Answers · current to September 2026

Moving to Thailand, from the US.

For a US citizen leaving New York, the engine puts Phuket first in Thailand. Income tax on $1M there is 34% with the federal floor applied, against 43% in New York.

In short, current to September 2026

  • For a US citizen leaving New York on $1M a year, the Patrician.ch engine ranks Phuket first in Thailand, number 46 of the 84 places outside the 50 states. It weighs tax with the US floor applied, the route in, safety, schools, sun, cost and the flight home.
  • In Phuket, income tax on $1M for a US citizen comes to 34% with the federal floor applied, against 43% in New York, $94K a year less than New York.
  • The local rate in Phuket on $1M, 34%, is above the US federal 33%, so the local tax is the figure that applies and the US credit covers the federal share.
  • For a US passport, the route into Phuket is an application with conditions. The flight from New York is 18h to 19h.
  • Thailand has a regime for new arrivals: Long-Term Resident visa with a 17% flat tax on employment income for highly skilled professionals, and a full exemption on foreign income for the qualifying LTR categories. Whether it applies depends on the income and the person, and the US federal floor applies to a US citizen either way.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Moving to Thailand from the US 2026: tax and the 2 addresses, patrician.ch/answers/moving-to-thailand-from-the-us/, September 2026.

Ranked for a US passport

Thailand's 2 addresses, for an American.

A single US citizen leaving New York, in the engine's order. The figure is the effective income tax on $1M with US federal tax included. New York on the same basis: 43% on $1M, 34% on $300K.

01
Phuket 🇹🇭 Thailand30% on $300K · Application with conditions for a US passport · 19h from New York · number 46 abroad
34%
02
Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand30% on $300K · Application with conditions for a US passport · 18h from New York · number 73 abroad
34%

The route in.

Long-Term Resident visa for the wealthy, pensioners, and remote workers, 10 years, or the Elite visa on a fee. Thai tax residence starts at 180 days.

Income tax only, single filer, indicative 2026 headline rates, converted at the board's reference rates. The US taxes citizens on worldwide income and credits foreign income tax, so the model charges the higher of the local tax and the federal tax. The foreign earned income exclusion covers a capped slice of salary and none of the investment income, so it is left out. Published comparison research, not tax, legal or immigration advice.

Every place for a US passport: the best country for Americans to move to. Thailand for any passport: Thailand for high earners. Leaving New York: the US exit rules. Any income: the tax calculator.

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Questions

The short answers.

How much tax does an American pay in Thailand?

On $1M of income, 34% in Phuket with the US federal floor applied, against 43% in New York. On $300K, 30% against 34%.

The US taxes citizens wherever they live and credits foreign income tax, so the figure is the higher of the Thailand tax and the federal tax.

What is the best place in Thailand for an American?

Phuket, number 46 of the 84 places outside the 50 states on the Patrician.ch engine's reading for a US citizen leaving New York on $1M.

Then Bangkok.

Can an American move to Thailand?

Yes. For a US passport the route into Phuket is an application with conditions.

Long-Term Resident visa for the wealthy, pensioners, and remote workers, 10 years, or the Elite visa on a fee. Thai tax residence starts at 180 days.

How far is Thailand from New York?

18h to 19h by air from New York to the addresses on the board.

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This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States · Americans moving abroad · Tax calculator

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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