My wife and I are looking at moving to Koh Samui this year. We are both UK nationals. I am not looking at working as I have a business based in europe that pays me a income.

We are looking at renting a villa at first with a view of buying at some point. We like to live well and just as a rough estimate would like some advice on expenses. I have negotiated

to rent a nice a house approx 45,000 per month it was just other costs interest me. We both like a drink and eat a mix of thai and western foods.

Now the visa questions at first I want minimal hassle so a 60 day tourist visa ???? plus 30 day extension

Then i believe I have to leave the country. Can I go samui direct to singapore and return to samui or do I have to go through Bangkok?

Also when I enter I have to have a return ticket???

Can I have oneway from UK plus a paid ticket out to singapore or does it have to be a return to UK ?

Any other advice you can think of would be welcome. I have been an expat for almost 20 years around the world but not Thailand

There are direct flights to Singapore.

If you have a visa there is no requirement for onward ticket.

For available flight schedules, why not look on the internet? As to visas, if you don't qualify for anything else, apply for triple entry Tourist Visas, each entry good for 60 days and each entry can be exended for 30 days for a 1900 Baht fee, just need to make the third entry while the visa is still valid.

What I actually meant about flying direct to Singapore from Samui return was purely for visa issues only not can it be done

What I actually meant about flying direct to Singapore from Samui return was purely for visa issues only not can it be done

You don't have to go through Bangkok that is for sure.

You should really get a 3 entry tourist visa. With extensions and making your border runs just before your permit to stay ends would give you almost 9 months of stay without getting a new visa. Use one of the Honorary Consulates in the UK to get your visas they give quicker service for mail in applications and are a lot friendlier about giving out the visas. The consulate in Hull has a very good reputation ( http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/ ).

Edited May 12, 201214 yr by ubonjoe

are you both over 50 years old ?