Customs duty on guitar from China

[LALes]

Anyone ever buy an electric guitar on Ali Express or DH Gate and have it shipped to Thailand?

I'm leery of them flagging it at the port and making me go down there to pick it up and pay some ridiculous fee.  I've had nightmare experiences with cigars and this looks to be more headaches than it might be worth.  The prices on some of these Chinese knock-off Gibsons are incredible and I'm really tempted to get one but if I have to pay a huge customs duty, that defeats the whole purpose.

[Kenny202]

I don't know about from China but I bought some 2nd hand guitars from Japan and got slugged pretty hard. Doesnt matter what the reciept price or documentation price says either. Thai customs will estimate their own price. And its pay it or lose it too. No arguing with them. My mother sent some 2nd hand baby clothes from Australia, very small parcel. They hit us 40 bucks for that. Being a counterfeit also you run the risk of them confiscating it. If its a copy Gibson and they look up the book price of a real Gibson you are also screwed. Not being a scaremonger here but it is a crapshoot. 

 

Look. I don't know how much you know about guitars but while the Chinese knock offs look ok they are horrible to play and sound horrible. There are quite a lot of Japanese second hand guitar stores in Bangkok that deliver all over the country. If you're after a Les Paul or something like that you can not go past an early (70's / 80's) Japanese copy. Particularly excellent are the early Yamaha's, Ibanez, Greco, Tokai. I particularly like the early Yamaha's. I've had the lot over the years vintage and new Gibson and Fender stuff and the early Japanese Yamaha's by far the best. You wont pick one up for 3000 baht though. Maybe 8000 baht up depending on condition. At least though if need be you will resell it easily. Copy Gibson Chinese you have forever, and you wont want to have it for more than a day. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by Kenny202

[CharlieH]

Value + shipping × 20% x 7% vat. (Minimum)

[LALes]

14 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

I don't know about from China but I bought some 2nd hand guitars from Japan and got slugged pretty hard. Doesnt matter what the reciept price or documentation price says either. Thai customs will estimate their own price. And its pay it or lose it too. No arguing with them. My mother sent some 2nd hand baby clothes from Australia, very small parcel. They hit us 40 bucks for that. Being a counterfeit also you run the risk of them confiscating it. If its a copy Gibson and they look up the book price of a real Gibson you are also screwed. Not being a scaremonger here but it is a crapshoot. 

 

Look. I don't know how much you know about guitars but while the Chinese knock offs look ok they are horrible to play and sound horrible. There are quite a lot of Japanese second hand guitar stores in Bangkok that deliver all over the country. If you're after a Les Paul or something like that you can not go past an early (70's / 80's) Japanese copy. Particularly excellent are the early Yamaha's, Ibanez, Greco, Tokai. I particularly like the early Yamaha's. I've had the lot over the years vintage and new Gibson and Fender stuff and the early Japanese Yamaha's by far the best. You wont pick one up for 3000 baht though. Maybe 8000 baht up depending on condition. At least though if need be you will resell it easily. Copy Gibson Chinese you have forever, and you wont want to have it for more than a day. 

I had a Japanese LP in the 80s called "W".  Changed the pickups to DiMarzio and it lasted me 30 years

until the binding started to separate and other little things caused me to ditch it.  I saved the pickups and was planning on dropping them into one of these Chibsons.  I've seen numerous Youtube videos of guys unboxing and playing these Chibsons and they are quite satisfied with their purchases.  The general consensus is these guitars have gotten much better in the last few years.   I'm ready to take a shot but not mailing to Thailand, it seems.  I had to go to the port at Laem Chebang once to pick up a 

box of cigars and pay 50 baht.  Without a car, I can't see schlepping all the way to the port to pick up a 

heavy guitar.  I guess I'll wait until I go back to the States later this year.

[kevc]

AliExpress usually put a crazy low price and you don't pay any customs duty I bought a 5,500 BAHT car system and paid 240 baht customs and that's the only time I've paid duty on anything from AliExpress


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[Toosetinmyways]

I have purchased two Chinese look alike guitars from Aliexpress. Make sure they are sent by China Post and the only thing you will have to do is collect it at the local post office as they do not deliver to your house due to size. Paid nothing on each guitar. 160 us and 280 us purchase price free delivery.

The quality of Chinese guitars has came on leaps and bounds since the days of the plywood bodies. My two guitars have no Fender or Gibson marks on them.

The Strat look alike has cheap pots and tuners, easy to upgrade and a fabulous maple neck worth 160 us by itself.