Answered5 months ago
Should expats in Thailand ship their furniture or start fresh by selling everything?
When people have relocated to Thailand, did you ship furniture or just sell and start again?
Answer summary
The conversation revolves around whether expats should ship their furniture when relocating to Thailand or sell everything and start fresh. Insights shared include that many expats choose to sell their belongings and travel light, finding it liberating. Some note that shipping can be expensive and complicated, often due to Customs regulations. Participants frequently mention that rented apartments and houses in Thailand are typically furnished, making it easier and cheaper to buy new items. Personal experiences highlight the diverse approaches, with some opting to ship belongings while others strongly advise against it for reasons of cost and practicality.
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Marcine ******
Im going to ship my Black History Paintings only.Selling and or donating everything !
ConfidentP**********
Sold everything. The shipping cost and import fees were higher than the value of my used property.
MNathalie *********
Condos and often house comes with furniture.. anyway.
Bill ********
I shipped a 20 foot container, worked out the cost to replace what I wanted to bring against the container cost, would have cost me 4 times the price of the container to replace the items. Things like, tools, clothes, electrical goods, some furniture, HiFi speakers and lots of other stuff.
Jean-yves **********
J'ai vendu ma maison en France avec tout ce qu'il y avait dedans, meubles tv frigo etc.....et j'ai acheté une maison en Thaïlande presque entièrement meublé.
Karen ********
Sold all furniture and sent over 5 boxes by sea, looking back probably would have only been 2 boxes!
Marcel ********
cell most rentals are furnished
Gerie ******
Sold and started again. Except for my computers and music keyboards
Todd ********
Sell. Buy new. Plenty of options in retail and online
Michael *********
We sold everything & started over. Much cheaper than shipping
Mike *******
I am married to a Thai so we were able to ship a 40 foot container over here duty free. But if I had to do it again I would just purchase everything new in Thailand. A lot of the things we shipped are still in boxes.
Barath *******
Sold mostly on FB Market 🇨🇦 some in apartment storage, just packing clothing and personal items 6-7 luggage.
Adam **********
1 suitcase each and start again
Paul **********
You only get about a 6 month window to shipping otherwise its liable for import duty, probably easier to sell and start again. I have far less junk here than had back home
Dennis **********
My wife is Thai and because of that we don't have to pay import taxes. We are moving there in a year and will be shipping two 40-ft containers. We've been buying everything we think we might need because of the quality differences from America to Thailand
Person ****************
Shipping is so expensive. I started out wanting to, but I gave up. You may as well start over. Plus Western furniture is not really up to task for Thailand. THe heat, the humidity. IT's why so much furniture is solid, polished wood or metal.
Daren ********
Person Person Person So you are saying furniture from Florida wouldn't be good in Thailand? Ridiculous.
Person ****************
Daren Liebig Did you just come here to argue?
Kerry *******
Up to you😏
Marcus ********
Just went and bought furniture.
Tai ******
Sell that stuff
Paddy *****
Not cost effective.
Heather ********
I had only a carry-on. Sold everything else. You can buy stuff here. :)
Simon *********
I shipped some stuff from Saudi, but the cost of shipping was more than the value of the items...
If you are married to a Thai and your spouse is moving with you, you don't get taxed, otherwise you can get stung for upto 200% import tax
If you are married to a Thai and your spouse is moving with you, you don't get taxed, otherwise you can get stung for upto 200% import tax
Martin *********
Yes.
Alton *********
After years of hording I gave away every thing I could, family too busy to come pick over thousands of dollars of stuff I left it all behind and became a minimalist and don't regret it. Sometimes your stuff becomes the anchor holding you down.
Steve *********
Shipped it, but in reality, the cost was more, than you could buy from here , just bring personal items ,
Lee ********
my plan says leave in three years. I started to sell my shit already
Martin ********
Tim. I'm sure you can make your own decision.
Priya **********
shipping was a nightmare but I have moved many times and having my treasures around me helps me to settle in a new place. I have a lot of statues and Indian furniture plus my own art. I enjoy them every day especially since I am
quite home bound.
quite home bound.
Lindsay *******
I was paying for a storage facility in Australia. I bought a 20 ft container, emptied the storage and added other bits and pieces. Import process in the hands of the logistics company. As content was 'used' fees were low. The container is on our home block. I added a roof using some left overs we used on the house.
Bill *********
Neither option. The condo I rent here is fully furnished so no need to get anything. And absolutely did not sell anything in my home country because what will I have to sit on, to sleep on, to drive, etc. when I go back for my visits?
Sam *******
Bill *********
Sam Lewis Correct, I do. I think everyone who relocates to Thailand, unless they have already spent a significant amount of time there, should do a probationary stay of 1 year. If things don't work out as anticipated, going back to your home country and starting all over again with getting a place to live, a car, and so on would be extremely challenging. So keep a backup plan.
Dave *********
Tart again plenty of choice and cheap enough
Terry ***********
Yes, I will be moving to Thailand soon as I’ve purchased a property over there. I found out about maybe shipping all my stuff over in a container I’ve got quoted over. 5k About
****
weeks Delivery. So reading all these comments, I think I should sell everything and buy everything over there
John *******
We shipped a 40" shipping container from Australia to Thailand, door to door service. The whole process couldn't have been easier. Shipped using Thai wife's name.
John **********
Any form of importation is a nightmare, particularly as an individual. The import value and levy will be an exclusive arbitrary decision of the customs officer, the only constant will be the 7% Vat applied post value assessment, so good luck!!
John *********
Sold it all and just had carry on.
Danny *******
We shipped a lot of furniture, equipment and personal effects but I probably would not do it again.
IndigoG********
Sell, give away, embrace minimlism
David *******
Start again
Michael ********
12 years ago my company paid around 6000€ for a large container from Europe to Thailand (One container). It took around 3 months to get all. Now we will leave Thailand next year, and my company pays again for all the shipment to Europe. But know it's 3 large container including furniture.🤣😉 For each large container there pay around
*****
€ including tax and the shipping transport to the port and from the port.
Todd *********
sell absolutely everything. I bought an 18 kg suitcase. More than enough
David *********
Started fresh, brought 4 suitcases & my dog. Perfect for me!
Julian *******
we shipped a 40ft container full of everything including appliances etc. cost was far less than buying inferior brands here. but we did put it in my wife’s name so we didn’t pay customs taxes fees and bribes. i’m from the uk. shipping company packed everything in london and unpacked everything in thailand.
Stuart ***********
I think this is a very individual thing as only you know if you have some things that are irreplaceable. I don't mean this to be a snarky comment, but if you are planning on moving here permanently, surely part of that process is to kind of say goodbye to your old life and belongings? That's how I felt, so I sold and gave to charity, arriving in Thailand with just a large suitcase of clothes.
Stephen *******
I just sent books, cds, and clothes. I was married and we were having a house built.
Andrew ***********
Start again. Get free of it. It's just stuff.
Mat *********
Start new
Tomas *********
Shipped a 20ft container, 29.5 qubic meter, payed by my company at that time.
Matthew ************
Old hampers new beginnings. Start a fresh chapter.
Wolf ******
New life, new start 🙏.
I came with 2 luggages and at the end 1 was largely enough. Apartments an villa are rented with furniture and if you need something, it's much more cheaper here.
I came with 2 luggages and at the end 1 was largely enough. Apartments an villa are rented with furniture and if you need something, it's much more cheaper here.
James *********
It hurt me at first, but I donated the majority of my "stuff" after a few weeks of the painful, and time consuming process of trying to sell everything. I traveled here with 4 suitcases, one packed with clothes, one with medicines & medical equipment, one with gifts for wife and family, and lastly, one with my Nobel Prize and other Awards I've received over my lifetime, (😂).
4 years in I'm still a little pained that I didn't bring some things, especially artwork and my library of books. Give it a lot of thought and choose what you really need 🙏😊
4 years in I'm still a little pained that I didn't bring some things, especially artwork and my library of books. Give it a lot of thought and choose what you really need 🙏😊
Darren ******
Storage if you have quality belongings if you can afford it.
Dave ********
Sell or throw away. And buy new here
Wayne ********
Just a suit case full of clothes
Anna ****
We shipped only personal items and books. All the other things we sold or gave away. Came here only with 1 suitcase and 1 laptop each.
Hayley ******
I gave stuff away, threw stuff away, sold stuff and put some into storage!! I had a lot of “stuff” 😅 haha
I came to Thailand with Just two suitcases and it feels so amazing and light not having so so many belongings…
I came to Thailand with Just two suitcases and it feels so amazing and light not having so so many belongings…
Philip ******
Hayley Bult how long have you lived in Thailand?
Dave ********
Have had quotes based on my container from Australia of around $
*****
AUD still thinking about because I can furnish the house twice over for that price, think I’ll just ship boxes or bring in a suitcase every time I travel thereTomas *********
Dave Sutton not that bad, I paid around 9000 euros from Sweden to Thailand. Door to door. Packing an unpacking. Custom fee, if there was any i don't know, personal belongings probably no tax. 20ft container.
Steve ***************
Neither, I have retained ownership of my farmhouse in France and return for three months each European summer when it's the rainy season in Thailand
Matt ********
I shipped all my main items of household furniture, beds, tables, sofa, chairs, TV, sound system etc, plus some personal items using AngloPacific last year. I wish I hadn't brought any furniture as most rentals and villas are already fully furnished, and it would have been cheaper and easier to start from scratch over here. It was about £6000, plus £2000 insurance and £1000 import tax.
Kylie ********
Yes shipping is a nightmare, not furniture but we shipped personal items/memorabilia etc. it’s been 4.5 months and finally have a delivery date of this Monday and a tax of 32,000 baht 😅
Ray **********
Shipped a 20 ft container with household items.Didn’t need to pay tax on the contents because my Thai wife was returning to Thailand as far as the Thai officials knew everything was hers.
John ********
Ray Peterson What kind of cost is it for that much stuff?
Julian *******
Ray Peterson same for us
Campbell **********
Ray Peterson did you buy the container or hire it for shipping?
Ray **********
Campbell Morrison I hired it for shipping,20 years ago,the price delivered to our door $1500 American
Kelly ********
Ray Peterson same here. 20' container. Zero duty.
John *******
Ray Peterson Same for us. My wife owned a house here. It was straightforward.
Ant ***********
Hell No
Logistically painful & expensive
Detach yourself / sell or give to family or storage
Many places here come furnished and or can buy easily
Logistically painful & expensive
Detach yourself / sell or give to family or storage
Many places here come furnished and or can buy easily
Ken *******
I sold and gave away everything before coming here..I shipped a lot of clothes in 3 x 30kg boxes they are still hanging in the cupboard never worn..too hot to wear western clothes..shouldn't have bothered really.
Wez ***********
Ken Hulme we,done the same, maxed the amount we could bring on the plane, 4x20kg checked bags, 4x7kg carry on and shipped over 3x30kg boxes, sold or gave away the rest, what we sold covered the Airfares and shipping cost, but in hindsight we should've donated another 20kg , the heavier clothes that I had from Australia, I've packed away in one of the cases in case I need to go back for a visit, cold in Melbourne lol.
Positive********
You better buy everything when here, the import process is complex, usually requires an agent and taxes are high even on personal belongings.
Paul *******
PositiveLynx7934 What taxes?
Positive********
Paul Jones Import taxes
Alan *********
Shipping can be a nightmare, everything has to pass through Customs who will be looking to tax you on the value of your goods.
Paul *******
Alan Freeman if you have a visa your goods are tax free
Ian ********
Alan Freeman nope
Alan *********
Ian Harley we used DHL goods were stuck in customs (daily storage charge) until we went to their office in BKK to sort everything out.
Jon ********
Everything is replaceable if it’s not a collectible
Mary ********
Sold everything and moved here with just carry on luggage. LOL Never felt so free in my life.
Alan **********
Mary Gerber if you do send your furniture and other stuff be prepared for a hefty import tax, I came here from china and sent 2 boxes clothes, electric fan, printer, wifi router etc nothing out of the ordinary and got charged 1700 baht that was in 2016 so probably more now. I wouldnt do it again unless they are tools. Even so tools are cheap enough to buy here
Mary ********
Alan Turnbull I looked into all the different angles before I moved here and made the wise decision to simply get rid of everything but my lightest clothing and the things I thought I could not live without. I packed my bags a couple months ahead of time of what I thought I would need and started out with two suitcases and a carry on. Every few days I would open it up and reassess and remove a thing or two and in the end when the time came I had one small carry on suit case, a lap top bag, a lap top with digitized photos of what was sentimental items and scans of photo albums etc. and no checked luggage. I sold, gave away, donated and threw away everything. This was going on 4 years ago. I still had things I brought that I have never needed here. Everything here is cheaper than shipping it. And I got new things rather than old things. For less.Things that are more suitable for the climate and lifestyle here. I would have never even considered to ship furniture - my goal was to be free - not hang onto things. I have not regretted it once since arriving.
Avi ******
Mary Gerber That's exactly what I did. It was great.
Peter *********
Mary Gerber same here arrived with 2 suitcases for clothes, most of which I haven't worn. Yes it's a freeing feeling yet there's stuff I wish I had brought with me
Mary ********
Peter Barbano I literally came over with only a carry on - I did not ship anything. Let go of all the sentimental stuff (took photos of them - digitized all the photos etc.) The only thing I miss is my old fashioned enamel roasting pan with the lid lol everything else I replaced (for less than what I sold my old stuff for!) or figured out how to live without. Only been here 3 years, who knows, maybe eventually I will miss stuff?
Chris **********
Mary Gerber absolutely 🙏
Michael *******
Start again
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