relocation advice

[LAnative]

I'm new to this so please be patient. This has likely been answered somewhere in the past entries but I don't know where to look.
I'm planning retirement in early 2010 to HH and need advice on what to bring, what is taxed (like importing vitamins)and some of the logistics of moving stuff. How does one ship their things when one doesn't yet have an address to ship to?
Also any recommendations on trustworthy real estate agents? Any help is more than the books provide.

Thanx in advance
LA native

[brianks]

When I moved to Thailand a year and a half ago, I just sent (via postal) some clothes and a very few things I wanted to keep with me. I am sure you could obtain an address to send to if only to a Realtor your working with here. Lots of good ones that advertise here on the forum. Recommend leasing for 6 months to a year before purchasing. Don't worry about vitamins and other supplements. Just bring a big supply so you don't have to replenish expensively often.

As far as "things" go (like furniture and other accumulated baggage you think you can't live without), I soon figured out that they were only things and I didn't have to have them. The really important "things" in my life were the relationships I had formed with so many people. Sell, give away or donate that baggage and start over here. It was and still is fun to have started over again.

I moved here from the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles area. Where are you from?

[hhfarang]

On the totally other side of the spectrum we shipped a full 40 foot container of furnishings and personal belongings. It was very expensive to ship but we brought items that weren't readily available at that time. Now, things have changed and most things, even western style furniture are available in Bangkok if not in Hua Hin. (My wife was a returning Thai so we did not have to pay duty, which may be a consideration in what you decide to ship).

It really depends on what you have that you are really attached to and cannot live without. Anything from a container like we did to an extra large suitcase or a small separate air shipment could be right for you.

You only mentioned vitamins... what else are you worried about shipping that has personal value to you or that you think you cannot get here?

Answer that and I'm sure you will get better answers here...

[Nereus]

I'm new to this so please be patient. This has likely been answered somewhere in the past entries but I don't know where to look.
I'm planning retirement in early 2010 to HH and need advice on what to bring, what is taxed (like importing vitamins)and some of the logistics of moving stuff. How does one ship their things when one doesn't yet have an address to ship to?
Also any recommendations on trustworthy real estate agents? Any help is more than the books provide.

Thanx in advance
LA native

For the Customs duty you need to consider the type of visa you are going to obtain. If you are going to retire there is a way that you can bring personal effects in duty free if done within 6 months.

You will have to use a local (Bangkok) shipping agent, to be able to ship anything, and they will be your address until you have a more permanent one. There are several International Shipping Agents with branches in Thailand.

[pitsch]

Here you find all information on Thai Customs:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/indexEng.jsp

Under Houesehold Effects it says:
Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1)

So for retirement you are not tax-free!

I found it rather expensive and troublesome to ship a container, so I sent several post parcels (up to 30kg) and bought all the furniture in Thailand.

[Nereus]

That's a good link you have given. But, like many other things here it is not clear.

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 requirements 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 ........

It may have changed, but the information that I have was valid just a couple of months ago.

[margaretcarnes]

I had a really good time doing car boot sales before moving to Thailand, and despite going back to my country of origin again 5 years later haven't regretted the 'clearance' at all. Moving to another country is a good opportunity to really evaluate what you need!
I did ship a very small box of precious items. About 30 Kg. And despite having an address in Thailand for it, it was held by customs in Bangkok who demanded a fee far in excess of the original shipping cost.
Many expats have shipped containerloads of furniture and household goods, and I can understand peoples reluctance to part with their belongings. It is daunting to move abroad, and familiar items can be a comfort. But there is really nothing you need at home that you can't get in LOS.
With 2 possible exceptions. Availability and cost of prescription medicines needs to be checked, and you won't get a half decent gas cooker in LOS!
Vitamins are pretty much the same with Centrum being one of the big sellers in LOS.

[pitsch]

Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1)

I agree it is not clear, but this note was already there 2 years ago, when I started to move to Thailand.
So with this formulation the customs officer is free to charge tax or not to charge tax, just as he likes.

[Big Boy]

This may be a stupid question, but certainly one I'm interested in knowing the answer to.
Margaret wrote:

you won't get a half decent gas cooker in LOS!

If when we eventually relocate to Thailand, we bring our gas cooker, is there a readily available gas supply to connect it to?

[dtaai-maai]

This may be a stupid question, but certainly one I'm interested in knowing the answer to.
Margaret wrote:

you won't get a half decent gas cooker in LOS!

If when we eventually relocate to Thailand, we bring our gas cooker, is there a readily available gas supply to connect it to?

Yep, it comes in those big gas bottles you'll have seen everywhere!

There's actually no problem with that, BB (we have a cheap but serviceable Sanyo cooker bought from Pi Keung, or Big Chang whatever it's called (almost opposite Market Village) for 5-6,000 baht a couple of years ago.

We don't use it very often, so a big gas bottle lasts for months, but it's still a good idea to keep a replacement bottle on hand, as it only ever runs out when your leg of lamb is half done!

Our gas bottle slots in under the sink next to the cooker, but I've seen a house where they drilled a hole through the wall for the rubber tube and kept the bottle outside.

[hhfarang]

This may be an English/English translation problem.

Mags, It seems to me you are talking about what we Americans call a BBQ grill or a standalone gas cooker that you keep outside (usually portable on wheels but can be built in on a patio).

I think Dtaai-maai is talking about a gas cooktop in the kitchen.

Both types in every quality are available here but you pay three times the price for a similar BBQ grill here than in Florida. That is something I wish I had shipped but thought they would be cheap here.

The kitchen counter top type come in cheap Thai/Chinese brands all the way up to what we have from HomePro which is from an Italian company and has 4 gas burners in varying sizes and one electric one in case you run out of gas in the middle of a meal.

Or are we talking about a completely (third) different type of gas cooker?

[Big Boy]

Thanks for that dtaai-maai

Another stupid question I suppose Would a UK gas cooker work by simply connecting it to one of those bottles, or would it need some conversion?

[Nereus]

Thanks for that dtaai-maai

Another stupid question I suppose Would a UK gas cooker work by simply connecting it to one of those bottles, or would it need some conversion?

"Simply connecting " it may be a problem. Cooking gas is LPG, a mixture of Propane and Butane, and can vary in ratio in different countries and climates. The orifice size of the burner nozzle can also vary, which will affect the combustion process as it is mixed with air.

The actual "connection" fittings could be different, but could probably be changed. I doubt very much if it would be worthwhile shipping an appliance from the UK, given the vast range now available in Thailand.

[Big Boy]

Thanks Nereus,

Your answer fills in the knowledge gap nicely

[dtaai-maai]

This may be an English/English translation problem.


Or are we talking about a completely (third) different type of gas cooker?

It may well be, but I think the confusion is with you rather than Mags!

When we talk about a cooker in the UK we mean an oven with 4 rings on top (either gas or electricity), usually with a grill either above the rings or in the top of the oven.

Nereus, I don't know nuffink abaht the type or mixture of gas, but the fitting itself shouldn't be a problem. The nozzle is tapered on both Thai and UK cookers and should be perfectly OK with a ring-clip. Having said that, I dread to think how much it would cost to ship a cooker over here from the UK!

The very basic cooker we have has only 3 gas rings and no grill, and only the most primitive of temperature indicators (low, medium, hot...), but you can buy oven thermometers here which tell you the exact temperature. And I don't think the door is sealed well enough to make it as efficient as it should be. But we only use to roast meat and heat up stuff that tastes better heated in an oven than in a microwave. If you're a specialist and like baking, etc. (mags x) you probably wouldn't like our cooker, but I'm pretty sure you can get something that will 'do'. There are quite a lot of electric ring/oven/grill combinations that seem to keep the customer satisfied, but I dare say they cost a bit more than 5,000 baht...