Furniture/Personal Possessions/Container From UK

[MangoKorat]

I believe I am correct in saying that I can bring my furniture/personal possessions from the UK if I have either Non O/Non B/Retirement visa and bring them in within 6 months of entry - would that be correct?  (Yes I am aware that it might not be cost effective - that's not my question).

 

On the basis that I am able to, can anyone recommend a shipper? Is it better to use a Thai or UK shipper and has anyone got any (recent) ideas on the price of a container? I'm happy to pack myself and take to the UK port + pick up from the Thai port.

 

The quotes I've had so far from UK shippers are all vastly different - I mean thousands of pounds different.

[mogandave]

Only use a forwarder that has an actual office in Thailand. 

 

Getting freight out of a country is easy, getting it in is more difficult. 

[DrJack54]

Welcome yourself to world of pain.

Here is old thread that has good OP with links.

Will move this thread. Not visa related.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1196226-shipping-containerrelocating-to-thailand-in-2021-detailscustomstaxes-eu-or-us-th/ 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1323823-shipping-possessions-from-uk/

 

[mogandave]

Been a while, but we used these guys fir years and they were great:

 

[GmailJen]

Could try 7 Seas ,   they do professional moves overseas.   Not worth bringing in Electronic / Electricals as they attract big taxes .

Make sure you get door to door service .   

[Will B Good]

14 hours ago, mogandave said:

Only use a forwarder that has an actual office in Thailand. 

 

Getting freight out of a country is easy, getting it in is more difficult. 

 

Yes. We contemplated shipping our stuff over for about 2 mins before deciding no.

[worrab]

Simpsons International Movers did my furniture  and belongings UK to Thailand. They loaded from home then to a depot to make up a container, shipped and then container unloaded into a truck and delivered to the new house in Bang Saphan. Very good service and price. 
Mind you the cost of furniture is cheaper than UK so only bring what you really need, then purchase over here. 01322949557

[fulhamster]

I used DHL, as they have offices here.

 

But be prepared for a tax demand based on your valuation of contents, also daily storage fees in BKK

[mogandave]

Do not lowball the valuation in your documentation, or customs will just assign very high values and duties will be based on their estimates. 

[mogandave]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Yes. We contemplated shipping our stuff over for about 2 mins before deciding no.

Tool and equipment are worth shipping. Duties are low.

[Will B Good]

47 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Tool and equipment are worth shipping. Duties are low.

 

I couldn't past........"what container"?

[mogandave]

30 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

I couldn't past........"what container"?

I do not understand.

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I do not understand.

 

Sorry...my twisted sense of humour.....that's me phoning up the docks/shipping agents/transport whoever and asking where is my container?

[mogandave]

10 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Sorry...my twisted sense of humour.....that's me phoning up the docks/shipping agents/transport whoever and asking where is my container?

Over 25 years getting a container a week and never lost anything. 

[Will B Good]

4 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Over 25 years getting a container a week and never lost anything. 

 

Glad to here it.

 

I did think about bringing over a Range Rover SVR, but chickened out......plus I think the tax laws kept changing around the same time so it just wasn't worth the hassle.

[mogandave]

Just now, Will B Good said:

 

Glad to here it.

 

I did think about bringing over a Range Rover SVR, but chickened out......plus I think the tax laws kept changing around the same time so it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Don’t bring a vehicle, I brought a motorcycle as parts and it was a nightmare. 

 

 

[MangoKorat]

1 minute ago, mogandave said:

Don’t bring a vehicle, I brought a motorcycle as parts and it was a nightmare. 

 

 

The law on vehicles changed a few years ago. You are not allowed to import secondhand cars or bikes now.

 

[mogandave]

Importing most stuff is easy, but the duty on a lot of stuff is prohibitively high. 

 

A lot of stuff good stuff is cheaper to buy new  in the US and import than to by new here.

[MangoKorat]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

Do not lowball the valuation in your documentation, or customs will just assign very high values and duties will be based on their estimates. 

As far as I know, and I'll have to recheck this - those on marriage or retirement based Non O's are able to bring their personal items and furniture tax free. The only restriction is (I think) its limited to one of each type so if you have 2, 3 piece suites for example, you are likely to be taxed on one of them.

[Johno57]

2 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

As far as I know, and I'll have to recheck this - those on marriage or retirement based Non O's are able to bring their personal items and furniture tax free. The only restriction is (I think) its limited to one of each type so if you have 2, 3 piece suites for example, you are likely to be taxed on one of them.

I think those laws were modified years ago..

[mogandave]

3 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

As far as I know, and I'll have to recheck this - those on marriage or retirement based Non O's are able to bring their personal items and furniture tax free. The only restriction is (I think) its limited to one of each type so if you have 2, 3 piece suites for example, you are likely to be taxed on one of them.

I think you may be referring to a Thai repatriating.

[MangoKorat]

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I think you may be referring to a Thai repatriating.

I don't think so but I will check it.

[MangoKorat]

8 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I think you may be referring to a Thai repatriating.

According to this website, personal items are furniture are tax free. 

 

https://siam-shipping.com/importing-personal-effects-thailand/

 

However, they also say you can import a car (taxable) which you can't so they might well be out of date and the rules might have changed as per the post by @Johno57 above.

[MangoKorat]

As I thought, no duty payable on most of what I have in mind.

 

 

https://apps.customs.go.th/list_strc_simple_neted.php?ini_content=pbc_01&ini_menu=menu_pbc&left_menu=menu_pbc_01&&root_left_menu=menu_pbc&xleft_menu=menu_pbc_01&lang=en&left_menu=nmenu_esevice_180531_01

[Sophon]

12 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

According to this website, personal items are furniture are tax free. 

 

https://siam-shipping.com/importing-personal-effects-thailand/

 

However, they also say you can import a car (taxable) which you can't so they might well be out of date and the rules might have changed as per the post by @Johno57 above.

 

That's not what the website says. It says that you can ship household items without paying tax if:
 

Quote

You are able to ship used household and personal belongings into Thailand without having to pay custom tax if :

• you have a Thai passport and can prove you lived one year outside Thailand
• you have a work permit issued within 6 months

 

So you have to move here for work or be a returning Thai citizen who have been living outside Thailand. If you do not fall into one of those two categories everything is subject to tax. An experienced shipper can often negotiate the tax down for you.

[MangoKorat]

3 minutes ago, Sophon said:

 

That's not what the website says. It says that you can ship household items without paying tax if:
 

 

So you have to move here for work or be a returning Thai citizen who have been living outside Thailand. If you do not fall into one of those two categories everything is subject to tax. An experienced shipper can often negotiate the tax down for you.

Not according to the link from the Thai Customs site I provided above where it states:

 

Requirements for duty allowance

The duty free allowance will be applied to used personal effects. Both Thai and non-Thai changing residence into the Kingdom of Thailand are eligible to bring used household effects into the country free of taxes and duties. The shipment must be arrived within 1 month prior or 6 months after the arrival of the importer. This information only aims to provide general guidance. It does not any way replace or supersede Customs and related laws or regulations.

[mogandave]

As always, only the Thai version is legal. 

[MangoKorat]

2 minutes ago, mogandave said:

As always, only the Thai version is legal. 

You make a good point, I've seen that before - I'll check the Thai version.

[IsaanT]

I shipped personal items here from the UK in 2023.  I recall the 'only one example of each thing' rule.  I had a retirement visa.

 

The shipper sent packers to my home to pack everything for me.  I'd boxed up most things but they essentially re-packed everything and they did a great job of it.  It was all part of the service.

Unlike the OP, I didn't need a whole container - my goods were in a shared container so I had to wait a few weeks for the container to fill up before it was shipped.

I had no issues and no breakages but I would bring less if I was doing it again because it is so comparatively cheap to replace things with new purchases here.

My shipping company was Anglo Pacific (anglopacific.co.uk).  Based on my experience, I recommend them.

[scorecard]

On 1/16/2025 at 9:45 PM, mogandave said:

Only use a forwarder that has an actual office in Thailand. 

 

Getting freight out of a country is easy, getting it in is more difficult. 

 

...and can involve commercial agents / customs staff playing many games.

 

I imported a small amount of furniture and many boxes of my teaching / subject textbooks.  I had found documents which gave import duty rates. but when I went to the airport (with my commercial agent they showed me bound booklets quoting rates which, in every case, were 3 times the rates on the documents I had found. And a bit naughty but i stole one of the bound Thailand Customs Rates books. 

 

The unI i was working for instructed one of their admin staff to check the rates, she discovered (as I had) the rates books were fake and the rates were 3 times the official rates. The uni admin lady challenged the customs staff and I was then given a new customs duty bill one third of the original bill. Un lady challenged again threatening to contact the prime ministers office. New bill then reduced by 50% and quite reasonable. But later the uni lady discovered that I should not have paid any import tax. We didn't challenge any more.