I am currently in the process of moving myself to Thailand, having spent winters there for more than ten years.

I have managed the purchase of a small house (on leasehold land) and am getting an O-A Retirement Visa (done this once before, and am in contact with the consulate-general, so no problem there).

However, as this move is more than my usual winter sojourn, I am shipping a small quantity of personal effects - books, clothing, glassware, DVDs, photos, prints, paintings, documents, etc. All personal stuff, used and in my possession for a number of years. Nothing prohibited or nasty at all.

The total comes to about 15 boxes, for a total of less than one cubic meter. I've organized the shipping from this end, and it should arrive in Thailand (Klong Toey? Samut Prakan?) about a month after I arrive at Suvarnabhumi.

Any advice as to how I can smooth the process of clearing my stuff through Thai Customs? Any forms I can download and complete beforehand? Something I can do at the airport when I arrive, in preparation for my shipment?

Advice much appreciated. I'm sure many other expats have already been through the process.

hello u should use a company that ships door to door service they will cost a litle more but are more reliable. and can answer more questions about import duties for u. There are many companies that deal with this

Could not agree more.

A customs officer will want to see a contents list.
Supply a copy of your retirement visa to the person clearing your property.
Customs will want to see it.
On the day of inspection, do try to be present, allow a full day.

I would bring your CDs with you.

It's the luck of the draw, 9 years ago i had 412kgs and got ripped for 22,000bt by using a 'fixer' recc by a Kiwi.

Never again!

This time 450kgs using Thai Airways and a friend who spoke fluent Thai, 3,700bt, & no "fixer".

The words "Personal effects" means "Cash cow" to most customs officers. I'm not kidding.

If duty is asessed (sp) at a high & unreasonable amount, insist on a numbered, official receipt before handing over your cash.



If the Officer is having a bad hair day....... look out!

Good luck!

This post has been edited by GungaDin: 2009-08-14 12:47:53

Thanks, GungaDin,

I'm not carrying CDs at all - I've got them digitized. But I will have a personal collection - quite small really - of DVDs. They'll be in boxes, same as the rest of the stuff.

My stuff is coming in by ship, so not Thai Airways at all. It will be just under one cubic meter, and not more than maybe 200 kg.

I guess I'll just have to wait until I'm informed that it's arrived at Kong Tooey and then plan to spend the day there trying to get it. I'll do it myself and have my passport with retirement visa in it, maybe house purchase documents for address, everything I can have to show I'm really there for a long time.

The thing that does worry me, is "The words "Personal effects" means "Cash cow" to most customs officers. I'm not kidding."

And it's difficult to label it anything else, as that's what it is - clothing, kitchenware, books, photos, documents, prints, etc.

As everything is used and has been in my possession for years, I'm rather hoping there's no duty assessed on it all. No reason for it, other than what you've suggested above.

And I will follow your suggestion about an official receipt if I'm asked for a payment. That might slow up a tea money route.

I was wondering about a Thai company to retrieve my things from Thai Customs and bring them to me in Ban Phe, a small town about 25 km from Rayong. But I guess I can arrange a small pickup truck and figure out how to do it myself - I'll plan on a full day, anyway.

Recommendations:

At this end, receiving into Bangkok and forwarding to my home on the Gulf, I used:

United Relocations:

www.united-relo.com

United Relocations (Thailand) Co. Ltd
360/21-22 Moo-Ban Sri Krung,
Rama III Road, Yannawa
Bangkok 10120, Thailand

Tel: 02 285 3974/5
Mobile: 08 9665 2050
Fax: 02 285 3976
Email: Stein Krakholm stein@united-relo.com

The Bangkok based office of this company is managed by Europeans.

and had excellent service. Stein responded to my queries, answered very clearly and specifically, including information about beverage costs, which I very much appreciated.

Highly recommend him and his firm for receiving goods into Thailand. If I was shipping anywhere, I'd ask him to see if we could organize it.

Unfortunately, I did not have him and United Relocations on the shipping end. That was a ferkin' disaster, and I got ripped off!

So, with the positive for United Relocations, I'll also include a negative for a company called Euro Transport (aka Internic Services) out of Montreal, Toronto, etc. and particularly Florida, USA.

I prepaid an estimated amount - they charged me twice but immediately refunded one charge. However, I was stuck with the difference in buying and selling rates of US dollars! They did promise me an eventual refund for this, but it never happened.

I delivered my boxes to them and they were simply stacked on a pallet; I had measured it all but without appropriate stacking, they apparently remeasured and increased the volume by 40%. i.e. increased charges

Just a few days before my shipment was to arrive in Bangkok, and I had been crying for their Bill of Lading so it could be released here, they sent me another invoice, increasing the fee again.

Ever felt you're over a barrel with your naked butt stuck up in the air?

And they even had a "clause" in the payment authorization saying "I Will not dispute thes charges neither with my bank nor credit card company." (Yes, that's exactly what it said.)

And they'd tossed in an additional 5% "service" charge.

I definitely felt that I'd been serviced, in the bovine sense!

But what choice did I have. Until I authorized that payment, Stein here in Bangkok would be left looking at my pallet and unable to do anything.

So, I signed it. However, I added a small notation, that it was "Coerced." I had not signed it voluntarily!

I have been in contact with my credit card company, and the only thing they can credit me for is the unpaid refund. They say that the rest of it is a matter for the police, although they didn't specify which police - Thai, Canadian, Montreal, Interpol?

So, for the matter of about a hundred and a half dollars, my real recourse is to members of ThaiVisa, who move or know people who do. Take close note of that name: Euro Transport, Internic Services, and pass it around as one to avoid!


To finish on a positive note again, Stein Krakholm and United Relocations are highly recommended by me. If anyone wants further information, please don't hesitate to PM.

An additional advise: BEFORE you ship make photos of everything. Not piece by piece, just these are the glasses, these are the books, this big box are the condoms, this small box are the narcotics etc etc and a packing list. Which items are in which box.

I know a very good company that competes very well on price and logistics with all the big companies like DHL, FedEx, TNT etc.

Kangaroo International, 1 David Rd, Colnbrook, London. They have an agent in BKK. See www.superoo.com

Try their courier division, or Kangaroo World Cargo. Ask for a rate.

I shipped 3 boxes (each about 1 cubic meter) from the UK about 5 years ago. I used a company called 'Voovit' and the boxes of clothes and other miscellaneous used items arrived at a condo in Bkk without issue.

I dont really have a reply to JusMe but to point out that I shipped a number of personnel electronic items into Thailand this year, I,m not Thai but my wife is, and as she had been living outside of Thailand for more than 12 months we payed no duty on these goods, all other stuff like photos , clothes, kids stuff were no problem .
We used KC Dat ( Asian Tigers) to ship it all and , although it was rather exspensive, it was door to door without any hassle of messing about with customs and the like our selves.
I would,nt bother shipping electrical belongings again though. Its not really worth the cost, unless you have something very unique that is.

I just came here in late May and am on a retirement extension. I worked through a legal company here for the "retirement visa". They advertise that in that situation you can ship your things duty-free, and that certainly worked for me (although virtually everyone in this forum said it was not true). However, let me be clear that you have 90 days (I think it was) from the first day of your "retirement visa" to receive your belongings duty-free. Before that window or after it, you probably pay duty.

On this end, I used Asian Tigers. Very highly recommended. If your goods come into Klong Toey, my understanding is that you will pay duty. The duty-free shipments (including mine) have to come in through another port, the name of which I have forgotten, and they needed my actual passport and visa to process.

Another thing to consider is never shipping anything and bring your stuff over maybe several trips International oversized, overweight and excess baggage as on United Airlines. Maybe just a wave at the Green Channel at Suvarnabhumi as far as Customs...

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52909,00.html

Yes I agree with you on United Re-locations and Stein Very good service and Highly recommended.Good luck