huskychemist:
My family and I are considering a move to Thailand this summer. I'd be interested in any information from folks that have done the same, or are from Thailand and have ideas for me. I've certainly found a lot of great information just by checking in on this forum for the last few weeks, but figured I could ask more specifically.
Feel free to PM if you think that'd be more appropriate for your answer.
(And for quick background info: I'm a teacher, and will be teaching at an international school yet to be determined... I have a five year old son. I currently live in Seattle, Washington, USA.)
Many thanks. Happy diving!
Lowell
Lowell, it's hard to know what kind of info you're looking for, but guess it's not diving or you would have found it already! But FWIW here are a few thoughts.
If you already have a job, the part that many of the people on SB have struggled with for a move to Thailand--getting a work permit--will be taken care of by your school. There's a proper procedure for this that involves getting a non-immigrant B visa before you leave home which then is converted to a long-stay visa once you are here. You will need TONS of photos for each member of your family for your periodic visa applications, so be prepared with a stack of them before you come--of course you can get them here, but it's just one more thing to do when there is already so much going on as you first arrive. (BTW, your work permit photo must show you in formal work attire.) As for the rest... :068:
Housing/furniture: I don't know how similar Phuket and Bangkok are to the rest of the country in terms of housing, but in those two places, at least, most apartments and houses you will look at to rent come supplied with all the major furniture and appliances. So you need to ship just your personal belongings and anything related to your particular lifestyle. You can take things like bath and bed linens or just buy them here. There may not be as many dishes, pans and kitchen utensils as you typically have in the US. Don't bring any small appliances (even alarm clocks) unless they are dual voltage since the power here is 240 v. 60 cycles. You can bring your computer equipment, but buy a voltage regulator locally before you set it up here.
The shipment: Your shipping company will pay "tea money" to the customs office to facilitate the release of your household goods (which technically should not even be shipped, let alone released, before you have your work permit, which itself can take a couple of months--a catch 22 for sure). But to make things as easy as possible and keep the tea money to a reasonable amount, make certain you don't bring dutiable items--or at least rename these items so that they don't raise too many red flags. For example, when I moved here a couple of years ago, my shipper gave me a list of dutiable items that included things like bicycles and Christmas stuff. I listed them as "sports equipment" and "seasonal decorations" or something like that. Don't even think about bringing a car; the duties are stunningly high (besides we drive on the other side of the road here).
Set up a PO Box in the US for somebody to forward mail to you periodically and set up your US credit cards to be paid by direct debit from a US bank account. Getting a credit card from a bank here seems nigh on impossible these days for foreigners, so you will likely be able to have only a debit card on your local bank account. Do as much US banking online as you can.
Get an international driver's license before you come, though it's okay to drive on your national one for a while. Unlike in most countries, you cannot just translate and transfer your driving privileges from your last country of residence to Thailand; if you want a Thai driver's license you have to sit for the exams.
Guess that's more than enough for a diving forum. If you have questions, feel free to PM me. Also, I'll be in Seattle for a week in mid-late March for a major professional conference (TESOL), so if you'd like, I may be able to find time for a cup of coffee at the convention center while I'm in town.
