Compare · Thailand vs United Kingdom
Thailand vs United Kingdom for Australians leaving home
The regimes are genuinely different: Thailand is a remittance-basis tax system while United Kingdom runs worldwide tax, which of your income streams each one actually touches matters more than any headline rate.
Both have a tax treaty with Australia, so either way you get a tie-breaker if the ATO contests your departure, and capped withholding (15%/10% vs 15%/10% on unfranked dividends/interest).
Thailand is the cheaper place to live day to day, roughly 50% of Sydney's basket against United Kingdom's 105% (indicative, ex-rent), which can outweigh a thinner tax saving over a full household budget.
Personalise this, enter your numbers once and every figure below becomes yours: “your estimated income tax: $14,200”, not “0, 22%”. Open the Country Comparison tool →
| 2 destinations | ThailandThailand | United KingdomUnited Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | ||
| Regime | remittance, worldwide income not taxed | worldwide, taxes worldwide income |
| Income tax on salary | Progressive 0, 35% on Thai-source salary. A THB 2m (~A$87k) salary pays roughly 18% effective after standard allowances. | Progressive 20/40/45% plus employee NI (8% then 2%). The £100k, £125k allowance taper creates a 60% effective band. A £120k salary pays roughly 36% effective with NI. |
| Capital gains | Gains on SET-listed Thai shares are exempt. Foreign share gains earned from 2024 are taxable at progressive rates in the year remitted. (15% typical) | 18% basic / 24% higher rate on shares and crypto, £3,000 annual exemption. FIG-regime arrivals: foreign gains tax-free for 4 years. (24% typical) |
| Dividends | Thai dividends: 10% final withholding. Foreign dividends: progressive rates when remitted, with a treaty credit for Australian tax already paid. | 8.75/33.75/39.35% above a £500 allowance. Australian franking credits are not recognised, but for FIG-regime arrivals, Australian dividends are simply outside UK tax for 4 years. |
| Interest | Taxed locally around 15% | Taxed locally around 40% |
| Crypto | Crypto gains are assessable income at progressive rates, with 15% withholding on some disposals. Trades on SEC-licensed Thai exchanges have enjoyed temporary exemptions. Foreign-exchange crypto gains follow the remittance rules, taxable when brought in. | Crypto disposals are CGT events at 18/24% with a small annual exempt amount (£3,000). Swaps and spending count. HMRC receives exchange data; FIG-regime arrivals can realise foreign crypto gains UK-tax-free in years 1, 4. |
| Australia tax treaty | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available |
| Social security | Employees pay a capped social security contribution (max THB 750/month), negligible for planning. | Employee National Insurance (8% to ~£50k, 2% above) is excluded from the calculation above, add it for employment income. |
| Visa | ||
| Best pathways |
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| Visa ease | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Family on visas | Dependants covered on main pathways | Dependants covered on main pathways |
| Fastest timeline | ~1 month on the quickest pathway | ~2 months on the quickest pathway |
| Money | ||
| Rent (family home, monthly) | $2,800/mo | $6,500/mo |
| Rent (couple, monthly) | $1,500/mo | $4,200/mo |
| International school (per child/yr) | $22,000 | Free / local system viable |
| Health cover (family/yr) | $5,500 | $4,000 |
| Cost of living vs Sydney | 50% of Sydney (ex-rent) | 105% of Sydney (ex-rent) |
| Relocation one-off | ~$15,000 | ~$25,000 |
| Flights home (return, pp) | $1,300 | $2,400 |
| Life | ||
| Timezone vs AEST | 3h behind | 9h behind |
| Flight from Sydney | ~9.5 hours | ~22 hours |
| English | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Safety | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Healthcare | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Schooling | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Climate | Tropical: hot season to 40°C, monsoon June, October, pleasant November, February. | Mild, grey and damp, the winters are dark more than cold, and Australians feel it. |
Costs, rates and visa figures are country-module data marked indicative until individually verified; FX and rental markets move constantly.
Honest downsides, side by side
Every destination hub on this site carries its downsides in the open. Here are both lists together, because the right question is rarely “which is better?” and usually “which set of problems would you rather live with?”
Thailand
- The 2024 remittance change turned Thailand from "de facto tax-free" into a real tax system overnight, and the rules are still settling, which is exactly the uncertainty you moved to avoid.
- Visa policy churns: rules on extensions, insurance and financial proof change frequently and vary by immigration office.
- Air quality in Bangkok and especially Chiang Mai (burning season, Feb, April) is a genuine health issue.
- You will never be more than a guest: property freehold is off-limits for land, and permanent residency/citizenship are rare in practice.
United Kingdom
- This is a higher-tax country than Australia for most: 40% starts around A$100k equivalent, NI stacks on top, and the £100k, £125k taper creates a 60% zone with childcare cliff-edges.
- London costs Sydney money without Sydney weather, and the FIG honeymoon is exactly 4 years, after which worldwide taxation lands in full.
- Visa costs are the world's highest: fees plus the health surcharge can run £15, 20k for a family before anyone earns a pound.
- Winter darkness (8-hour days, weeks of grey) is the quiet reason many Australians go home.
Make this comparison yours
The table above shows the general figures. Enter your income and family once and the tax rows become your numbers, “your estimated income tax in Bangkok: $14,200”, not a range.