Moving and Logistics

If, in your move to Thailand, you plan to bring your physical possessions with you, there are a couple of tried and true options.  Likewise, if you plan to bring your pet(s) to Thailand there is a separate section of this website [ Moving with your Pets ] addressing those concerns. 

The two main types of transport are ship and air for moving your contents to Thailand.  If you’re rich (a shot out to the Bankers and independently wealthy), you can charter a private heavy jet to bring you, your family, and selected personal items in addition to your bulk shipment.  This section will focus on moving items in to Thailand by ship, with an emphasis of using a U.S.-based moving service.  From the UK, look for large international companies such as Pickfords who have a local partner Allied Pickfords Thailand; you want to make sure both the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ ‘hands’ talk to each other and have a smooth operation.

If you are moving your items from the U.S., there are two main carriers ( Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines ) that can provide these services fully turn-key.  This means they will pack your items, load them on to a truck, take them to their distribution center and transfer them to a shipping container.  From there the goods will be trucked to the port, and exported via ship to Thailand, received by their Thai business partner at Bangkok port, go through customs clearance, and then delivered and reassembled in Thailand at your residence.

With that said, there are local Thai providers who can source and quote the job from the destination-end.  During research, it was found that the prices are virtually identical for these services, so it really is a question of convenience, and it is easier to deal with a local company in the U.S. vs. the other way around.  With that said, both Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines are owned by Sirva Worldwide Relocation & Moving Services, and have an extensive track record of moving household goods across the World including to Thailand.  The recommendation is to go with whichever local representative you get along with best, and trust most with the packing and shipping execution of your items.  A quote from Dallas, Texas to Bangkok in March of 2024 was within $1,000 of each other between Allied Van Lines and North American Van Lines, totalling approximately $16,000 USD, with North American Van Lines being slightly cheaper.

North American Van Lines‘ Thai business partner is Boonma Moving Services for Moving/Storage; this Company has been in business in Bangkok since 1969, and prides themselves on their track record.  The great thing about Boonma is they are a one-stop shop for moving and logistics, also able to assist with your pet relocation ( covered in this section – Moving with your Pets ).  If you select North American Van Lines to handle your move, you will be automatically connected with Boonma for the receiving-end of your shipment.  Note that once your goods arrive at port, you will be required to give your Passport and Work Permit to Boonma so they can work with customs in Thailand to release your belongings.  Your shipment of items are inspected and taxed in Thailand upon arrival as part of the clearance process, however, if you have a 1-Year or more work permit at the time of arrival of the goods, many of the household items are tax exempt, with the exception of certain items such as outdoor grills, pianos, etc.  While you could theoretically decide not to ship items because they might be taxed, personal experience says to pack up everything and take it all. While some items in Thailand might be cheaper to re-purchase, other items such as name-brand equipment can often be more expensive.  To put it in perspective, a recent fully-loaded 40-foot cargo container of household items received a total inspection, storage, and taxation bill of approximately 30,000 Thai Baht (roughly $830 USD at 36/1 exchange rate).  Thus, it is recommended to take everything assuming it fits in to a single 40 foot container.  Your packer/shipper will advise you if they think the standard 40 foot container will be too large, or too small.  In the case of the latter, 20 foot containers are also offered, but it was found that it was only another $1,500 or so to have a full 40 foot container (a total of $14,500 for 20 foot vs. $16,000 for 40 foot).

The packer/shipper will insist on packing and loading each box, and item, themselves, along with the creation of a Bill of Laden.  This assists in the Customs process when the items arrive, as there will be no discrepancies and every item will be inventoried.  After a substantial journey from the U.S. of no less than 90-days at time of publication, your items should be ready to be delivered and assembled at your Thai residence.  Note that if you wish to hide your bill of laden from private data purchasers, you must file an Electronic Vessel Manifest Confidentiality form with U.S. Customs Border Patrol, that your shipper will provide instructions for you complete, should you wish.

Since there will be a delay in between your physical arrival and the arrival of your goods, it is recommended that you buy some basic furniture and living items in advance once you arrive at IKEA in Bang Na or similar, and check several large bags on your plane flight carrying your personal belongings or any medications, etc. that you may needed in that 90+ day window. It is also recommended that you prepare in advance for your shipment, getting rid of any perishable items from the freezer or pantry, and items that cannot be shipped such as batteries, liquids, oils, combustable or flammable items.  It is recommended that you have your shipment loaded 30-days prior to your planned departure, giving you a buffer before you leave, and also so you will only have about 60 days on the ground in Thailand ‘living from a suitcase’.  This will lower your cost, as you will not be buying duplicates of long-term items in those 60 days.

Once your stuff arrives, you can relax and get settled in to your new home, and the 90 days without your belongings will again make you realize how little you actually need in life, but how nice it is to have ‘stuff’ all the same. 

Don’t forget to take out a Fire and Theft Insurance Policy once your goods are in your new home.  For this we recommend contacting Bangkok Insurance as they are the most reputable insurer and quite easy to deal with.  They have multiple locations, from kiosks in malls, to office buildings, all of whom speak quite good English.  If you need to buy additional furniture after your stuff arrives, you can check out the Crystal Design Center in Bangkok , and SB Design Square, a one-stop shop for all furniture needs.