If you’re considering a move to Thailand, shipping your household goods can feel like the “point of no return.” You start picturing everything you own in a container somewhere between Los Angeles and Laem Chabang, and suddenly you’re googling customs rules at 2 a.m.
The good news: the process is straightforward when you treat it like a project—with a timeline, the right paperwork, and a shipping method that matches your budget and tolerance for complexity.
Below is a practical, expat-friendly walkthrough of how it typically works, including door-to-door vs port-to-port, sea vs air, realistic transit times, what causes delays, trends shaping costs, plus a few real-world (composite) case studies.
Decide what you’re actually shipping (and what you shouldn’t)
Before you compare quotes, do a quick “Thailand reality check”:
- Homes can be smaller (especially in Bangkok condos), with tight stairwells and small elevators.
- Electricals can be tricky (Thailand uses 220V; the U.S. is 110V). Some appliances are not worth shipping unless they’re dual-voltage or you plan to use transformers.
- Humidity is real: items stored in a container or warehouse can be exposed to moisture risk if not packed properly.
A simple rule: ship high-value, hard-to-replace, sentimental, or specialty items. Sell or donate bulky “commodity furniture” unless it’s expensive or deeply personal.
Pick your shipping model: Door-to-door vs Port-to-port
Door-to-door (most common for expats)
This is what most relocating families choose.
What it includes:
- Packing (optional but recommended for insurance)
- Pickup at your U.S. address
- Export handling + ocean/air freight
- Import clearance coordination in Thailand
- Delivery to your Thai address (with local trucking)
Best for: convenience, first-time movers, families, and anyone who doesn’t want to manage port logistics.
Port-to-port (usually cheaper, usually harder)
You handle (or separately hire) the pickup and final delivery legs.
Best for: experienced shippers, people relocating near ports, or those who already have an agent in Thailand.
Hidden risk: Port-to-port can appear cheaper on paper, but costs can escalate if you encounter storage/demurrage, documentation issues, or customs delays.
Choose sea freight vs air freight
Sea freight (the default for household moves)
Most expat household relocations go by sea because it’s far cheaper per cubic meter.
You’ll usually be offered:
- FCL (Full Container Load): you get a 20’ or 40’ container
- LCL (Less than Container Load): your goods share container space with others
FCL is often better if you’re shipping a larger home (more predictable handling, fewer consolidation points).
LCL is great for partial moves (boxes + a few furniture pieces), but consolidation can add time and handling steps.
Air freight (fast, expensive)
Air is best for essentials you want quickly: clothes, work gear, baby items, a few kitchen basics.
A common strategy is a split shipment:
- Air freight: “first 2–6 weeks survival kit”
- Sea freight: everything else
Understand Thai customs basics for used household goods
Thailand allows duty exemption for certain used household effects if you qualify and document them properly.
Thai Customs states that used/secondhand household effects can be imported duty-free (in reasonable quantities) for people changing residence into Thailand, and that the goods must have been “owned, possessed, and used” in the previous country of residence.
Two practical details from Thai Customs that matter a lot for expats:
- Timing window: your shipment must arrive not earlier than one month before and not later than six months after your arrival (with possible extensions in special cases).
- Electronics limits: for certain appliances (TVs, refrigerators, microwaves, air conditioners, etc.), only one unit each is typically eligible for duty-free allowance (two units for a family change of residence).
Short quote (Thai Customs): “It is important that the used/secondhand household effects must be imported not earlier than one month before or not later than six months after the arrival…”
Documents commonly required (from Thai Customs) include a passport, bill of lading/air waybill, packing list, and an application for duty exemption, plus residence/visa/work-related evidence for nonresidents.
Because eligibility depends on your immigration status (Non-Immigrant visa, work permit, residence, etc.), it’s worth treating customs paperwork as the core of the project, not an afterthought.
Build a realistic timeline (typical transit times)
Shipping time depends on:
- Your origin city (East Coast vs West Coast)
- consolidation time (LCL usually adds more days)
- customs clearance and local delivery scheduling
As a ballpark, some logistics providers cite ~30–45 days for ocean freight between the U.S. and Thailand (lane/port dependent).
You can also sanity-check timelines using independent transit-time tools (lane estimates vary by routing and mode).
A practical “expat planning” view:
- Air freight: often ~3–10 days door-to-door for small shipments (plus customs time variability)
- Sea freight (LCL): commonly 6–10+ weeks door-to-door once you include packing, consolidation, sailing, clearance, and delivery
- Sea freight (FCL): often a bit faster/more predictable than LCL because it avoids some consolidation steps
Packing, inventory lists, and why they matter more than bubble wrap
For international household shipments, your inventory/packing list is not just admin—it’s a customs document.
You want:
- clear item descriptions (not “miscellaneous”)
- estimated values (even for used goods)
- serial numbers for high-value electronics (when possible)
- labeled boxes (Box 1 of 45, etc.)
This is also what protects you if:
- Customs asks questions
- An insurance claim happens
- something goes missing in a shared container (LCL)
Insurance: choose it before shipment day
International moving insurance is often misunderstood. Ask specifically:
- Is it a total loss only, or does it cover partial loss/damage?
- Is it replacement value or depreciated value?
- Are water/moisture risks covered (important for sea freight + humidity)?
- What packing requirements are tied to the policy?
If you’re packing yourself, some policies limit coverage—another reason many expats use professional packing for breakables.
What causes delays (the stuff nobody tells you in the quote)
Here are the most common delay triggers:
1) Customs paperwork mismatches
- wrong visa category for the exemption you’re claiming
- missing signatures, missing arrival dates, unclear inventory descriptions
- shipping dates outside the customs timing window
2) Port congestion and schedule reliability issues
Even when your shipment leaves on time, ocean schedules can be unreliable. Industry data has shown long-term pressure on reliability, with disruptions affecting arrivals and “late” vessel percentages.
3) Global shipping disruptions (recent trend/news)
Over the last couple of years, freight markets have been shaped by route disruptions and chokepoints. UNCTAD noted that rerouting away from the Red Sea and Panama Canal increased container ship demand and contributed to congestion and delays.
In very recent news (December 2025), Reuters reported that the industry’s return to Suez/Red Sea routing is expected to be gradual, with carriers cautious and concerned about port congestion during any transition.
Short quote (Reuters): “No date is set… and once it comes it will be gradual.”
4) Storage/demurrage because delivery isn’t ready
This is a classic expat mistake: your shipment arrives, but your condo lease starts later, or your building only accepts deliveries on certain days.
Cost & market trends (what expats should know right now)
You don’t need to memorize freight indices, but you should understand why pricing can swing.
UNCTAD highlighted how disruptions and longer routes increase costs such as fuel, insurance, and congestion-related expenses.
Xeneta has also documented how chokepoint disruptions (like Panama constraints) can show up in measurable spot-rate spreads and reliability impacts.
What this means for your move:
If you’re shipping in a period of global disruption, you may see:
- higher surcharges (security, congestion, peak season)
- longer routing (detours) that add time
- less predictable arrival windows