Moving To Thailand
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Thailand is a beautiful Southeast Asian country. The country is known for its rich cultural heritage, stunning beaches, vibrant cities, and friendly locals. A global travel destination, Thailand boasts of a bustling metropolis capital, Bangkok which is filled with vibrant street markets, ornate temples, and delicious street food stalls everywhere. The country is also famous for its diverse natural beauty studded with pristine islands like Phuket and Koh Samui, which offer picturesque beaches and crystal-clear waters.
If you want to relocate to Thailand from the USA it is a perfect destination as Thailand welcomes both adventurers and expats. Along with a wide range of activities and water sports Thailand also offers high quality of life at a very reasonable cost of living! In the next few paragraphs find out why your planning to move to Thailand from the USA can be a perfect decision to move overseas.
How International Sea & Air Shipping can help for moving to Thailand
Try to move or reshuffle your home and you will see this apparent small task in itself poses lots of challenges! Now, think how much of a challenge it can be when you are moving your home overseas! International relocation may be rewarding and brings lots of promises with it but a move this big always comes bundled with its own challenges.
International Sea & Air Shipping is an international moving specialist. We have been assisting our clients globally for quite a long time now. We are thoroughly acquainted with the different processes and requirements involved with an international relocation. When you are moving to Thailand from the USA and looking for a hassle-free move, it will help you a lot to engage our relocation professionals to assist you in your dream move.
At International Sea & Air Shipping we handle A to Z of the move, which includes, but not limited to – guidance on applying for the proper documentation to move overseas, moving your household goods when you are transporting those to Thailand, moving your car, advising you on the right container and freight choices and more! There are also mandatory relocation aspects concerning the shipping cost, time and safety. At International Sea & Air Shipping we provide end to end specialized services for all types of moving to Thailand from the USA.
Thailand, Know the country before you move!
Formerly known as Siam, the Official Kingdom of Thailand is located at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. Thailand is a monarchy, with a king officially titled as the Head of State, the Head of the Armed Forces, the Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths.
The country is the world’s 50th largest country in terms of total area and the world’s 20th largest country in terms of population. Thailand is land bordered by Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
Religion is a major part of Thai culture, and is central the country’s identity. The primary religion in the country is Buddhism, practiced by 95 percent of Thailand’s residents. Thailand is also what is known as a collectivist culture, which means group identity (whether in business, society or family) is more important than individual identity.
Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia in terms of PPP after Indonesia and the fourth richest nation according to GDP per capita after Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia. The country’s major export and import partners are USA, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore and South Korea.
Located on the Indo-Chinese peninsula, Thailand, known as the Land of Smile, is located in Southeast Asia. Thailand is well known for having mesmerising islands, sea beaches and many other natural attractions and offering a wide range of tourist activities both on land and in the water. What makes this country unique is its functional blend of modern facilities with age old traditions offering best of both worlds. It may help you to know that the country is a founding member of ASEAN. Thailand also ranks very high in the Human Development Index.
As a global travel hub, Thailand offers a wide range of options in terms of entering the country and staying there. However, in case you want to relocate to Thailand from the USA for more than a vacation period, you have to know the customs and other documentation process in order to move and live in this gorgeous country.
Thailand is the world’s number-one rice exporter, second largest tungsten producer and the third largest tin producer. Thailand ranks high among the world’s automotive export industries, along with manufacturing electronic goods. The country has the largest newspaper market in Southeast Asia with an estimated circulation of at least 13 million copies daily. While media in the country is often censored and government supervised, newspapers are subject to less regulations and are considered more progressive.
Customs Regulations for Thailand
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- Passport (original)
- Non-immigrant visa or resident visa (valid for one year)
- Work permit (original) or copy of B.O.I. Letter (to customs) valid for one year (it is recommended that the customer coordinates the shipment’s arrival the work permit’s issue to facilitate duty-free entry)
- Inventory (two copies, legible and in English) showing the following details:
- Packing method (carton, wrapped, crated, etc.)
- For all electrical appliances, the brand name, model and serial number
- For TVs, the diameter of the picture tube and whether color or black and white
- Copy of insurance policy (if applicable)
- Shipper’s contact address and phone number
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
- CUSTOMER MUST BE IN COUNTRY FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
- All shipments are subject to inspection
- Anyone with a full year work permit (or one year visa) and returning Thai residents who have lived more than one year abroad (frequent traveling back and forth can cause problems with customer) will be considered for duty-free import
- Customer is allowed duty-free import of one air and one sea shipment from previous residence
- Shipment must not arrive before the customer
- Goods must arrive no later than six months after the date on the work permit
- Goods must originate from the same country as the customer
PROHIBITED ITEMS
- Narcotics and drugs
- Medical equipment
- Gold and silver
- Several plant and fruits are prohibited (inquire before importing)
- Firearms, weapons, ammunition and dangerous objects (subject to taxes and licensing, MUST NOT BE INCLUDED in household goods shipment)
- Radio equipment and transmitters
- Pornographic material
RESTRICTED ITEMS
- New items (less than six months old) require invoices
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tobacco products
- Artwork and antiques
- Stereo and video equipment, all appliances, luxury items, carpets, foodstuff, and office equipment are subject to high duties (computers, fax machines and phones may not be considered as household/personal effects, but rather as dutiable office equipment)
- Only one of each type of electrical appliance is allowed, duplicate appliances will be charged full duties
- Plants (Health Certificate required)
MOTOR VEHICLE REGULATIONS
- Automobiles may not be imported unless the applicant applies for permission from the Ministry of Commerce before shipping the automobile into the kingdom (this permission is very difficult to obtain for anyone who is not a diplomat)
- Duties can be as high as 300 percent of the value of a new car
- Required documents:
- Automobile Registration from the foreign country
- Driver’s license from the country from which the car was exported
- Original B/L
- Import permit (must be available before the car is shipped to Thailand)
PETS REGULATIONS
- Animals are subject to duties
- Information such as the sex, name, age and breed should be provided to Destination Agent well in advance of importing the animal
- Quarantine may be required
- Documents required:
- Import Permit
- Health Certificate providing evidence that rabies vaccination has been administered seven days prior to departure
- Certificate of Vaccination
- Pedigree (if available)
Note: It is recommended to send pets as excess baggage where customs clearance and duties may not be applicable
NOTE – Customs regulations are subject to change at any time. The proceeding information is a brief summary of customs regulations applicable to household goods shipments to this destination and is being provided for general guidance to assist our Agents and Customers. Since such regulations are subject to change without notice, International sea & air shipping cannot be held liable for any costs, damage, delays, or other detrimental events resulting from non-compliance. Always double check with your local embassy or consulate.
Call our International Moving Specialists @ 1 (866) 315-4170
Documents required for relocation to Thailand from USA
If you want to move to Thailand from the USA for 90 days there are non-immigrant visas available which you must obtain. However, in case your purpose for relocating to Thailand from the USA is to stay there for over 90 days then there are the following visa processes that you must know of –
Work Visa
You can move to Thailand from the USA to work and live there. In this case, here are the steps that you need to follow –
- Secure a job in Thailand and apply for a work visa in the origin country
- After obtaining the work visa you need to secure a work permit at the Department of Employment in Thailand. The validity of the work permit is one year. It can even be extended to match the duration of your work contract.
- However, even after the first two steps you have to request an extension of your stay at the Immigration Bureau. This will ensure that you can stay in Thailand for a long-term.
Note: Generally, one is entitled to an extended stay for one year from the day of entering the country. Post this extension if the stay is extended for 3 years then one can apply for a permanent residence permit in Thailand.
Marriage Visa
Another option that you can choose for moving to Thailand from the USA is to get the Marriage visa. This visa is issued to the legally married partner of a Thailand citizen and to their children. However, this is only valid for 90 days. Post that here is what you need to do –
- Apply for an extension after entering Thailand on a Marriage visa.
- After the first step, apply for a re-entry permit. This will allow you to exit and re-enter the country without losing the visa.
- Next, you need to report your stay in the country and the address to the Immigration Department and this needs to be done every 90 days as you continue to live there.
Study Visa
Another visa option is the student visa for moving to Thailand from the USA. In this case, the visa will allow your stay for 90 days post which you need to apply for an extension. There are some other steps that you need to follow in order to enter Thailand on a student visa and live there long term. Here is the list –
- Take at least three courses.
- Have at least 15 hours of classes per week
- Report your stay and address to the Thai Immigration Department every 90 days.
Retirement Visa
Retirement visa is another great option when you want to move to Thailand from the USA and retire in this stunning tropical country. In this case, here are requirements that you need to know –
- You must be over 50 years of age to apply for Retirement visa.
- You need to have adequate Thai health insurance coverage and it is mandatory.
There are two types of retirement visas in Thailand:
- The One-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-A”), which is issued to all foreigners, and is valid for a year. However, this visa can be renewed annually
- The Ten-Year Thailand Retirement Visa (“O-X”), which is issued to foreigners of certain countries only, and is valid for five years. This visa can be renewed once more for a maximum period of 10 years.
Now that you are well aware of the visa requirements you can also consider the top reasons for moving to Thailand from the USA, which includes the following –
- Low cost of living. It is quite possible to live comfortably in Thailand on $2300/month!
- Amazing gastronomic fares at reasonable rates and availability
- Stunning natural beauty and a tropical climate
- Hi-tech urban locales for modern facilities
- Laid back lifestyle for an easy pace of life