by Thousands of foreigners either retire or move to Thailand for work every year. Relocating to a different country is never easy, but moving to such a culturally different place as Thailand can be even harder.
Bringing Personal Effects and Furniture to Thailand
When moving to Thailand, the first major difficulty is to find a way to get personal effects and furniture into the country. With the meager 20 or 30kg personal luggage allowance from most airlines, bringing every single item from one’s home in the West is obviously impossible. It is, however, possible to ship large pieces of furniture or boxes of items in containers which are transported by boat to the port of Bangkok. It is not cheap, but it can be useful to people who can’t live without their familiar belongings. Another option is simply to put one’s furniture and belongings in a storage facility in the home country while buying all needed items again in Thailand. Since most apartments in Thailand come furnished anyway, it is, by far, the cheapest option.
When it comes to pets, bringing them to Thailand can be particularly difficult. Not only do most airlines refuse to take pets aboard planes, Thai authorities also impose a quarantine on imported animals. Once the animal is out of quarantine, finding an apartment to rent is even more difficult since most rental contracts include a clause which prohibits animals from being kept inside the property.
Finding a School for Foreign Students in Thailand
The best option when it comes to choosing a school for foreign-born students is to pick one of the international schools available throughout Thailand. Students at those schools follow a Western curriculum taught mostly by native English teachers. Unfortunately, those schools can cost up to 9000 US Dollars per term and are not within the limits of everyone’s budget.
Another option is to enroll the children in a Thai private school. Those tend to be quite cheaper but, unfortunately, students at those schools are expected to have a good level of Thai, since most of the courses are taught in that language.
Hospitals and Medical Insurance in Thailand
The quality of the medical care received at most private Thai hospitals is comparable to the one received in the West and sometimes even better, especially at world-famous facilities such as Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok. Unfortunately, those hospitals tend to be expensive, which makes medical insurance extremely valuable for foreigners in Thailand. Several companies offer medical insurance to foreigners and Thais. Applicants should however read carefully the insurance contract in order to know what illnesses and treatments are covered and the coverage limit.
