What should I consider bringing or leaving behind when retiring to Thailand?

Have you visit Thailand before?

Do not ship wood furniture.

Mark Everything USED on every item in your inventory. If you purchase anything electronic remember it is 220volts here. Take a picture of everything shown in the top of your shipping boxes before they close it. Bury your expensive items deep in the shipping boxes.

If you want a top sheet on your bed you might just bring one. Sheet sets here include a fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases and 2 bolster cases. It's usually too warm for a blanket so I was hoping to find one and have been unsuccessful at all the places I see bedding being sold. I'm sure I could get online, but some things I want to feel before I buy

Going back to the states in a few months for a short visit. I will bring back flat sheets as Thai's don't use them (similar to europe) and can be hard to find here.

I regretted shipping the wife with me. But hay hum

We only shipped what's sentential for us which are mostly books. I found the furniture here are actually better in quality and prices, most rentals are also furnished. I don't miss anything I left behind, but my husband is 6'2 so he wishes he had bought more pants that would fit him. We ended up bringing 50 boxes, of which 40 are books/art books. I highly recommend Asian Tigers for international shipping. They made the whole move very easy.

Shoes, especially if you don't have small feet. Underwear for men if you're coming with any). If you're bringing a dog, I can give you a separate list.

Well if you want to spend $30K plus US for a container go right ahead. Leave it and get new in Thailand

Bring your bicycle!

Ship some good pots and pans

Other than your cloth and personal stuff + some cheese, I would say nothing. Everything is available in Thailand at very affordable prices

Less is more😎🙏

Simply forget anything that you can't carry in with you on arrival.

ship a waterpik

If you have high quality furniture or family heirlooms it's worth shipping. We shipped our furniture & some belongings because we have some good quality pieces & antiques that we couldn't afford to replace - we'd end up buying junk from Ikea. And some were family heirlooms, so irreplaceable. So the shipping costs were less than buying new items of that caliber. If you have only average furniture, can just buy new in Thailand. But if you have fine pieces, it's worth bringing. And yes, most apartments here are furnished. But if you're moving over permanently, you can rent a storage space until you work out details of your longterm home. (That's what we did. Storage is way cheaper here than in U.S.)

Is it worth bringing my sewing machine?

Nothing. They will tax you on it

Wife and I moved to Bangkok from Los Angeles. We brought the normal 2 suitcases and a carry on EACH. That’s it. We leased a one bedroom furnished condo for 9,000 Baht. ($258 USD a month) 6th floor, elevator, balcony, nice refrigerator, new bed, lots of closet space. Tub and shower. Everything modern. We can walk to Fashion Island Mall. No laundry so I splurged on a new combo washer dryer that they installed on our balcony. Many balconies have this unit. She loves it, very quiet. Oh, and a pool on the 2nd floor…

Things every expat woman wishes they would have brought with them; cotton underwear (virtually impossible to find here), bras (if you're bigger than a C cup), deodorant (at least enough until you figure out how to use Lazada), and SHOES if you wear anything above a U.S. size 8--you'll be laughed out of stores for asking for any size bigger than that! If you're plus-size you will have a harder time finding clothes here. If you like wearing jeans (not advisable in this heat), bring many pairs.

Ship nothing , pointless

Don't bother shipping anything! Houses and apartments/condos here come furnished. Your electronics (besides laptops and such) will need converters; not worth the hassle, in my opinion. Whatever personal items you need, bring as additional luggage. It's cheaper than paying for shipping.

I’m from the USA also, maybe bbq stuff or higher end kitchen stuff and utensils and such. I finally found a great bbq grill after joining Lazada on line app same as Amazon. I’ve been coming to Thailand 24 years and things are much better now than many years ago. Seems like I can find everything I need now at big C or lotus stores. I still can’t find big sticks of speed sticks deodorant though 555

I moved to thailand in november last year i sold donated and gave to friends family every posession ive ever had anything you need is here i even brought winter gear dont believe ill ever need it

Just let go it the most freeing feeling in the world

Keep 1 foot in and 1 foot out

Maple syrup, extra dark. As much as you can pack. 1-2 laptops: Ryzen3 or higher, i3 or higher. Yes you can buy maple syrup locally in Thailand, but at 100-300% markup depending on where. Laptops arent so bad of a price markup (maybe 15-50%), and may also lack certain features that the US equivalent model may have as standard.

Other things like razor blades, clippers, or small electronics or small tools that might be difficult to find at the same quality in Thailand. But then again, amazon.com US does have some limited shipping to Thailand... And the import estimates are acceptible.

Ship Nothing

You wanna carry your habits to Thailand? No ! I guess you should come to see here first then you can have many idea

Anything you are not wearing is subject to 100% value import tax. Come in lookin' like a rapper dawg's byich...and pimp hubby up to the limit.

Take your clothes and jewels. Maybe your husband also

Seven seas worldwide shipping. From australia to Thailand, fantastic service and you pack your own pods. Good value too. 12 weeks to get to Thailand

@Anna ********

a few personal effects and NOTHING else

My usual comment give 90 % if it away or sell it you really don’t or won’t need it and it will be a pain to deal with. Bring you most precious 10%. Then enjoy shopping for great value for money Thai priced item you might need

Bring summer clothes , and umbrella.

Donate EVERYTHING else, unless you plan on returning.

I assume you've spend time here.

Excellent question! My husband and I are also from the US and planning to retire there later this year.

I recently moved to Hua Hin - the condos and homes are furnished although you could try find unfurnished one. I only brought clothes, phone & computer.

Clothing - light clothing for hot weather.

Hardly ever wear closed shoes.

I seriously can’t think of anything I wished I had brought with me.

After sitting 🪑in the most uncomfortable variety of chairs at our desks for 2 years, we brought our Herman Miller chairs. Best decision ever! 🥳

I wish I'd brought my king-size sleeper sofa that weighs 500 pounds.

Only clothes and keepsakes. Nothing else is worth bringing. Vehicles are not allowed to be imported.

If you are moving to Pattaya, you will find a big used bookstore.

It depends on what you have, but in general I would be very conservative spending significant $$ on getting stuff over from a different continent. In the end it is still the same stuff; relocating it is from that perspective not adding value. You also need to account for the random outcomes of Thai customs; it is possible they value your stuff so high that it is more economical to ditch it, despite already having incurred the shipping cost. Also take into account the age of your items. Is your tv brand new, or 6 years old? Makes a huge difference wrt the day value.

When I moved, I had my stuff in storage, and flew some things over in 2-3 rounds. I'm very happy that after some time I realized that the storage was just a value sinkhole as pretty much everything in there had already lost its value. I then found a buyer for the most important items (fridge, washing machine). She was just divorced and really struggling, she could really use a bargain or she may not even have been able to afford those things. That's when I knew the decision was right. I could have shipped the items to Thailand but I'd have incurred a similar value loss, in cost. Now my value loss was a write-off, but I helped someone else, and the help was very well spent. Also on the other side, not having the furniture anymore turned out to be an advantage. Most of the units are fully furnished, which is really convenient and avoids moving around your stuff every time you move. I moved two times and the only big piece to move was a desk. I am very happy to rent the rest of the furniture. Having my own stuff here would have meant we'd have to get unfurnished units, which then in turn would have meant we'd also have to buy many things, such as a bed.

Personal papers, family pics and half the amount of clothes you think you need. Golf clubs if you all golf and that’s it I sold everything and put things in a 5x7 storage. Now I’m back in the states and selling everything in storage. One you get there you realize you don’t need stuff

Really do not bring much most places are already furnished start fresh no winter clothes you can get new clothes, shoes, cheaper here no electrics power plugs are different so end up with multiple adapters its a pain can get books in exchange at most bars.

I took my golf clubs and some clothes.

Besides the usual two suitcases, I had a friend bring me a third one with my favorite books to read: English lit, novels, poetry, investment, computer, etc. Within two years of having a new life, I had read none, and most got moldy and the paped yellowed out because of moisture. Had to throw away most. Wortless effort. Leather belts, shoes, boots, and nice jacket also got moldy and ecky. Only bring totally irreplaceable items. Not things one can buy at any store, as this is a modern civilization. We have everything. Often at a fraction of the cost.

Some quality personal items. I brought, amongst other things a cowhide power recliner. I brought my favourite fishing gear. Some quality tools and a cowhide power suite. Quality leather is almost impossible here.

Ship nothing, bring 2 suitcases each and buy the rest out here

Things that are difficukt to find in Thaiand. Or where shipping is cost effective compared to selling and rebuying new like . High quality furniture..

Good tools like brooms. Good garden spades, forks and shovels.

I moved to Thailand with two suitcases. No furniture or sentimental, etc.

What I found here is that electronics are more expensive and of course designed for a Thai market. Keyboards etc. are tie or combination Thai and English alphabet.

What I miss from the US is personal items such as toothpaste, shaving cream, razor blades those things are different, and in my opinion the quality is not as good here

Really the only things you should bring with you are essentials. I sold and donated everything and came over with just a carryon and never regretted it. The few learnings I have had I rectified with my last trip back and brought back towels, sheets and underwear, because finding these quality items can be challenging. Pack only your lightest clothing. Furniture and other household items are easily purchased here at a fraction of the cost.

Zero...Thailand has more and better consumer goods than the US

As other's have said, ship nothing.

If you want American TV bring an Amazon Fire stick or similar as they are very small and it saves looking around for one. Maybe get a dual sim phone for Thailand/USA sim cards and keep a cheap phone line open in the states.

ship nothing... bring extra baggage for personal or sentimental stuff.

Everything else not worth it, tax and hassle... most things no really suitable for here really, make a new start..

Everything for the most part is replaceable. Your electronics won’t work. Other than a custom guitar or something unique, just bring your summer clothes in

Other than Mexican food, nothing.

We're from the US, and have lived in Thailand for almost 9 years now! I would recommend leaving/giving away/selling it all. We only brought 3 backpacks, and have not regretted it for one minute.

Everyone we know who has attempted to bring their stuff ended up with so many headaches! A large percentage of rental homes here are already furnished, and it's way more trouble to ask the landlord to remove it than it's worth. Plus, if you decide to move .... another headache.

Everything is cheap here. You can buy what you need.

As for keepsakes, we left them with my daughter in the states. We also scanned many of the photos and have them in online storage for the whole family to enjoy whenever they want.

Unless it is one of a kind or has sentimental value I wouldn’t ship anything. Anything for day-to-day living you should replace in Thailand. Six years after moving here I shipped some artwork made by my father who died 20 years ago. The shipping was expensive but it has sentimental value.

Nothing.

Dont do it let it go

Just bring 2 checked bags one carrying donate or sell the rest. Obtw I just bought the 2000 square foot 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom upscale home with 4 air conditioners, 3 water heaters.

Kurt curtains and completely furnished. With newly planted.

Flowers brass and trees in the garden.

And we have a very large garden. More than 75 plants were planted. Total cost $0. US That's a brand new houbeautiful. Garden completely furnished, including 55 inch smart TV.

And all the furnishings that you want picked out at local. Shops. Bring the pictures and a few airlooms.Forget the rest everything here is cheap and nice

I shipped absolutely nothing. Thankfully

From what I’ve read any furniture will be taxed at 30%. I would try to bring only some personal items and clothing. You can buy everything in Thailand.