Moving To Los In 6 Month

[lor]

Hi, we finaly decided to make the move. Just one question. We have a lot of stuff (here in England), furniture, fridge, freezes, Projection TV, beds, Hi-Fi, car etc etc

Is it worth shipping them over. A removal company has quoted £3,000 to ship everything to Thailand. From looking on the web it seems my car will be charged taxes at 140% of the new price from a dealer in Thailand less 70% because it is old. But what about all my other things, do I bring them or have a massive garage sale and buy everything new in Thailand.

From what I have seen some of my electronic stuff is expensive there also, the Thai furniture I see is much harder than I like. I would realy like to bring my English 3 piece suit, but not if I get clobbered with taxes.

Has anyone any experiance of shipping stuff to Thailand.

At present I live in Birmingham, England and intend to ship my stuff to Sarapee, near Chaing Mai, where we are having a house built.

On that subject. This house will be built by a builder for me and my Thai wife on her land. Is there any way I can get some security or do I have to just trust her goodwill and hope she never gets angry with me and throws me out taking the home and everything.

Regards Chris

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Hi, we finaly decided to make the move. Just one question. We have a lot of stuff (here in England), furniture, fridge, freezes, Projection TV, beds, Hi-Fi, car etc etc

Is it worth shipping them over. A removal company has quoted £3,000 to ship everything to Thailand. From looking on the web it seems my car will be charged taxes at 140% of the new price from a dealer in Thailand less 70% because it is old. But what about all my other things, do I bring them or have a massive garage sale and buy everything new in Thailand.

From what I have seen some of my electronic stuff is expensive there also, the Thai furniture I see is much harder than I like. I would realy like to bring my English 3 piece suit, but not if I get clobbered with taxes.

Has anyone any experiance of shipping stuff to Thailand.

At present I live in Birmingham, England and intend to ship my stuff to Sarapee, near Chaing Mai, where we are having a house built.

On that subject. This house will be built by a builder for me and my Thai wife on her land. Is there any way I can get some security or do I have to just trust her goodwill and hope she never gets angry with me and throws me out taking the home and everything.

Regards Chris

Your Thai wife has some rights to bring goods with her as a returning Thai. You have no similar rights at all until you have an O non-immigrant visa extended for a year.

Talk to a lawyer and get yourself a lease from your wife for 30 years, That will afford you a measure of security over the house.

Check very carefully with Thai Customs about the taxes applicable to your vehicle if you do import it

[unbiasbob]

Dude, on the matter of trusting your wife's good will on the house situation; I don't want to go there. I am very biased in that area. I wish you heaps of luck however. I'd say you will be at her mercy but you've got odds that it could work. As for personal effects in England; I would have one huge tag sale and rid yourself of most stuff and replace here

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Dude, on the matter of trusting your wife's good will on the house situation; I don't want to go there. I am very biased in that area. I wish you heaps of luck however. I'd say you will be at her mercy but you've got odds that it could work. As for personal effects in England; I would have one huge tag sale and rid yourself of most stuff and replace here

You are letting your bias show Bob. Time for a name change maybe ?

[unbiasbob]

Doc, my name came about from my brother. He wrote a sarcastic song about me

[ProThaiExpat]

In addition to the lease, I had my lawyer incorporate a mortgage for the value of the house and a penalty clause for double that amount if the lease was in anyway disturbed.

Thus relatives would have second thoughts, if g/f dies, in trying to void the lease.

It cost me double however, as there is a land office fee for the recording of the extra mortgage document equal to the recording of the lease. Thus you are torn between understating the value of the property leased vs. making it costly to break the lease.

Also, there is a tax on the rental income stated in the lease.

[simon43]

I wouldn't personally bring your household goods to Thailand, but if you want to do this, then do a check on the shipping costs, because I suspect you are being totally ripped off!

When I enquired with a couple of companies in the UK about shipping items from the UK to LoS in a sea container, I learnt from them that the shipping costs were almost zero!! This is because the 'flow' of these containers is from east to west, and so they are pile up in Europe and the US, with none left in the Far East. So both companies were happy for me to ship a full 40 foot container from the UK to Thailand for only the cost of the paperwork (about £350 pounds). The quoted cost for an identical container from Thailand to the UK was about £3000.

Bear in mind that the £350 is only to Laem Chabang (the port near BKK), so you would still have the cost from there to Chiang Mai.

[Axel]

As a general rule you can bring used items into Thailand. For foreigners need workpermit and since recently Bangkok customs house woke up and accept non OA for one year issued for retirement.

Thai nationals having lived abroad for + 1 year are entitled to duty and tax free clearance as well.

Vehicles, forget about, the duty rate is exurbitant.

In your packing list only one piece allowed for el. and electronics. 1 fridge, 1 stereo 1 TV etc. These items must be described in detail with name of maker and modell no.

As for 'simon43' my answer is ,yes and no'. International removing operators have a standard pricing system based on pounds or kilos of weight, whereas the oceanfreight part is based on cbm or container size.

Oceanfreight. You are right, there is an imbalance of east and westbound container equipment, therefor the rate to Thailand are lower than vice versa. Any reputable company would base the oceanfreight on market situation.

Now my recommendation:

Ask for a specified estimate

1) Origin service including packing into liftvans at your house. Deliver to to port and bring on board a vessel (fob) You need seaworthy packing to reduce the risk of damage. This is in the UK the most expensive part considering the high labor costs.

2) Oceanfreight per cbm or per 20' / 40' container.

3) Destination service, i.e. receiving in Thailand port, either Laem Cha Bang or Bangkok port. Customs clearance (i.e. bringing through custums inspection

4) Insurance against all risks from house to house incl. storage in transit (1 month is usually acceptable). BTW, no professional packing done in UK, the insurance might not pay for damages, therefor recommended professionals.

For 1) ask 2-3 companies. They come to your house and estimate the volume/weight of your belongings or what it will be after packing. Usually +/- 10% is accepted. You better be present during such estimate and clearly point out what you take and what stays, to avoid any dispute afterwards.

For 2) ask other general forwarders or carriers for a rate and then discuss with the company, you chose under 1) what you are willing to pay for 2)

With whoever you ship the container ask for a document called bill of lading which should show your name as shipper and your name as consignee in exactly same manner as written in your passport. (Considering to 'import' in your Thai wife's name put her name in.)

Ask you packing/removal company how much would be all costs under 3) and 4) but do not commit. Pay for 1) and 2) and finally 3) but check others for the insurance premium.

Once you have a reasonable premium fax copy of the bill of lading and packing lists etc. This must be done very fast, preferably once the goods are picked up in your house (you can submit the bill of lading later)

4) Compare 2-3 rates for this 'destination service' i.e handling in Bangkok port, customs clearance and delivery to a warehouse until you want it up north.

I said above, pack in liftvans, it is cheaper to bring them by truck i.o. bringing your container to Sarapee and empty back to Bangkok.

Alternatively, ask to buy a used container for you with a valid CSC-plate. (Safety standard, they know what it is) This container cost you no duty but 7% VAT in Thailand on the value estimated by the customs house. Subsequently it is yours or you can sell it in Thailand.

Albeit, Thailand's streets are narrow and perhaps the container cannot be delivered to your house. (I just did it for a client in ......buri, 200 km S/E of BKK, had to uproot 3 trees and 2 bushes to get the container onto the land. And of course had to ask the local city hall to provide me a crane.

This as a rough outline. Find in B'ham professionals to do the packing for you. If you have questions, PM me for 2) 3) and 4).

Good luck.

[bangsaen bob]

I think you are wrong about the duty of your car. A friend of mine checked bringing in an antique Jag. It depends what kind of car, cc etc. There was no discount, full dutiable amount on the original sales price of the car, not the current value.

If you are talking about 3,000 pounds for a container you are getting screwed.

I'd do the lease bit on the house, exactly what I am doing, except a 30/30 year lease.

Good luck.