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Your move to Thailand ends on schedule at the destination port
The sea route from Bremerhaven to Laem Chabang forms the backbone of every move to Thailand that we accompany. Until your container is on board, Global Logistic Group handles packaging, export documents, and loading. Our assignment ends at the Thai terminal. What happens in the country afterwards is organized by you or a local service provider.
Why do we state this so clearly? Because with overseas relations, responsibility often only comes up at the destination port. With us, the boundary of responsibility is in the offer, not in the small print. For seconded specialists, retirees, and returnees, this scope is generally sufficient for a move to Thailand, as a Thai customs agent is involved on site anyway.
Our overview of overseas moves shows how such a sea transport generally proceeds. The move to Thailand follows the same pattern, only with a longer sea route and its own import regulations at the end.
We support you with our many years of expertise
What passes into your hands at the terminal in Thailand
Laem Chabang handles the majority of Thailand’s container traffic and is located approximately 130 km southeast of Bangkok. The older port of Klong Toey in the middle of the capital only accommodates smaller ships, so your shipment will almost always pass through Laem Chabang.
There, a customs agent will declare your shipment for import. With this step, your relocation to Thailand falls under Thai jurisdiction. You or an authorized representative must be personally available, as the Thai customs administration wishes to see the original passport and residence permit. We will compile the appropriate document package in good time before the ship’s arrival, so that nothing is delayed at this point.
Groupage container or full container for your move to Thailand
If your household goods are to be moved to Southeast Asia, there are two options. In a groupage container, you share the steel box with other shipments and pay by freight ton, i.e., by cubic meter or weight, whichever value is higher. A full container, on the other hand, belongs solely to you, is loaded at your home, and is only opened again at the destination.
Below approximately 12 cbm, groupage cargo is almost always more cost-effective; above that, your own container becomes more advantageous. When moving to Thailand, there’s an additional factor that many underestimate: groupage cargo waits for its departure and is handled a second time at the transshipment port. If you have delicate furniture, your own container offers more peace of mind.
Three sizes are decisive in practice:
- Volume of household goods in cubic meters
- Time window until your desired arrival month
- Sensitivity of furniture to multiple transshipments
For a move to Thailand, expect 30 to 40 days from loading to Laem Chabang, usually with a transshipment in Singapore or Port Klang. A fixed arrival date is not included in any of our offers, as a liner service with two transshipments cannot be planned to the exact day. We book both options via the same lines; the technical side behind this is described in our sea freight section.
Household goods to Thailand and what can remain duty-free
When we speak of household goods to Thailand, we mean furniture, household effects, clothing, and electronics from your previous household. New goods in their original packaging fall outside this scope and are considered regular commercial goods.
When it comes to moving to Thailand, import duties for household goods primarily depend on your residence status. An exemption for used personal effects requires a long-term residence permit, such as a non-immigrant visa with a work permit. The classification is made by Thai customs, not by us. Our task is to prepare the documents in such a way that the inspection proceeds without queries.
Those who wish to utilize the exemption regularly encounter two rules. Electrical appliances are usually only favored in single units per type of device; the second television quickly becomes subject to duties. Furthermore, the moving goods to Thailand should arrive within a narrow time window around your entry. Shipped too early or too late, you lose the benefit. Therefore, we align the loading date with your flight date.
Vehicles are a special case. Thailand imposes cumulative duties on imported cars that can exceed the vehicle’s value and only allows used models to enter with restrictions. Those planning a move to Thailand will, in most cases, find it more economical to sell their car in Germany. Other Far East corridors handle this differently, as shown on our page about moving to Japan.
Moving to Thailand Costs – what you should expect
What ultimately appears on the invoice is determined by the measurement in your home. The costs for moving to Thailand rise and fall with every cubic meter that the container actually holds. Therefore, every offer from us begins with an inspection rather than a flat rate.
Why is that? A piano, an apartment on the fourth floor without an elevator, or a remote pick-up address often shifts the calculation more significantly than the freight rate itself. We disclose every item individually so that you can compare offers at all. If the shipment is still waiting for its vessel, it remains with us in Geestland, a few minutes from the port of Bremerhaven. This way, a missing document does not immediately bring the move to Thailand to a standstill.
Three pieces of information are sufficient to get started: apartment size, pick-up location, and your planned month of entry. Markus Freiknecht will discuss the key data with you by phone or WhatsApp and openly tell you whether a groupage shipment or your own container is worthwhile for your move to Thailand. Our Relocation section shows which other destinations we serve.
