Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing what I call the new expat "to do list". So what are we talking about here? Well a lot of folks, we have seen quite a level of interest in coming and living in Thailand over the past few months and especially as we saw the Emergency Decree come to an end, Thailand reopened, quite honestly I was very happy to see the high season be what it was but we are now kind of going back into the more, I hesitate to call it low season because we have got Thai New Year coming up, a fair few people come for that, then kind of the Thai holiday season is all right around there, and there are quite a few especially family of Thai, like foreign family members tend to come over to Thailand during kind of the April, May time period during a given calendar year. I have to say it is one of the hotter times of the year to come here. I know a fair few sort of on and off expats married to Thai Nationals that we see during this time of year going into April, going into the Thai holiday season who tell me, "man it is hot! I am coming in here at the hottest time of the year." 

That being said and the point of this video, we are talking about new expats, we are talking about you are just coming into Thailand, you are trying to make your way, you are getting your bearings, what is sort of the major to do list? Well a big one is a Bank Account. You really need to look at getting a Thai Bank Account and that is oftentimes easier said than done especially if you are not able to get like a Retirement Visa and you can get into a catch 22 associated with Banking and Retirement Visas, I have done videos on that in the past, but a bank account if you are a new expat. I am kind of making this for the younger guys a little bit, young guys coming in here, Bank Account, very important, might not be easy to get. Work Permit and ongoing Visa status is another big one on the new expat "to do list". If you are a young guy, you are under 50, you are not maintaining an O Retirement Visa, an O-A Retirement Visa but you are looking to be in Thailand long term, Visa and Work Permit status is key critical. If you are looking to work here, you have to have work authorization pursuant to Thai Law. Another thing to think about is living accommodation. Now especially if you are brand new, probably renting is going to be something that is going to be best for you but if you are looking at being here long term, I personally think it is a very good idea for foreigners to look at condos. I think condos are going to be a good investment longer term in the sense of housing. I am not viewing it in the sense of like a financial investment or to get a capital gain off of a condo but if you can buy a relatively inexpensive condominium and be locked into that from a housing standpoint for the longer term, that can be a major benefit. I mean I can tell you personally I got into a good condo arrangement years ago with the help of a very good friend who allowed me to finance it and deal with it in such a way that it resulted in a major benefit for me. I mean I had to pay it off and deal with it and everything but the condo long term has turned out to be a good investment again not in terms of like a financial investment but I have used it and I have gotten a lot of value out of it and in my opinion far more value than any of the money I put into it. I got a great deal of value coming out of it. So again, condos are important, banking is important, visas are important. Living arrangements, Visa and Work Permit, ongoing legal status, banking all of that is going to be a major concern so again I would say that those would be the things that top the so-called expat "to-do list" for those who are coming here for the first time and looking to live here in the Kingdom Thailand.