A few Ex Pat questions - When you moved abroad.

[Butch]

Fellas who made the move, and to those who are planning to in the future:

Did you guys find that you had far too much gear that you simply didn't need or had forgotten about?. What did you do with it - give it away, bin it or sell it?.

Reason I ask is that we really need to de clutter, it's a bit ridiculous now, because I've got a load of stuff that I won't need or can't see us needing in the Philippines, and if we did, then I can just go online and get it anyway.

How much stuff did you guys actually take with you in the end, and how much did you find you needed?.

A few questions there, but I'm trying to get a picture of what I have to do over the next couple of years.

 

Edited August 16 by Butch

[Pumpuynarak]

I only brought personal items and appropriate clothing for the Thai climate, everything else was given away to family and friends. My sons sold a lot of gear and benefited accordingly as there was lots of high value items ie high end Scuba gear, tools, furniture etc.

My move to Thailand was welcomed by all🤣

[forcebwithu]

Same as Pumpuynarak, only brought over clothes and a few other personal items. Sold or gave away all that remained. I did keep a house for 10 years as I had a very good tenant, but eventually sold that as well.

[Glasseye]

Gave the good stuff (family related big pieces that were in good shape to my nephew). Threw out a bunch of the stuff that was crap.

Went to Uhaul and got five of their biggest reinforced shipping boxes. Packed them real good with clothing I like, paintings, wall hangings, documents, some important books, CD's, guitar, and many loved kitchen things that I had held onto since childhood. I used some of the clothing and special hand made comforters, etc. as part of the packing material along with plastic wrapping.

I hired a mover guy I had used in the past. We hauled the boxes to a nearby shipping company. Eventually they got loaded onto a pallet. The pallet was wrapped and placed on a ship (out of a port in S. Carolina). When shipment was tracked. 

When the boxes arrived in Thailand they sat in customs for a while and I was notified. I then hired a company to sort out the custom fees and then ship the boxes up to me in Chiang Mai.

There was a bit of anxiety associated with it all, but in the end it all worked out.

 I can't remember what it all cost me, but it was worth it. I wanted to make a change in my life but I didn't want to give up the memories and small attachments with my family that I loved so much.

I don't have the names of all the companies I worked with. That is something you will have to plan and sort out yourself. It can be done, and if you are patient it will all work out.

*** I also loaded up five luggage bags with the most critical stuff that I took on my flight with me.

 

----- These costs are something that you need to factor in with your budget. Also good to have found the proper place for where you want to live (at least initially). Try to go short term on the lease because you never know what you may encounter after you move in.

[Pumpuynarak]

My memory is not what it used to be lol. One thing i did get sent over was my fishing gear and CD collection, big mistake as Thai customs charged me 30K bht as they deemed the content description was inaccurate, my mate only listed the fishing gear not the CD's ????

I did'nt say anything to him as he kindly paid for the air freight over to Thailand, i'd given him a brand new BBQ £450 so he was repaying my gesture.

I now realise what with Youtube Premium what a waste of time getting the CD's sent over but i have got some CD's that are not available on Youtube/Internet.  

[Yesitisdakid]

9 hours ago, Butch said:

Fellas who made the move, and to those who are planning to in the future:

Did you guys find that you had far too much gear that you simply didn't need or had forgotten about?. What did you do with it - give it away, bin it or sell it?.

Reason I ask is that we really need to de clutter, it's a bit ridiculous now, because I've got a load of stuff that I won't need or can't see us needing in the Philippines, and if we did, then I can just go online and get it anyway.

How much stuff did you guys actually take with you in the end, and how much did you find you needed?.

A few questions there, but I'm trying to get a picture of what I have to do over the next couple of years.

 

I gave away a lot of stuff to my children I came with two suitcases that was it I've sent some massed a ton of stuff but when I came over for good just to suitcases

[Lemondropkid]

Arrived in Thailand with a single bag!

Had sold a house 2 years previously and downsized renting a flat. Organised a house clearance with the RSPCA and gave them a lot of saleable items, and a fair bit went to a local hospice.

Separately I used a firm with a proper waste disposal licence to get rid of all the items that the charities could not take. Didn't want to see my sofa or washing machine as part of the local fly tipping problem.

Some of the best stuff was shared with family. When I made the final move to Thailand I repeated the process clearing my rented flat, everything went to a hospice.

Found it difficult getting rid of some of my belongings but definitely the right decision for me. 

9 months on still feel liberated not being burdened with loads of "stuff" I didn't really need.

Moving again to Bangkok my stuff has expanded to 2 bags!! Mainly books I keep buying second hand( easily disposed of if needed).

Be brutal and get rid!!

 

[Glasseye]

5 minutes ago, Lemondropkid said:

Arrived in Thailand with a single bag!

Had sold a house 2 years previously and downsized renting a flat. Organised a house clearance with the RSPCA and gave them a lot of saleable items, and a fair bit went to a local hospice.

Separately I used a firm with a proper waste disposal licence to get rid of all the items that the charities could not take. Didn't want to see my sofa or washing machine as part of the local fly tipping problem.

Some of the best stuff was shared with family. When I made the final move to Thailand I repeated the process clearing my rented flat, everything went to a hospice.

Found it difficult getting rid of some of my belongings but definitely the right decision for me. 

9 months on still feel liberated not being burdened with loads of "stuff" I didn't really need.

Moving again to Bangkok my stuff has expanded to 2 bags!! Mainly books I keep buying second hand( easily disposed of if needed).

Be brutal and get rid!!

 

 

I understand what you are saying about unloading stuff.

But the simple things I had shipped are too precious to me. I suppose in time more of it will be parcelled away. I have the room now to keep it and will probably be here until the end. I have a home that I love while being surrounded by my family's spirit. I am a very happy man choosing to go the route I have. 

Different strokes for different folks. Most things can be let go of (although not always easy). Some things will be with me to the end.

[Pumpuynarak]

Well if we ever move house to anywhere in the world there's no way i'm getting rid of our sex toys, its taken 18 years to amass them all and we have become very attached to them lol

Only joking guys..........🤣

[Toy Boy]

When I first moved out here in 2004 I brought the same stuff as a tourist, but I kept my place back in the UK so there was no rush. Over the next 20-odd years, I've brought a few things back here with me: some books, a few kitchen didgeridoos, a few shirts that would otherwise be chucked out, and my mum's collection of antique lead crystal which she left me. That took six trips in all, and I only broke three pieces. Looks lovely in my living room here in a custom-made wall cabinet.

I'd love to bring out my whole book collection, and my Swarovski as well as the Waterford, but the Thai customs would probably kill me with duty on that lot. The point is that, apart from a few things with sentimental value, you can buy everything else out here nowadays and cheaper than back home too, so I'd say not to sweat it. 

[Pumpuynarak]

23 minutes ago, Toy Boy said:

The point is that, apart from a few things with sentimental value, you can buy everything else out here nowadays and cheaper than back home too, so I'd say not to sweat it. 

BINGO

[Glasseye]

18 minutes ago, Toy Boy said:

When I first moved out here in 2004 I brought the same stuff as a tourist, but I kept my place back in the UK so there was no rush. Over the next 20-odd years, I've brought a few things back here with me: some books, a few kitchen didgeridoos, a few shirts that would otherwise be chucked out, and my mum's collection of antique lead crystal which she left me. That took six trips in all, and I only broke three pieces. Looks lovely in my living room here in a custom-made wall cabinet.

I'd love to bring out my whole book collection, and my Swarovski as well as the Waterford, but the Thai customs would probably kill me with duty on that lot. The point is that, apart from a few things with sentimental value, you can buy everything else out here nowadays and cheaper than back home too, so I'd say not to sweat it. 

 

The only things for the house I have had to buy was some updated bedding/pillows, a very nice/big top quality toaster oven (a must), air cleaner and my only necessary mode of transport - Big Red.

 

 

[thegrogmonster]

1 hour ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Well if we ever move house to anywhere in the world there's no way i'm getting rid of our sex toys, its taken 18 years to amass them all and we have become very attached to them lol

Only joking guys..........🤣

Monogrammed butt plugs are difficult to pass on.

[Britboy]

I originally moved here in 2019, bringing with me 2 suitcases and my golf clubs. I have a lot of stuff that's historical and important to me, so hired a storage place and left everything there, apart from clothes suitable for Thailand and I bought a load of clothes before I came.

Enter Covid, I went back in Februrary 2021 as had my 93-year old mum, who was struggling health wise and mentally and I know she wouldn't be able to cope with lockdowns.

Glad I did as I had a few weeks with her until she had a massive stroke and died 10 days later . . 😪

Clearing her house was a mega effort. An old coach house and she and my late dad were hoarders. Some quite valuable stuff, so I set about clearing the place and keeping all this historical stuff. I rented a shipping container and all my stuff and my parents stuff is safely locked away. It costs me £100 a month, but no way can I chuck historical stuff that means so much to me, even if I never see it again. It'll be my kids that have to go through it when I go up in a puff of smoke, then it's their choice.

[Trip]

3 hours ago, Pumpuynarak said:

My memory is not what it used to be lol. One thing i did get sent over was my fishing gear and CD collection, big mistake as Thai customs charged me 30K bht as they deemed the content description was inaccurate, my mate only listed the fishing gear not the CD's ????

I did'nt say anything to him as he kindly paid for the air freight over to Thailand, i'd given him a brand new BBQ £450 so he was repaying my gesture.

I now realise what with Youtube Premium what a waste of time getting the CD's sent over but i have got some CD's that are not available on Youtube/Internet.  

What do you do with fishing gear in Korat?

[Glasseye]

3 hours ago, thegrogmonster said:

Monogrammed butt plugs are difficult to pass on.

 

I love it when the cam girls pull those toys out of their bums.

[Glasseye]

3 hours ago, Britboy said:

I originally moved here in 2019, bringing with me 2 suitcases and my golf clubs. I have a lot of stuff that's historical and important to me, so hired a storage place and left everything there, apart from clothes suitable for Thailand and I bought a load of clothes before I came.

Enter Covid, I went back in Februrary 2021 as had my 93-year old mum, who was struggling health wise and mentally and I know she wouldn't be able to cope with lockdowns.

Glad I did as I had a few weeks with her until she had a massive stroke and died 10 days later . . 😪

Clearing her house was a mega effort. An old coach house and she and my late dad were hoarders. Some quite valuable stuff, so I set about clearing the place and keeping all this historical stuff. I rented a shipping container and all my stuff and my parents stuff is safely locked away. It costs me £100 a month, but no way can I chuck historical stuff that means so much to me, even if I never see it again. It'll be my kids that have to go through it when I go up in a puff of smoke, then it's their choice.

 

I can totally relate Brit. We have a few things in common mate.

Thanks for sharing.

[frankholland]

16 years ago I came only with hand luggage. Some cloth and my laptop and harddisks. I go visit my mom every year, and one time i had a suitcase, because I wanted to bring something bigger. Sentimental value are only my photo's, from with I scanned 400 and are on my computer.

[Glasseye]

12 minutes ago, frankholland said:

16 years ago I came only with hand luggage. Some cloth and my laptop and harddisks. I go visit my mom every year, and one time i had a suitcase, because I wanted to bring something bigger. Sentimental value are only my photo's, from with I scanned 400 and are on my computer.

 

Yeah, I came with a hard dick also. Not so much now.    😁

[Butch]

The general consensus is to be quite brutal with stuff you have little or no attachment to.

I think essential things like Computers, laptops, clothes, decent shoes, personal family records like photo's and diaries etc. Basically anything you'd grab if you had time in a house fire maybe?.

Perhaps I'm lucky because I've got 2 or so years to start getting rid of stuff either on Ebay, or just thinning it out with trips to the local landfill.

It'll also be quite liberating I think, to just go with the minimum of stuff and start afresh.

 

[Pumpuynarak]

17 hours ago, Trip said:

What do you do with fishing gear in Korat?

Go fishing, we've got lots of man made lakes stocked with big fish and its a great social get together.

[Trip]

21 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Go fishing, we've got lots of man made lakes stocked with big fish and its a great social get together.

I'm a fly fisherman and one of the things I miss about the US is streams you can fly fish from. I like to quail hunt and although there are plenty of quail in fields around here in Udon Thani, not many shot gun hunters.

Locals tell me a reason for that is that although you can get plenty of guns here, and as you probably know they make their own type of rifles for varmit hunting, obtaining ammo is more of a struggle.

[Pumpuynarak]

5 minutes ago, Trip said:

I'm a fly fisherman and one of the things I miss about the US is streams you can fly fish from. I like to quail hunt and although there are plenty of quail in fields around here in Udon Thani, not many shot gun hunters.

Locals tell me a reason for that is that although you can get plenty of guns here, and as you probably know they make their own type of rifles for varmit hunting, obtaining ammo is more of a struggle.

I've never seen or heard of fly fishing here, its all man made lakes with predominantly catfish up for grabs. I too was a regular on the river Itchen in Hampshire UK for my fly fishing with my mate who had a permit to fish a certain stretch, he was a well known South Coast fishing tackle business owner. We had some great days catching salmon and trout and they always tasted good.

[Glasseye]

10 hours ago, Butch said:

The general consensus is to be quite brutal with stuff you have little or no attachment to.

I think essential things like Computers, laptops, clothes, decent shoes, personal family records like photo's and diaries etc. Basically anything you'd grab if you had time in a house fire maybe?.

Perhaps I'm lucky because I've got 2 or so years to start getting rid of stuff either on Ebay, or just thinning it out with trips to the local landfill.

It'll also be quite liberating I think, to just go with the minimum of stuff and start afresh.

 

 

It is very liberating mate.

The only things I gave up that were difficult for me was an antique dinning room table that my mother bought from my college history professor (they were friends). I remember the day I went with her to pick it up. And my album collection. Both of those were passed on to my nephew so they are still in the family. 

They were both just too bulky and heavy to ship.

One thing I did when I sold my house was contact a local junk hauler. He cleaned out my entire garage that was loaded with shit. I traded him an almost new roto tiller for the work. It was a very good deal for him, and me. I was too fcuking arsed trying to pawn off all of the shit. Huge relief getting rid of all of that shit in one swoop.

I junked my pickup truck which was hauled of by a tow truck, with a junk title. Held onto my Mazda 3 and Jeep Cherokee which were both wrecked within a year (one my fault the other some old lady forgot to put her Lincoln into park when she got out to get the mail (fat hog bitch).

 

*** I even held onto a few of my dads old tools that I still use. They are well over 100 years old. Not worth much moneywise but too me they hold 1,000 memories.

 

Edited August 18 by Glasseye

[richy65]

Some interesting replies. I'll be looking to just bring 2 suitcases.

I'll be left with a house and furniture to sell, 3 bikes, fishing tackle, a spare bedroom full of running and cycling kit and loads of assorted junk. Will leave my collection of WBA stuff to my nephew and maybe Grandad's war medals too.