A Spanish autónomo earning €120k pays roughly €55,000 in combined IRPF + RETA. The same income, after a clean exit and 180+ days of Thai tax residency under the DTV visa, lands closer to €8,500 in Thai PIT — about €46,500 of annual upside, fully legal under Thailand's territorial tax principle.
← All destinations Compare · Thailand vs Spain
Thailand vs Spain.
Spanish autónomos give 45–52% of a €120k year to IRPF and RETA combined. The Thai DTV visa swaps that for a five-year residence permit, territorial tax, and roughly €46,500 a year back in your pocket. Here's the full comparison.
In one sentence
The headline difference: Spain taxes worldwide income on a progressive IRPF scale (19–47%) plus mandatory RETA social-security contributions. Thailand taxes only foreign-source income that is remitted into Thailand the same year it is earned — and then on a Thai PIT scale that tops out at 35% but starts at 0% with a 60,000 THB personal allowance.
01 · Side-by-side
Thailand vs Spain
Every row matters on the diagnosis call.
| Dimension | Spain | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Effective tax on €120k freelance | ~46% (IRPF + RETA) | ~7% (Thai PIT, 15% remitted) |
| Annual upside | — | ~€46,500/year |
| Visa or residency type | EU citizenship | DTV — 5-year multi-entry |
| Exit paperwork | Modelo 030 + Modelo 036/037 baja | DTV application + 180-day stay |
| Exit tax | Conditional (Art. 95 bis) | None |
| Social security | RETA (€1,200/mo at €120k tier) | Optional private health (€60–120/mo) |
| VAT / consumption tax | 21% IVA | 7% VAT |
| Income tax filing cadence | Quarterly + annual IRPF | Annual PIT (PND 90/91) |
| Time zone | GMT+1 / GMT+2 | GMT+7 (6 hours ahead of Madrid) |
| Operating language | Spanish | Thai (legal); English (business) |
| 1-bed apartment, capital centre | €1,200–1,800 | €650 |
| Eating out daily, monthly | €600+ | €300 |
Key figures
Quick facts
Citable numbers. Calibrated against the CERØ tax calculator and 2026 brackets.
- 01
Effective tax burden on €120k freelance income, Spain (IRPF + RETA): approximately 46% (CERØ Tax Calculator, 2026 brackets).
- 02
Effective tax burden on the same income, Thailand DTV resident with €1,500/month remittance: approximately 7% Thai PIT.
- 03
Spanish RETA monthly base for €120k tier (2026): approximately €1,200/month, capped at ~€14,400 a year.
- 04
Thailand DTV visa: 5-year multi-entry, 180-day stay blocks per entry. Renewable.
- 05
Tax-residency certificate from Thai Revenue Department available after 180 days inside Thailand in a calendar year.
02 · What the exit looks like
What the exit looks like.
The boxes that actually close your home tax file.
The Spanish exit is a paperwork sequence rather than a single form. File Modelo 036/037 to deregister your autónomo activity, notify the Tesorería de la Seguridad Social to deregister from RETA, close the last quarter cleanly (IVA and IRPF retentions), then file Modelo 030 for the actual change of residence in the year you leave. Spain has an exit tax (Article 95 bis IRPF) but it only triggers for shareholdings above €4M total or above 25% of a company worth over €1M, after 10+ years of residency. Most CERØ members never trigger it.
03 · How daily life changes
How daily life changes.
Time zone, climate and cost of living vs Bangkok.
Time-zone-wise, Bangkok sits 6 hours ahead of Madrid year-round (Spain doesn't fully match daylight saving the same way). Your Spanish clients keep working with you because your afternoons cover their mornings. Bangkok winters land at 25–32°C. Cost of living drops materially: a one-bed in central Bangkok runs €650 vs €1,200–1,800 in central Madrid; eating out daily costs roughly €300 a month vs €600+ in Spain.
04 · Which one fits
Which one fits.
Honest framing: most Europeans go to Thailand. Here are the cases where they don't.
Stay in Spain if…
- You want to keep European time-zone overlap with EU clients.
- You're anchored to family in Spain who can't move with you.
- You hold significant Spanish equity that would trigger Article 95 bis exit tax.
- You prefer Spanish bureaucracy you already know to learning a new system.
Move to Thailand if…
- You earn the bulk of your income from foreign clients (US, EU, online).
- Your work is location-independent and you can spend 180+ days in country.
- You want a five-year visa, not 60-day stamps or border runs.
- You'd use a clean tax-residency certificate to close your Spanish file.
05 · FAQ · Thailand vs Spain
Questions people ask.
Real questions, real answers.
Is leaving Spain for Thailand legal under EU rules?
Yes. Spain is a sovereign tax jurisdiction; you're free to change residency at any time provided you actually meet the destination's residency tests and properly notify the AEAT via Modelo 030. The legal structure is the same one CERØ has run for over 200 founders.
How much can a Spanish autónomo earning €120k save by moving to Thailand?
Roughly €40,000–€50,000 per year on combined IRPF + RETA, depending on remittance pattern and family situation. The Thailand tax calculator estimates this in real time using 2026 brackets.
Do I have to renounce Spanish citizenship?
No. Tax residency and citizenship are separate. You keep your Spanish passport, your right to return, your healthcare entitlements (within EU rules), and your family ties. You only change where you pay tax.
When should I file Modelo 030?
In the calendar year you actually leave, not before. Filing too early creates a date mismatch with your physical exit. Filing too late means another full year of Spanish residency on the books.
Will the AEAT challenge my Thai tax residency?
Only if the file looks weak — Spanish billing address, Spanish bank account still receiving fees, fewer than 180 days in Thailand. With a Thai tax-residency certificate, a Thai lease, a clean Modelo 030, and a proper exit of your operating company, the file holds up. CERØ builds for that exact audit.
Ready to run the numbers?
Live tax calculator, 30-minute diagnosis call. We tell you whether Thailand actually fits you.