The wife and I are moving to Chiang Mai and would like some advice from anyone who have moved internationally before. We are moving from Western Australia and received a couple of quotes that seem a little expensive - around aud 9500, we sold alot of our gear in oz so just have the basics like kitchen ware, lounge, dining table, tv, outdoor setting, bed, some white goods. Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.

The wife and I are moving to Chiang Mai and would like some advice from anyone who have moved internationally before. We are moving from Western Australia and received a couple of quotes that seem a little expensive - around aud 9500, we sold alot of our gear in oz so just have the basics like kitchen ware, lounge, dining table, tv, outdoor setting, bed, some white goods. Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.

ok, i haven't done this so perhaps shouldn't even be speaking, but....

there is plenty of 'cheap' furniture in and around chiang mai. (ban tawai) shopping for these things will be a good way to help you learn something about the area.

i would suggest sell it all and come with the clothes on your back.

otherwise i did get a local quote to pack and ship a 20 foot container from chiang mai to bangkok. about $1,000 (us)

My wife and I moved from Japan to Chiangmai last July. We had most of our household goods packed and shipped by an international mover, at a cost of roughly US$7,000. You will have a cost that is related -- and I use that word carefully -- to customs duties, which you should explore thoroughly with any mover you decide to use. Some of those I spoke with could explain this issue well and put a number on it; others couldn't.

My advice is send whatever items you can't live without (and think hard if you really need it) and get rid of the rest of it. Start your non-attachment early, which makes living in Asia easier anyway.

I suspect it may be better to sell/lend to family whatever items you can in Perth.

Keep somewhere/ship only the things that are unique or special to you.

Start simply here, and stay that way, in case circumstances change.

Good luck. I love Perth.

I completely concur with the above posters. It seems we all accumulate a s...load of stuff as we age. If you have a 4 bedroom house- you probably have 4 bedroom closets stuffed to the gills with things that you think you can't live without.

For the $5-9K (AUS) shipping bill, you could furnish a mansion here. Chiang Mai has many world class furniture manufacturers and exporters, it would be silly to ship your used stuff.

I cleaned out a house last June. Kept only photos, art, motorcycles, scuba gear, etc. Rented a small storage space for what I left.

Anything you need to fill a house, you can get here for a lot cheaper than the cost of shipping, IMHO...

And after a year or so after you've spent $2,000 on storage and can't remember what you have in there get rid of that stuff too.

Is your wife Thai? Has she been out of the country for more than a year? Then you can qualify for a duty-free shipment on certain items.

And after a year or so after you've spent $2,000 on storage and can't remember what you have in there get rid of that stuff too.

Yeah, you're right about a lot of people who do that!

I have a tiny 4"X5", $40/mo, packed up to the the limit line with:

1) suits, ties, dress clothes, etc. (G.d Forbid, but people pop off; need funeral attire)

2) cold water and technical scuba diving gear (no utility in LOS- handy back home)

3) motorcycle roadrace leathers, boots, touring gear (nice to have when I pop back for a quick visit, and ride)

4) misc. art, books etc. (gave away a wall of books to my son, but had to keep a few precious items)

Next time I go back, I might just bring the lot over here.....

A great Asian said, "Life consists not in the things of this world." You have a life and a wife; you don't need all that schtuff. The vote is unanimous so far.

It is highly unlikely that the furniture that fits well in a home in Australia will do likewise in Thailand.

I heartily concur with the posts advising you to bring only the minimum to Thailand as most things are much cheaper here than you are accustomed to and when you shop for the items to fit in your new digs, they will fit and look appropriate, not look transplanted and not fit.

I firmly believe the shipping costs, customs costs and perhaps a second move to finally settle will be far more costly than buying here.

To play a slightly different tune from some others, I don't regret bringing any of what I brought when I moved here.