Greetings from a newbie moving to Thailand, and a question

[JordanP]

Hello everyone, I'm Jordan. I just signed up for the forum, as I'll be moving to Chiang Mai in early June. Looking forward to being a part of this community. After more than 12 years of wanting to move to Thailand, and many trips there, I am finally about to take the plunge. I am in the process of organizing a massive amount of things here in preparation, all while working a demanding full-time job up until its time to give my two weeks notice. I'll be busy, that's for sure.

One of the hardest things is to figure out what to take and what not to take. I know, the best advice is take only what you need, but I still find myself badly wanting to arrive with more than just a suitcase or two worth of my stuff. To be sure, I am leaving behind the vast majority of my belongings, and I don't have to deal with furniture, etc., but I have a fair amount of clothes, electronics, specialized kitchen utensils (cast iron pan) and books I do not wish to live without for very long.

All of these things are important to me but I also know these are things that are either not available as cheaply or as high quality in Thailand as they are in the States, so I want to bring them with me. I hope to have to buy almost nothing in these categories while in Thailand.

The airlines charge a lot of money for heavy bags these days! Is shipping a box ahead of my arrival an option? Do any of you have any experience shipping things from the USA to Thailand and any idea of what this might cost?

My initial thinking is electronics stay with me, in my carry-on, to minimize risk of damage or high customs fees. I can manage that. But what about the other things? Books, clothes, kitchen utensils? Are these things I should ship and can do so without fear of loss or being hijacked for high duties at Customs?

I know I need to pack down to a minimum, but there is only so much I am wiling to leave behind . . . If anyone has any experience with or advice regarding shipping from the States, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,
Jordan

[DJ Pat]

Do a garage sale and get it all again once you get to Bangkok.

[rickschoppers]

Things I have found to be in limited supply in Thailand:

-Quality T-shits and good fitting shorts
-A good pair of shoes
-Quality kitchenware
-A good can opener
-Assorted how to books
-A nice looking sports car

Realistically, almost everything is available if you look hard enough in Thailand, but the above are things I have not been able to find. Tons and tons of electronics, so no worry there. Lots of furniture and household items.

You can probably leave most everything behind except for what is listed above. You can always ship through the post office or other shipping companies, but it is not cheap.

The biggest thing I miss are foods like pickles, avacado, good lemons, artichokes, salad dressings and a good steak. These probably can be found somewhere in Thailand for a price, but are not readily available.

Most of all come to Thailand with a lot of patience and a sense of humor.

Good Luck and Welcome to TD

[nigelandjan]

Welcome Jordan and all the best to your future mate .

Do you have any nice tools ?? if so I would bring them as its not easy to buy any quality tools here .

Basically any thing you can think of that you specifically need .

In my case I need trousers with at least a 58" waist but only 26'' inside leg now these are nigh on impossible to find amongst the little folk in Thailand allthough when I did enquire last time someone pointed me in the direction of a marquee company

[Dillinger]

The voltage in Thailand is 240 compared to your 110 in the states. You may need a transformer

[nigelandjan]

is it ^ I thought it was 220 ? but what do I know

[Loy Toy]

^^ Sound advice mate.

Warm clothes as Chiang Mai can be very cold in the winter and a decent respirator with replacement filters as the air quality turns badly when the villages start burning off.

Welcome and I hope everything goes well for you.

[JordanP]

Thank you all for the replies. Anyone have any idea what the actual shipping rates are from any particular company?

DJPat: great advice. Wish it would work for me! But the things I am taking can't be easily or cheaply replaced in BKK so better to bring what would miss most.

ricjschoppers: This basically confirms what I have found to be true on my visits (the last being 3 yrs ago). I will add a can opener to my pre-departure list. Yeah, the idea is basically kitchen tools that are more specialized, and higher quality kitchenware, is difficult or expensive to find. As are "how to" books, and clothes, as you mentioned. Those were the main categories of things I want to bring, and I have very little else. But I have 3 suitcases worth of that stuff. Ugh!

NigelandJan, Yeah, my tools are many, but the ones I would miss most are a Miu metal slotted spatula, a garlic press, a cast iron pan (man are those heavy), a high quality nonstick omelette pan (not the teflon always sold there), a mango splitter, (I heard despite all the mangoes consumed in Thailand, they don't have that), a milk frother, a high quality cheese grater, a meat thermometer (I still need degrees F to cook--lame I know). I would love to take my espresso machine, but alas, that does not seem realistic! :P In your case, I guess the pants have to come from a tailor and made custom to you?

Dillinger--definitely. I think I will just buy a transformer there sine they are too heavy to carry. Expensive?

Thank you LoyToy for also chiming in. I'm definitely packing pants and long sleeve + a jacket and maybe a sweater. I plan to leave for a few months during the burn.

Anyone else know anything about how expensive shipping is and how much risk in doing so?

Thanks again

[Necron99]

If you look around, there will be a Thai shipper who sends back (usually) student goods.
They will do 20 ft containers and job lot them until they are full. Cheaper than posting.
Whether you need to pay duty depends on your visa.
I shipped a full container, and in hindsight, I wish I had sold it all and bought new.

[beazalbob69]

I just moved from the states 3 months ago. I shipped two USPS if it fits boxes(free at most post offices) 12 x 12 x 5 1/2 they were almost $50 each so pretty expensive and they have a 20 lb weight limit to ship intl. One box was mostly tools and it weighed exactly 20 lbs. Other box has some kitchen stuff and electronic stuff. Just list it all as used stuff on the customs forms that way customs shouldn't be a problem.

I just sold everything I could on EBAY and Craigslist which was a lot of stuff. Had boxes of antique toys, comics, radio's, etc, and I gave away everything else to friends and family. It felt very good to unburden myself from crap I have been lugging around for 25 years. Now I can go wherever I want as I own almost nothing.

[FailSafe]

Check how much an extra bag is on your airline (the info will be on their website)- the last time I flew to BKK on Emirates, an additional bag weighing up to 70lbs (32kg) was $150, which was a much better deal than shipping stuff (and no customs hassles through the Thai post office).

[sranchito]

Welcome. Congrats on moving to CM. Still working on my way to Isaan.

As for electronics, many are dual voltage. Just gotta look at the power supply label.

Cold weather clothes will come in mighty handy. Not sure what your living arrangements may be but, I have AC. However, there is no heater except for the shower which won't keep you warm. Wife asked me to build a fire place. Problem with that would be the wood.

As a resource, this is a good place as any for advice. There are a few that will challenge the thickness of your skin. And, there are others that are very helpful. Won't take you long to see that.

All the best to you.

[aging one]

store the cast iron skillets. Letting mine and my moms passed down to me was a not a good thing. Then you can have them sent to you once you are set up in a proper house. It looks like from one southern or at least good cook to another.

[DJ Pat]

DJPat: great advice. Wish it would work for me! But the things I am taking can't be easily or cheaply replaced in BKK so better to bring what would miss most.

If you're talking high-end sound gear then try and put as much as possible into your baggage, wrapping in blankets into suitcases is a good idea which is what I did. Obviously you may well need to allow at least one decent sized box in the post, but that's no bother really compared to sending 5 or 6.

Most electric stuff has a switch on the back between 110 & 220, no problems at all.

Best of luck!

[RickThai]

Hi Jordan,

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your move to Thailand. From your list of "have to haves", it appears you are really into cooking. Thailand is a great place to increase your cooking skills. With a wide variety of fresh herbs, spices, and vegtables, you should have a lot of fun.

The one thing I would ship is a good quality mattress (with sheets that fit) and pillow(s). An entire bed with box springs and frame is even better.

As far as AC electronics, if you ship them be aware that Thailand is 220 volts 50 hz, so thing like stand mixers, etc, will not work properly (if at all). Laptops and other mobile electronics that come with a voltage regulator generally work with 220/110 and 50/60 hz without any problem (look on the power supply to make sure).

Be aware that many "expensive" items get stolen between the time you ship them and the time you open up the crate. For really expensive items, insurance is a must.

As far as clothes, generally a light fleece jacket and rain gear are nice to bring. If you plan on buying a scooter, bring a good quality helmet with visor.

Also, if you plan on learning to speak Thai, you can sometines get a better price on the language software in the US, then what you will have to pay for in Thailand.

Don't even think about importing a car or motorcycle. The import duty is about 100% (unless you have a Harley that you can't live without).

The best thing to bring is a great attitude and the pre-knowledge that Thailand is not like your country and the people do things differently (and have been for hundreds or thousands of years), so learn to go with the flow.

Chok Dee (Good Luck)!

RickThai

[Stumpy]

Jordan,
Firstly Welcome to TD.

What you want to bring will completely depend on your hobbies and passions IMHO.

For me it is/was;

Mechanic tools
Yard tools
Electric and cordless tools
Fishing gear
Motorcycle riding gear
Rain gear
Quality clothing and boots

The airlines charge a lot of money for heavy bags these days! Is shipping a box ahead of my arrival an option? Do any of you have any experience shipping things from the USA to Thailand and any idea of what this might cost?

Yes Airlines do charge a lot now for extra bags but still may be a cheaper alternative to shipping for a host of reasons the biggest being customs. Every trip I took on business, I brought an extra bag and left with friends. Limit is 70 lbs including the bag for most airlines

If anyone has any experience with or advice regarding shipping from the States, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

I have shipped many items both business related and personal. It is relatively expensive. There are many small Asian freight forwarders that can ship boxes of stuff that is cheaper then USPS. As for a cargo container they run about $5 to $6k for an 8 x 8 x 20 up to 7000 lbs. I will be shipping over stuff in this manner later this year.

I agree with other posters that you can find most things you will need or want in Thailand but the more specialized or unique to the US the cost will soar exponentially and of course the drive to go get them if you are not in BKK. I, like Beazelbob, was glad to shed myself of years of accumulated stuff some of which I had not used in years. Very refreshing in many regards and keeps you very mobile.

good Luck.

[Marmite the Dog]

Bring a bag of clothes and leave the rest behind/sell them.

You'll feel enlightened.

[peterb17]

Well having totally sold up / given away the contents of my house in London- its very refreshing- gone from antiques country house look to Italian leather/ glass/ chrome.
Sounds like you are a keen cook- I gave away about 50 cook books- I regret that- not so easy to replace.
If you make it down to Pattaya - there are some good cook shops here- and you can find most things- apart from Le Creuset cast iron- can get in Seoul!
Good luck- don't hang on to things- apart from a few really personal sentimental items.

[nigelandjan]

NigelandJan, Yeah, my tools are many, but the ones I would miss most are a Miu metal slotted spatula, a garlic press, a cast iron pan (man are those heavy), a high quality nonstick omelette pan (not the teflon always sold there), a mango splitter, (I heard despite all the mangoes consumed in Thailand, they don't have that), a milk frother, a high quality cheese grater, a meat thermometer (I still need degrees F to cook--lame I know). I would love to take my espresso machine, but alas, that does not seem realistic! :P In your case, I guess the pants have to come from a tailor and made custom to you?

Sounds like your a bit of a chef Jordan , we look forward to seeing some of your efforts posted in the kitchen thread once you get settled we also have the dinner + breakfast thread for the die hards .

As for my trousers they get made in an industrial warehouse where they usually make sails

[SEA Traveler]

I moved here from the States years ago and shipped a 20' container. Lots of goodies to make my life more comfortable but not a necessity.

Not knowing your status/situation other than the little you indicated, I'd suggest bringing your upmarket laptop, your "Tab" if you have one, your camera, some cloths if your larger than the normal Thai, a good pair of walking shoes and sandals, and some (a few) small/lightweight personal items that are meaningful to you. If you have any hobbies that require any special features you may want to consider bringing them.

There isn't much that you can't get here that you would want... at a cost.

The thought of bringing a respirator if living in CM is a reasonable suggestion.

I bring some special condiments from the States when visiting there but again almost anything you want can be acquired if looked for. Same same but different.

Enjoy and good luck on the move.

Welcome to the forum.

[nigelandjan]

I know the spelling police arnt welcome on here but this one made me chuckle ST

some cloths if your larger than the normal Thai,

Are you suggesting he has a bigger brow to mop ?

[DrAndy]

-A good can opener

why would you want to open a can? there is so much good fresh produce in Chaing Mai

In my case I need trousers with at least a 58" waist but only 26'' inside leg

I have saved that for later, Nige

Warm clothes as Chiang Mai can be very cold in the winter

yes, it went down to 15C this tear, frightening

Anyone else know anything about how expensive shipping is and how much risk in doing so?

no risk, but it can be expensive if the agent and customs think it should be

Bring a bag of clothes and leave the rest behind/sell them.

my feelings too; everything can be found; lots of secondhand stuff available from foreigners bringing their whole life with them then realising they didn't need most of it!

[rickschoppers]

^
I like to have a good tin of beans from time to time so that I can tell stories around the campfire like in the movie Blazing Saddles.

[Thormaturge]

Fishing gear

Good man, although you can get fishing gear here. As with hand tools, clothes, kitchen equipment and furniture it is a matter of knowing where to look.

Paperwork is the stuff I would recommend.

Driving licence - bring your US one and use it to get a Thai one PDQ.

Any qualifications you have, bring the original documentation with you as hand luggage.

[DrAndy]

^
I like to have a good tin of beans from time to time so that I can tell stories around the campfire like in the movie Blazing Saddles.

very suitable Smileys for beans!


make your own beans, either from fresh or dried

much tastier and you know exactly what you are eating