Moving From Chiang Mai To Pattaya

[SwissBliss]

Does anyone have some tips regarding reasonably priced transfer from Chiang Mai to Pattaya around Feb. 15/16th instead of one-way pick-up rental? Preferably including ride as passenger or co-driver. Need to move a scooter plus some suitcases, duffel bags and about half a dozen boxes with household stuff. Thanks for any advice or contact info.

[Thongkorn]

Maybe an idea to buy new, i know they will let you put your motor bike on the bus and a few cases, you will have to pay alittel extra. My friend brought a bike,125 on the bus from Phuket to Bangkok and then to Pattaya.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Thongkorn

[KeyserSoze01]

Just curious, are you moving to Pattaya because the pace of life in CM a little to slow for you?

[jcgodber]

You might consider sending your motorbike and boxes via the Thai postal service EMS .... just a thought

[SwissBliss]

I have been considering the Thai Postal Service for bike and other bags/boxes, but there is nobody at the other end to receive delivery - unless I send it last-minute before hopping on the NCA overnight bus to Pattaya. It's one option. -

To the curious one: Yes, I find CM a little too quiet, but there are other reasons as well... After living 12 years in Miami Beach, I am literally spoiled for colder temperatures during winter months, but I also like Pattaya's location with easy access to BKK airport, to the beaches on Koh Larn and to Cambodia (I love travelling frequently throughout SE Asia), know many people in BKK and Pattaya and was lucky to find a really nice house for rent in a central but very quiet Soi away from nightlife and traffic. That's about it.

[guzzi850m2]

Sometimes expats are looking for sharing a ride from/to the 2 places, in order to share fuel costs but it don't happen every week so I guess you have to be lucky with that one.

Have you asked in CM with taxi drivers and others if such a trip could be arranged and how much?

[JohnGreen]

you could try www.chiangmairemovals.com

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Put the boxes and bags on the NCA bus as cargo (all bus companies will move cargo), put the bike on a train to Don Muang Railway station, then ride it to Pattaya?

That'll be cheap.

I think I'd personally just do a one-way pick-up rental and return it in Pattaya. Also not too expensive.

[shepsel]

I remember seeing an advertisement in the Chiang Mai Expat Club newsletter about a moving company who does moving within Thailand and packing and shipping for abroad. You might want to go through the last few newsletters to look for the advertisement.

[WaveHunter]

I just made a move to the Pattaya area fro Chiang Mai and I have some helpful advice for anyone that's thinking of doing this.  I explored the various options that were discussed here like shipping, using ThaiPost, etc.  The BEST and most economical option IMHO was to rent a one-way car.  Somebody PM'd me about this recently so I thought I'd share my response here:

 

His question:

"Was it easy or a real pain to move all of your stuff to Pattaya? IF I do stay beyond a year, I have considered moving to Jomtien."

 

My Response:

Very easy and pleasant actually! 

 

I rented a car from Chic Car Rental (http://www.chiccarrent.com/).  Very cheap and good.  They have a special one-way rental rate that's very reasonable if you book the car for at least five days (and on my trip they included full insurance for free).  They are very reliable and honest (owned by the Thai Honda Dealers Group).  They are fluentin English, and their website is well designed so you can easily price out your trip with a number of different types of vehicles to choose from.  My car was in excellent condition.

 

I had a studio size condo in CM; not really a lot fo stuff but ended up renting a larger vehicle and I'm glad I did because I really underestimated how much cargo space my stuff took up. 

 

Here's the cars they had available, and I got the Honda BRV...really nice car!

 

They only rent through airports so if your destination is Jomtien, you'll have to drop it off at the U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport which is about 45 km south of Jomtien but not a big deal; a Grab driver can get you back to town pretty cheaply.

 

The drive is actually fun! It's about 500 km so best to make it an overnight trip, staying at the half-way point in Nakhon Sawan.  I found a great hotel there with safe on-site parking (worried about all my stuff in the car overnight), and it was only 450 baht.  Very clean and pleasant hotel (http://www.pathanihotel.com/).

 

Upon arrival you have to check in with Thai IMM to do a TM30 in person if you are doing a long stay, but the IMM office is right in the middle of Jomtien, and is MUCH better than in Chiang Mai; I was in and out in 15 minutes, and the IMM officers actually smile when they talk to you and are fluent in English!

Edited May 28, 2019 by WaveHunter

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

The BEST and most economical option IMHO was to rent a one-way car

The easiest and cheapest option in most cases is Kerry Express (if somebody wants to move with furniture this might not work), 500 something THB for a 25 kg parcel + 50 THB fee for picking it up at your home. Cost for a few parcels with Kerry and the flight ticket would have most likely been cheaper than renting a car + fuel + hotel and would have only taken you a few hours instead of two days.

[Number 6]

Put it all on the train