Retiring in Pattaya and Jomtien from Australia: costs, visas and daily life

Who Pattaya and Jomtien suit, and what to weigh up

Pattaya and Jomtien suit you if you want a city by the sea, with hospitals, shops and shared trucks close at hand, about 2 hours by road from Bangkok. Pattaya Beach runs about 3 km along the city, and Jomtien Beach lies south over Pratumnak Hill, Wikivoyage says.

The two are different places to live. Pattaya is known mostly for its bars and nightlife, Wikivoyage says, and the sex industry is still a large part of it, alongside the family attractions the city has added. Most of that is in central and south Pattaya, around Walking Street. Jomtien’s beach is broader, and Wikivoyage describes it as quieter and more family-oriented.

On our estimate a couple needs about A$3,160 a month with rent, a little less than Hua Hin at A$3,280. Smartraveller says road accidents are common in resort areas, Pattaya included, and asks for extra care in its night-time entertainment areas. Jay, an Australian who moved to Jomtien after a holiday, told Yahoo News Australia in 2026 that about $2,000 a month covers his life there (the article doesn’t say which dollars); Jay’s story has the detail and what has changed since.

What a month costs

A month in Pattaya or Jomtien costs about A$3,160 for a couple and A$2,240 for one person, rent included. That’s our estimate, from Numbeo’s Pattaya page, which takes in Jomtien. We took Numbeo’s living costs for one person (without rent), added a one-bedroom city-centre rent, then added 30% for eating out, local trips and extras. For a couple we multiplied the living costs by 1.8. Everything is converted at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s average exchange rate for the 12 months to September 2026 (A$1 = 22.44 baht). Health insurance is not included. Numbeo’s Pattaya figures, updated 24 October 2026, are about 19,920 baht a month (about A$890) in living costs for one person and 18,750 baht (about A$840) for the flat.

A month in Pattaya or Jomtien	Couple	One person
Rent, one-bedroom flat in the centre	about A$840	about A$840
Living costs (food, transport, bills)	about A$1,600	about A$890
Eating out, local trips and extras (30%)	about A$720	about A$510
Total	about A$3,160	about A$2,240

How a month in Pattaya and Jomtien compares

For a couple

Pattaya and Jomtien, our estimate

A$3,160

Comfortable in Australia

A$6,580

Age Pension, the most paid in Australia

A$4,040

About A$3,420 a month less than a comfortable month in Australia.

For one person

Pattaya and Jomtien, our estimate

A$2,240

Comfortable in Australia

A$4,680

Age Pension, the most paid in Australia

A$2,680

About A$2,440 a month less than a comfortable month in Australia.

Not built the same way: Australia's figure (ASFA Retirement Standard, comfortable, June quarter 2026) assumes you own your home and includes health insurance; our estimate for Pattaya and Jomtien includes rent and leaves health insurance out. Age Pension: the most paid in Australia from 20 September 2026; living overseas for good, the base rate is about A$3,710 a month for a couple and A$2,460 for one person.

Short furnished lets in the cooler months usually cost more than the long-term rent in this table.

Against the Age Pension. After 12 weeks away, the most the Age Pension pays is the base rate. That’s about A$2,460 a month for one person and A$3,710 for a couple, before tax (from 20 September 2026). On our estimate that leaves about A$550 a month for a couple and about A$220 for one person, before health insurance.

Everyday prices. Numbeo’s Pattaya averages on 26 October 2026, from 51 contributors over the past year:

Item	Price
Meal at a cheap local restaurant	100 baht (about A$4)
Three-course meal for two, mid-range	1,104 baht (about A$49)
Cappuccino	67 baht (about A$3)
Bottle of mid-range wine, from a shop	600 baht (about A$27)
Local transport, one trip	17.50 baht (less than A$1)
Power, water and rubbish for an 85 square metre flat, a month	3,101 baht (about A$140)
Home internet, a month	640 baht (about A$29)
One-bedroom flat outside the centre, a month	12,333 baht (about A$550)
Three-bedroom flat in the centre, a month	50,967 baht (about A$2,270)

What costs more than you’d expect. Health cover is the big one, and our estimate leaves it out. Bars can be dear in a way you don’t see coming: Smartraveller says some Australians in Thailand have been made to pay large bar tabs run up by others, and suggests paying for drinks as you go. Visas cost money each year: Samut Prakan Immigration lists 1,900 baht (about A$85) for an extension of stay and 1,000 baht (about A$45) for a re-entry permit.

Renting long term. Under section 38 of the Immigration Act, whoever houses a foreigner must tell immigration within 24 hours, on a form known as TM.30. The Thailand page sets out how leases and deposits usually work.

Visas for Australians

Since 15 September 2026, Australians get 30 days in Thailand without a visa, the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington says. Thai immigration can grant one extension of up to 30 days, for 1,900 baht (about A$85 at the RBA’s 12-month average rate). The free Thailand Digital Arrival Card is lodged online within 3 days before you land, and Smartraveller says you may only be allowed 2 visa-free entries a calendar year without a justifiable reason.

A full winter or longer needs a retirement visa, from age 50. The Non-O needs 800,000 baht (about A$35,650) in a Thai bank, or 65,000 baht (about A$2,900) a month in income, or a mix. The one-year Non-O-A, applied for before you go, adds health insurance of at least 3,000,000 baht (about A$134,000). None of them allow work. Stay more than 90 days and you report your address every 90 days, online, by mail or in person, the Thai government’s information site says.

Papers to get in Australia. The Non-O-A and the 10-year O-X ask for a police check and a medical certificate, each issued within 3 months. An Australian Federal Police national police check costs A$57, and the AFP says most online checks arrive within a few days. DFAT legalises documents with an apostille or authentication certificate when an embassy asks for it.

The Thailand page has the visa table, the partner rules and the e-Visa steps, and our Thailand retirement visa guide goes through each visa. Terms change, so check with the Royal Thai Embassy, Thai immigration or a licensed visa agent in Thailand. Before you pay anyone for a visa, read up on visa agent and property scams.

Pattaya and Jomtien follow Thailand’s visitor rules. Our table of visitor stays for Australians sets them beside 24 other countries.

Your Age Pension and Medicare in Pattaya and Jomtien

Services Australia says your Age Pension keeps paying while you live in Thailand. The Energy Supplement stops and your Pensioner Concession Card is cancelled after 6 weeks. After 12 weeks the Pension Supplement stops completely (since 20 September 2026). After 26 weeks the rate can be reduced if you lived in Australia less than 35 years between age 16 and pension age. Thailand has no social security agreement with Australia, so you claim before you leave, while you still live in Australia.

Medicare never pays for treatment in Pattaya or Jomtien, and none of Australia’s 11 reciprocal health care agreements is with a country in Asia. An Australian citizen who moves overseas can still use Medicare in Australia for up to 5 years after leaving. Permanent residents lose their enrolment 12 months after they leave. The Thailand page has the overseas pension rates.

How long can you stay in Pattaya and Jomtien? What changes at home

Up to 30 days needs no visa, only the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card. One extension of up to 30 days takes you to 60, and a full winter or longer needs a retirement visa, from age 50. At home, the Age Pension rules change at 6, 12 and 26 weeks away wherever you are.

June to August are wet months in Pattaya, but the heaviest rain comes later, in September and October, on Thai Meteorological Department figures. Stay more than 180 days in a calendar year and Thailand counts you as a tax resident. Our guide to how long pensioners can travel overseas sets out each row.

Health care and insurance

Pattaya has private hospitals and a government hospital, and you pay for all of it. Smartraveller says private hospitals in Thailand’s major cities have high standards of care.

What is where. The Australian Embassy in Bangkok keeps a list of hospitals, last updated August 2025. Its entries for the Pattaya area, by type:

Type	How many	Where	Languages listed
Private hospital	2	Central Pattaya, on Pattaya Second Road and Central Pattaya Road	English and Thai
Government hospital	1	Pattaya, in Bang Lamung district	English and Thai
Government (navy) hospital	1	Sattahip, further south down the coast	Thai and English

Both private hospitals on the list are in central Pattaya, so from Jomtien or Na Jomtien it’s a drive back over the hill.

Paying. Before they admit you, Smartraveller says, hospitals want a deposit and check your insurance and that your visa is valid. Without those you may pay cash up front, and costs can be very high. For an ambulance or rescue, call 1669.

When care means Bangkok. Smartraveller says hospitals in Bangkok and other large cities can treat serious illnesses and accidents. Elsewhere you may need to be moved, and medical evacuation can be very expensive; the Australian Government won’t pay for it. Bangkok is about 2 hours away by road. Whether a treatment is done in Pattaya is a question for the hospital and your insurer.

Medicines. Smartraveller says Australians have been arrested for carrying medicine for ADHD, depression and anxiety without the right papers, and for medicine bought at a Thai pharmacy without a prescription. Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration allows up to 30 days’ supply of psychotropic medicines with a prescription. More, up to 90 days, needs a permit applied for online at least 15 days ahead. Our guide to taking medicines overseas has the Australian side.

Insurance. Smartraveller says travel insurance must cover all medical costs, evacuation included. To live there, the usual type is international health insurance. The Non-O-A needs at least 3,000,000 baht (about A$134,000) of cover. Ask the oldest age you can join, whether cover continues as you get older, and whether it pays for a transfer to Bangkok. The age limits for international health insurance are worth checking early. If you’d like help working out where to start, book a free planning session on Zoom.

Where Australians live

There are no official figures on where Australians live here. These areas run from north to south, as Wikivoyage describes them, with hospitals from the Australian Embassy’s list.

Area	What it’s like	Getting around	Hospital	Bangkok’s airport
Naklua and Wong Amat	North of the city, with Wong Amat Beach at the top of Pattaya Bay and the Sanctuary of Truth	Quick, cheap shared trucks into Pattaya	A short ride to central Pattaya	About 110 km by road
Central Pattaya	The 3 km city beach, Beach Road and Second Road, malls and the two private hospitals	Shared trucks loop Beach Road and Second Road	Both private hospitals on the list	About 110 km by road
South Pattaya and Walking Street	The southern end of the city beach; Walking Street is the main nightlife and shopping area	Shared trucks; Walking Street closes to cars from 6pm to 2am	Close to central Pattaya	About 110 km by road
Pratumnak (Buddha Hill)	Between south Pattaya and Jomtien, with steep side streets and high-rise towers	Hilly; shared trucks to Jomtien along Thappraya Road	A short drive	About 110 km by road
Jomtien	The beach to the south; quieter and more family-oriented, Wikivoyage says	Shared trucks over the hill to Pattaya	A drive over the hill to central Pattaya	About 110 km by road
Na Jomtien	The southern end of Jomtien Beach Road	A car or taxis	A longer drive to central Pattaya	About 110 km by road
East Pattaya	East of Sukhumvit Road and the railway; mostly houses, few hotels	A car or motorbike taxis	A drive into town	About 110 km by road

Naklua and Wong Amat are just north of the city, with frequent, cheap transport into Pattaya, Wikivoyage says. The Sanctuary of Truth, a huge carved wooden temple by the sea begun in 1981, is here.

Central and South Pattaya are where the city beach, the shops and both private hospitals are. Wikivoyage says the city beach is narrow, crowded and the sea isn’t clean. Walking Street, at the southern end, closes to traffic in the evening and is the main nightlife area. Smartraveller asks for extra care in Pattaya’s night-time entertainment areas.

Pratumnak is the hill between Pattaya and Jomtien, with steep side streets and many high-rise towers.

Jomtien and Na Jomtien run south along the beach. Jay, who moved there after a 2023 holiday, rents a beachfront condo; his story has what he pays.

East Pattaya is across Sukhumvit Road and the railway, Wikivoyage says, and mostly residential. You’ll need transport for the beach. A trial stay in more than one area shows the differences quickly.

Renting or buying a home

Foreigners can rent and can own a condo, but in general can’t own land. Under the Condominium Act, foreigners together can own no more than 49% of the unit area in a building, the Thai government’s information site says, and the money must come from overseas through a Thai bank. A house usually means leasing the land, for up to 30 years. Using Thai nominee shareholders to hold land is illegal.

Numbeo’s Pattaya averages put a flat in the centre at about 94,270 baht a square metre (about A$4,200). The person to ask is a property lawyer in Thailand, who can check the title, the building’s foreign quota and the lease terms. The Thailand page has the ownership routes and the risks, and our guide to keeping, renting or selling the family home covers the Australian side.

Tax: there and at home

Thailand’s Revenue Department says you become a Thai tax resident if you spend more than 180 days there in a calendar year. A resident pays Thai tax on foreign income brought in, and that now covers income earned from 1 January 2024, in a year you are resident, whenever you bring it in. Australia and Thailand have had a tax treaty since 1989, and it decides which country taxes a pension.

At home, a foreign resident for Australian tax loses the tax-free threshold, and Australian income such as rent is taxed at 30% from the first dollar (2025-26). See tax residency when you retire overseas and the Thailand page on the treaty and the 2024 change. Talk to a registered tax agent in Australia and a tax adviser in Thailand before you go.

Money and banking

Away more than 12 months, Services Australia pays the Age Pension every 4 weeks into an Australian or overseas account. A Thai account matters because the Non-O counts money held in a Thai bank. Thai banks set their own rules for foreigners, so ask what they need from someone on your visa.

Your rent is in baht. At the RBA’s average rate, Numbeo’s central one-bedroom rent is about A$840 a month; if the Australian dollar fell 10%, it would cost about A$930. The Thai embassy in London says foreign currency over US$20,000 (about A$28,910) must be declared when you bring it in or take it out. Smartraveller says to check ATMs for card skimmers.

Day to day

Language. Thai is the official language. Smartraveller says services can be limited in public health facilities.

Getting around without driving. Shared trucks, known as baht buses, run almost non-stop around Beach Road and Second Road, and Wikivoyage puts the fare within Pattaya at 10 baht (less than A$1). For Jomtien, they leave from the start of Pratumnak Road and go over the hill along Thappraya Road. Motorbike taxis are faster but dear by Thai standards, Wikivoyage says, and ride-hailing apps work. Agree the fare before you get into an unmetered taxi or tuk-tuk, Smartraveller says, and call the Tourist Police on 1155 if a driver causes trouble.

Driving. Smartraveller says you need an International Driving Permit plus your Australian licence, and a motorbike needs a motorcycle licence, whatever rental shops say. Road accidents are common in resort areas such as Pattaya. Don’t leave your passport with a jet ski or motorbike hire business as a guarantee, it says.

Safety. Smartraveller advises a high degree of caution for Thailand overall (updated 26 October 2026), and Pattaya is outside the areas where it sets a higher level. It asks for extra care in Pattaya’s night-time entertainment areas, where drink spiking and theft happen, and warns of strong rips at some beaches, where lifesaving services are rare.

The weather, month by month. Pattaya is warm all year. December to February are dry, and the rain peaks in September and October:

Month in Pattaya	Average high	Average low	Rain	Rain days
January	30.7°C	23.0°C	14 mm	2
February	31.0°C	24.3°C	12 mm	2
March	31.8°C	25.4°C	53 mm	5
April	32.9°C	26.4°C	62 mm	6
May	32.4°C	26.5°C	155 mm	12
June	31.6°C	26.5°C	105 mm	12
July	31.3°C	26.0°C	87 mm	12
August	31.1°C	26.0°C	99 mm	13
September	31.0°C	25.1°C	217 mm	17
October	30.6°C	24.2°C	243 mm	19
November	30.4°C	23.4°C	83 mm	7
December	29.9°C	22.2°C	6 mm	1

Figures: the Thai Meteorological Department, published by the World Meteorological Organization.

Public holidays. The Bank of Thailand has set 18 bank holidays for 2027, including Songkran (Thai New Year) on 13 to 15 April, and banks close on these days.

Making friends. Something weekly, such as a Thai class or a morning walk along Jomtien Beach with the same group, means seeing the same faces. If you’re going alone, see retiring overseas single.

Getting there and coming home

Fly to Bangkok first. BITRE’s June 2026 figures show scheduled non-stop flights to Bangkok from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Executive Traveller reported about 9.5 to 10 hours non-stop from Sydney and about 7 from Perth. Pattaya is about 150 km from Bangkok, a 2-hour drive, and Bangkok’s main airport is about 110 km away, Wikivoyage says. It lists a government bus from the airport, hourly from 7am to 10pm, at 143 baht (about A$6) in December 2023.

U-Tapao airport, about 30 km south, has a handful of flights, Wikivoyage says. Pattaya is 3 hours behind Brisbane all year. It’s 3 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in our winter, 4 in daylight saving, and 1 hour behind Perth.

Pattaya and Jomtien for over 50s, 60s and 70s

Pattaya and Jomtien use Thailand’s retirement visas, which start at 50. Jay, 54, lives in Jomtien on a retiree visa. After that, what changes with age is mostly the drive to the hospitals and how you get around.

In your 50s

Turning 50 is what opens Thailand’s retirement visas. A Non-O needs 800,000 baht (about A$35,650) in a Thai bank, or 65,000 baht (about A$2,900) a month in income, or a mix, and none of the retirement visas allow work. The ATO says super generally opens at 60 once you retire, or at 65 if you’re still working, so before then the money test is met from savings or income.

In your 60s

From 60, super can come into it if you’ve retired; a licensed financial adviser can look at your own. Age Pension age is 67, and with no social security agreement between Thailand and Australia, you claim while you still live in Australia, up to 13 weeks before you turn 67. On our estimate the base rate leaves about A$550 a month for a couple, before health insurance. CHOICE reports one insurer that caps trips beyond the Pacific at 90 days once you’re over 65, so check the trip length a policy allows before you book a full winter.

In your 70s

Central Pattaya is flat, the shared trucks run all day, and both private hospitals on the Embassy’s list are there. Jomtien is quieter but a drive over the hill from them, and Pratumnak’s side streets are steep. Serious cases can mean the 2-hour trip to Bangkok, and Smartraveller says medical evacuation can be very expensive. Of the 34 annual multi-trip policies in CHOICE’s May 2026 table, 31 reach 70; our guide to travel insurance for over 70s covers the age limits.

Your first steps

One order that works, from a first visit to living there. A month or a winter away needs only some of these steps. The right order for you depends on your health, your home and your money.

1. Ask for help first. Book a free planning session on Zoom, or contact our team. Once we understand your situation, we can point you in the right direction.
2. Visit in the dry months and again in September or October, staying in Jomtien and in another area. See trying before you move.
3. Time the trip from each area to the central Pattaya hospitals.
4. Talk it over with your partner and family early, including who would fly over if you got sick. See talking to your family.
5. Check what happens to your pension at 6, 12 and 26 weeks, and claim it while you still live in Australia. See taking your Age Pension overseas.
6. Find out what health cover you can get at your age, starting with travel insurance for long stays.
7. See your GP about each medicine, and ask the Royal Thai Embassy which need a Thai FDA permit. See retiring overseas with a health condition.
8. Work out what happens to the house, and whether it counts for the pension while you are away.
9. Choose a visa from the embassy’s current checklist, then order the police check, medical certificate and any legalised papers in Australia. See our visa guides.
10. Ask a registered tax agent how Thailand’s 180-day rule and the treaty would treat your income.
11. Rent short first, then sign a lease once you know the street. See what changes at home on a long stay.
12. Once there, keep up the 90-day reports and yearly extensions, and ask the hospitals how they want to be paid.
13. Keep a plan for coming home: where you’d live, and how the pension and Medicare restart.

Questions people ask

Is Pattaya a good place to retire?

It depends what you want from it. Pattaya and Jomtien have hospitals, shops and cheap shared trucks, and Bangkok is about 2 hours away. Central Pattaya is built around its bars and nightlife. If you want a calmer base, Jomtien is quieter, with a broader beach.

Jomtien or Pattaya: which suits retirees?

They suit different people. Jomtien is quieter and more family-oriented, Wikivoyage says, while central Pattaya has the private hospitals, the malls and the nightlife. From Jomtien the hospitals are a drive over Pratumnak Hill.

How much does it cost to live in Pattaya?

Our estimate for a month is about A$3,160 for a couple and A$2,240 for one person, rent included (October 2026), before health insurance. Jay, who lives in Jomtien, told Yahoo News Australia in September 2026 that about $2,000 a month covers his condo, food, bills, insurance and gym. The article doesn’t say which dollars.

Is there a hospital in Pattaya?

Yes. The Australian Embassy’s list has two private hospitals in central Pattaya and a government hospital, with a navy hospital further south in Sattahip. Hospitals want a deposit or proof of insurance before they admit you, Smartraveller says.

Is Pattaya good for over 70s?

Central Pattaya is flat, with shared trucks and both private hospitals close by, which helps. Jomtien is quieter but further from the hospitals. Serious care can mean Bangkok, about 2 hours by road, so ask an insurer whether a policy pays for a transfer.

Can over 50s retire in Pattaya?

Yes, on a Thai retirement visa, which starts at 50. The Non-O needs 800,000 baht (about A$35,650) in a Thai bank, or 65,000 baht (about A$2,900) a month in income, or a mix. None of the retirement visas allow work.

Can I get travel insurance for Thailand at 75?

Usually, though the choice narrows: in CHOICE’s May 2026 table, 65 of 76 single-trip policies reach 75. Smartraveller says travel insurance must cover all medical costs, evacuation included, so declare every condition.

How do you get from Bangkok airport to Pattaya?

Pattaya is about 110 km from Bangkok’s main airport, Wikivoyage says, roughly 2 hours by road. It lists an hourly government bus from 7am to 10pm, as well as taxis and transfers.