Finally Moving To Thailand

[Mr Red]

OK, where to start.

I have really enjoyed being part of Thai Visa for several years, but have been quiet for awhile. Now is the time to change as my retirement is coming up and we are moving to Thailand in December of this year. I am a US citizen (as is my Thai wife), but we are currently residing in Turkey on assignment with my company for the last 4+ years. We are planning to move all our household goods to Thailand, rent a house for about a year while we look for someplace to buy or build. We plan on staying in the Bangkok area, as that is where my wife's wonderful family are. So I could use some advice on the movement of household goods into Thailand -- my company will pay the fees, but I would like some heads up on things to watch for on these types of shipments, so any advice is welcome.

My wife and I have just recently celebrated 40 years of marriage, and I know her family well (and respect them and their behaviour) so I don't think I need worry about greedy families, moving in with us, or funding the replacement water buffalo. We are reasonably financially secure and our lifestyle will involve a fair amount of travel (both within Thailand and internationally).

Soon after we arrive in Thailand, we will need to procure a car, I will need to enroll in Thai language lessons (full immersion if possible), we need to hook up with a reliable real estate agent to start finding a one-year rental property and I'm sure there are mulitple other things I forget right now.

I plan to get a form of the retirement visa, so would appreciate discussions on that subject.

I am sure I will have many more detailed questions in months to come, but this is a start. The time has finally come that both my wife and I have dreamed about for years. We both look forward to this adventure.

I will be trolling the forums in the months ahead for useful info and advice and look forward to interacting with many of you as we proceed.

Jai Dee -- not sure if you remember me, but we had dinner together at Tuky's a few years back. When I return, it will be my turn and I look forward to renewing our relationship.

Thanks in advance for the help/advice.

[sam666]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

[Mr Red]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

Why a waste? Both of us like the big city environment.

[sam666]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

Why a waste? Both of us like the big city environment.

Hot, Humid, Congested, Dirty, crazy pollution (very bad for your health), higher cost of living etc .... I can't think of a worse place to retire to then Bangkok unless you have work or business there. You have the South, East and North of Thailand which are 100x far better, have you never been??

Who the hell would want to retire to a city (If they had a choice) that hits as high as 40C this time of year that you can't drive anywhere in good time and has one of the highist pollution levels in the world. Not even thai's retire there (ones that have the money) why you think they all run down to Hua Hin and the south on weekends.

Edited February 27, 2011 by sam666

[krading]

"I will need to enroll in Thai language lessons (full immersion if possible)"

After 40 years of marriage (and my hearty congratulations on that achievement) one would think you've left your run a bit late.

But hey, good luck for the future to you and yours.

Oh, and I agree with Sam about Bangkok.

Find somewhere nicer to spend your 'declining' years.

[jdinasia]

1st. BKK is fine. I lived there for years. I choose to live in Chiang Mai both for work and for a better climate 910 months out of the year. I wouldn't have missed living in BKK for anything!

2nd does your wife still have a Thai passport? Was she born in Thailand? If she does/was then it may be that she has no duty due on bringing things in to Thailand.

3rd check your options on long-stay visas ... supporting a Thai wife may require less cash being brought in. ALWAYS think "exchange rate!"

4th have the family find you a place in the area for a few months (to await the arrival of your things) and take your time looking for a more permanent abode

5th You are moving to Thailand. It is as much immersion as you could want! If your wife is still fluent in Thai you can start now including resources online and books with CD's

[Sophon]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

A retirement visa does not qualify you for duty free import of household goods. You either have to have a work permit or be a returning Thai citizen, so your wife should qualify.

You should really ask your visa questions in the Thai visa forum in order to get the correct information. That is where the experts are.

Sophon

[NALAK]

i will be suprised if after some time you still think its a wise move to live near Thai relatives, i would toe in the water and rent first.

i personally prefer marriage visa as it only requires 400,00 baht in the bank or 40k per month income. same as retirement just easier, i think anyway. buying car can be done easily, if you buying new for cash and no fianance alot of dealers will do paperwork for you, can be hassle if you not used to it with trips to immigration, proof of address or you can put in wifes name.

if you want PM me and i will give you web page all about best way to learn thai and where, bangkok based. put together by friend who reads, writes and speaks it, now teachers TEFL teachers.

as you wil find out nothing is easy here but you just have to go through the pain of the learning process. hundred passport pics and photo copies of passport and visa good start.

car-bangkok = nightmare took me 3 hours to go 2 miles a few weeks ago.

Edited February 27, 2011 by NALAK

[Mr Red]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

Why a waste? Both of us like the big city environment.

Hot, Humid, Congested, Dirty, crazy pollution (very bad for your health), higher cost of living etc .... I can't think of a worse place to retire to then Bangkok unless you have work or business there. You have the South, East and North of Thailand which are 100x far better, have you never been??

Who the hell would want to retire to a city (If they had a choice) that hits as high as 40C this time of year that you can't drive anywhere in good time and has one of the highist pollution levels in the world. Not even thai's retire there (ones that have the money) why you think they all run down to Hua Hin and the south on weekends.

All very good points which I agree with. Were it up to me, Koh Samui sounds real attractive. We have been all over in Thailand and seriously considered Chiang Mai due to housing costs, but as most of you know, the wife wins out in the end. She really wants to be closer to her family in our declining years so that is a major factor to a proper homelife. For me, I like the bigger city so no real problem there. Our intention is to find a place outside of the major Bangkok city environment, so hopefully will end up with something with a good housing area with suitable amenities and drives into central Bangkok will be few and likely via taxi or other public transport. I have no desire to endure BKK traffic (bad enough in the city of 6 million I live in now).

As for hot. humid, I don't think I can affect that other than moving elsewhere, but see previous comments. We did seriously consider HH on a recent trip and decided against it for various reasons. I still lobby for moving to Chiang Mai, but doubt I can win that one.

[Mr Red]

"I will need to enroll in Thai language lessons (full immersion if possible)"

After 40 years of marriage (and my hearty congratulations on that achievement) one would think you've left your run a bit late.

But hey, good luck for the future to you and yours.

Oh, and I agree with Sam about Bangkok.

Find somewhere nicer to spend your 'declining' years.

When you have a wife that speaks perfect English (almost from the moment we met), the net result is me NOT speaking Thai. I need to change that in my move to the country, so desire to take classes right away (have you ever tried to teach your wife or kids to drive? -- asking my wife to teach me Thai is is the same vein). While I am generally OK in conversational Thai, I feel the need to really learn the language the right way. After being here in Turkey for 4+ years, I have seen the result of these types of classes and am looking for the same thing in Thailand.

[Mr Red]

1st. BKK is fine. I lived there for years. I choose to live in Chiang Mai both for work and for a better climate 910 months out of the year. I wouldn't have missed living in BKK for anything!

2nd does your wife still have a Thai passport? Was she born in Thailand? If she does/was then it may be that she has no duty due on bringing things in to Thailand.

3rd check your options on long-stay visas ... supporting a Thai wife may require less cash being brought in. ALWAYS think "exchange rate!"

4th have the family find you a place in the area for a few months (to await the arrival of your things) and take your time looking for a more permanent abode

5th You are moving to Thailand. It is as much immersion as you could want! If your wife is still fluent in Thai you can start now including resources online and books with CD's

1. As I said in a recent reply to another post, Chiang Mai was on our hot list until the wife kiboshed it. I would still vote for it, but am reserving my opinions until we get there looking for places. I will insist on the trip to Chiang Mail to check it out.

2. She does maintain a Thai passport and was born in Bangkok. I have read about shipping things under her name to insure a "returning" Thai citizen pays no customs. However, I am not as concerned about this as my company is paying the bill.

3. We have been engaged with the Thai Embassy here in Ankara relative to the visas -- hope they point me right considering all the options. Thanks for the advice.

4. Fully our intent -- I expect to rent a place for about a year while we settle the issue about the "final" place to live.

5. Working on that -- she is planning on doing "Thai-only" days for conversation, so I will work on it.

Thanks for the responses

[Mr Red]

i will be suprised if after some time you still think its a wise move to live near Thai relatives, i would toe in the water and rent first.

i personally prefer marriage visa as it only requires 400,00 baht in the bank or 40k per month income. same as retirement just easier, i think anyway. buying car can be done easily, if you buying new for cash and no fianance alot of dealers will do paperwork for you, can be hassle if you not used to it with trips to immigration, proof of address or you can put in wifes name.

if you want PM me and i will give you web page all about best way to learn thai and where, bangkok based. put together by friend who reads, writes and speaks it, now teachers TEFL teachers.

as you wil find out nothing is easy here but you just have to go through the pain of the learning process. hundred passport pics and photo copies of passport and visa good start.

car-bangkok = nightmare took me 3 hours to go 2 miles a few weeks ago.

Good point on marriage visa -- I will check into it.

I fully expect house and car will be in wife's name -- if I can't trust her after 40 years, I am in trouble now

Expect the PM -- appreciate the help for learning Thai

Understand -- few weeks ago it took me 2+ hours to get home after work where it normally takes 30-45 minutes. Sometimes the cities drag to a halt.

Thanks for the help

[jdinasia]

I lived here for years with my partner (he's fluent in ENglish and was before we met) and he was useless in helping me learn. I would ask "if I say XXXXX CCCCC XXXXXX CCCCC" will I be understood and would get a 1/2 hour lecture and 4 better alternatives before I was told "yes". School helped a great deal but my spoken Thai is still only passable. I am approaching fluency in understanding spoken Thai though, and am not bad at reading. Starting the basics of reading will help from the very beginning as if you can read it you can pronounce it.

If you have it in the budget, a BIG house close to central CNX is relatively cheap and Air Asia has cheap flights on a continuous basis (partner and I both flew RT for about 1k several times --- yes 1000 baht for TWO RT tix) so flying the family up to visit might make everyone happy! I am living in a 3BR house inside the moat in CNX and paying 12.5k a month. I could have gotten 1/2 that price further out but I work and am within 3 minutes of all 3 of our offices.

The YMCA up here has good classes. If you want a brutal commute and VERY intensive classes and stay in BKK there is/was the Intensive THai program at Chula.

Many of the language schools are really only visa mills. Even reputable places can go belly-up for a variety of reasons --- the programs at the Language Institute at CMU did last year.

[Mr Red]

I lived here for years with my partner (he's fluent in ENglish and was before we met) and he was useless in helping me learn. I would ask "if I say XXXXX CCCCC XXXXXX CCCCC" will I be understood and would get a 1/2 hour lecture and 4 better alternatives before I was told "yes". School helped a great deal but my spoken Thai is still only passable. I am approaching fluency in understanding spoken Thai though, and am not bad at reading. Starting the basics of reading will help from the very beginning as if you can read it you can pronounce it.

If you have it in the budget, a BIG house close to central CNX is relatively cheap and Air Asia has cheap flights on a continuous basis (partner and I both flew RT for about 1k several times --- yes 1000 baht for TWO RT tix) so flying the family up to visit might make everyone happy! I am living in a 3BR house inside the moat in CNX and paying 12.5k a month. I could have gotten 1/2 that price further out but I work and am within 3 minutes of all 3 of our offices.

The YMCA up here has good classes. If you want a brutal commute and VERY intensive classes and stay in BKK there is/was the Intensive THai program at Chula.

Many of the language schools are really only visa mills. Even reputable places can go belly-up for a variety of reasons --- the programs at the Language Institute at CMU did last year.

Thanks for the reply. As I said before, I wish CM was in the cards, but not right now.

You mention the Intensive Thai Program at Chula -- can I read that Chulalongkorn University? I would like to check into that program. Do you have any pointers?

[sam666]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

A retirement visa does not qualify you for duty free import of household goods. You either have to have a work permit or be a returning Thai citizen, so your wife should qualify.

You should really ask your visa questions in the Thai visa forum in order to get the correct information. That is where the experts are.

Sophon

Pretty sure it does, would like confirmation on it from a expert from visa section.

Not sure about the states, but you can get a wife visa in the UK with out having to show proof of the 400k in the bank. Generally speaking, get the visa you want in the states as you get better deals like multiple entrys and it's not so rigorous.

[jdinasia]

Chula program ---- expensive and intense --- but if you have it in you to stick it out a year+ you should be fluent

http://www.arts.chula.ac.th/~asc/Intensive_Thai.html

[sam666]

1st. BKK is fine. I lived there for years. I choose to live in Chiang Mai both for work and for a better climate 910 months out of the year. I wouldn't have missed living in BKK for anything!

2nd does your wife still have a Thai passport? Was she born in Thailand? If she does/was then it may be that she has no duty due on bringing things in to Thailand.

3rd check your options on long-stay visas ... supporting a Thai wife may require less cash being brought in. ALWAYS think "exchange rate!"

4th have the family find you a place in the area for a few months (to await the arrival of your things) and take your time looking for a more permanent abode

5th You are moving to Thailand. It is as much immersion as you could want! If your wife is still fluent in Thai you can start now including resources online and books with CD's

I seriously would like to know what he would miss out on not living in Bangkok? He's not in his 20-40s partying in Bangkok (even then you can get that from a weekend) and working, he's RETIREING. I'm sure he would rather spend his retired years sitting by the sea drinking cheap cocktails and fresh thai seafood, enjoying the sun. Rather then sweating like a pig choking on the pollution in a dirty extremely busy city in a car traffic jam or dodgeing motorbike taxis on the pavement.

Unless you've lived on a farm all your life their aint much to miss. Lol, can you tell i'm moving back (erg) to bangkok from the south and i'm not too happy about it?

And I wouldn't do the Chula program, it's not easy unless your thai is at a high level already and you need to learn thai fast. It's more aimed at business men and Japs.

Edited February 27, 2011 by sam666

[thrilled]

if you were moving from the us,i've read where it's better to sell everything,and buy new in thailand.As far as living in bangkok,your life expendency will probably drop by 10 or 15 years.I can feel it in my lungs after 2 or 3 days.good luck,it's your life.

[Mr Red]

Chula program ---- expensive and intense --- but if you have it in you to stick it out a year+ you should be fluent

http://www.arts.chul...nsive_Thai.html

Wow -- this is what I had in mind when I talked about the local courses in Turkish. Same kind of approach, very intense and in my personal observation they produced great results. So as I intend to remain in Thailand for a long time to come, this is something I would definetely consider.

Have some trouble imagining myself back in Uni for 5+ hours a day for a year --- but then, after considering, perhaps that is not a bad thing!

Thanks for the info.

Jim

[Mr Red]

if you were moving from the us,i've read where it's better to sell everything,and buy new in thailand.As far as living in bangkok,your life expendency will probably drop by 10 or 15 years.I can feel it in my lungs after 2 or 3 days.good luck,it's your life.

As for the environment and pollution, probably not a lot different from the city of 6 million+ I have been living in for the past 4 1/2 years. Always good to get as far out as you can.

[beechguy]

Retiring to Bangkok? Waste of a retirement in Thailand really,.

Just to let you know, make sure you get the retirement visa type o and not wife / student etc. As only the retirement visa makes your goods shipped over exempt from customs taxed.

A retirement visa does not qualify you for duty free import of household goods. You either have to have a work permit or be a returning Thai citizen, so your wife should qualify.

You should really ask your visa questions in the Thai visa forum in order to get the correct information. That is where the experts are.

Sophon

Pretty sure it does, would like confirmation on it from a expert from visa section.

Not sure about the states, but you can get a wife visa in the UK with out having to show proof of the 400k in the bank. Generally speaking, get the visa you want in the states as you get better deals like multiple entrys and it's not so rigorous.

His wife is Thai and has a Thai passport, she doesn't need a visa. If he can arrange the financial requirements, all he really needs is a single entry Non-immigrant "O" Visa, then apply for a one year "Extension of Stay"(Not a Visa) based on retirement or marriage.

[Bangkokhatter]

I would highly recommend Thai Language hut, a very friendly school that only teaches one to one and they will set the programme to your requirements, you can google them and check out there website. As for living in BKK if you stay away from the centre I think it's fine.

[Sophon]

A retirement visa does not qualify you for duty free import of household goods. You either have to have a work permit or be a returning Thai citizen, so your wife should qualify.

You should really ask your visa questions in the Thai visa forum in order to get the correct information. That is where the experts are.

Sophon

Pretty sure it does, would like confirmation on it from a expert from visa section.

You may be pretty sure but you are never the less wrong about the duty free import on a retirement visa.

From www.customs.go.th

Requirements for Changing of Residence

* Nonresidents: Nonresidents may import the used/secondhand household effects acquired abroad tax and duty free if such household effects accompanied them in the change of residence and they are qualified under the requirements listed below:

1. Nonresidents resuming residents in Thailand must be granted a non-immigrant quota as shown in a passport or a Nonresident Identification Card; or

2. Nonresidents granted to work in Thailand will be regarded as resuming residents in Thailand provided they have a one-year non-immigrant visa issued by the Immigration Department. In case where the non-immigrant visa has not yet been granted, either of the following documents may be accepted:

(2.1) The letter from the Immigration Department certifying that the nonresidents shall be granted an annual temporary stay in Thailand; or

(2.2) The work permit from the Department of Labor to work in Thailand for at least one year.

3. Nonresidents entering Thailand as an expert, specialist, or under a contract of government agencies are required to present the letter from relevant agencies certifying that such nonresidents are granted a non-immigrant visa issued by the Immigration Department and shall work in Thailand not less than one year.

Accompanying spouses of the nonresidents in (2) and (3) will be regarded as resuming residence in Thailand provided the spouses have non-immigrant visas issued by the Immigration Department to stay in Thailand for the first 90 days.

Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1)

The emphasis in red is not mine but that of The Customs Department.

The rules were changed a number of years ago, maybe your experience is based on the previous rules.

Sophon

Edited February 28, 2011 by Sophon

[Sophon]

And if you want confirmation from the experts, there is this current topic running, where Mario stated in reply to another guy wanting to retire in Thailand

You can look at the Thai customs webiste for more information. But you don't seem to be going to work in Thailand, in which case you won't qualify.

Sphon

[saorsa]

I would highly recommend Thai Language hut, a very friendly school that only teaches one to one and they will set the programme to your requirements, you can google them and check out there website. As for living in BKK if you stay away from the centre I think it's fine.

seconded...I go there 3 days a week. Very relaxed atmosphere, 1-1 teaching and good teachers.

[thaihome]

Some pretty useless stuff mixed it with a very little bit of real info.

Put shipment in your wifes name. Assuming it is one container, she can import it duty free. If more then one container, split them into separate shipments and pay the duty on yours. As you say your company is paying, discuss with the freight forwarder they hire.

Get a single entry Non-Imm “O” visa in Ankara. All you should have to show is your marriage certificate and your wife’s ID card/Passport.

You will get 90 day permission to stay. When you first get herer open bank account or even before if you have bank account already, transfer 800k baht into it. This must be done at least two months before your 90 days expires. Within the last 60 days of your 90 days, go to immigration and apply for year extension. It is easy and relatively painless. If you really don’t want to hassle with it except for a single trip to immigration, hire an agent to take care it. They will also do the 90 day address reports for you.

TH

[usedtobe]

Not much useful info to add I'm afraid, except to say that I'm so jealous you're moving back to BKK. We lived there about 4 years ago and I miss it very much. We're now in a quiet village in southern Germany and I miss the craziness and 24 hour activity of BKK. Not that we were party/club people, but it was nice to know that you could step outside your door at any time and just watch life carry on around you.

When we moved away we used Asian Tigers and they did a fabulous job, so you might want to see if they move people back to BKK.

Good luck and have some street food for me please!

[transam]

DO NOT DO IT, closer to the family that is. Holidays, great, but when you are here as a resident then the '' family '' becomes YOUR family and it's a real pain in the ass.

BUT, good luck with your new life.

[KoreaElte]

And I wouldn't do the Chula program, it's not easy unless your thai is at a high level already and you need to learn thai fast. It's more aimed at business men and Japs.

When were you on this course to get that idea ?

I seen some bad reviews about the Chula course from back in 2005 but I think some things may have improved since then. I am doing Intensive Thai at Chula right now and if you start from Basic 1, you don't need any prior knowledge whatsoever.

I have met students who started before me. They're now in Intermediate 3 so they have had about 600 hours of tuition over 8 months and started from zero. They're basically fluent in conversation and can read and write pretty well.

For a retiree who has time to be on Campus 1000 - 1500 every day and do some 90 mins of homework and review this course is fantastic. I fooled around with private label language schools last year and most of them were visa mills that didn't teach crap. 5 hours @ Chula is like a week at the Thai school down the Soi.

[Danlo]

What about a nice Codo in Jomtien, you can buy it in your name, close to the beach, nice beech too, not far from the City and plenty to do, Golf, shopping, chill out.

Only a couple hours from koh samet Island, lovely there, 2 hours from BKK.

Just a thought, I like BKK but the traffic/pollution would always drive me away from living there, the suburbs not too bad but no beach and sea air.