About Real Thailand Guide

Who writes this

Hey, I'm Cody. I moved from New York City to Bangkok in 2025. I came on a tourist visa, spent six weeks figuring out my long-term options, and ended up getting the Thailand Privilege Bronze visa. I live near Lumpini Park and have no plans to leave.

In the months since moving here, I've dealt with the full range of practical challenges: choosing between visa types, touring luxury condos across Bangkok, opening a Thai bank account, getting vaccinated at Bumrungrad, picking health insurance (and picking the wrong deductible), figuring out Grab and PromptPay, and learning how renting works when your landlord communicates exclusively on LINE.

Before Thailand I worked in tech in New York. That background turns out to be useful for this: I know how to research things thoroughly and explain them clearly. Everything on this site comes from what I've actually experienced or learned firsthand from people I know here.

Why this site exists

When I was planning my move to Thailand, I spent weeks searching for reliable information online. What I found was mostly unhelpful. Travel blogs written by people who spent two weeks in Phuket. SEO content farms recycling the same outdated advice. Forum threads from years ago that contradicted each other on every point.

The information I actually needed, like how much a realistic monthly budget looks in Bangkok, which visa truly fits a remote worker, or what opening a bank account as a foreigner actually involves, was scattered across dozens of sources. Half of it was wrong or outdated.

Real Thailand Guide is the resource I wished existed when I was planning my move. One place with accurate, firsthand, regularly updated information about living in, visiting, and understanding Thailand.

How the content is created

Every article on this site is based on firsthand experience. If I write about a neighborhood in Bangkok, I've walked around it. If I write about a visa process, I've been through it myself or spoken directly with people who have. If I write about a luxury condo, I've toured it in person. Nothing here is copy-pasted from other travel blogs.

Cost information is checked against current prices. When I say a meal at a street food stall costs 50 to 80 baht, that number comes from what I actually paid last week. Visa information is verified against official Thai government sources and updated whenever rules change.

Older articles are reviewed and updated regularly. If something has changed since an article was published, the article gets updated. You'll see an "Updated" date on every guide so you know how current the information is.

Editorial standards

No sponsored posts disguised as reviews. No one is paying me to recommend a hotel, a visa service, or a coworking space. If I recommend something, it's because I actually use it and think it's good.

Some articles contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you sign up for a service through one of my links. These are always clearly disclosed. Affiliate relationships never influence what I recommend or how I rank things. I'd rather lose a commission than lose your trust.

If I get something wrong, I want to know about it. Accuracy matters more than being right the first time, and I'm happy to correct mistakes when they're pointed out.

Get in touch

Have a question, correction, or suggestion? Drop me a line at hello@realthailandguide.com. I read everything and do my best to reply.