DTV checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the funds test and stay rules.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Thailand, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 402, rank 116 of 123 countries and regions, 'very low' proficiency band; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand ranks 101st of 163 countries.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand: 82 out of 100 (2023).