Shipping your whole house to Thailand rarely pays off. Here’s what’s worth the container space, what to sell before you go, and what Thai Customs lets in duty-free.
Deciding what to bring to Thailand and what not to is a big headache. You don’t want to ship too few items, since buying everything new costs a lot of money.
And you also don’t want to ship too much, since it will increase the shipping fee and customs tax.
Key Takeaways
- Ship an item only if you really need it, it’s worth more than about US$100, or it means a lot to you.
- Spend a month in Thailand before you book a container, because you may find you need far less than you think.
- Used household goods come in duty-free only if you’re officially moving your residence here, and they must land between one month before and six months after you arrive.
- Customs lets in one duty-free unit of each electrical appliance, or two for a family move.
- Sell big appliances at home, since Thailand runs on 220 V and a converter can cost as much as a new machine.
- Bring your laptop, camera, and phone in your luggage.
- Forget shipping your car, as used cars and motorcycles need a special import permit that’s rarely granted.
General Rules
Here are some rules to help you decide whether or not you should ship something to Thailand.
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