Preparing For A 'reitrement Visa' Move .. Things To Bring .. & Leave

[pumper]

6 months to go before putting my US home up for sale .. goal is to 'close the house sale' in early '08, an IRS driven time line..

trying to decide what to pack trans pacific .. & what is easily duplicate-able

a life time of BS into a dumpster or friends pickups .. some I'll be glad I got rid of & some I will regret leaving behind for the rest of my life

this must be a quandary many re-locators go through. ??

TVs & 2 Lazy Boys & futon couch & tables are easy decisions .. I may loan my absolute favorite chair to a buddy.. in case I come back to this town / area / state..

.. with the price of gas the way it is, a cross country drive to retrieve personal items is prohibitive any more.

electronic gizmos are an easy 'leave' because of the electric..

will discard winter garb that is frayed .. or not worn for what ever reason .. probably 1/2 my winter cloths never got worn this winter + walmart sweat shirts

guess I'll keep the better winter clothes for the "I give up" day & return to 'home' ..

Some of my cutlery I really like, a couple favorite ice cream / ramin noodle bowls, a couple favorite skillets & pots .. one skillet is over 30 years old, burnt a lot in meals in that ol gal.. favorite coffee cups.. ..

what did YOU leave behind YOU wish YOU still had?

what is easy to find in the west that has driven you bonkers looking for in Thailand?

there will be a period that I will be tourist like .. transient, moving about before I find a long term rental ..

think I will leave a box or 3 with a friend to forward to me after I settle in.

suggestion, thoughts & regrets appreciated.

[backflip]

Leave your prejudices and attitude behind. Bring a smile, your patience, and a sense of humor with you.

[Boxer]

Leave your prejudices and attitude behind. Bring a smile, your patience, and a sense of humor with you.

I suggest you make it one tea chest size box, or a large suitcase, of personal things and thats it. Get rid of all the rest, you are starting a new life here and I assume you have been here often before you made the move descision, if not dont move yet, come and try it first in different seasons. You can buy almost anything you will need for the new life here so why bother with old stuff. Cooking things! OMG you eat out here! Clothes! Buy new tailor made stuff here! Furniture! Get up to Index for the best Lazy what not's you can imagine! Gadgets! This is Asia cheap and often more up to date than USA, buy and throw away in a couple of years for new versions.

As above DO open your mind be patient, expect the unexpected, leave western thinking behind and dont expect it to be same same as HOME! Cos it ain't and I love it here!

[Andrew Hicks]

Leave your prejudices and attitude behind. Bring a smile, your patience, and a sense of humor with you.

I suggest you make it one tea chest size box, or a large suitcase, of personal things and thats it. Get rid of all the rest, you are starting a new life here and I assume you have been here often before you made the move descision, if not dont move yet, come and try it first in different seasons. You can buy almost anything you will need for the new life here so why bother with old stuff. Cooking things! OMG you eat out here! Clothes! Buy new tailor made stuff here! Furniture! Get up to Index for the best Lazy what not's you can imagine! Gadgets! This is Asia cheap and often more up to date than USA, buy and throw away in a couple of years for new versions.

As above DO open your mind be patient, expect the unexpected, leave western thinking behind and dont expect it to be same same as HOME! Cos it ain't and I love it here!

I'd suggest you put into store all the stuff you think you might like to keep in case you return and which you mught bring with you. Then travel with the usual airline allowance and decide what you really need after a year or two.

You can then later ship out what you really want, perhaps leaving the rest in store. (Don't burn your boats!)

Bear in mind the customs rules which I think allow you to bring in one consignment only of personal effects duty free (though perhaps subject to 'extra charges'). It's therefore important to get right first time what you are going to ship.

I have been here for about five years and have travelled only with a backpack and shipped nothing. In a fly-blown house, all clutter is a nuisance and a burden and, other than my books (both reading and writing them), there s nothing much else I need that I cannot get here.

One rarity here is a top (ie non-fitted) bed sheet!

Choke dee!

Andrew

[Gary A]

I've made the move three times and by the last move I brought with me what I had missed the first two times. I did bring my favorite stainless steel steamer and some forks and spoons that don't easily bend. Good kitchen knives are hard to find here too. What I had missed the most were my small hand tools. Genuine Channel Lock pliers (set of three), Genuine Crescent wrenches (2 different sizes), Allen wrenches (keys) metric and inch, screw driver set and last but not least a 3/8 and a 1/4 inch drive socket sets in inch and metric. None of these items take up much room except the cooking pot. Most steamers I found here were the VERY cheap aluminum ones.

[mikethevigoman]

6 months to go before putting my US home up for sale .. goal is to 'close the house sale' in early '08, an IRS driven time line..

trying to decide what to pack trans pacific .. & what is easily duplicate-able

a life time of BS into a dumpster or friends pickups .. some I'll be glad I got rid of & some I will regret leaving behind for the rest of my life

this must be a quandary many re-locators go through. ??

TVs & 2 Lazy Boys & futon couch & tables are easy decisions .. I may loan my absolute favorite chair to a buddy.. in case I come back to this town / area / state..

.. with the price of gas the way it is, a cross country drive to retrieve personal items is prohibitive any more.

electronic gizmos are an easy 'leave' because of the electric..

will discard winter garb that is frayed .. or not worn for what ever reason .. probably 1/2 my winter cloths never got worn this winter + walmart sweat shirts

guess I'll keep the better winter clothes for the "I give up" day & return to 'home' ..

Some of my cutlery I really like, a couple favorite ice cream / ramin noodle bowls, a couple favorite skillets & pots .. one skillet is over 30 years old, burnt a lot in meals in that ol gal.. favorite coffee cups.. ..

what did YOU leave behind YOU wish YOU still had?

what is easy to find in the west that has driven you bonkers looking for in Thailand?

there will be a period that I will be tourist like .. transient, moving about before I find a long term rental ..

think I will leave a box or 3 with a friend to forward to me after I settle in.

suggestion, thoughts & regrets appreciated.

The wife ?

[retiredusn]

6 months to go before putting my US home up for sale .. goal is to 'close the house sale' in early '08, an IRS driven time line..

trying to decide what to pack trans pacific .. & what is easily duplicate-able

a life time of BS into a dumpster or friends pickups .. some I'll be glad I got rid of & some I will regret leaving behind for the rest of my life

this must be a quandary many re-locators go through. ??

TVs & 2 Lazy Boys & futon couch & tables are easy decisions .. I may loan my absolute favorite chair to a buddy.. in case I come back to this town / area / state..

.. with the price of gas the way it is, a cross country drive to retrieve personal items is prohibitive any more.

electronic gizmos are an easy 'leave' because of the electric..

will discard winter garb that is frayed .. or not worn for what ever reason .. probably 1/2 my winter cloths never got worn this winter + walmart sweat shirts

guess I'll keep the better winter clothes for the "I give up" day & return to 'home' ..

Some of my cutlery I really like, a couple favorite ice cream / ramin noodle bowls, a couple favorite skillets & pots .. one skillet is over 30 years old, burnt a lot in meals in that ol gal.. favorite coffee cups.. ..

what did YOU leave behind YOU wish YOU still had?

what is easy to find in the west that has driven you bonkers looking for in Thailand?

there will be a period that I will be tourist like .. transient, moving about before I find a long term rental ..

think I will leave a box or 3 with a friend to forward to me after I settle in.

suggestion, thoughts & regrets appreciated.

The wife and I loaded up and brought everything! What a dumb thing too do!! If I were doing it all again, I would bring 30 pair of shorts 30 shirts and two pair of nice slacks and dress shirts, all else is here and its kind of fun to find everything else. All I would suggest is GET YOUR RETIREMENT VISA AND MULTI ENTRY in the states the yearly renewal is very easy here. Best of Luck

[The Professor]

I sold my 2nd house in the US and I regret that for sure. I'm really glad I kept the other. Don't sell your house no matter what. Rent it out if you can. bring your cooking stuff and cutlery too. I never eat out here, only cook my own clean food I like

[Steve2UK]

I'd suggest you put into store all the stuff you think you might like to keep in case you return and which you mught bring with you. Then travel with the usual airline allowance and decide what you really need after a year or two.

You can then later ship out what you really want, perhaps leaving the rest in store. (Don't burn your boats!)

Bear in mind the customs rules which I think allow you to bring in one consignment only of personal effects duty free (though perhaps subject to 'extra charges'). It's therefore important to get right first time what you are going to ship.

I have been here for about five years and have travelled only with a backpack and shipped nothing. In a fly-blown house, all clutter is a nuisance and a burden and, other than my books (both reading and writing them), there s nothing much else I need that I cannot get here.

One rarity here is a top (ie non-fitted) bed sheet!

Choke dee!

Andrew

That duty free concession for retirees was withdrawn a year or two ago. If you do decide to ship via boxes or a container, make sure you get a good local (Thai-based) agent to handle the customs sharks for you - do NOT attempt to negotiate it yourself........ they'll eat you alive.

I agree with Gary A and others about bringing tools and cooking gear (if that's your thing) and also the very personal things like photo's etc. Because I had an obscene number of books that I felt I had to keep with me, I ended up going for a half-sized container (20 foot) that cost the same as shipping say 10 boxes/packing crates and could hold a whole lot more - so I filled it. Other than my favourite wood bed-frame and some clothes, I think I can honestly say that I didn't include much that I'm not glad to have brought - either to use now or later. But, as a general rule, I'd say forget furniture.

On the other hand, I also envy those who have the discipline to make a clean break and travel ultra-light.........

Oh - I had no problem finding non-fitted top sheets in Chiang Mai department stores!

Good luck.

[CaptHaddock]

what did YOU leave behind YOU wish YOU still had?

what is easy to find in the west that has driven you bonkers looking for in Thailand?

suggestion, thoughts & regrets appreciated.

One critical step for an American retiring abroad is to severe your relationship with your state so that you can avoid state income tax on your retirement income. Doesn't apply if your state has no income tax or if it doesn't tax retirement income. For most of the states, and especially desperate ones like California, your may be liable for the tax unless you take steps to severe the relationship. These steps are things like returning your driver's license, selling off any real estate, etc. Imperative to check with a lawyer. Some states looks for any evidence of an intention to return as gounds for tax collection. Common sense does not apply; only the law does.

[pumper]

Been to LOS 10 times .. couple of month + stays .. had apartment in CM & spent a month on Phuket

5 weeks last summer in Bkk has convinced me that Bkk w/ it's concentration of vices is a good reason to retire to Phuket.

hand tools & cooking utensils are at the top of my suit case packers.

I wanted to hang a bed room darkening 'curtain' in CM in '98 .. finding screws & a screw driver was a 2 day event. One of the few times my LT BG guide was of no help, she had no idea what I was seeking (even after i found & installed the curtains)

& Will bring a couple of hard drives full of MP3s & ebay acquired boot leg music videos ..

I've got some high end stereo speakers that I am considering packing in my suit case.

severing relation with local tax jurisdictions is a worry .. to keep a bank account I will need a US address.

I have an Internet biz w/ income I can run from Phuket as well as here, but the deposits & tax red tape could be an issue.

I am considering moving the bulk of my cash assets out of the US .. perhaps find a bank that is acceptable for US direct deposits

I will begin collecting social security 1 year after my move.

re House: I think it would be difficult to be a remote land lord.

I will miss this home .. it is on a hill looking over a Pacific bay.

re: wife- true happiness was my ex-wife in my rear view mirror.

re: my lub - my dog, poor girl is on her last legs, talked to a vet last week about putting her down..

[CaptHaddock]

severing relation with local tax jurisdictions is a worry .. to keep a bank account I will need a US address.

I have an Internet biz w/ income I can run from Phuket as well as here, but the deposits & tax red tape could be an issue.

I am considering moving the bulk of my cash assets out of the US .. perhaps find a bank that is acceptable for US direct deposits

If you have time, you might consider moving for a few months to a no-income tax state before you decamp for abroad. Then you could use a US address, through one of those mail forwarding businesses that give you a local address, for example. Moving your assets out of the US does not reduce your tax liability, either federal or local, unless you intend to violate the law, that is. It depends on the aggressiveness of your state's tax collection practices. I would certainly investigate before making a decision. This is an area where an ounce of prevention may be worth much more than a pound of cure.

[cobra]

IMHO, sell, give to friends(s) or charity, most of your household items like furniture, clothing and housewares.

Most are probably in need of updating anyway, ditto for electronics.

The storage fee for warehousing this junk will be an unnecessary debit on your monthly $$.

Ideally, all you'll initially need is a duffel or two and a laptop.

Anything can be replaced as needed once your in country and comfortable. This period will also be a litmus test as whether you made the right move or not, you'll know soon enough.

The one thing that's going to be tough to let go of are photos and such. This is where your going to scan them, as well as legal docs, etc, onto the lap, then back the drive up with a small UBS ext hard drive that you'll also take with you.

This may seem daunting at first but once you have everything digital it will live forever in a fraction of the space, you'll have it at your disposal to print or view at anytime.

The sentimental stuff can go in one steamer trunk, stored at a friends or family member.

This will be the most difficult, hard decisions will have to be made on what to keep and what to toss.

Your possessions are more then stuff, they're history and a lot of what you are/were about. But remember, this is a new start, you can still remember the past without having to lug it around with you.

Good luck