Visa - What kind of visa will you need? Do you qualify for a "Retirement Visa" or will you be making visa runs. If you plan on working, you will need a "Business Visa" before you can get a work permit. Hopefully, you will plan your visa strategy far enough in advance to save time, frustration and money.
Sometimes it pays to visit an Honorary Consulate instead of a Thai Consulate. Honorary Consulates are usually located in cities that do not have Thai Consulates. A list that may or may not be up-to-date is here. Honorary Thai Consulates
What to Bring - This is an extremely personal list. I can make suggestions but they may not be pertinent.
- Think small and lightweight. For bulkier and heavier items, join some forums and ask about the availability in Thailand
- Electrical - Make sure that the items are 200 v or dual voltage.
- Computer - Computers are relatively cheap here, so instead of bring an entire box, remove the hard drive and bring it along. You can get a new machine and pop in the old hard drive
- Shipping - Items sent by any method other than personal baggage will need to clear customs and may be subject to import duty.
- Medications - Thailand has most common medications readily available, mostly over-the-counter and without prescription. Bamrungrat Hospital's pharmacy will probably have what you need if the drugs are prescription. But bring a sufficient supply if the medications are uncommon.
- Clothing - in Thailand is cheap and cotton is the fabric of choice for most instances. Specialty shoes may not be available, but custom shoes are available for all but "bigfoot".
Where to Stay - Some expats try to find an apartment or house before they ever leave home. If you already know precisely where you want to live, that's okay. But have you really experienced the traffic, the noise and the neighbors?
Even more important, have you really experienced Thailand? This country is diverse in scenery and culture.
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