Resources for Your Move
Honest reviews of the services I personally use and recommend for Australians retiring in Thailand.
These are the services I currently recommend on Retire Thailand. I've kept the list short on purpose — you'll find dozens of "best of" lists with 20+ options elsewhere. The services below are the ones I'd use myself and what I tell friends to use.
Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links — if you sign up I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the site free. Services marked as non-affiliate are included because I genuinely recommend them.
Wise
Send your pension at the real exchange rate
Wise (formerly TransferWise) is the best way to move your Australian pension to Thailand. They use the real mid-market exchange rate — the same one you see on Google — with a small transparent fee on top.
- ✓Mid-market exchange rate (saves $30–60 per transfer vs banks)
- ✓Transparent low fees — typically under 1%
- ✓Free Thai bank account integration
- ✓Money usually arrives in your Thai account within hours
- ✓Multi-currency account — hold AUD, THB, USD and more
SafetyWing
Health insurance designed for expats
SafetyWing offers flexible monthly health insurance designed for digital nomads and long-term expats. Required for your Thai retirement visa (Non-OA) and gives you cover in Thai hospitals.
- ✓Monthly subscription — no annual lock-in
- ✓Cover starts from around $50/month for 50+
- ✓Accepted at major Thai hospitals
- ✓Includes medical evacuation
- ✓Designed for long-term overseas residence
Easy Car Rental Hua Hin
Reliable car hire with delivery to your door
Easy Car Rental is a locally owned car hire business in Hua Hin, established in 2014 and run by Peter Stevens. They deliver and collect vehicles directly to your accommodation — no airport queues or taxi rides to a depot. Well-maintained fleet including Toyota sedans and SUVs, with proper commercial insurance included.
- ✓Free delivery and pickup at your accommodation in Hua Hin
- ✓Full commercial insurance included — no large credit card deposits
- ✓Well-maintained Toyota fleet (Ativ, Vios, Fortuner)
- ✓Excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and Google
- ✓Local knowledge — Peter and team can advise on driving in the area
More recommendations coming as I review and personally vet additional services. I'd rather recommend a few services I trust than twenty I don't.