Retirement visa/US citizen

[hapy2rtire]

Hello All, I am new... please be kind with my ignorance. I am an American planning to retire in Thailand. I am confused by the different websites regarding retirement visas. I found a Thai Embassy page which seems to indicate I can obtain a 1 year Non-Immigrant "O-A" Retirement visa from within the US before I leave for Thailand. Copy from website:

 

Purpose of Visit: This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and over who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working. Holder of this type of visa is allowed to stay in Thailand for 1 year. Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Eligibility:

1. Applicant must be aged 50 years and over (on the day of submitting application)
2. Applicant not prohibited from entering the Kingdom as provided by the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979)
3. Having no criminal record in Thailand and the country of the applicant’s nationality or residence
4. Having the nationality of or residence in the country where applicant’s application is submitted
5. Not having prohibitive diseases ( Leprosy, Tuberculosis, drug addiction, Elephantiasis, third phase of Syphilis) as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 B.E. 2535

Validity of a visa: multiple entries

***A visa becomes effective from the date of issuance***

Required Documents: (Required 2 sets; 1 original and 1 copy)

1. Your actual Passport or Travel Document. (Passport or Travel Document must be valid for at least 18 months and contain at least ONE completely empty visa page).
2. Visa application form completely filled out (black and blue ink only) (Download)
3. Addition Application form (Download)
4. Medical certificate showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14(B.E. 2535) certificate shall be valid for not more than three months (Download)
5. Two photo’s passport-size photographs (2″x2″) (photocopy or photo taken from Photostat will not be accepted). Photographs must have a light color background with a full- face view of the person without wearing a hat or dark glasses. Photos must be taken within 6 months.
6. Bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required
7.  Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification have to valid for not more than three months and must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only. Online criminal record without authorizer’s signature is unacceptable )

Processing time : (with completed documents)
In person   5 business days
By mail      minimum 15 business days

***We do not offer expedited service***

Visa Processing Fees: $200 USD per application.

Payable in money order (only) made payable to “Royal Thai Embassy”.
NO CASH, PERSONAL and BUSINESS CHECKS ACCEPTED

*** The fee is not refundable in any cases***

­Submitting application:

1.In person

between 9am.-12pm. , no appointment needed
Consular Office
Royal Thai Embassy
2300 Kalorama Rd., N.W.
Washington,D.C 20008-1623

2. By mail.... etc.

 

I am over 50, have a "clear" FBI criminal record check document in hand, "clear" medical certificate from my doctor, and bank statements of way over 800,000 Baht X years (in US bank - I am not able to open a Thai account because I am not there yet). The Los Angeles Thai Embassy webpage states if you have a plane ticket, you can drop off your passport and documents in person one day, and pick up your passport with visa the next day (equal to a processing time of approximately 24 hours). I plan to drive to LA next week.

 

Does anyone know if this is true? As a US citizen, is it possible to obtain a 1 year retirement visa BEFORE entering Thailand? Anything else I need to know?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

[marcusarelus]

Yes.  Actually 2 years on a O-A visa.

[sqwakvfr]

Yes and I did not even need to show a plane ticket.  Get there early(LA Consulate opens at 0900).  I dropped my packet off at 930 and picked my passport with the Non Imm OA the next day at 1030.  

[Peterw42]

Yes, OA visa is available in most peoples home countries, as others have said, you can get almost 2 years stay without having to worry about extensions or Thai bank accounts.

[onera1961]

47 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

I am over 50, have a "clear" FBI criminal record check document in hand, "clear" medical certificate from my doctor, and bank statements of way over 800,000 Baht X years (in US bank - I am not able to open a Thai account because I am not there yet). The Los Angeles Thai Embassy webpage states if you have a plane ticket, you can drop off your passport and documents in person one day, and pick up your passport with visa the next day (equal to a processing time of approximately 24 hours). I plan to drive to LA next week.

So, you have everything. Why don't you do the last thing and that's dropping your documents and passport off in the Embassy and then collect the passport with a shiny visa sticker. 

 

1. The visa sticker would say valid until xx/yy/2020 (it has one year validity).

2. When you enter Thailand, the IO will put a stamp with another date called Permitted to Stay date ll/mm/2020. It is one year from the date of your last entry.

 

Never confuse between date 1 and 2. If you do, you can be a overstayer and charged, arrested and sent to Thai Gulag. 

This visa will allow you to stay two years in Thailand without seeing immigration officials, except your 90-day reports. 

Now figure it out how you can stay for two years using the two dates 1 and 2. If you can figure it out, you're genius ???? If not just ask. 

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by onera1961

[hapy2rtire]

Thank you, thank you for your responses!!!

 

On to my next question, which might not be appropriate for this topic heading, but I do not see another heading that fits.

 

I would like to ship a few boxes from the US to Thailand for my "retirement". Some extra clothes, a few blankets and pillows, very little kitchen supplies, 3 lamps, 2 - 18V battery power tools, and 4 masks/carved wood wall hangings from PNG. About 4-5 medium sized boxes in all. From websites it seems people with work visas are exempt from customs duty taxes on used household items, but people with retirement visa are NOT exempt... anymore, used to be exempt around 2012, but not now. 

 

Even with work visa exempt status, people pay duty tax on anything not deemed as used household items or if they have more than one of each kind of electronic item (for example, more than one lamp). I found a website that defined household items as clothes, shoes, anything under $30USD value. So the way I read it, because I will have a retirement visa, ALL of my belongings, including clothes, shoes, even just one lamp, will ALL be subject to Duty Tax?

 

question #1) Do I have it correct?

 

question #2) If Thai Customs only taxes me on the power tools and 2 extra lamps, what might they do with the PNG masks which might be considered "artifacts"?

 

question #3) I have a very good Thai friend who states she will ship my things to her sister in Bangkok but she is unaware if there will be Duty Tax applied. Can Thai nationals living in the US ship 5 boxes to family in Bangkok Duty Free?

 

Thank you again!  

 

[hapy2rtire]

7 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

So, you have everything. Why don't you do the last thing and that's dropping your documents and passport off in the Embassy and then collect the passport with a shiny visa sticker. 

 

1. The visa sticker would say valid until xx/yy/2020 (it has one year validity).

2. When you enter Thailand, the IO will put a stamp with another date called Permitted to Stay date ll/mm/2020. It is one year from the date of your last entry.

 

Never confuse between date 1 and 2. If you do, you can be a overstayer and charged, arrested and sent to Thai Gulag. 

This visa will allow you to stay two years in Thailand without seeing immigration officials, except your 90-day reports. 

Now figure it out how you can stay for two years using the two dates 1 and 2. If you can figure it out, you're genius ???? If not just ask. 

 

Thank you. You are correct. I have everything and will be driving the 8 hours to LA next week to get my shiny sticker. I was just checking to make sure I have everything before the long drive.

 

Regarding the rest of your post... OK, I am NOT a genius, haha!!! And I am "asking". If the sticker says valid until xx/yy/2020 with one year validity, how will I be able to stay 2 years?

 

And, my plan is once I am in Thailand and probably towards the end of the validity of the one (or two year?) visa that I am able to obtain in LA... in Thailand I hope to obtain a 5 year retirement (multi-entry) visa with $$'s in a Thai bank. My goal is to stay 11 years before I am forced to leave and get a new visa from outside Thailand (if I decide to stay longer than 11 years)? So, ....a one year visa issued before I leave, then converted to a 5 year retirement visa once inside Thailand, then renewal of 5 year retirement visa, then I will HAVE to leave Thailand to get another visa. Although I plan to travel all over the world as well as return for vacation to the US off and on in that 11 year span.

 

Again? Is my planning correct? Does it sound like I can do it this way?

 

[overherebc]

The O-A long stay is 100% the way to go. With the O-A you can travel in and out as often and to wherever you want. Just keep the enter by/use by date in your head/diary etc and do an out of/into Thailand a day or two before that date to get a second year.

Gives you two years to get used to everything and the way things change constantly.

No need to tie up money here.

If you really feel you have to bring things up to you. Generally electrical goods are the things they like to slap import tax on.

Getting your Thai friend to do it might be easier, just don't show up to help her collect it, sure way to get it taxed. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by overherebc

[onera1961]

10 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

Regarding the rest of your post... OK, I am NOT a genius, haha!!! And I am "asking". If the sticker says valid until xx/yy/2020 with one year validity, how will I be able to stay 2 years?

There are two dates as I mentioned in my first post. 

1. A date in your visa sticker (visa validity date)

2. A date (Admitted Until) on the square stamp you get when you enter Thailand. (this will tell you the date you're permitted to stay inside Thailand). 

 

Wait a few minutes. Other posters will explain how you can use to stay for two years. 
 

10 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

hope to obtain a 5 year retirement (multi-entry) visa with $$'s in a Thai bank.

There are no 5-year visa or renewal of the original O-A visa. You can get a yearly extension after two years. 

 

26 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

I would like to ship a few boxes from the US to Thailand for my "retirement". Some extra clothes, a few blankets and pillows, very little kitchen supplies, 3 lamps, 2 - 18V battery power tools, and 4 masks/carved wood wall hangings from PNG. About 4-5 medium sized boxes in all. From websites it seems people with work visas are exempt from customs duty taxes on used household items, but people with retirement visa are NOT exempt... anymore, used to be exempt around 2012, but not now. 

OMG, why do you want to bring those here? You can buy them new and shiny. Just donate them in the USA. Lots of poor people in the USA also who would accept them gladly.

 

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by onera1961

[hapy2rtire]

5 minutes ago, overherebc said:

The O-A long stay is 100% the way to go. With the O-A you can travel in and out as often and to wherever you want. Just keep the enter by/use by date in your head/diary etc and do an out of/into Thailand a day or two before that date to get a second year.

Gives you two years to get used to everything and the way things change constantly.

No need to tie up money here.

If you really feel you have to bring things up to you. Generally electrical goods are the things they like to slap import tax on.

Getting your Thai friend to do it might be easier, just don't show up to help her collect it, sure way to get it taxed. 

Thank you!! I am so excited this is coming together. It has been a dream for years. I did not realize the one year could be expanded. Thank you for your help!

[SpokaneAl]

Thank you. You are correct. I have everything and will be driving the 8 hours to LA next week to get my shiny sticker. I was just checking to make sure I have everything before the long drive.
 
Regarding the rest of your post... OK, I am NOT a genius, haha!!! And I am "asking". If the sticker says valid until xx/yy/2020 with one year validity, how will I be able to stay 2 years?
 
And, my plan is once I am in Thailand and probably towards the end of the validity of the one (or two year?) visa that I am able to obtain in LA... in Thailand I hope to obtain a 5 year retirement (multi-entry) visa with $$'s in a Thai bank. My goal is to stay 11 years before I am forced to leave and get a new visa from outside Thailand (if I decide to stay longer than 11 years)? So, ....a one year visa issued before I leave, then converted to a 5 year retirement visa once inside Thailand, then renewal of 5 year retirement visa, then I will HAVE to leave Thailand to get another visa. Although I plan to travel all over the world as well as return for vacation to the US off and on in that 11 year span.
 
Again? Is my planning correct? Does it sound like I can do it this way?
 

If you have enough time remaining before your departure and don’t feel like making the eight hour drive, you can mail your stuff to the LA Thai Consulate. I have done that a number of times in order to get a non imm o-a multi entry visa and have had no problems. The turnaround, in my experience, has been right at two weeks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[hapy2rtire]

2 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

There are two dates as I mentioned in my first post. 

1. A date in your visa sticker (visa validity date)

2. A date (Admitted Until) on the square stamp you get when you enter Thailand. (this will tell you the date you're permitted to stay inside Thailand). 

 

Wait a few minutes. Other posters will explain how you can use to stay for two years. 
 

There are no 5-year visa or renewal of the original O-A visa. You can get a yearly extension after two years. 

 

OMG, why do you want to bring those here? You can buy them new and shiny. Just donate them in the USA. Lots of poor people in the USA also who would accept them gladly.

 

 

This is exactly why I am asking these questions here. Online I found sites that states US citizens can get a 5 year retirement visa while in Thailand.

Five-year Retirement Visa

The five-year Thai retirement visa lets affluent retirees from 14 countries stay in Thailand for up to five years. Here are those countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. The five-year non0immigrant OX visa is renewable every five years.

The requirements for this visa are a little different. You’ll need the following to qualify for non-immigrant OX ten-year visa:

• 3 million baht in a bank account, untouched for at least three months from your application date or
• 100,000 baht monthly income
• health insurance that provides you with at $10,000 in coverage (non-optional)

The application process is the same as applying for a non-immigrant O visa. The only difference is that at the end of this process, you must get a re-entry permit.

 

Is this no longer available?

 

And regarding bringing stuff... I really want to bring my Papua New Guinea masks. I did some nursing work there and the villagers gifted me the masks as a thank you. I also have this fantastic Balinese Barong Dance mask from the 1980's... wouldn't be able to duplicate the craftsmanship. So that's two boxes. Some extra clothes (winter stuff which I hear is expensive to buy in Thailand) for when I travel to Europe (burrr, cold), a nice bike helmet and nice heavy bike lock which someone told me is difficult to find in Thailand? I am a girl and I like building things... construction... power tools, uh uh uh (that's the sound of grunting, haha). I have a really nice set of power tools that fit my little hands really well :). The rest is just some sentimental stuff (ceramic mugs my kids made when they were young)... things that would fill in around the other items. But you are right... I should take pictures of the masks and sell, buy new clothes for cold places when I get there and ditch my tools, boohoo. I have another week or two to wrap my head around leaving these things behind.

 

But if anyone has any great ideas of how to get them to Thailand cheap... let me know ????

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, hapy2rtire said:

This is exactly why I am asking these questions here. Online I found sites that states US citizens can get a 5 year retirement visa while in Thailand.

That is the 10 year non-ox visa that you can apply for at the embassy or one of the official consulates.

It is shown here on the embassy website. https://thaiembdc.org/non-immigrant-visa-category-o-x-long-stay/

[hapy2rtire]

28 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

 

If you have enough time remaining before your departure and don’t feel like making the eight hour drive, you can mail your stuff to the LA Thai Consulate. I have done that a number of times in order to get a non imm o-a multi entry visa and have had no problems. The turnaround, in my experience, has been right at two weeks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Cool Cool. Good advice!! I do have time but 1) The websites are so confusing I'm not sure I have everything correct. I have found 3 different visa applications and don't know which one is correct. So I'll bring all 3 ????  And 2) My son lives in LA... nice excuse for a hug.

[SpokaneAl]

Cool Cool. Good advice!! I do have time but 1) The websites are so confusing I'm not sure I have everything correct. I have found 3 different visa applications and don't know which one is correct. So I'll bring all 3 [emoji846]  And 2) My son lives in LA... nice excuse for a hug.

Use the checklist from the Consulate/Embassy that you will be using to get your visa. For example if you are going to apply at the LA Thai Consulate, do not follow the information on the Thai Embassy in Washington DC.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[hapy2rtire]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is the 10 year non-ox visa that you can apply for at the embassy or one of the official consulates.

It is shown here on the embassy website. https://thaiembdc.org/non-immigrant-visa-category-o-x-long-stay/

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it used to be called a 10 year visa, but now that it needs to be renewed at the 5 year mark, the website I found call it the 5 year retirement visa.  ????

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

I have found 3 different visa applications and don't know which one is correct.

The forms for the LA consulate are shown on this page. http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=48

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it used to be called a 10 year visa, but now that it needs to be renewed at the 5 year mark, the website I found call it the 5 year retirement visa.

You get two 5 year visas. You get the first 5 year when you apply and then another one when the first one expires. The visas allow unlimited one year entries up to the date they expire.

[overherebc]

14 minutes ago, hapy2rtire said:

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it used to be called a 10 year visa, but now that it needs to be renewed at the 5 year mark, the website I found call it the 5 year retirement visa.  ????

Many websites and agencies are usually pretty useless and mostly out of date and tend to be confusing, I reckon deliberately confusing so they can charge a fee to 'help you understand.' Usually based on 'lawyer speak.' Lots of 'speak' means lots of cash.

[hapy2rtire]

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The forms for the LA consulate are shown on this page. http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=48

Thank you so much. Every time I tried to click on their link it came up in Thai. I could not find the English version. I tried to cut and paste into Google translate but couldn't get that to work either. Thank you Thank you for the link in English!!

[hapy2rtire]

9 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Many websites and agencies are usually pretty useless and mostly out of date and tend to be confusing, I reckon deliberately confusing so they can charge a fee to 'help you understand.' Usually based on 'lawyer speak.' Lots of 'speak' means lots of cash.

So True!!  Thank you all for your help in clarifying. This is a fantastic forum and you all are too kind to offer your assistance. Many many thank you's

[asiaexpat]

Shipping the things you mention will cost you and some will not be usable since Thailand is a 220 volt country. The hassle of getting your shipment through customs can be significant. 

[overherebc]

Eg

Apply for O-A visa.

( April 2018 )

Visa issued

April 15 2018 valid till/use by

April 14 2019. ☆☆☆ important date.

Enter Thailand 

May 1st 2018.

Stamped in until

April 30 2019.

First year. Travel to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam USA? etc and everytime you come back to Thailand get 1 more year.

Re' ☆☆☆important date.

On 10 to 13 April 2019 leave and return to Thailand.

Get stamped in to 12 April 2020.

This second year is the time that people screw up.

Technically the status has changed and you must get a re-entry permit before you travel again  ( the visa has expired and you are on permission to stay for 1 year )

Re-entry permit you can 'buy' at the airport, single 1000 baht multi 3800 baht.

If during the two years you don't want to travel then you must do what are called 90 day reports to your local Imm' office. Depending on your location usually a quicky easy visit.

I will let someone else explain about TM 30's and TM 28's.

Don't worry it's not that scary ????.

Edit.

Add 1 to all the years. ????????

Edited March 6, 2019 by overherebc

[overherebc]

Think carefully about the money you bring in.

In the event that you have to leave for good and go home it's not straightforward to get it back out again..

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Think carefully about the money you bring in.

In the event that you have to leave for good and go home it's not straightforward to get it back out again..

You withdraw the money and put into your pocket and get on a plane and leave.  What's not straightforward? 

[hapy2rtire]

41 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Eg

Apply for O-A visa.

( April 2018 )

Visa issued

April 15 2018 valid till/use by

April 14 2019. ☆☆☆ important date.

Enter Thailand 

May 1st 2018.

Stamped in until

April 30 2019.

First year. Travel to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam USA? etc and everytime you come back to Thailand get 1 more year.

Re' ☆☆☆important date.

On 10 to 13 April 2019 leave and return to Thailand.

Get stamped in to 12 April 2020.

This second year is the time that people screw up.

Technically the status has changed and you must get a re-entry permit before you travel again  ( the visa has expired and you are on permission to stay for 1 year )

Re-entry permit you can 'buy' at the airport, single 1000 baht multi 3800 baht.

If during the two years you don't want to travel then you must do what are called 90 day reports to your local Imm' office. Depending on your location usually a quicky easy visit.

I will let someone else explain about TM 30's and TM 28's.

Don't worry it's not that scary ????.

Edit.

Add 1 to all the years. ????????

You are very kind. How did you know I was a bit frightened? Your post has allayed my fears. I had made plans for the next 11 years but realize now its better to take things a year at a time. Thank you for your insight. ????

[hapy2rtire]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You withdraw the money and put into your pocket and get on a plane and leave.  What's not straightforward? 

I see both of your points. With a couple of coups and who knows what changes... always good to not throw money around willy nilly. If the same objective could be accomplished with less invested... why not. Thank you both. Words of wisdom

[overherebc]

24 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You withdraw the money and put into your pocket and get on a plane and leave.  What's not straightforward? 

Friend sold all and had one hell of a job getting 23,000,000 baht back home.

If you have a couple of mil in your bank and pop your clogs whether you like it or not they wont let your wife touch it if her names not on the acc'.

Even with a will it's not 'instant'

Edit.

Try flying into USA with 700,000 plus dollars 'in your pocket' or even turn up at the local bank with it.

Edited March 6, 2019 by overherebc

[Martyp]

I got my O-A visa at the LA Consulate in February 2017. I stayed in a hotel walking distance from the Consulate and dropped off the application 1 day and picked it up the next

 

The visa you get will allow you to enter anytime for one year. Each time you enter you will get 1 year of stay from that date of entry. If you leave and enter just before the end of the first year you will get 1 year of stay on re-entry which means you will have gotten about 2 years of stay on the first visa.

 

That initial visa allows you to leave and enter the country multiple times during that first year. The multiple entry permit does end after the first year. I never gets extended an additional year when you re-enter. That means if you plan to travel in and out of the country during the second year you have to purchase a new multiple entry permit. Others have said do this at the airport. You can also do it at any immigration office.

 

The LA Consulate will tell you to report to immigration after 90 days. What they mean is that you must report to immigration if you stay in the country continuously for 90 days. However, if you leave the country and re-enter before you have been here 90 days then the 90 day clock resets. In my first 90 days I returned to the US twice. On my 2nd return the 90 day clock started again.

 

Once you get here you want to open a Thai bank account. This may not be easy. You may have to go to several branches before a manager allows you to open an account. I got lucky the first time because I had my Thai girlfriend with me and she convinced them to let me open an account. Don't panic. Just keep trying.

 

Make sure your bank in America is capable of supporting international wire transfers. I had problems with Wells Fargo Bank. I changed to Bank of America and have been happy with them. You want to make sure they don't have a limit on the amount you can transfer. The other annoying thing is that they want you to have a US address and telephone number. I have the cheapest ATT plan I could buy but I'm looking for something better.

 

I looked into shipping a small amount of things to Thailand. Either it was too expensive or too slow. I ended up coming with just two suitcases. You should know that, in Bangkok at least, most condos are already furnished. Mine came with all the furniture, TV, pots/pans, and dishes. At first you think that you need a lot of things from the US but after about 6 months you realize you don't need most of it and the rest you can obtain here. My advise - resist the urge to reproduce your US life in Thailand.

 

BTW - You will hear about some expats using agents to help them through the visa process while in Thailand. I've never used an agent. It isn't that hard and it is good for you to personally experience and know the process. The speculation about the recent changes to the financial requirements is that it was done to eliminate some of the practices of agents. I have a good friend who came to Thailand on a tourist visa and then used an agent to help get is 1 year extension base on being over 50 years old. His agent helped him a lot and he is happy. Agent or no agent. Up to You.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Martyp
new material about agents

[mosan]

I would like to welcome you to a new adventure.  If you haven't been to Thailand before, then I'd suggest you not burn your bridges in the USA.  Maintain your bank account, leave your money there and only bring very little plus your credit and debit cards.  There are enough banks and ATMs, malls, and any other outlet here to satisfy the most needs.  And most importantly, maintain your us home if you can afford to do so--at least until you know you will not need to go running back home after a short stay (or long stay) here.

 

On the other hand, bring absolutely only as much as you need to survive for a few of months until you really, really figure out how comfortable you will be living here.  That may mean storing your precious items temporarily until you figure out if this is the right place for you.  There is nothing--and I mean it--almost nothing you have now, that can't be purchased here, with the exception of very personal items that cannot be replaced.  You will regret dragging items over here that do not fit in or have no use for you in this environment.  Anyone who has pondered putting 3 million Baht in a Thai bank account can well afford to buy winter clothes shopping in Europe or online through Amazon or Lazada (a local Amazon work-alike).