Shipping My Stuff From Los Angeles to Chiang Mai

[HikeFromLA]

Hi All

I arrive night of 2015 November 5 Thursday in Chiang Mai with 1 backpack and 2 small pieces of checked baggage, as prescribed by China Southern airlines.

Now in the process of liquidating my Mexican household, but regardless will have several unfinished projects and other items that I want to follow me there.

No cheap storage in the USA or Mexico anyway.

So what is absolute cheapest way to bring stuff from Los Angeles, San Diego, or Tijuana... to Chiang Mai? (Yes I know it won't be cheap!)

I'm thinking ordinary size boxes, weighing 25 lbs each. Obviously could be repacked into larger container.

(I'll have someone in Los Angeles send stuff after I get a relatively steady address established)

Here's a previous thread on the topic of shipping, but may be out of date, appears closed, plus it was focused on TH to US

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676863-cheapest-shipping-from-bangkok-to-the-usa/

But useful info gleaned...

Ship airport to airport - OK - can do

Shippers include Post Office, DHL, ChinaAir Cargo, Thai Air Cargo

[berybert]

Go as cheap as you can and await the head aches.

Spend a decent amount of money to get a profession firm to do it and let someone else deal with the head aches.

People always amaze me when they think they can spend as little as possible and still expect a decent service.

[puukao]

i sent things..... ALL LOST. luckily it was the TEST shipment....so i lost very, very little..

but it confirmed my fears..... so i sent nothing else.

good luck

[HikeFromLA]

[waime]

In Thaitown behind the main market there is a shipper who will ship everything custom free. No need for hassle or tax.

[BKKdreaming]

Any name on the Thaitown shop ?

I know if you are shipping to Manila there are companies that supply a box , you put what you want in it and they ship it ,

They know how many of these boxes fit in a container and when full the container ships ,

I am not sure if anyone is doing the same for Thaiand

One option , not real cheap and you may get hit by Thai customs ,

both Fed Ex and UPS have special rates on 25kg boxes , they supply the box, you fill it up to 25kg and they air freight it space available, the box says FedEx International Priority , 25kg box ,

The local Fed Ex / Kinkos shop had these boxes , "Maybe" they give you a better rate if you have an account ,

I have used these boxes shipping BKK-USA

[HikeFromLA]

In Thaitown behind the main market there is a shipper who will ship everything custom free. No need for hassle or tax.

Okay ran it down

Air freight is where you said, out of a bookstore there, phone (323) 464-7178, near Thailand Plaza, 5321 Hollywood Blvd.. But rates are like 25 usd per kilo. Too much for my personal effects.

The gentleman there was kind enough to refer me to a forwarder who does ocean as well, at Khanom Thai, 5227 Sunset Los Angeles CA 90027. Phone number is (323) 668-0835. Ocean freight for used stuff is 70 usd for small box, and 100 for big box. These are the rates similar to Balikbayan Boxes to the Philippines that I was hoping for. Bingo! They are open 9am to 530pm, closed Friday, open Mon-Thu and also open Sat/Sun. They have boxes. Bring your own tape, and your passport.

Thanks for the help!

Edited October 27, 2015 by HikeFromLA

[HikeFromLA]

OK re air freight here is another option that just responded to me. Again this is NOT how I am going, but might be of interest to those who want air freight: it looks like they are geared for shipments of above 100 lbs. I do like their complete information, and their rates are clearly all the way to Chiang Mai. Their address looks like it is very near the airport at LAX.

***************************************************************

Regarding your Unknown Shipper General Cargo Non-Haz LAX-CNX rate as follow:

+45kg/$6.81 per kg / +100kg/$3.76 per kg / +300kg/$3.65 per kg

plus $1.00 per kg fuel surcharge, all chargeable weight.

Route LAX-NRT on KZ (NCA daily) NRT-BKK on TG (Thai daily) BKK-CNX on TG (Thai daily)

Unknown Shipper Shipment payment on cash acct before export.

Please advise shipping day. Thank again and have a nice evening.

Best Regqards,

Helen Wu

Sales & Service Executive

Thai Airways Cargo
6501 W. Imperial Hwy.
Los Angeles, CA 90045 U.S.A.
Tel: 310 670-8591
Fax: 310 670-1057
If you need information fast, please call 310 670 8591

Thai Airways customer service hours are 09:00 to 17:00 PST Monday through Friday

Edited October 27, 2015 by HikeFromLA

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Some years ago, I used a Thai company based in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles called Rama International.

They don't have a website, AFAIK, but you can find info on them via a Google search for their name and the town of North Hollywood or Sun Valley.

They handle ocean shipping from Los Angeles and other U.S. cities to Bangkok and beyond. They dealt with customs, and for an extra fee, delivered everything that I shipped direct to my door in Thailand.

The basic rate at that time was $5 per dimensional cubic foot for my items plus an additional $2 per cubic foot for customs clearance because I didn't have a work permit, plus various document fees both on the U.S. and Thai ends. Altogether, including to my door delivery, it came to about $1000 for about 95 cubic feet of contents.

But, as I said, that was some years ago. That was the second time I used them. The first time I used them, the price was about $200 less because there was no Thai customs fee on that go-round.

BTW, here's a link listing info for the company I mentioned above along with a bunch of other U.S. to Thailand shippers, including several others I remember checking with back at the time.

http://www.istudentcity.com/stages/4_movinghome_shippingcomp_thai.asp

Edited October 28, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[BKKdreaming]

These guys ship boxes to the Philippines too , they might be able to send you to another Thai shipper to compare prices and fees

bahaghari cargo

bahagharicargo.com/ContactUs.aspx

761 Highland Pl San Dimas, CA 91773. Toll Free 1-888-655-2946. Email: [email protected].

[fey]

its a 25 kg bag you get so its not that bad, plus carry on and laptop or purse.

i considered the very thing you are contemplating and it was a wise decision for me to just sell most of the junk or get relatives with a garage to store it until who knows when.

just buy what you need over here, its cheaper then shipping it and you get new stuff!

now that 25kg bag is all i need! and im happy with it. a lot of emotional baggage is attached to that stuff. start over and enjoy your new life.

[HikeFromLA]

a lot of emotional baggage is attached to that stuff.

True.

So true.

Attachments. Regrets. Guilt.

"Weighty" stuff.

+1 to you

I am working through it.

[BKKdreaming]

How much is an extra bag you take on the plane ?

22kg bag may be easier....

plus 110v USA and 220V Thailand do not mix well !

[HikeFromLA]

Good point.

I'll look into it.

*****************************

Re voltage, please help me out.

Some laptops, or most, supposedly thrive on Thai voltage. Same with smartphones. But I don't have the exact data till I go to the shop and have them dissect my HP laptop with Windows 8, and my Iphone 4, and get the hidden info carved into the plastic in tiny fine print.

I would deeply appreciate any light you could shed on this.

If I need converters etc perhaps I should buy that stuff as I pass through Los Angeles, on my way.

[BKKdreaming]

iphone will just be a charger if yours is not 100v-240v and it probably is , charger $5-$10 tops

same for your laptop , it will probably be 100v-240v

problem is older stuff and things with motors like a blender , maybe a shaver as it has a motor in it...

[HikeFromLA]

iphone will just be a charger if yours is not 100v-240v and it probably is , charger $5-$10 tops

same for your laptop , it will probably be 100v-240v

problem is older stuff and things with motors like a blender , maybe a shaver as it has a motor in it...

Thank you so much.

I am doing this exit on my own, by the skin of my teeth.

Less to worry about... is appreciated!

[BKKdreaming]

Ummm you can buy anything electrical at Big C / Lotus Tesco, it just a Walmart type stor

I have only killed off a few electrical things just being stupid and forgetting to use the voltage converter....

I bring too much stuff all the time because I can , but really I could live without 80% of it....

[NancyL]

Use the U.S. Postal System for anything that isn't very delicate. Somehow the Thai Postal System isn't very picky about collecting duty. FedEx/DHL/UPS is and the customs charges will kill you, even for used household stuff.

Consider bringing items as extra checked luggage. They aren't very picky about charging duty with personal luggage that comes with you. Yes, I know there's a charge, but you should have factored that in when selecting an airline. It could have made Korean Airline look better in the long run because they have a more generous luggage allowance.

Use DHL.FedEx, UPS as a last resort.

I'd suggest you email Siam Move Management, rather than working with a company in the U.S. You want an advocate here in Chiang Mai, someone who will get your stuff out of customs: http://siammovemanagement.com/ They can contract with someone on your end to do the package and getting your goods out of the U.S.

[HikeFromLA]

Use the U.S. Postal System for anything that isn't very delicate. Somehow the Thai Postal System isn't very picky about collecting duty. FedEx/DHL/UPS is and the customs charges will kill you, even for used household stuff.

Consider bringing items as extra checked luggage. They aren't very picky about charging duty with personal luggage that comes with you. Yes, I know there's a charge, but you should have factored that in when selecting an airline. It could have made Korean Airline look better in the long run because they have a more generous luggage allowance.

Use DHL.FedEx, UPS as a last resort.

I'd suggest you email Siam Move Management, rather than working with a company in the U.S. You want an advocate here in Chiang Mai, someone who will get your stuff out of customs: http://siammovemanagement.com/ They can contract with someone on your end to do the package and getting your goods out of the U.S.

Cool beans.

Gotchoo.

Sold.

NOW THEN...

How would you rank the contenders?

---USPS to Thai Postal

---SiamMoveManagement

---Checking extra bags into checked baggage at China Southern Airlines, 110$usd per 20-22kg (not clear in rules)

---Khanon Thai in Hollywood (slow ocean freight) at 70$usd small box, 100$usd big box, extra if stuff is new (per my above post)

Personally, I am good with any of these. But how would you rank them? (Your guess-timates are welcome of course, this is certainly not an exact science with permanent laws!)

Thanks

BamBam

Edited October 28, 2015 by HikeFromLA

[1BADDAT]

Use the U.S. Postal System for anything that isn't very delicate. Somehow the Thai Postal System isn't very picky about collecting duty. FedEx/DHL/UPS is and the customs charges will kill you, even for used household stuff.

Consider bringing items as extra checked luggage. They aren't very picky about charging duty with personal luggage that comes with you. Yes, I know there's a charge, but you should have factored that in when selecting an airline. It could have made Korean Airline look better in the long run because they have a more generous luggage allowance.

Use DHL.FedEx, UPS as a last resort.

I'd suggest you email Siam Move Management, rather than working with a company in the U.S. You want an advocate here in Chiang Mai, someone who will get your stuff out of customs: http://siammovemanagement.com/ They can contract with someone on your end to do the package and getting your goods out of the U.S.

Totally agree with checking luggage as an option. There are many benefits to this. Not having to go through the customs mess. The chance of them getting lost is low. Not having to be somewhere to pick the packages up at a later date....etc.

When I came out here for work I brought all my stuff out that I needed on a few trips. I didn't have to pay for any checked baggage because I get 3 free, but even If I paid for the checked baggage fee I would have spent a LOT less than paying for a shipper. My company would have paid for that for me, but I saved them thousands of dollars and I got the piece of mind of having y stuff arrive when I did.

Check the baggage allowance weight and maximize what you carry. If you are 2 pounds over, they will charge you the same as a whole other bag. I checked their website and it seems that one extra bag is 1000 CNY or about 150 USD. I would go this route because i highly doubt you can ship cheaper than this unless it goes by sea.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

How would you rank the contenders?

---USPS to Thai Postal

---SiamMoveManagement

---Checking extra bags into checked baggage at China Southern Airlines, 110$usd per 20-22kg (not clear in rules)

---Khanon Thai in Hollywood (slow ocean freight) at 70$usd small box, 100$usd big box, extra if stuff is new (per my above post)

I think a lot depends on the QUANTITY of stuff you're planning to move. You mentioned above 25 kg boxes, but didn't give any idea about how many.

When I sent my stuff my ocean shipping, it was charged by dimensional size of the boxes, not their weight. And the boxes were various sizes, from book type boxes up to much larger ones. But in the end, for delivery to BKK and including everything, I ended up paying about $55 per box (19 in total).

If you have a lot of 20+ Kg portions to send, I'd think airline or postal sending is going to be more expensive than ocean shipping. If you only have a few portions to send, then maybe the other methods would be OK.

The prices you quote above from the place in Hollywood sound high compared to other similar shippers.

[NancyL]

The price for the place in Hollywood is similar to the price for USPS global flat rate priority mail, so that place isn't really an option in my opinion.

We moved here in 2008 and used USPS global flat rate priority mail for about a dozen boxes of stuff that was really heavy in relation to size -- like books and photographs. But, only do this if you're confident of the receiving address on the Thai end. Sometimes things can get lost if you're relying on delivery in a village or confusing moo baan. Our stuff was delivered to a well-known hotel where we knew the staff before we arrived.

I wish we'd done checked luggage for other items. Instead we used a shipper near our home in the U.S. who promised door-to-door service and selected DHL for a 90 kilo shipment -- several boxes strapped onto a pallet. We had hell-to-pay to clear customs in Chiang Mai and ended up hiring a local agent, basically doubling our cost. The good news was that the items -- delicate stuff like antiques and china, all was delivered and unpacked in pristine condition, but it cost way more than expected. In retrospect, we could have wrapped many of the items in bubble wrap and put them in a suitcase on the airplane with us, I think, much more cheaply

Edited October 28, 2015 by NancyL

[bwpage3]

What about Thai Customs charges?

[BKKdreaming]

The US Post office is not cheap anymore

they stopped surface / sea shipments years ago and now there is only AIR

did you try Mexician post ?

And how long do you plan on living in Thaiand ?

until you are sure maybe its better to put most of the stuff in USA storage,

one thing , make one box and write important papers on it ,

leave that with a trusted person in the USA,

clothes or household stuff can be replaced , but papers , photos etc cannot

[buji]

Doing the move early next year, but wise to avoid all Thai moving companies as they are all corrupt. I will bring my main computer transports as checked & the rest through either DHL, UPS or FEDx as they are all insured & sent special agent (3rd party thru Thailand). Gotta remember these private companies here in Thailand do not have to fulfill (& many don't) their contracts/Insurance with foreigners. However International companies do. Siam-Movers looks familiar, the worst & most corruption Thai movers are those who 1. Have Farrangs on their website & 2. A fully literate English speaking Thai on the other side. Dealt with moving companies for 5 major moves (30-40k ea), inside country all Thai, outside, all your homeland with a major international shipping service.

[BKKdreaming]

Fed EX will also ship surface for you on a pallet ,

We bought a 800 lb machine in Sri Lanka , had it delivered to the local Fed Ex office and they did the rest , shipping it to the USA

and not that expensive ,

The problem into Thailand is Thai Customs , and who the shipper knows.....

FedEx DHL and the big guys are not going to try and get you a "deal" through customs

Edited October 28, 2015 by BKKdreaming

[buji]

But they're still obligated to pay the insurance for items lost. Still never had a loss of at least an item sent USPS/DHL/FEDx to my Issan, Bangkok or Krab addresses of all being Insured, to not make it. Some areas, like Udon (as mafia as it is, is the only one I've been forced to give a bribe)...will hold in Customs waiting for their "bribe" payout, but not all & thus you get what you sent.

[NancyL]

Doing the move early next year, but wise to avoid all Thai moving companies as they are all corrupt. I will bring my main computer transports as checked & the rest through either DHL, UPS or FEDx as they are all insured & sent special agent (3rd party thru Thailand). Gotta remember these private companies here in Thailand do not have to fulfill (& many don't) their contracts/Insurance with foreigners. However International companies do. Siam-Movers looks familiar, the worst & most corruption Thai movers are those who 1. Have Farrangs on their website & 2. A fully literate English speaking Thai on the other side. Dealt with moving companies for 5 major moves (30-40k ea), inside country all Thai, outside, all your homeland with a major international shipping service.

I know at least a dozen retirees here in Chiang Mai who have worked with Siam Move Management and been very happy. They're people who have come to Chiang Mai for a short visit to check it out for retirement, decided it was for them, met with Alan Dick the western owner of the company and then returned to their home countries to sell off their unneeded stuff and kept in touch with him about moving over the rest. None of them have been sorry.

Conversely, Hubby and I were very sorry when we worked with a firm near our home in the U.S. that promised door-to-door service and did a great job of packing our delicate items and making arrangements with DHL. But that's where it ended. With our goods held by DHL at the airport in Chiang Mai and the news from customs that the paperwork was all wrong. In the end we had to hire a Chiang Mai agent (this was before we knew Alan) to straighten out the mess, at considerable expense. It would have been good if the firm in the U.S. had known what was required of the paperwork while they were doing such a great job of packing and working with DHL.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think the issue there, Nancy, was whomever's choice to send your things from the U.S. to Thailand via DHL, which in my experience is among the worst carriers when it comes to import customs duties into Thailand.

By comparison, for the two times I used Rama International in L.A., one time I paid no customs duties at all, and the second time, I paid a total of about $200 U.S. in customs duty (a rate of $2 per cubic feet) for about 20 packing boxes worth of household belongings of all sorts. Both of those shipments went the ocean shipping route, and were delivered to my door in BKK by Rama's agents in BKK.

In both cases, I had absolutely zero contact or involvement with Thai customs at all. Everything was handled directly by Rama. I just had to be home on the delivery day.

[BKKdreaming]

one more thing , buy a couple of the electric plug adapters that go from the 3 prongs with the round ground to the old style 2 prong , get them at Walmart or 99cent store.

the wall plugs in interesting as they try and use the 2 round prong Euro plug and the USA plug , but not everywhere !

there are adapters from the USA 3 prong to the Euro 2 prong that you can probably get at Frys , and you can find them in Thailand too

you still need to make sure your device will take the Thai 220V