Chaeng Wattana customs office for post and parcels

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Has anybody else been through this?  It's such a ballache.

 

I live in Onnut.  The customs office is about 2 hours by public transport from here.  Maybe about 1 hour if you take a taxi and use the expressways.  The cost by taxi would be about 400 baht including tolls.  The cost by public transport is about 100 baht per person - walk or motorbike taxi to BTS, BTS to Mochit, bus (get off about half way to Don Mueang) then walk or motorbike taxi for the last 750 metres or so.  These are the approximate coordinates for anybody going there.   13.881765, 100.571050

 

I guess the location has something to do with the proximity to one of the airports which would be where most of the parcels arrive into the country?  Does Suvaranabhumi not get as much mail?  I'm not sure.

 

First, I don't understand why I have to go there?  Twice I have had to trek across the city and there and back takes the best part of a day.  It's not really something you can get a local motorbike taxi or errand-runner to go and do on your behalf because it's a long-winded process and you'd need to trust them with an undeterminable amount of cash, they'll need 2+ copies of your ID as well and a bunch of other documents if there is no name on the parcel (example the sender put your eBay ID or phone number in the name field, or just totally omitted the name).  I understand that there must be a centralised 'depot' for the customs department, and that every local sorting office cannot have its own customs department, but why can they not appraise the value of the items in Chaeng Wattana, and then deliver it as they usually would, with the customs payable on delivery or a slip delivered through the letterbox requesting payment before the parcel can be delivered?  They already do send a slip to your home address, that's how you find out you have to go to Chaeng Wattana (they don't print the address in English though), so why not just appraise the value beforehand and stop wasting everybody's time?  The answer to that might be that at Chaeng Wattana they give you an opportunity to show the purchase price, but they could just look on the internet, which is what they do anyway if you turn up without proof of purchase/value.

 

You have about 10-14 days to pick it up before they start charging storage fees (which are about 10 baht a day - might depend on size of the parcel).

 

Then once you walk through the door you have to present or take photocopies of your ID (one baht each),  and wait in a queue (don't turn up at lunchtime - they don't split staff's breaks so there is nobody to deal with you until they've all finished their sandwiches).  I additionally had to present copies of my apartment contract because there was no name on the parcel and I had to prove I hadn't stolen the slip?  These had to be sent to a Line account and were printed and charged at 20 baht each.  Then to another office where another photocopy ID was needed (back to the photocopy office and another 1 baht).  Then after all that somebody will check your documents and give you a queue number for the next queue.  This was about 20 minutes long.  Then the parcel appears in front of you and she will ask you to open it.  I do so and it's a bunch of beret hats I'd forgotten about.  She asks me how much they cost and I say 50 baht each which is cheap but true.  She disagrees and assumes correctly that they are for resale (there are a lot of them), tries to find a retail price online and comes up with taxes due of 1280 baht.  I make clear I have no interest in paying that and start to walk off.  She asks me to repackage the parcel and hands me a roll of tape as if I work there.  I deliberately used as much of the tape as I could, almost a full roll, until the parcel is a completely mummified sphere, before handing it back to her with a smile.  Then she wants me to take it to another desk and fill out forms, I just walked off at this point.

 

It's such a bad experience and you get the impression the whole process is designed to make it as difficult as possible so that they can charge you storage/keep the items for those who don't bother to collect them.  Since only about 1 in 20 parcels from abroad (in my experience) end up here, it would honestly be better to not collect the parcel, and wait for them to (hopefully) return it to the sender and then get it refunded/reshipped.

[Just Weird]

Can't understand why you're complaining about the process to import and pay duty on wholesale items for resale here.  Maybe your whinge is that you just got caught out trying to avoid duty?

 

You also seem to think that postmen work for the Customs Dept and should collect import duty to save you a trip. 

[dfdgfdfdgs]

The gripe is that I have to travel so far.  Once you have spent half a day getting there and back the other inconveniences bother you more than they might usually.

 

The actual process at the office once I have got there is unnecessarily bureaucratic, but I have no complaints about the actual collection of the taxes.

 

Yes, I think postmen should collect import duty to save everybody a trip, it makes perfect sense.  After all they all work for and are paid by the same government and are going to your house anyway.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Let's say you are a regular Thai person, you can't afford 800 baht on taxis so you have to go by public transport.

 

Is it reasonable to expect them to take a day off work (lost earnings of at least 500 baht for most) and spend 200 baht just to get there and back?  I assume Chaeng Wattana covers the whole of BKK so it would apply even for people living out near Bang Na and Bearing.  Add an extra 30-60 minutes on and an extra few baht each way for those guys.  It's ridiculous to the point that it becomes prohibitive unless the parcel has significant value.

Edited October 6, 2017 by dfdgfdfdgs

[asiaexpat]

The option is FEDEX or DHL. They will cost you as much if not more. A good rule to follow when mailing items is to make a very clear declaration with value included. I have had to go there just to pick up old DVDs because the declaration was only DVD and should have declared used with no value.  

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Yes those options tax you everytime which is why I only use (or buy from people using) normal airmail (Thaipost).  Then you just have to cross your fingers Chaeng Wattana don't get their hands on it.

 

From my limited experience with the couriers like the ones you mentioned, they make the payment process easy.  You don't have to go anywhere, you can pay on the doorstep, and I think you can even pay online.  The customs office could do the same but choose not to.

[Just Weird]

On 10/6/2017 at 5:30 PM, dfdgfdfdgs said:

Let's say you are a regular Thai person, you can't afford 800 baht on taxis so you have to go by public transport.

 

Is it reasonable to expect them to take a day off work (lost earnings of at least 500 baht for most) and spend 200 baht just to get there and back?  I assume Chaeng Wattana covers the whole of BKK so it would apply even for people living out near Bang Na and Bearing.  Add an extra 30-60 minutes on and an extra few baht each way for those guys.  It's ridiculous to the point that it becomes prohibitive unless the parcel has significant value.

What's not reasonable is to double the OP's travel estimates and then use those figures for your comment, his taxi was B400, using public transport was B100.

 

The regular Thai people that you refer to aren't the ones buying wholesale items overseas for resale here and trying to avoid paying duty.

[Jean Laurent]

As i am living 350 km from BKK, i received a notification from the postoffice to clear the order for 2x boxes of Pectasol ( Citrus modified) which is a dietary supplement very common in UK or USA which prevent anti-tumoric cells, price per unit is 39$ ! so i will have to take the bus, discover the place where is located the office more difficult to find an address in Tokyo and follow all the stupids instructions to solve the nightmare and pay the tax for it. If i will refused to do so i will be charged of a storage charge within 7 days counting from the date of receipt. So Thailand push sometimes the button too far, i will checked for an another retirement place to live

[blackcab]

4 hours ago, Jean Laurent said:

... so i will have to take the bus, discover the place where is located the office more difficult to find an address in Tokyo...

 

To help you out, here are the exact co-ordinates of where I believe you need to go (check the address on your documents first!)

 

Copy and paste these co-ordinates into Google maps:

 

13.879988,100.576045

 

Bangkok EMS Centre Lak Si Soi 5 (Postal Customs Service Division)

[Jean Laurent]

Thank U very much Blackcab for the help !

[Just Weird]

On ‎3‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 5:17 PM, Jean Laurent said:

As i am living 350 km from BKK, i received a notification from the postoffice to clear the order for 2x boxes of Pectasol ( Citrus modified) which is a dietary supplement very common in UK or USA which prevent anti-tumoric cells, price per unit is 39$ ! so i will have to take the bus, discover the place where is located the office more difficult to find an address in Tokyo and follow all the stupids instructions to solve the nightmare and pay the tax for it. If i will refused to do so i will be charged of a storage charge within 7 days counting from the date of receipt. So Thailand push sometimes the button too far, i will checked for an another retirement place to live

If you received a notification from the Post Office then you probably have to pay any duty at that PO.  Check the notification before you go to CW.

 

I had an item from the US intercepted and received a notification from the Post Office responsible for deliveries in the area in which I live to collect and pay locally.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Unless anybody has any differing experiences, you can't pay it at the local post office, you have to collect from Chaeng Wattana.

 

All the couriers (DHL etc) allow you to pay at your door in cash, or at their local depot, but Thaipost insists on you travelling for half a day so you can watch them assess your parcel and then tax you for it.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

Although Chaeng Wattana just covers Bangkok area.  I doubt somebody living 350km away would have to travel to Chaeng Wattana - surely they'd have a depot more local to them.

[Just Weird]

14 hours ago, dfdgfdfdgs said:

Unless anybody has any differing experiences, you can't pay it at the local post office, you have to collect from Chaeng Wattana.

 

All the couriers (DHL etc) allow you to pay at your door in cash, or at their local depot, but Thaipost insists on you travelling for half a day so you can watch them assess your parcel and then tax you for it.

"...you can't pay it at the local post office..."

Yes, you can!  Did you not read this?...

15 hours ago, Just Weird said:

I had an item from the US intercepted and received a notification from the Post Office responsible for deliveries in the area in which I live to collect and pay locally.

I paid the duty at, and collected a package from, Onnut 66 Post Office a few weeks ago.  I could have disputed the amount of duty assessed and had a re-assessment in which case it would have gone to CW for a review.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

So in that case it must be done on a random or case by case basis.  It seems strange they would assess duty for some items independently, and other items they would ask you to go there and open the parcel in front of you before they assessed the duty amount due.

 

In my cases, when I have had to travel there, one time was for a metal detector, and the other was for a bulk parcel of beret hats, both maybe could be considered untypical.  Maybe they scan the parcels first, or take note of the declaration on the customs form, so they have an idea of what is inside before deciding whether to call you in or not.

[Jean Laurent]

Thank U very much Blackcab for the help !

[Jean Laurent]

i got an explanation why i should pick-up the parcel in Lak Si, they considered the product as a medecine and not as a dietary complement ! in Lak Si, you got a FDA office Nr 20 exactly and as i had with me the prescription, the US patent licence, the certificate of analysis of the product and the complete details of it works for body cells, they agreed to let me import the products that would be very convenient for anyone wishs import in future. As now the Pectasol has a reference number for Thai market, i will just have to pay the tax for next order in post office near my place.....