Three months feels like plenty of time until you actually start planning a move to Bangkok. Then suddenly you're Googling visa requirements at 2am, wondering if you need to ship your entire apartment or just buy everything new, and realizing you have no idea which neighborhood to live in. I've watched dozens of friends go through this exact spiral, and the ones who followed a rough move to Bangkok timeline always landed softer than the ones who winged it.

Here's the week by week breakdown I wish someone had handed me before my own relocation.

Months 3 to 2: The Research and Paperwork Phase

This early stretch is all about decisions that take time to process, literally. If you need a Non-B visa, your employer should be filing paperwork now. If you're coming on a Thailand Elite visa or a retirement visa, the approval window can stretch four to eight weeks depending on your nationality. Don't assume you can sort this out on arrival.

Start narrowing down neighborhoods based on your commute. If your office is near Asok BTS, living along the Sukhumvit line between Phrom Phong and On Nut keeps you within a 5 to 15 minute train ride. If you're working near Silom, look at condos around Chong Nonsi BTS or Lumphini MRT. A friend of mine took a job in Sathorn but rented near Bearing because the rent was cheap. He spent 45 minutes each way on the BTS and burned out within three months.

Use this phase to set your budget. A modern one bedroom near Thong Lo runs 18,000 to 35,000 THB per month. Move a few stops down to Udom Suk or Bang Na and you're looking at 8,000 to 15,000 THB for something equally new. Knowing your range now saves you from falling in love with a place you can't afford later.

Also, decide what you're shipping and what you're buying here. Bangkok has everything from IKEA at Bang Yai to secondhand furniture groups on Facebook. Most expats I know ship one or two suitcases and buy the rest locally. International shipping costs can easily exceed the value of what you're sending.

Weeks 8 to 5: Start Browsing Condos Seriously

This is when you shift from "what neighborhood" to "what actual unit." Bangkok's rental market moves fast, especially for well priced condos near BTS stations. A good unit at The Base Park West near On Nut or Aspire Sukhumvit 48 might sit for a week, or it might get snapped up in two days.

Browse listings to learn what the market looks like at your price point. You're not signing anything yet, but you're training your eye. When you see a 30 sqm studio near Ari BTS for 12,000 THB and it has a pool, gym, and co-working space, you'll know that's a fair deal because you've seen fifty other listings by now.

If you're relocating from overseas, virtual tours and detailed photo galleries become essential. You don't want to fly in and discover that the "fully furnished" condo has a rock hard mattress and a mini fridge pretending to be a kitchen.

Line up a temporary place for your first week or two. Serviced apartments near Nana or Phrom Phong run 800 to 1,500 THB per night and give you a comfortable base while you view condos in person. Airbnb works too, though technically it's a gray area in Bangkok.

Weeks 4 to 2: Lock Down Your Condo

Now you're in decision mode. If you're already in Bangkok, schedule five to eight viewings over two or three days. Group them by area so you're not zigzagging across the city. Morning viewings are best because you'll see how much natural light a unit actually gets.

I remember helping a colleague find a place near Sam Yan MRT. She loved a corner unit at Ashton Chula Silom, 25,000 THB per month, great view, quiet soi. But she almost missed it because she wanted to "think about it over the weekend." The agent told her another tenant was ready to sign. She put down the deposit that afternoon and never regretted it.

Standard lease terms in Bangkok are 12 months with two months deposit plus one month advance rent. Some landlords negotiate on shorter leases, but expect to pay a premium. Read your contract carefully, especially clauses about early termination and deposit return conditions.

The Final 2 Weeks: Set Up Your Life

Once you've signed, the practical stuff comes fast. Get a Thai SIM card from AIS or True at any 7-Eleven. Open a Bangkok Bank or Kasikorn Bank account, though you'll need your passport and work permit for a full account. Some branches near Sukhumvit Soi 33 or Silom are used to handling expat applications.

Register your address at the local immigration office within your first week. Set up internet through True or 3BB, which usually takes one to three days for installation. Stock your kitchen at Tops or Villa Market. Download Grab, LINE, and a food delivery app like Robinhood or LINE MAN.

Transfer utilities into your name or confirm with your landlord how electric and water bills work. Most condos charge 7 to 9 THB per unit of electricity, which is higher than the government rate, so budget accordingly.

Common Timing Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest mistake is arriving in Bangkok with no plan and hoping to find a condo in two days. You might get lucky, but you'll probably settle for something mediocre under pressure. Another common error is signing a lease without visiting the building at night. That quiet soi near Ekkamai might turn into a street food market with loudspeakers after 6pm.

People also underestimate how long banking and visa processing takes here. Nothing is instant. Build buffer days into your move to Bangkok timeline for bureaucratic surprises, because they will happen.

Planning a move three months out doesn't mean you need every detail locked in from day one. It means giving yourself enough runway so that each decision gets the attention it deserves. If you want to skip the guesswork on finding the right condo, Superagent at superagent.co uses AI to match you with listings based on your actual priorities, from commute time to budget to building amenities. It's a solid starting point for anyone building their Bangkok relocation timeline from scratch.