There was mixed emotions when my company asked me to take up another position in Australia and leave our Thailand operation. It was my first international corporate relocation and the business assignment had been very successful. As a family we had made numerous friends from all over the world and it would be sad to say goodbye. At least the process of moving overseas would be different this time as we were moving back into our home in Sydney.
Having already had a positive experience with our international removalists when we originally packed our house and came to Thailand, it was natural that we would use the same company. We were much more fortunate than others because the removalists had office all over the world and would look after everything from start to finish. Other friends were not so fortunate in moving to Thailand as they had not been given the advice of choosing a single company to pack, transport and unpack their belongings in the first place.
From the moment we called them, they took control of the entire process. A removalist consultant was assigned and ensured that we developed a comprehensive plan of action. Nothing was left to chance including closing bank accounts, retrieving all medical and dental records from local practitioners as well as informing all insurance companies - medical, home and contents. Whilst we thought that we had everything under control, having had experience in moving internationally in the first place there were quite a number of specific areas to consider in returning home.
Moving to Thailand had few if any quarantine issues to deal with, but in returning to Australia we had to consider all our belongings, particularly those purchased in Bangkok. For example, we had bought a rattan lounge suite and a rosewood dining room setting among other things. We needed to assure Australian quarantine officials that the wood products were free of any bugs likely to harm the Australian environment. We also had to be certain that all clothing and shoes that were being packed into boxes and then the container were clean and free of any dirt. Frankly we were quickly made aware of how seriously quarantine issues were taken and that there would be an inspection of our belongings prior to being released to us in Australia.
On packing day, we found it comforting that the same processes that were used when we left Australia were used to pack our belongings in Bangkok. What we learnt was that because the removalist company had a global presence that they had a worldwide quality assurance program. This meant that the boxes and materials were the same and the care and diligence in packing our belongings was of the highest standard.
Although we were experienced expatriates to a point this move was made so much easier because of the quality of our removalist company.
Geoff Cooper has undertaken a number of corporate assignments in Asia. He has found that moving overseas has had its surprises on each occasion. The stress of the move is made much easier by selecting international removalists that specialise in corporate relocations for families moving overseas moving overseas.
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