Personal items are subject to customs fees according to parcel2go and TNT

[garrya]

I would like to share my rather grim experience with parcel2go, TNT and, apparently, Thai customs.

Please note that I was, and am still, under the impression that Thai Customs Laws allows the personal belongings to be shipped free of charge; I mean personal belongings, under certain circumstances are exempt from charges. 

See here:

http://en.customs.go.th/content.php?ini_content=individuals_151007_02&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individuals_151007_02

http://bangkok.embassy.qa/en/thailand/customs-regulations

We sent my wife's personal belongings to Thailand after she decided to relocate back to Thailand using parcel2go that used TNT as delivery service.

There were numerous issues, such as pickup driver not calling before attempting to pick up (he should have), notice information on status repeatedly wrong,  then when the box arrived we were asked to pay almost 5000 baht to be able to collect my wife's personal belongings. w tf?

Driver could not tell us what this 5000 baht cost was nor could TNT or parcel2go. I had to call and chat with these companies  a couple of times. After numerous attempts finally it was said that Thai customs demands this amount. I had to contact them at least 7 times to get this information out of them. Why was not this obvious?? I had told them that we clearly stated on the custom declaration form that these were personal belongings of a Thai citizen.

I have also copied, pasted and sent the information on customs regulations. These delivery companies simply did not care. I told them we would contact whoever we need to sort this out. They either wanted to get the money (god knows why), or send the parcel back to UK. LOL. 

 

So here we are. In 2018 you cannot even ship your dirty old crinkled clothes without being subject to duty?? What a load of b.lloc.s

Note that there were nothing but clothes, documents, and some supplements in the parcel. NO electronics, perfumes et cetera. There was nothing in original packaging or anything that would resemble a brand new item. We had carefully selected the items in order to be able to avoid problems. Well, it did not matter.

I simply cannot believe what a world we live in. Cannot! An ordinary person is considered nothing but a rat; ignored and hatred.

Any ideas what we can do next as we have some more things to ship?

Edited June 4, 2018 by garrya

[473geo]

Perhaps if you list the clothing items and values (Second hand/used) not generalise

By way of example currently a change in the customs process in China has rendered 'personal effects' as an invalid description of imported goods, not sure if the same will apply or is applied in Thailand.

[garrya]

7 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Perhaps if you list the clothing items and values (Second hand/used) not generalise

By way of example currently a change in the customs process in China has rendered 'personal effects' as an invalid description of imported goods, not sure if the same will apply or is applied in Thailand.

I did clearly list what was in the box. It could not have been misunderstood.  It is not us who have made any mistakes.

We have only followed Thai Laws.  What more could we have done?

I believe it was the delivery company that simply agreed to charges or simply ticked the wrong box.

Even if they agreed to charges why did not they contact us?

Edited June 4, 2018 by garrya

[473geo]

There is usually a customs processing fee was there any other customs fee included in the shipment charge?

Terms of the shipment would probably be deliver duty unpaid as in the consignee would pay

So if it was duty charged by Thai customs your beef is with them, not the shipping agent - and that is really going to be a dead end

[Crossy]

You should get a breakdown of the charges when you collect / they deliver the goods, but yes, your beef is with customs. Good luck with them, you're likely not going to sort this over the phone (has your wife spoken to them?). A visit is going to be needed and probably some tea purchased. Add into the mix the fact that the couriers do their own customs clearance rather than customs being directly involved.

 

For five grand is it worth the stress?

 

In reality do you want the goods? Yes, pay the fee. No, it will either be returned to the UK or destroyed. Also note it is likely racking up storage charges all the while since it is you causing the delivery delay.

 

The courier companies (TNT, DHL, FedEx etc) really have everyone over a barrel, they have the goods, you want the goods, they can pretty much charge what they like.

 

Also, whenever issues with customs crop up, clothes and supplements are invariably involved (both are tightly controlled).

 

 

 

 

[Lamkyong]

you talk about futher shipments  under the scheme of returning Thais  i think you can claim  this only once  and within a 6 month period of arriving in Thailand

[garrya]

Some further development in the story:

My missus rang Customs, they logged the issue. Also she spoke with the delivery company and finally she found someone who had some ideas what went wrong. IT IS THE MATERIAL.LOL

There is a line in the customs declaration asking for the material of the items, and it was said cotton, polyester and plastic. And this is why charges occurred apparently. WHAT???

3 hours ago, Lamkyong said:

you talk about futher shipments  under the scheme of returning Thais  i think you can claim  this only once  and within a 6 month period of arriving in Thailand

I was looking for that information but I could not find it. Only found that even non-residents can ship personal belongings for free of customs charges. 

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by garrya

[garrya]

7 hours ago, Crossy said:

You should get a breakdown of the charges when you collect / they deliver the goods, but yes, your beef is with customs. Good luck with them, you're likely not going to sort this over the phone (has your wife spoken to them?). A visit is going to be needed and probably some tea purchased. Add into the mix the fact that the couriers do their own customs clearance rather than customs being directly involved.

 

For five grand is it worth the stress?

 

In reality do you want the goods? Yes, pay the fee. No, it will either be returned to the UK or destroyed. Also note it is likely racking up storage charges all the while since it is you causing the delivery delay.

 

The courier companies (TNT, DHL, FedEx etc) really have everyone over a barrel, they have the goods, you want the goods, they can pretty much charge what they like.

 

Also, whenever issues with customs crop up, clothes and supplements are invariably involved (both are tightly controlled).

 

 

 

 

It is not the 5 grand but the miscommunication that is causing the issue.

Also, we have more stuff that would generate more 5 grand charges.

But it is what it is. We will swallow it as we have no choice. Also, threads like this could help others in the future. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Don't use TNT or any other private courier like FedEx or DHL.

 

Ship the items via your home country national mail carrier international airmail, and they will be delivered here by Thai Post.  And more than likely, with far less hassle and duty.

 

Also, to take advantage of the exemption given returning Thai citizens, I believe that has to be processed in a certain way. Such shipments don't automatically get that exemption just because the sender is Thai.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[473geo]

7 hours ago, Crossy said:

The courier companies (TNT, DHL, FedEx etc) really have everyone over a barrel, they have the goods, you want the goods, they can pretty much charge what they like

Not really correct

 

Most courier shipments are processed door to door excluding customs duty and VAT -  customs duty and VAT if applicable are usually paid by the shipper, or the consignee, in this case one and the same.

 

Had no duty or VAT been applied the shipment would have cleared and been delivered

 

If Duty and or VAT are applied the courier company/Customs require payment prior to clearance to allow delivery of the goods.

 

Alternatively if the shipper/consignee has an applicable account with the courier company or deferment account in destination country (unlikely for a one off shipper) then the goods are cleared and delivered -  charges on account

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 hours ago, garrya said:

See here:

http://en.customs.go.th/content.php?ini_content=individuals_151007_02&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individuals_151007_02

 

"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 of the importers. Under exceptional circumstances, Customs may extend the time limits for the importers."

 

Also, the site you linked above makes it sound like the exemption only applies for Thai residents when they have been working abroad... not just residing abroad.

 

"Thai Residents: Thai residents may import the secondhand/used household effects acquired abroad duty-free if such household effects are accompanied them in the change of residence and they are qualified under the criteria listed below:

Thai residents or government officials work or carry out a working visit abroad for at least one year."

[garrya]

15 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

"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 of the importers. Under exceptional circumstances, Customs may extend the time limits for the importers."

 

Also, the site you linked above makes it sound like the exemption only applies for Thai residents when they have been working abroad... not just residing abroad.

 

"Thai Residents: Thai residents may import the secondhand/used household effects acquired abroad duty-free if such household effects are accompanied them in the change of residence and they are qualified under the criteria listed below:

Thai residents or government officials work or carry out a working visit abroad for at least one year."

Thanks for shedding more light on this.

She indeed worked and she returned to Thailand less than a month ago.

Anyways, still nobody knows the real answer even though my missus has spoken to both the delivery company and Customs. They say different and conflicting information. The delivery company is rather unconstractive and Customs are simply clueless.

But let's see how it eventually unfolds. 

[garrya]

An update:

I have had a correspondence with Thai Customs and have received the reply that sheds light on importing things.

Technically, Thai citizens or foreigners on some type of NON immigrant Visas can send personal effects without being subject to duty fees as long as the documentations are prepared correctly.

There must be a letter attached to the customs declaration that clearly explains the situation. Copy of passport is required. The receiver of the parcel should be the Thai partner to avoid misunderstandings. 

On the customs declaration form it is important that the value of shipment must be a small number as even if it generates duty fees, it will be much less.

 

Note that the delivery companies are either unaware of this or they simply don't care. I was told by two delivery companies that personal and household effects are prohibited to ship into Thailand from the UK. 

They don't recognize Thai people moving back or family member moving to Thailand to accompany his/her partner.

 

In light of these, I am going to attempt to send another parcel once the NON O is in my passport.

 

The letter I received from Thai Customs could be pinned somewhere as it contains invaluable information that most of us don't know.

[chatette]

Try using a relocation company for any other shipments. There's quite a bit of paperwork involved to get your stuff back to Thailand duty free and the relocation companies typically know what's involved, whereas courier firms may not.
For example, I recall when my stuff shipped back from India some years ago, in addition to the detailed inventory of goods etc, I also had to show dates that I'd been in (and out) of Thailand to show that I qualified for the duty free status.
Because Thai passport holders can go in and out using electronic gates, the document showing ins and outs has to be obtained on request at a counter at the Suan Plu Immigration Bureau office and takes a few days (not a computer to be seen in that office).
The whole process is quite bureaucratic and archaic (what a surprise) and makes you wonder (or not) how people import components to build an entire Lamborghini without paying a baht of tax.
Good luck. 

[Media1]

Anything passed to a Thai cpuoer is subject to anything they can create. A bit like a Thai hooker with a rich failing old man. 

Never use any courier company EMS bit by bit and declare a gift. YOU have been raped lol.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/5/2018 at 3:43 AM, 473geo said:

There is usually a customs processing fee was there any other customs fee included in the shipment charge?

Terms of the shipment would probably be deliver duty unpaid as in the consignee would pay

So if it was duty charged by Thai customs your beef is with them, not the shipping agent - and that is really going to be a dead end

There are probably bosses with Thai customs who do the same as other authorities in Thailand by making up their own rules as they go along.

[phetpeter]

The companies mentioned deliberately charge customs fees so it is a win win situation,  for customs was to check contents, which is very unlikely, even more so if it is in a Thai's name. They are covered, if not, they keep the money. If the value is under a certain limit there is no charge. But, the best option is to send it by normal ems post, You are 90 % certain never to get any charges. Or excess on your flight using the handling agent at the airport. 

[StevieAus]

On 6/5/2018 at 12:51 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Don't use TNT or any other private courier like FedEx or DHL.

 

Ship the items via your home country national mail carrier international airmail, and they will be delivered here by Thai Post.  And more than likely, with far less hassle and duty.

 

Also, to take advantage of the exemption given returning Thai citizens, I believe that has to be processed in a certain way. Such shipments don't automatically get that exemption just because the sender is Thai.

 

 

That advice is spot on I will not use any of those companies or similar as they claim to collect the fees for the government then charge you for the process

Now it cannot be sent by mail I don’t bother

There is a provision that a Thai returning home can on one occasion only, bring in their belongings duty free.

We brought a container from Aus several years ago and no duty was paid on the contents but you have to obtain the permit/ documentation you cannot send the stuff without it otherwise it’s not exempted

[Suradit69]

On 6/5/2018 at 12:51 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Don't use TNT or any other private courier like FedEx or DHL.

Yes, it's the courier who assesses the duty on behalf of customs. The couriers will always charge the maximum amount possible and, at that point, customs will usually back them up.

 

That applies to anything they handle, including things bought on eBay or Amazon or whoever. The same things sent by post and delivered by the Thai Post Office will often be duty free or charged some minimal amount. 

 

Often things bought on eBay, Amazon or business using some "global shipping service" will actually pre-charge you for delivery and customs duty ... so obviously they decided the amount of customs due before Thai Customs ever laid eyes on the shipment.

 

This topic has been discussed often on TV.

 

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Suradit69

[seajae]

when I shipped my stuff from Australia some years back I had wine, work tools, computer and programs on disc(these mysteriously vanished) as well as clothes, fishing gear etc, apart from the computer disc/programs everything else was in the boxes, no payments what so ever to customs and I never filled in any paperwork, apart from the ones to the shipping company and I generalized in  those as I wasnt sure what I had stuck in what box 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

Often things bought on eBay, Amazon or business using some "global shipping service" will actually pre-charge you for delivery and customs duty ... so obviously they decided the amount of customs due before Thai Customs ever laid eyes on the shipment.

 

yep, I was looking at Amazon's Global Shipping Program details the other day for something my wife wanted to check about. The problem with it is, Amazon tends to use the private couriers for those deliveries, so you're typically going to get reamed by customs charges vs (as you pointed out above) instead sending the same things by regular airmail/ThaiPost and often paying nothing.

 

My wife was looking on Amazon Global at a 4 lbs bathroom accessory item that Amazon had priced at $30 to $50 depending on which model we were looking at. But the Global Shipping add-on for both the shipping cost and estimated customs duty was going to add $75+ to the price, effectively more than doubling the cost of the items. No thanks. Much cheaper to buy it and ship it thru my own means.

 

 

[Media1]

On 6/5/2018 at 5:15 AM, Crossy said:

You should get a breakdown of the charges when you collect / they deliver the goods, but yes, your beef is with customs. Good luck with them, you're likely not going to sort this over the phone (has your wife spoken to them?). A visit is going to be needed and probably some tea purchased. Add into the mix the fact that the couriers do their own customs clearance rather than customs being directly involved.

 

For five grand is it worth the stress?

 

In reality do you want the goods? Yes, pay the fee. No, it will either be returned to the UK or destroyed. Also note it is likely racking up storage charges all the while since it is you causing the delivery delay.

 

The courier companies (TNT, DHL, FedEx etc) really have everyone over a barrel, they have the goods, you want the goods, they can pretty much charge what they like.

 

Also, whenever issues with customs crop up, clothes and supplements are invariably involved (both are tightly controlled).

 

 

 

 

Never deal with couriers there franchises not sane as the west. Here there corrupt liars robbing with customs..@sshole them.

[Media1]

On 6/5/2018 at 1:00 PM, 473geo said:

Not really correct

 

Most courier shipments are processed door to door excluding customs duty and VAT -  customs duty and VAT if applicable are usually paid by the shipper, or the consignee, in this case one and the same.

 

Had no duty or VAT been applied the shipment would have cleared and been delivered

 

If Duty and or VAT are applied the courier company/Customs require payment prior to clearance to allow delivery of the goods.

 

Alternatively if the shipper/consignee has an applicable account with the courier company or deferment account in destination country (unlikely for a one off shipper) then the goods are cleared and delivered -  charges on account

 

 

 

 

 

You always pay with courier period 

[473geo]

54 minutes ago, Media1 said:

You always pay with courier period 

Couriers don't really encourage personal effects shipments - not too difficult to understand why!

[shy coconut]

9 hours ago, Media1 said:

Anything passed to a Thai cpuoer is subject to anything they can create. A bit like a Thai hooker with a rich failing old man. 

Never use any courier company EMS bit by bit and declare a gift. YOU have been raped lol.

I'm not sure you understand the word  "raped" or what "lol" means.

[garrya]

10 hours ago, Media1 said:

Anything passed to a Thai cpuoer is subject to anything they can create. A bit like a Thai hooker with a rich failing old man. 

Never use any courier company EMS bit by bit and declare a gift. YOU have been raped lol.

Checked my bottom, and I don't think I have been "raped". However, I was "ripped" off for  sure.

Lesson learnt, need to double up on trousers in order to avoid being "raped". 

[garrya]

So finally got the invoice. TNT did nothing "wrong" but paid the charges. They did not have to as they had choices such as leaving the parcel there and contact us about the charges, taking the parcel without paying the charges, and paying the charges and taking the parcel. Well, they chose the option paying charges, delivering the parcel putting us in a situation in which we would not have a choice but to pay them.

Customs told us that TNT DID NOT HAVE TO PAY the charges and they could have contacted us but they opted to pay putting us in an uncomfortable situation. My wife has searched this online and she had found loads of negative reviews regrading the same issue. 

Lesson learnt. <deleted> these fackin rules. It is very hard to do anything without being penalized in 2018.