What are the recommendations for international moving companies from France to Thailand?

All you will get is people telling you not to do it - ditch things you've moved around with all your life and buy new ones in Thailand. Its actually not that difficult but you should of course find out what the cost of replacing those items in Thailand would be and the quality of the items available. Once you’ve sorted that you need to get a quote from a shipping company and they can vary greatly – it depends on how much work, if any, you are prepared to do yourself. I can give you a few pointers as I’m in the middle of going through the same thing myself.

If you want someone to pack everything and handle every aspect then its going to cost you a fortune. There are other methods with different amount of input by yourself. You can do a lot of research on what’s involved and the cost – yourself, online. As there are so many variables and different ways to do things, I’ll just list the main items you need to be aware of:

• The cost of shipping from your home which will vary according to whether you want a full service or partial DIY and the type/size of container. There are 10ft, 20ft & 40ft containers + an option to share a container

• The cost of insurance

• Port charges upon arrival – there are several

• ‘Customs duty’

• Shipping from the port of entry to your home in Thailand

Customs ‘duty’ is a real concern – I hope you understand why I put ‘customs duty’ in inverted commas. If you don’t – sorry but I cannot give a complete explanation for fear of falling foul of the law.

What I will say is that certain classes of entrant are supposed to be able to bring their personal possessions and furniture into Thailand free of duty subject to limits on type and quantity – others have to pay duty. The reality can be very different.

Two Thai shipping agents have told me that whether I qualify for duty free or not, customs are looking for ‘payment’. Currently for my goods that ‘payment’ would be around 20,000 baht with a work permit and 30,000 without. Some of my goods are not classed as duty free – some are (with the correct entry classification). Note, that is only the 'duty' - it doesn't include the port charges.

You can of course dispute those charges but what will happen is that a case will be opened, your shipment will be held and you will be charged storage fees until the dispute is settled. It is then very likely that the storage charges will be more than the duty you would have paid. In addition, the vast majority of containers go un-opened – random checks are the norm. If you raise a dispute you are guaranteed to have a full inspection so you will have to list every plate and spoon! Unlisted items create reasons for a longer storage period – perhaps you are beginning to get the idea? I’ve heard several stories about containers being held at the port for months. The shipping company are also likely to charge you for container rental for that period.

If you opt for a DIY method you need to find a good shipping agent to handle the Thai side of the job who has good ‘connections’. They will be able to avoid all of that, agree a figure for ‘duty’ and generally ensure that things run smoothly. Its really not that difficult – thousands of containers arrive in Thailand every day without a problem but it seems these ‘personal’ imports are seen as a ‘cash cow’ by a certain sector. If you try to avoid that - you are guaranteed trouble.

If I go ahead I will be doing a DIY job. The UK shipping agent sends a 20ft container to my home in the UK. They leave it there for 3 hours whilst I load it. The truck returns and my container is on its way to Thailand. The cost for that part only is £1500 – there is no VAT. However, they don't handle the Thai side of things - I need to find an agent myself. That price has gone up by £400 - it was £1100 before Trumps war.

I will not be going ahead with the Bangkok shipping agent I first talked to about this as just about every discussion I’ve had with them has resulted in an additional charge being found. What I need is a full and final quote. I think I may have found someone who can do that for me.

Unlike some, I fully understand anyone’s desire to bring their possessions in with them. I’ve had some of my tools since I was an apprentice for example. Other items include family heirlooms and things I just don’t want to part with. I repeat, bringing a container into Thailand should not be a difficult task – a good agent is the key.

Customs can be problematic

I'll be the first if many... Don't do it!