Guest Posted September 8, 2001 Report Share Posted September 8, 2001 I am planning to retire and move to BKK in a few years. I plan to buy a housegrow some flowers and look for a teaching gig a few days a week. I have had all kinds of advice from sell everything and bring only cash all the way to ship a container with all your stuff plus a car. Please advise me in this matter. I have some family antiques, large and small, photo albums, audio and video equipment, a collection of craftsman hand tools and junk that I hate to give away too. If I ship them will I get hit with import duty and how much. My wife is Thai and she will be finishing her master’s degree before we return. She is no help so far but I hope she will do better when we get there. Thanks Spud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted September 8, 2001 Report Share Posted September 8, 2001 You can bring in items over a certain age with little or no tax. I'd check into it. Years ago I knew a Thai couple who had met whilst studying in the States and sort of got married. (Actually, shacked up until they came home for the Thai style wedding and big reception.) They had decided to open an ice cream shop-restaruant type place, so they bought the freezers and all when still students. By the time they were ready to come home, it was 3 or 4 years old (even though unused and the crates unopened). Thus the duty was very little, if anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whosyourdaddy Posted September 8, 2001 Report Share Posted September 8, 2001 quote: Originally posted by spud: I am planning to retire and move to BKK in a few years. I plan to buy a housegrow some flowers and look for a teaching gig a few days a week. I have had all kinds of advice from sell everything and bring only cash all the way to ship a container with all your stuff plus a car. Please advise me in this matter. I have some family antiques, large and small, photo albums, audio and video equipment, a collection of craftsman hand tools and junk that I hate to give away too. If I ship them will I get hit with import duty and how much. My wife is Thai and she will be finishing her master’s degree before we return. She is no help so far but I hope she will do better when we get there. Thanks Spud Sell the electronics.. not worth the haste with transformer The care will be taxed heavily.. 100% I think Scan the pictures from the photo album onto a cd and keep that. store the album somewheres in your home county for generations to come. Antiques will crack in the humidity and the temp difference. give them to loved ones. keep smiling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2001 Report Share Posted September 9, 2001 My advice would be to talk directly with your local Thai Embassy or Consualte General. With a major move like that you'd hate to have an unplesant suprise upon arriving in the LOS... I've dealt extensively with the Thai Embassy in Wash DC and the Consualte General in LA & Honolulu and found them to be very helpful and accurate.. --UPSer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 9, 2001 Report Share Posted September 9, 2001 I relocated to BKK from MN, USA in July 2000. Here's my two satang: Importing belongings into LOS is an art, not a science. The way to proceed is to first identify/locate a good freight forwarder here at the LOS end. It is the execution at the Thai end that will determine import duties. The Customs Department in Thailand is extremely corrupt, and does not subjugate itself to any other Thai government entities - including immigration, police, labor office etc. Customs does what it wants, to the benefit of the folks at Customs. But Customs does form alliances with freight forwarders. So, you need to get a freight forwarder who has cultivated "their" team within the Customs office. The result will be something like this: Your household goods can await the normal clearance process, which will take 25 days. Or, if you pay a 7,500 baht expedite fee,it can move through in three days. Up to you. If you prefer, all goods can be logically classified into respective duty categories, and taxed accordingly. Or, for an "off the record" fee of 10,000 baht, it can all be grouped under the category of goods that has the lowest import duty, which you then pay. I.e. the antiques, computers, DVD collection, etc - will all be classified as "furniture". A good forwarder will add it all up and give you an estimate good to about the closest 1,000 baht. You then give them the "grease" money up front, to grease the rails. Personally, I had a GREAT experience with an international freight forwarding company called Translink. The telling moment for me came at the very end, when the customer service rep handling my move handed me an envelope with about 900 baht in it - representing the "grease" money I had paid up front that was in excess of what they actually paid out. She also refused the 500 baht "tip" that I offered her from that amount. I presume she made less than 500 baht per day salary, so this was no small point in my eyes. About a month after I settled in, Translink arranged a Saturday family event at the Samphan Elephant Grounds west of BKK. Families of new arrivals met at the Translink office parking area off Rama IV road on a Sauturday morning, and they loaded everone onto a bus and headed off to the park. Nice buffet lunch, then about four hours of family entertainment - elephants and crocodiles. The whole thing was at no cost to families. All for good PR. Contact them at relocation@translink.co.th I have no personal connection to that organization. Good luck. Cheers! Bangkok Butterfly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummigut Posted September 11, 2001 Report Share Posted September 11, 2001 I also recommend Translink. If you would like the name of the person who helped me there, send me an email. <<burp>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2001 Report Share Posted September 13, 2001 Good advice from peesooahbkk, I wish I'd had that contact a year ago. I can only add, carry as many small items, such as cds, vcds, dvds, cameras etc with you on the flight. There is little chance of a personal bag inspection on arrival and do NOT declare any electrical kitchen items. You will get hit for duty, big time..... I did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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