Moving to Thailand

[Big Boy]

I am working my way through the documentation to arrange shipment of our personal effects to Thailand. Everything is being shipped in my wife's name (repatriation to Thailand) . I have just come across a requirement that I cannot meet, and I'm hoping that there's somebody on here that has overcome it previously, and can advise a work around.

To qualify for repatriation, my wife has to provide:

- Copy of her Thai passport - no problem.

- A Copy of the Tabien Ban page showing her destination address - no problem (I hope - we will contact our landlady for a copy).

- Copy of the Tabien Ban showing her name - we are renting initially, and will buy later. This is a problem because my wife's name will not feature on the Tabien Ban.

My thoughts so far include:

- Maybe we can provide the Tabien Ban showing the address, together with a letter fro our landlady confirming that we are renting the property.

- Provide a copy of the Tabien Ban showing the address, and a copy of my wife's Tabien Ban showing her name (but a Ban Nong Seng address).

I don't think that we'll be the first ones to encounter this problem, and would appreciate advice on how others overcame the problem. Tie is getting short, so an early response is required please.

[PeteC]

"- Copy of the Tabien Ban showing her name - we are renting initially, and will buy later. This is a problem because my wife's name will not feature on the Tabien Ban."

Does she show on one from anywhere BB, even if she was taken off after she moved to the UK. They don't usually delete a name or issue a new book, just make notation that a person is no longer there. If she could come up with that old one even if not from the HH area, it may be enough. Pete

[Big Boy]

Yes, she has a Tabien Ban from Ban Nong Seng. I've checked her Tabien Ban, and the address appears on pages 1 and 2; and her name appears on pages 3 and 4. My idea is to use pages 1 and 2 from the actual Tabien Ban; and to use pages 3 and 4 from my wife's Tabien Ban.

[PeteC]

Thinking logically (a distinct danger here ) they can't expect someone to always move back to the same location/house they came from when returning from overseas. She wouldn't be in any new book because she's not there yet. I would think showing the new book as the destination, and the old book proving domicile somewhere in the past should be enough. Never having done it though, I can't guarantee it. Hopefully someone will post who has gone through it. Pete

PS: Your things will be in transit probably about 45 days+. If the landlord is agreeable that's more than enough time to get her name put into the new book before the goods arrive. We've done names in less than an hour where we are.

[Big Boy]

Unfortunately we're talking Thailand, and logic doesn't always prevail.

I thought that your PS was an excellent idea, but Mrs BB says there's no way that our landlady would agree to that without substantial funds changing hands - that isn't going to happen.

It's unfortunate, but I can't discuss with the shipping agent until the morning. I just thought that I'd try to get ahead of the game by asking how others have managed.

[PeteC]

Another thought is that customs have no idea where goods go after they're cleared and picked up by the trucking service. If big problems are anticipated with the structure as you explained in the OP, perhaps just use your wife's original house book and address as the destination. Then of course instruct the trucking company of the alternate destination. Pete

[Big Boy]

Cunning, but unfortunately every box is marked with the new address already - it would be a hell of a job to change at this stage. Each box has been marked with magic marker.

[hhfarang]

Big Boy, my wife is not available at the moment, but I'll ask her when she is and see if she remembers what we did. All I know is that it was no problem and we didn't even have a destination address when we shipped other than "Hua Hin". We stayed in a hotel for two or three weeks after we arrived while looking for a rental house.

We timed the shipment to arrive about a month after us so that we would be settled into a place for delivery by then. The receiving agent in Bangkok contacted us to let us know that our shipment would arrive a couple of weeks before it did and all we had to do was go there and provide a copy of my wife's passport and a delivery address. They (Hong Kong Transpac) took care of customs clearance and everything else on this end and the container was delivered to our rental home and unpacked (the parts we wanted unpacked) and set up in the rental or stored in a spare bedroom (we had set aside for that purpose) by the shipper.

[moja]

HHF is correct proof is only needed this end; the shippers in the UK could not really careless but they are obliged to tell what is required by Thai customs. Once the Thai end knows your goods are due they will contact you; it is then that all the documents are needed so you will have time to sort everything out. If the worst comes to the worst we only paid $500 duty for a 40 foot container so......

[bapak]

HHF is correct proof is only needed this end; the shippers in the UK could not really careless but they are obliged to tell what is required by Thai customs. Once the Thai end knows your goods are due they will contact you; it is then that all the documents are needed so you will have time to sort everything out. If the worst comes to the worst we only paid $500 duty for a 40 foot container so......

We shipped from Sydney about 3 years ago to Bangkok.
All we were asked for at this end was my wife's passport and where to deliver.
No drama at all from Thai Customs.

[hhfarang]

All I remember that we provided up front was a complete inventory of everything in the container. Ours wasn't even opened at customs. They broke the container seal in front of our rental house.

[Big Boy]

Thank you all very much for your input. Your advice as always has been spot on. I've been speaking to the shipping company this morning, and they have confirmed that their documentation is a little confusing, and the Tabien Ban requirement does not come in to play until the goods arrive at Bangkok - panic over

[kalbow]

For what it's worth, when I moved my gear here from Singapore 3 years ago my shipping agent in Singapore said they need to see a visa stamp in my passport before they could send (more a requirement from Thai customs). I told don't worry about it and just send the stuff.

I was told that I when my gear arrived I would need to go to BKK to show my passport to clear customs etc. As it turned out, when it arrived the customs agent rang me and told me that I should bring my passport etc for clearance, or I could just pay 10,000 Baht and it would all be delivered to my door within a couple of days. I did and it was, no problem, nothing opened, nothing checked.

Kalbow

[johnnymac]

BB.

We moved from the UK to Thailand last August - similar situation to yourself and everything in the missus' name.

My wife was on the Tabien Baan papers for her parent's house in Bueng Karn but our shipping address was to a friend in HH. We changed it en route to come to our rented house once we were here and there were no issues with Customs or the shippers.

Good luck with the move!

[Big Boy]

Thanks Johnny