Importing personal belongings

[FlorC]

It is pretty sad that you still have to pay tax on importing personal belongings.

Another form of tariffs.

I seems near impossible to buy good stereo equipment in Thailand, 

if you're not living near Bangkok.

I would love to bring over my partly selfmade made stereo, but they are very heavy.

I don't want to pay import tax on it .

 

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, FlorC said:

It is pretty sad that you still have to pay tax on importing personal belongings.

Another form of tariffs.

I seems near impossible to buy good stereo equipment in Thailand, 

if you're not living near Bangkok.

I would love to bring over my partly selfmade made stereo, but they are very heavy.

I don't want to pay import tax on it .

 

Let go of your old junk, move with the times, be less selfish and don't subject others to your noise.

Earphones are polite.

[FlorC]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Let go of your old junk, move with the times, be less selfish and don't subject others to your noise.

Earphones are polite.

What has that to do with selfish ?

I made it myself , it is not old junk.

Others will not hear my noise , I have a free standing house with double walls ,

and I own 3 HP's.

I can't play loud for my pets too.

[frank83628]

Shipping items by sea goes by volume, not weight.

There is a 6 month window for bringing your personal belongings before they are liable for duty 

You can read the information here

 

https://relocatemena.com/thailand/importing-personal-and-household-effects-into-thailand

[TechnoHippie]

Interesting.  This is something that I've wondered about.  I'm hoping to relocate there within the next 10 years & have been concerned about moving some of my stuff there.  Mostly a bunch of art work (pictures, paintings) and 30+ electric guitars.   I saw somewhere in this thread that 'art' could be a problem?   

[KannikaP]

On 5/2/2025 at 1:55 PM, Unamerican said:

They are not dimply for reading/lidtrning to

And most have correct spelling.

[KannikaP]

9 minutes ago, TechnoHippie said:

Interesting.  This is something that I've wondered about.  I'm hoping to relocate there within the next 10 years & have been concerned about moving some of my stuff there.  Mostly a bunch of art work (pictures, paintings) and 30+ electric guitars.   I saw somewhere in this thread that 'art' could be a problem?   

30+ electric guitars. That's more than the Beatles and Stones put together! Get a Variax.

[DrJack54]

Bunch of off topic/offensive posts and replies removed. 

[scorecard]

On 5/2/2025 at 5:32 AM, StandardIssue said:

Be careful how you bring it in. If shipped via Fedex or other the import duties and tariffs can be a big hit financially.

 

A friend of mine, without doing any research, did just that 6 years ago. Shipped all his gaming equipment, PC's etc.. Got hit with a $10,000 charge at Fedex.

 

Don't do it unless you know exactly what the import duties will be!!

 

I bring two suitcases and then buy what I need here, that is when I come from USA. I have traveled back and fourth 3 times. I sell what I bought. Usually a table, desk chair and kitchen stuff. It's cheap enough to just buy here and sell when you go back or store in storage.

 

When my employer posted to Thailand I took some quite incorrect advice "cannot buy shampoo, shaving cream or throw away shavers in Thailand", and more.

 

So I brought big supplies with me. Within 24 hrs of being here I discovered I could buy everything I wanted for a happy contended life including food / groceries, etc. 

[MangoKorat]

On 5/2/2025 at 9:50 AM, gamb00ler said:

Is your wife Thai?  Your OP says you're both American but she could still hold a Thai passport. 

It seems much easier if she is.

 

My Thai wife and I shipped a 20' container of household goods from US to Chiang Mai in 2020.  We only paid duty on things that were not household goods... such as a 8' ladder, a box of tools and a bicycle.  The value they assigned those items was quite low so the resulting duty was also.  Some other items that I thought would be targeted were not... a second bicycle and golf clubs.

 

We used a global logistics company to arrange all the transportation and customs clearance.

 

The customs agent said it would be easiest if the shipment was in my wife's name and that she had not visited Thailand in the preceding 1 or 2 years (I don't remember the exact length of time).

 

As far as the decision of shipping vs selling and replacing here..... that depends on the quality of goods you already have or want.  It's easy and cheap to buy low quality replacements in Thailand.... but it's crazy expensive to buy top quality here. 

 

Technically Thai customs regulations allow foreigners to import household goods without duty, but our customs broker was more confident if shipment was in Thai wife's name.

 

Our customs clearance and delivery was handled by Boonma.  Here's  link to their CM office:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/i6Q7vMpGmKQyjzy57

 

Agree with most of what you say - I think it may have been you that recommended me to Boonma. So, as someone who is going through exactly the same process as the OP at the moment but a little bit further down the line, I'll share my thoughts and experiences so far - for the OP:

 

As you will have seen, many people here say sell your stuff and buy new in Thailand.  That may be the right thing for some but its far from the best way for others.  I'm making a permanent move to Thailand - as most of us have, I've collected various items over my lifetime that are in some ways, part of me.  I have things ranging from tools that would cost a fortune to replace (with the same quality) in Thailand to personal items that have been handed down through generations of my family.  What am I supposed to do with those things?  Secondhand tools are very hard to sell and usually worth far more to the owner than any potential buyer and there's no way I'm throwing away items left to me by my grandmother - just two examples.

 

So what to do?  Well in my particular case, I had, repeat had, whittled my list of must have's down to the minimum and then set about getting prices to ship only those items.  I spent quite a lot of time getting prices from so called specialist movers and was gobsmacked at the costs.  However, what I did learn is that it is not much more expensive to ship a 20ft container full of items than it is to ship less in a container shared with others.  Its also far safer and less likely that any of your items will actually be scutinised by customs on arrival.

 

After being quoted between £3500 to £7000 by several specialist movers, I called a basic shipping agent (I'm in the UK by the way) who quoted me £1100 to ship a full 20ft container.  This particular company does not have an agent in Thailand that deals with domestic items as most of their business is commercial so I had to find my own - which I have thanks to being recommended to Boonma.  Using this method a 20ft container is delivered to my home and left with me for 3 hours whilst I pack it.  Its then picked up and sent on its way to Thailand by the UK agents who notify their counterparts in Thailand.  The packing and safety of the items inside is down to me.

 

When I contacted Boonma I couldn't really understand what all the various charges that may or may not apply were so as I was due to visit Thailand, I called to see them in Bangkok - their guy spoke perfect English.  The rules for importing personal items and furniture (as a foreigner) are basically that most things can be imported tax free provided that you have either a Non O or a Work Permit. However, from what Boonma told me, customs apply their own rules and they only allow the tax free status for those with a Work Permit.  You can fight that and you may be successful but all the time that you are fighting, your container is incurring storage charges - in reality its better to just pay it. 

 

The OP's circumstances are different to mine in that I will have a Work Permit but I will have to pay duty on the non personal items (tools etc.) that I bring in.  What I gleaned from my meeting with Boonma is that basically, in my circumstances, customs are looking for 20k baht per container to keep them happy - provide a list of the major items, pay the 20k and its unlikely that your container will even be opened. Refuse to pay any 'duty' because your items are all household and you risk your container being put in a queue and once again subject to storage charges.

 

I can't advise you on the Thai agent's fees and import costs yet as I have to finalise my list and decide if I want Boonma to deliver them to my home or not.  All I can say is that its currently looking like the total cost of shipping, agent's fees and duties is likely to be £2000 - £2500.

 

To replace everything would be around £8000  - my compressor and MIG welder alone would cost around £1200 to replace.  Yes, I'd have new items but I neither need or want those sort of costs at the moment.  If I was going to use things like that commercially, there might be some benefit in having new items but I'm not.  Its a 'no brainer' for me but I can well imagine that the opposite applies to some people.

 

To simply say get rid of your stuff and buy new in Thailand is just plain wrong. Work out your own circumstances and check the costs - only you can decide.

 

Boonma Shipping Bangkok:

 

106 Ramkhamhaeng Road, Soi 8, Hua-mak, Bangkapi,
Bangkok 10240, Thailand
Office hour:
Monday to Friday 08:00 - 17:00,
Saturday 08:00 - 12:00.
Phone: +66 2 314 5021
Fax: +66 2 318 2447
E-mail: boonma(at)boonma.com

[Schoggibueb]

7 hours ago, TechnoHippie said:

Interesting.  This is something that I've wondered about.  I'm hoping to relocate there within the next 10 years & have been concerned about moving some of my stuff there.  Mostly a bunch of art work (pictures, paintings) and 30+ electric guitars.   I saw somewhere in this thread that 'art' could be a problem?   

Depending how customs will be in ten years ART can be already today a problem. Rename them to framed pictures, deco items... Use vintage and retro in all kind of different variations on the packing list.

 

And try to find a company that may not be the cheapest, but has experienced staff to handle customs at port BKK... I don't want to go more into details about this.

 

[Sparkling]

On 5/2/2025 at 9:50 AM, gamb00ler said:

Is your wife Thai?  Your OP says you're both American but she could still hold a Thai passport. 

It seems much easier if she is.

 

My Thai wife and I shipped a 20' container of household goods from US to Chiang Mai in 2020.  We only paid duty on things that were not household goods... such as a 8' ladder, a box of tools and a bicycle.  The value they assigned those items was quite low so the resulting duty was also.  Some other items that I thought would be targeted were not... a second bicycle and golf clubs.

 

We used a global logistics company to arrange all the transportation and customs clearance.

 

The customs agent said it would be easiest if the shipment was in my wife's name and that she had not visited Thailand in the preceding 1 or 2 years (I don't remember the exact length of time).

 

As far as the decision of shipping vs selling and replacing here..... that depends on the quality of goods you already have or want.  It's easy and cheap to buy low quality replacements in Thailand.... but it's crazy expensive to buy top quality here. 

 

Technically Thai customs regulations allow foreigners to import household goods without duty, but our customs broker was more confident if shipment was in Thai wife's name.

 

Our customs clearance and delivery was handled by Boonma.  Here's  link to their CM office:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/i6Q7vMpGmKQyjzy57

 

 

good info!

Our container was 20'' as well, but from germany. we gave it to a shipping company sending containers to thailand every week.

You could even buy a space in a container together with others. That may be possible also from other countries.

300 kg are not a whole container for sure. If only boxes, may fit well.

 

We shipped in thai wifes name. as they definitly said, that would be better. And it officially reduces the customs, if she was away long enough (i think 2 years or 3 is right. you may look that up. the company handled the customs and charged it to us.

i got the impression they charge by the total weight. but i am not sure about that.

the amoount was absolutly reasonable.

We had a door to door arrangement - to far isaan - and it was all pleasant and well done.

 

[connda]

On 5/2/2025 at 7:33 PM, happydreamer said:

When I moved here permanently in 2018 (after going back and forth for the first three years) I moved here with 240 lbs of things which was three suitcases and 2 moving boxes.  I fit whatever I could fit into those containers and have simply rebuilt since then.  I used to have a storage locker in the US with my entire life of 42 years that I spent there thinking one day I'd bring it over.  Reality is...I moved here to start a new life.  I married a woman from here and didn't want to bring anything from my old life and failed relationships.  So I parted with a storage locker of designer furniture (Room and Board, Design within Reach, West Elm), art supplies, actual art, cameras, studio gear, you name it...

 

I let my ex-gf pick through it so I knew it was at least going to someone who could appreciate it.

It hurt but it was a lesson in letting go.  

I emptied a 4 bedroom house filled with junk my ex-wife just had to have.  A 14 year collection, some of the stuff with price tags still on it.  I had an estate sales agent get rid of it all.  The f***er even cheated me and I didn't even care, well, other than I dislike people who completely lack morals.  The stuff meant nothing.  If he hadn't taken it it would have gone to Goodwill.  Had a yard sale and then let friends just take stuff if they wanted it for free.  I left a few items with my aunt, gave her my desktop computer, packed a backpack and daypack, and left from LAX.

That's my definition of letting go.

[connda]

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Let go of your old junk, move with the times, be less selfish and don't subject others to your noise.

Earphones are polite.

 

11 hours ago, FlorC said:

What has that to do with selfish ?

I made it myself , it is not old junk.

 

I'm pretty sure BritManToo was making a point about being attached to "stuff."  You're attached to that stuff that "I made it myself."  Want real freedom?  Real freedom is letting go as completely as possible. Then at the end of your life, you can even let go of your body too. 

That's freedom.
 

[Mario Cosmopolite]

On 5/2/2025 at 2:55 PM, Unamerican said:

You clearly have zero understanding of the importance of real, old-fashioned physical books to many of us.  
People like me have hundreds, or even thousands, of these precious articles: they are irreplaceable!  
They are not dimply for reading/lidtrning to! Rather they are for looking at, feeling and enjoying the physical objects.

So please do not make such stupid remarks about them! 

 

On 5/2/2025 at 2:55 PM, Unamerican said:

You clearly have zero understanding of the importance of real, old-fashioned physical books to many of us.  
People like me have hundreds, or even thousands, of these precious articles: they are irreplaceable!  
They are not dimply for reading/lidtrning to! Rather they are for looking at, feeling and enjoying the physical objects.

So please do not make such stupid remarks about them! 

Exactly. But we're in a minority. I was-lunching in a pub in Thailand last year and a guy walked past and commented"you don't often see that any more". I was reading a book!