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What to Bring vs. Buy Locally
The most important moving decision is what to ship versus what to buy in Thailand. Given import duties of 20–80%, Thailand's cheap electronics, furniture, and clothing markets, and the logistics complexity, most experienced expats ship very little.
- Bring: Laptop (under $1,000 duty-free), personal clothes and shoes, irreplaceable personal items, hard drives with media, professional equipment you cannot replace easily
- Buy locally: Furniture, kitchenware, electronics (Thailand's Central and Lotus stores stock most major brands), clothing (local markets and malls have excellent value)
- Electronics: Thailand has full coverage of Samsung, Apple, Sony, and all major brands at competitive prices. Apple products cost slightly more than US pricing but far less than import duty on a new laptop
- Bedding, towels, kitchen items: Big C, Lotus, IKEA (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket), and HomePro are excellent for affordable home setup on arrival
- Medications: Bring a 6-month supply of prescription medications. Thai pharmacies are excellent for common drugs (often without prescription) but unusual prescriptions may not be available or may require an expensive specialist visit to obtain locally
- Vehicle: Never import. Buy locally — Honda and Yamaha scooters are ฿40,000–฿60,000 new, excellent quality, and parts are universally available