What should I consider before shipping household goods from the US to Thailand?

Shipping household goods Thailand customs regulations Import duties Thailand Personal effects Partial container shipping Container shipping costs International moving Expat shipping experiences

Dec 12, 2021

3 years ago

Tony ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

I am thinking of shipping a partial container of household goods etc from the US to Thailand.

I have two homes but moving to the Thai one permanently.

Has anyone had any experience with this?  Good or bad.  Please let me know.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

When considering shipping household goods from the US to Thailand, it's important to be aware of potential customs duties on your items, especially regarding personal belongings and electrical goods. Shipping costs have dramatically increased, so budgeting is crucial. Past experiences shared by others indicate it might be beneficial to ship under a Thai spouse's name after they've been out of Thailand for at least a year to avoid taxes on personal items. Using a shipping agent in nearby China may also help in minimizing duties. Overall, thorough planning and understanding of the shipping process are essential.

Nick ****************

Ship it through an Agent to China. Pay duty there yjen ship to Thailand. No duties on Chinese imports. You may be able to buy a container for around $800 and get Evergreen or Maersk to ship it for you on volume basis.

3 years ago

Andy ***********

Shipping prices have gone thru the roof . I have shipped 3 times to thailand . Did it my wifes name last 2 times . As long as sh has been out of thailand for 12 months them technically no duty on goods which are personal items … not same for electrics though … the customs will want some

Cash either way . We paid tea money but we only had clothes and personal items … best to avoid - i would not do it a 4th time …!

3 years ago

Niclas ***********

They sure do drink a lot of tea.

3 years ago

Reply to

Niclas ***********

Wilmont ******

Don’t know about how it’s done these days but when I moved here the wife and I went to the Thai Embassy in Los Angeles and they arranged our entire shipment of household goods. They told us that she being my Thai wife she could make one shipment and all we paid was by the cubic foot. We shipped half our home here that was ship able to the country.

3 years ago

Baron *********

Shipping is crazy high at the moment world wide. Maybe coming back to Asia it will be okay as containers have been stuck in US ports, but in general shipping rates have been around 5 times this year of what it usually is.

3 years ago

Garrett ***********

You'll have to pay tax on the value of the goods.

3 years ago

Robert *******

ship it in your wife’s name no taxes as said above go thru Thai embassy

3 years ago

Garrett ***********

@Rob***

Thais have to pay taxes on imported goods too.

3 years ago

Reply to

Garrett ***********

James *********

@Garrett **********

True that. Better to just buy what you need, once you arrive.

3 years ago

Tony ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Garrett **********

Yes that I am aware of.

Do you know who makes the valuation and what is the tax rat

3 years ago

Ryan ***********

@Tony *****

It is not worth your time and effort. Sell everything you can and repurchase in Thailand. Easily 10k from us to thailand....

3 years ago

Stuart *********

@Tony *****

Customs will make an assessment based on your bill of lading and charge you accordingly. You’d probably just want to pay what they say otherwise if you contest the amount they may well go through the container with a fine tooth comb and charge for everything.

3 years ago

Reply to

Stuart *********

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What is the cheapest way to ship personal belongings to Thailand?

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