Thailand · Your personal landing service
Packages
Transparent coordination fees, priced after your free planning call. Every package ends the same way: with us still on call, and you can keep it that way.
The essentials
For independent movers, DTV remote workers and solo arrivals who want the first two weeks handled.
Recommended
For couples and individuals putting down real roots.
White glove
For families and retirees relocating an entire life.
À la carte on any tier: interior design & furnishing, tax briefing, pet relocation, storage, driving-licence conversion.
First-days orientation
Included in every package. In your first days we sit down with you, set up the apps everyone here lives on, open the bank account and app you choose, and walk you through the do’s and don’ts nobody writes down.
Palms together and a slight bow when someone greets you with one.
At people’s homes and inside temple buildings. Shoes by the door are your cue.
Shoulders and knees covered at temples and the Grand Palace.
The national anthem plays at 8am and 6pm in parks and stations, and the royal anthem before films.
A calm smile solves more than a raised voice. Losing your temper loses face.
Not even as a joke. It is a serious criminal offence.
The head is respected and feet are lowly, so never point them at people or Buddha images.
Notes and coins carry the King’s image.
E-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand, and the fines are heavy.
Women should not touch monks or hand things to them directly.
Ask the concierge
Quick answers to what every mover googles at 11pm: visas, neighbourhoods, banking, timing. When you want specifics for your own move, one of us takes over personally.
Welcome to Destination Expat Services. Pick a question below. For anything about your own situation, fill in your arrival card and one of us will reply personally.
General guidance only. Visa, legal and tax specifics are confirmed by our licensed partners before you act on them.
After the move
The move is done, but life in a new country keeps throwing things at you. Your package includes your first 30 to 90 days on call. When that runs out, you can simply keep us on a light monthly or annual membership, for as long as you want someone here.
Keep us on callExtensions, re-entry permits and the paperwork calendar, managed with our licensed partners so nothing sneaks up on you.
Your annual rent conversation, done by someone who knows what the building actually charges.
A real human answer, the same day, for the endless small things that make living abroad feel heavy.
How it works
A free call. We map your timeline, flag the traps (visa windows, banking rules, lease terms) and give you an honest read of your options.
A written plan with exact scope, timeline, and pricing. What we will handle, what you could do yourself, and what it all costs. Nothing hidden.
Our vetted specialists deliver; we manage them and report to you. One chat thread instead of eleven vendors.
Your arrival week runs to a plan, not to luck. Thirty days in, we check on you, and stay on call for renewals, so you never face Thai paperwork alone again.
About
Destination Expat Services (D.E.S.) helps people build a life in Thailand. We plan your move before you fly, coordinate everything once you land, from visas and housing to banking, schools and pets, and stay on call long after the boxes are unpacked.
Our founders know both sides of the move: Sam grew up in Bangkok’s expat community and has worked in relocation and insurance, and Bella is British-Thai and has moved her own family between countries. We’re based in Bangkok and work with vetted, licensed partners across Thailand, so you deal with one team that answers for the whole move.
Co-founder
Sam Apaya is a third culture kid who has lived in Bangkok since 1995. He went to Bangkok Patana School, the city’s British international school, and grew up inside the expat community D.E.S. now serves. He has worked in corporate relocation and in insurance broking, and over the years he has watched many friends move to Thailand and struggle to settle in and find what they need. He started D.E.S. to make that easier.
Every service we offer is one we have personally used, tested, or worked inside.
Licensed specialists in immigration, insurance, and recruitment, with response-time commitments to our clients.
If a package does not make sense for you, we will say so and tell you the cheaper way.
Co-founder
Bella Thomson is British-Thai and fluent in both Thai and English. She brings a unique bilingual perspective to our team having relocated and lived in multiple countries worldwide with school-age children (and pets!). Bella possesses firsthand experience and deep insight into the challenges and rewards of international relocation, and her extensive personal journey enriches our understanding and commitment to supporting clients through every step of their move.
All Services
44 curated services across 9 categories, handled end to end, so your landing is soft.
No services match that search.
Ask the concierge insteadBook a free planning call and we’ll map a relocation plan around your timeline.
Your enquiry
Ask about services, neighbourhoods, visas, schools or anything else about moving to Thailand. Want a real person? Tap “Talk to a person” at any time.
General guidance only. Visa, legal and tax specifics are confirmed by our licensed partners.
Sam or Bella will pick this up, usually the same day. Message us on WhatsApp or by email, whichever is easier.
WhatsApp number coming soon. Email works today.
Our email is info@destinationexpatservices.com. The chat comes with your message, so you don’t have to explain twice.
