Shipping & Shipping Clearance

New teachers (overseas hire) should NOT send things by air or by sea freight before the school confirms the completion of the work permit. It will be finished about one month after the completion of the teaching permit, around the end of October or November. Work permit has to be shown to customs for tax exemption. If you try to ship things in your name before you have a work permit, the box could be held up at customs for quite some time. It is quite expensive and slow to ship; much cheaper to buy what you need here.

Most airlines allow two pieces of checked-in luggage and one carry-on. The checked-in luggage will be charged extra if it exceeds 70 lbs. Most airlines will not accept any luggage weighing over 90 or 100 lbs. We suggest that you weigh your luggage before going to the airport. Since most airports in the US have weighing scales outside the departure area you should also weigh your luggage there before checking-in just to be sure.

For 3 years now we have been using a Rubbermaid chest with wheels for our luggage everytime we travel from the US to Thailand. They only cost $10-15 at Wal-Mart, are highly durable, and can be recycled as storage bins and coolers once we are in Thailand. It will also be useful if you decide to move or change apartments in Thailand. The Rubbermaid chest have a lot of room for bulky and irregular-shaped materials like towels, backpacks, sleeping bags, stuffed toys, kitchen tools, books, etc.

We also suggest that you put a label with the TCIS address and phone number on all your luggage. The Customs people at the airport will be more understanding if they know you are a teacher and the contents of your luggage are school materials. In case you lose your luggage or it is held for some reason, it will also be easier for the authorities to contact the TCIS office staff about it.

-- Brian and Tonette