Moving a Container from Australia to CM

[andyr45]

I am packing a container to forward to our new home in Chiang Mai. With additional space available is there anything you can thing of that it would be better to bring from Queensland rather than buy in CM? My interests are golf, paddling( stand up paddle boarding and river paddling) as well as running. (I am adding this so I can hopefully get feed back on the quality/cost of these goods in CM)

In addition I am planning on bringing is all my white goods and computers. Is this sense or folly?

Some specific questions I have are :-

- Should I throw our all my power boards and buy new?

- TV's -Ditch ad buy new in CM.

I would welcome any input you might be able to offer.

[kilvingtono]

We brought all our TV's and electrical goods from Victoria and have had no problem with them in Chiang Mai. Most things you can buy here but if you have container fill the space up and bring them. Good luck with your big move.

[jij]

the only people that i know that brought over two containers paid up the ___ and would never do it again. i'm talking in 10's of thousands of dollars.i brought over five cubic meters and in hindsight would have only brought over one. i know that you're supposed to get a free pass on bringing things in if you're going to life here, but the key word here is SUPPOSED. i had a business in bali for 10 years and 99% of the time the corruption in third world countries works in ones favor, unless you're bringing things 'into' the country. once it's here what are you going to do? pay it or turn it around. not to say this will happen to you, but just wanted to give you a heads-up on what 'might' happen.

best of luck, i'm curious to hear what others have to say about this.

- jf

[CMKiwi]

Id say bring your powerboards as they are sure to be better quality than the Chinese <deleted> that abounds here. Ive never seen any paddleboards here so bring all the associated kit with you. Quality running shoes are also hard to find.....too many knock offs here and its hard to find the real McCoy.

Electronic stuff is cheap here so TV`s and the like can be purchased easy enough. But good stereo equipment can be both hard to find and expensive. If you're not too fussed regarding HiFi then there is ample stuff here that will play music.

There are a few golf courses here so Id say they area is covered (However Im not a great fan of golf so don't take my word for it)

White goods and computers are pretty well covered here. Fridges are relatively cheap here compared to NZ and Oz as are washing machines. But if youre talking dish washers..... bring your own. Havent seen any here not that Ive been looking.

Water heaters for showers maybe a worthwhile investment to bring over. You can get them here but they arent very effective. Or thats my finding thus far. Gas powered ones are available at a price and seem to be the best of the bunch.

I suppose it all depends on what you plan to do. Rent/buy or build?

If you have any other questions fire away....

[elektrified]

Now is the worst possible time to consider what you are planning on doing. There is a huge crackdown on corruption in the customs department. You could be hit for a LOT of money in duty and taxes!

[andyr45]

Thank you for the valued feed back so far. I failed to say in my post that I wish to use the remaining space in my container to fill up with my pre- used furniture, BBQ, garden equipment. This is all my own and I have no intention of filling with new stuff that I would then try and on sell in CM.

I am trying to determine what I should add to my container rather than junk and then be forced to buy new in CM. I don't fancy the idea of being in CM and realizing that I could have bought my lawn mower and BBQ which I am now going to have to purchase at a premium.

I appreciate the heads up re customs and will ensure that no "new stuff" that will incur duties is included. I have also been told that I am best off to rent for a period prior to looking to buy/build so I will not be bringing in any building equipment.

[elektrified]

Thank you for the valued feed back so far. I failed to say in my post that I wish to use the remaining space in my container to fill up with my pre- used furniture, BBQ, garden equipment. This is all my own and I have no intention of filling with new stuff that I would then try and on sell in CM.

I am trying to determine what I should add to my container rather than junk and then be forced to buy new in CM. I don't fancy the idea of being in CM and realizing that I could have bought my lawn mower and BBQ which I am now going to have to purchase at a premium.

I appreciate the heads up re customs and will ensure that no "new stuff" that will incur duties is included. I have also been told that I am best off to rent for a period prior to looking to buy/build so I will not be bringing in any building equipment.

I don't think you get what's going on!

[CMKiwi]

Now is the worst possible time to consider what you are planning on doing. There is a huge crackdown on corruption in the customs department. You could be hit for a LOT of money in duty and taxes!

Please explain, surely if they are cracking down on corruption in the customs department then one shouldn't be hit up for a lot of duty and taxes.

My belief is that as a retiree, you are exempt duty on a container of personal goods that you may bring into the country. This is as long as the goods are used and for your own personal use.

If you stick to those rules then surely one should be safe from `extortion`.

And before all the replies abound about This is Thailand, and anything can happen..... Id better go do more research into duty exemptions for retirees.

[harrry]

Now is the worst possible time to consider what you are planning on doing. There is a huge crackdown on corruption in the customs department. You could be hit for a LOT of money in duty and taxes!

Please explain, surely if they are cracking down on corruption in the customs department then one shouldn't be hit up for a lot of duty and taxes.

My belief is that as a retiree, you are exempt duty on a container of personal goods that you may bring into the country. This is as long as the goods are used and for your own personal use.

If you stick to those rules then surely one should be safe from `extortion`.

And before all the replies abound about This is Thailand, and anything can happen..... Id better go do more research into duty exemptions for retirees.

nol you are not exempt as a retiree. You do have a concession if you have a one year work permit but none as a retiree.

[NancyL]

No, retirees are not exempt from duties. This is a common misconception. A Thai national returning to live in Thailand is, so if you have a Thai wife you could ship everything in her name. You may wish to visit the Visa forum and do a search. This topic has been discussed before.

[mamborobert]

I think you have to separate duty form moving household goods...two different things.

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 criteria listed below:
• Nonresidents resuming residents in Thailand must be granted a non-immigrant quota as shown in a passport or a Nonresident Identification Card; or
• Nonresidents granted to work in Thailand are 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:
  • The letter from the Immigration Department certifying that the nonresidents shall be granted an annual temporary stay in Thailand; or
  • The work permit from the Department of Labor to work in Thailand for at least one year.
• 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.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

[hml367]

No, retirees are not exempt from duties. This is a common misconception. A Thai national returning to live in Thailand is, so if you have a Thai wife you could ship everything in her name. You may wish to visit the Visa forum and do a search. This topic has been discussed before.

There seems to often be confusion about this situation. Here is one of the Thai Customs web site pages http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

It looks to me like only non-Thais that have a work permit (which O-A visa would not allow) can import household goods. THEN one must be aware of the warning which is the last thing on the above page.....

WARNING: The information in this website is intended as a general guideline only and subject to changes without prior notice. It does not in any way replace or supersede Customs and related laws or regulations. Before relying on the information on the Website, users should independently verify its accuracy, completeness and relevance for their purposes.

Remember that the final regulation that governs the outcome is the Thai language version.

I know a couple retirees that did import their household goods without paying customs tarriff. It was some time ago, though.

In past threads regarding this, the best solution I have seen is to check with whomever will be handling the importation of the container. Even then you are still at the mercy of the decision made by the Customs Office and officers when the actual importation occurs. Many people have had luck using freight forwarding companies.

Edited January 7, 2015 by hml367

[elektrified]

Now is the worst possible time to consider what you are planning on doing. There is a huge crackdown on corruption in the customs department. You could be hit for a LOT of money in duty and taxes!

Please explain, surely if they are cracking down on corruption in the customs department then one shouldn't be hit up for a lot of duty and taxes.

My belief is that as a retiree, you are exempt duty on a container of personal goods that you may bring into the country. This is as long as the goods are used and for your own personal use.

If you stick to those rules then surely one should be safe from `extortion`.

And before all the replies abound about This is Thailand, and anything can happen..... Id better go do more research into duty exemptions for retirees.

Wrong. An old rule was that you had to bring your container in within 6 months of entering the very first time on your O-A visa, and furthermore some items were still subject to taxation. But that rule was dumped a couple of years back.

Furthermore, before you could offer 10-30K to "clear it on through" but now each item is calculated for taxation.

Now it's only a Thai national returning after one year or those with a work permit are duty exempt.

Edited January 7, 2015 by elektrified

[masuk]

Id say bring your powerboards as they are sure to be better quality than the Chinese <deleted> that abounds here. Ive never seen any paddleboards here so bring all the associated kit with you. Quality running shoes are also hard to find.....too many knock offs here and its hard to find the real McCoy.

Electronic stuff is cheap here so TV`s and the like can be purchased easy enough. But good stereo equipment can be both hard to find and expensive. If you're not too fussed regarding HiFi then there is ample stuff here that will play music.

There are a few golf courses here so Id say they area is covered (However Im not a great fan of golf so don't take my word for it)

White goods and computers are pretty well covered here. Fridges are relatively cheap here compared to NZ and Oz as are washing machines. But if youre talking dish washers..... bring your own. Havent seen any here not that Ive been looking.

Water heaters for showers maybe a worthwhile investment to bring over. You can get them here but they arent very effective. Or thats my finding thus far. Gas powered ones are available at a price and seem to be the best of the bunch.

I suppose it all depends on what you plan to do. Rent/buy or build?

If you have any other questions fire away....

I became tired of plugs falling out of their sockets, and on a trip back to Oz, bought a couple of bags (20) of electrical plugs, a couple of 10m extension cords, a power board set-up for my computing which includes safety switches, a couple of USB chargers, and 12 power outlets.

This is connected to a UPS I bought here much cheaper than the Oz prices, as the power tends to flick of and on.

Some places have earthed wiring, the older houses and condos do not. I re-wired almost all electrical stuff in the house to Oz plugs.

Adapter plugs are cheap here, so don't buy them before leaving. Power boards here are generally cheap and nasty. Some are made specifically for re-charging phones, but the packaging doesn't tell you that.

I've rented a few places, and the kitchens never have enough power outlets.

Kitchen ware generally seems OK. Many expats have a single plate induction hot plate for cooking, but you need steel bottomed pans for these. I'd be lost without mine.

If you're planning on buying electrical goods here, shop around, as there can be a 25% price differences between shops.

If you bring a nice Sunbeam or similar gourmet cooker, you can't go wrong. If you're heading for a condo, LPG is not normally permitted. I'd certainly get a gas hot water heater if you can use LPG where you're planning to live, but I noticed that the fittings are very different to Oz fittings.