Bmouthboyo

Thanks for thegreat advice guys. Checked luggage only it is then.

Unfortunately there is no getting around bringing the imac, and as it is too big for hand luggage it will need to go in the hold. I have purchased a flight case that is extremely sturdy so all I can do is cross my fingers. Looking into paying for excess valuation with BA but seems they dont know anything about it on the phone, and insurance policies with travel companies etc wont cover items not on us.

I would never put a computer in the hold. Either it gets stolen, or bounced around so that it will arrive in bits and pieces.

What I would do is put everything that is possible to detach (cords, keyboard, mouse, stands, PS3 controllers - all cheap and easy to replace) in the hold bag, and take the iMac and the PS3 central units with you into the cabin.

Only put items that you can live without in the hold. Airlines often remind about this with a note "your luggage may travel a longer journey than you."

I agree the cabin is best bet but not an option with a 21.5 inch imac I need for work. I cant risk depending in it being allowed in the cabin as hand luggage so have invested in an industrial flight case for it. not ideal but I do not have many options unfortunately.

I am just hoping I can get a good insurance cover for the baggage when checked in, most seem to be however focused upon arrival to destination. I basically want checked baggage insurance but cannot find any anywhere

We didn't have a work permit, so my situation was different. But we ended up paying for an extra suitcase each (3), which can weigh up to 22kg. You can put quite a bit of stuff in a big suitcase. Something to think about and no real worries on arrival other than the food...which could be an issue. Not sure what you mean by "food".

If you do ship, I'd highly recommend going with option 2. Customs here can be a nightmare. And the fees can be ridiculous.

As mentioned above, a lot of stuff can be obtained here. You have to weigh the expense of shipping vs. the expense of just getting a new appliance here.

http://www.verasu.com/

After thinking about things this is probably our best option as it will be with us as soon as we land and probably work out a bit cheaper.

Will I face any issues with customs? I know if I use sea freight i need it to arrive once I have my work permit so I do not have to pay import duty, I am a little concerned that I may get pulled aside for having all this (albeit used) personal affects such as PS3, Games, Bread maker, small HTPC etc?

Hi Guys,

I will be moving to Thailand with work for the next 2 years at least and so am in the process of planning the move.

Now my wife and I do not really have a great deal we need / want to take so are inclined to use BA's extra checked luggage option to take a total of 5 suitcases instead of paying for sea shipping which takes a good while and often seems to have issues with customs.

Our issue really is that out cases will have a few more valuable items. Mainly one which is a special flight case containing my iMac, and a suitcase we will use for electronics such as PS3, Games, HTPC (small net top) and various bits and pieces of small value.

Can anyone recommend an insurance solution for this? We are mainly concerned about possible theft once the luggage is checked in. We understand damage is of high risk too but will ensure everything is well packed.

Also on a side note will I be OK if the customs pulls me over once we land? Obviously none of the items are brand new however I know if we used sea shipping we would need to provide our work permit etc to be free of import duty and so am a little concerned that upon arrival by plane we will not have this yet and so collard for it.

Thanks in advanced

haha as I said in my OP I do not really need to send more than 4 box's (2 X Kitchen stuff and a box each for me and the mrs). Not really excessive?

Hello all,

Me and the newly wed wife will be moving to Bangkok with work for the next 2 years. I have obtained some quotes for sea freight shipping to arrive about 2 months after we arrive and will have our work permits.

Now we only really have about half a Cubic meter of stuff that we need to ship and have been quoted about £300 door to door by Dynamic International. This would be Option 1.

Option 2 is that there is a company that deals with my employer often and has a good record of getting shipments for moving employees to their door hassle free (no tea room fees, unexpected custom summon etc) but can only do a minimum of 1 CBM for about £530.

Now I would half like to take option 2 as if there are any issues with customs etc not only will the company dealing with it know what to do, but my company will have about 15 new employees all shipping their stuff in one consignment and so I imagine more likely to step in and help if things go pear shaped. If it was me using my own service I imagine I would more on my own dealing with issues.

Am I looking into this too much and should just go with the cheaper quote or do you think it is worth essentially shipping crap we wouldn't really bother with in order to use the usual avenue the employer recommends?

On a side note if we chose option 1 and had to pack more, can you ship things like spices and English food? Tried looking what can and can't be shipped but most lists seem to relate to checked in luggage on planes.

Thanks in advance, I am aware its a bit of a odd question but thought I would ask those that know more about it all.

That is great advice thank guys. I know it is not ideal but we don't really have a lot of stuff and so do not want to really have to rely on sea shipping too much for the essentials. I think we will have our standard one 23kg luggage and pay the extra for a bag each, mine being the imac and hers being a suitcase with all my ps3, media nettop etc

We will then have a small amount sent via sea freight such as books for our work, kitchinwear etc.

Out of interest is there a way to get affordable insurance for checked in luggage?

Cheers

imac is bit too big as hand luggage. I have bought a flight case for the imac so should be able to withstand a fair bit of punishment. I know it is not ideal but do not have much choice as I need it for work.

PS3 etc wise I am not too fussed about, would be nice to have with me rather than wait 8 weeks for visa and shipment to arrive etc. The reason I asked about tax is that I know to ship normally you need to have work permit to not have to pay the customs fee, I assumed it would be same on checked in luggage.

You need to hand carry valuables.

Could you elaborate. Is this incase of damage? Is this customs policy?

Hi Guys,

I will be moving to Thailand this August to live and work for at least the next 2 years. I am aware that if I ship my belongings I will need to have them arrive when I recieve my work permit which should be at the end of September.

Now I really need to bring my imac for work and was wondering if I check this in as baggage will I be called up to pay customs duty if searched at the thai airport? At that point I will only have a non immigration visa.

I am tempted to bring the bulk of my possessions via extra baggage (PS3, Media Netop PC, iMac, games etc etc). That way I do not need to wait for all the shipping, lost items etc etc. Is this possible?

Cheers

OK thanks a lot guys makes things a lot clearer

Hi Guys,

I am moving abroad to work for at least the next 2 years. I have been
employed full time in the UK for 5 years, and was wondering when I will
be eligible to claim my PAYE Tax paid this tax year.

I assume I am correct in thinking I can claim a rebate on the tax paid
for the 2013 - 2014 tax year as I will only be working from April to the
end of August and I think it will only go over my allowance by about
£2000.

When could I claim this back? Do I have to wait until April 2014? Or can I collect this sooner (preferred).

Thanks

Thank you for the responses, sorry i only just saw the replies.

I will be honest that I am not entirely sure what visa she will have as my employer is sorting it out, I know we need to get a single entry non-immigrant B visa and dependents visa prior to arrival then I will get a work permit once there. i assume she will be on some form of dependents visa?

As far as the UK goes we will be non resident so I am surprised she would have to pay UK tax to HMRC, although figured the company paying her would have to declare it somehow. The work would be casual computer based work and she would not be employed by them, just as and when needed to help with deadlines. Even if UK tax was due it would be below the UK threshold.

Hi Guys,

I will be moving to Thailand for work for at least the next 2 years. I hope to travel a fair bit with the wife and was wondering if it is wise to try and get a spare passport. One for carrying about as ID etc and one at home encase I lose it or for some reason have it removed from my person.

If it is sensible does anyone know best way to get one? I read you can't always just apply for a spare. So if I said I lost mine would that work? Or would that one them flag up as lost or stolen on scanners etc?

Hi Guys,

My wife will be following me to Thailand as a dependant when I start my new job in August. She currently works in a job in the UK that have indicated she could continue to do work on projects on a as needed basis from Thailand when we move.

We are a little unsure how this would work in terms of:

-Does she need to pay UK Tax or Thai Tax on the earnings

-Would having the money paid into our UK or Thai account have any bearing? and if so which is more favourable to maximise returns?

-How do most people whose wives take on extra UK based work whilst in Thailand arrange this?

-Would she have to get a different Visa than the one she will get as a dependant of me?

Thanks guys, early talks about it at moment but good to know the main pros and cons.

Thank you for advice, very helpful and puts my mind at ease a little.

Do all shipping companies use the same size box's? I will have to box our stuff prior to leaving and then arrange pick up etc once I am out there and have my working visa.

It would be a pain to have to get the in laws to unpack everything and repack in a companies box's in our absence. Also if they do all use same dimensions does anyone know the best place to buy them?

thanks again

I guess we thought that as we will eventually be heading back to the UK to buy a property it would be wise so transfer it whilst the exchange rate is favourable. Also my employer pays part of the wage in GBP as part of the package, which I don't think you can change, only ask for more of it to be in GBP, so essentially its only about 12000 TBH each month being 'topped up' in the UK account.

Bump

Best of luck on the move. A couple of websites that may be of use are powerbuy dot com which has a sort of English interface function and the Sponsor site of Invadeit.co.th these should give you some ideas on pricing for household goods. For the Imac if possible I would take the HDD out and carry as personal goods and let the rest come by freight (not an Apple guru so could be wrong here).

I was looking at about 40in TV's in Tesco the other day at about 14000Bht. The Tesco website is rubbish so you will need to go for a look. For household goods there is basically Big C or Tesco with similar prices and occasional other local stores with some items that may or may not be genuine, or the sponsor site of InvadeIT, I have bought from them before and they are reliable, just a few days for delivery. Buyer beware was written with Thailand in mind, so be careful on real and fake when buying outside of department type stores. There is also Robinsons that do some good deals or more likely actually have what you are looking for. Thailand is frustrating in you know exactly what you want, but cannot find it, even though you know it is here.

Interestingly one of the best things I have brought with me is a decent set of kitchen knives (Wiltshire). In Thailand it is either very cheap or expensive on knives, oh and a decent can opener.

Please repost on experiences as that is how we all learn. And you will learn what TIT really means (lol).

Cheers

Thank you also for the info, had a good look and seems they do have some good prices, once you work out the equivalent EU model numbers for TV's etc. Nice to know you can order some things online in Thailand. does delivery for items tend to compare to UK (within Thailand)? I buy a lot online but assumed that'd stop once there. How hard is it collecting parcels you have missed there? Nervous about the move but also excited. You only live once hey

Ah thanks, sorry I missed the company name before. they are the service that cost you 6000TBH scanning fee? We will only be shipping about 5 box,s now and not bothering with my TV as I have ditched the box so nothing safe to transport in. Hopefully we wont incur such a harsh fee slapped ontop.

Customs itself leveraged the scan fee (which was 15,000 on a declared value of 150,000)- this charge is not related to the shipper at all. To be honest, I believe that unless you are extremely lucky (and being realistic you're unlikely to be so as a foreigner), unless you are willing to spend countless hours schmoozing and haggling you will be hit with a fee one way or another for around 10 - 30% of the declared value so if you're going ship, I would budget for it. You can treat it as a bonus if it sails through un-levied.

In terms of your TV, certainly in the case of Dynamic International they pack for you and it is done extremely professionally. We shipped numerous fragile items, notably a 60kg single piece glass table, flat screen 3d tv, lots of porcelain. We had one broken lampshade, everything else was spotless.

If it helps at all, my thought process on 'to ship or to sell' was this:

As other posters have mentioned yes you can buy the vast majority of items here, but from what I see it's generally a poor selection and is about 20% higher than in the UK, if you have items you like so much that you are considering shipping them then I suppose you have to weigh up the financial and time impact of firstly selling all the items before you travel (or storing them), and the same factors when researching, locating and purchasing replacements in Thailand. My perspective was that I could sell 3000 worth of stuff for 1500 and around 40 hours total time spent selling, buying equivalent quality replacements would have cost 4200 and 40 hours time.

So to ship:

Shipping = -1500 including insurance for the whole lot

Scan Fee = -300

Time spent sorting = 8 hours

= Total -1800 and 8 hours work

To sell and repurchase

Credit for selling items = 1500

Cost of equivalent replacements = 3600

Time spent sorting = 80 hours

= Total -2100 and 80 hours work

In the extremely unlikely event I found the same items at the same price as in the UK (3000) then this gives

= Total -1500 and 80 hours work

Which would mean the equivalent of earning 4.16 an hour for the 72 hours spent getting replacements, not to mention the cost of fuel, phone calls, delivery charges etc

My logic exactly, thanks for all hour help. I guess I need to relax and brace for thai cusoms to charge a little, howpfully if it's sorted by my work it'll be OK but not end of the world if it does incure small fee.

My employer said we shoukd have our working visas by end of September when we fly out first week of August, so about 8 weeks. We will probably have to pack the box's etc and bet the company to collect from the in laws mid August, so we avoid any storage fees. Will they be OK if we pack them or do the company need to pack to see that thnga arnt broken for insurance etc?

Hi Guys,

I will be starting a job in Thailand for at least the next two years. My salary is paid part in GBP into a UK account and just over half in TBH. We plan to return to the UK in the future after saving some cash internationally so I guess the weakening of the pound at the moment is good for us at the TBH seems strong compared to it.

My first question is regarding offshore accounts. I have been advised by some people to set up an offshore account such as http://www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/corporate/our-locations/jersey/

However I am unsure of the type of account I will need, the costs or even really why I need one. I do not have savings yet that I am worried the UK government can get there hands on the small interest it might make, however I plan to save about £1000 - £1500 a month. This will be by me topping up the GBP paid portion of my wage with approximately 12000TBH - 35000 TBH.

This brings me to my second query. What is the best method to transfer TBH from a Thai account to my UK one (possibly an offshore if that is worth opening)? How often would you recommend transferring the TBH over? What costs are involved? and lastly what market situations do you look for to maximise the GBP exchange rate?

I have been looking at exchange rate history and the TBH seems to be going from strength to strength against the GBP which for someone in my situation is great, providing I guess that in say 5 years when we return to UK it starts strengthening again.

Thanks in advanced

Do yourseld a favor and hust buy new sh*t.

Well I do own possessions which I would like to have me.

I have been recommended Dynamic International by my new employers, does anyone have any experience with them?

Yes, that's who I used as per the review above - they were great

Ah thanks, sorry I missed the company name before. they are the service that cost you 6000TBH scanning fee? We will only be shipping about 5 box,s now and not bothering with my TV as I have ditched the box so nothing safe to transport in. Hopefully we wont incur such a harsh fee slapped ontop.

Do yourseld a favor and hust buy new sh*t.

Well I do own possessions which I would like to have me.

I have been recommended Dynamic International by my new employers, does anyone have any experience with them?

OK thanks for the advice so far guys, please bare with me I am new to the international movement scene lol

So after some research I have come to the following options:

A) I take my iMac via checked luggage in its original box which has a shipping brown box around it also which hides what it is. This will leave me about 10Kg for other items I need to bring but iMac may get damaged.

Buy a iMac travel case which weighs near 9Kg and literally only have my hand luggage left to emigrate, not ideal.

C) Ship iMac along with other items we want (about 4 - 5 box's full) via door to door freight.

Option C is seeming like our preferred as we can not be so savage with selecting what to bring and do not have as much risk damaging valuable electronics like my iMac compared to checking it in as baggage. I have had a quite from seven seas which seemed reasonable:

My only worry is this mentioned Thai scanning / tea room / mugging Tax. I will ensure that all items are over 6 months old, used, and meet all the Thai customs regulations in terms of quantity, working visa etc, but could I still be held to ransom with these mentioned tax's? Or is it less likely as I have used a door to door service? Or will they probably still ask for money when at my door delivering?

The reason I am worried is that there will be a lot of sentimental and valuable items which if held as a ransom I do not have the option of ditching. On the other hand I do not want to be bent over backwards.

I am confused why would you dump it in the dock? Also if you have a work permit etc how do they get away with trying to charge you silly stuff like that? Is there a way to avoid this?