How difficult is it to buy from Amazon and have it shipped here without too much VAT and fees

[DingDongLing]

I would much rather shop online then waste time trying to communicate it stores.

 

Anyone buy online?  Are there high fees? 

[KittenKong]

https://www.amazon.com/International-Shipping-Direct/b?ie=UTF8&node=230659011

[CharlieH]

Most things dependent on category and value will be subject to "import duties".

 

Some online services include these costs.

Its often a roll of the dice as to what and how much is charged.

 

There is info and calculators pinned at thd top of the forum.

 

Broad general cost will be:

Cost + shipping+ins× %duty+vat +applicable service/processing charge (subject to who is handling it).

 

General advice stay away from couriers like UPS FEDEX etc

[KiChakayan]

Works like a breeze now. My last order, for a dash cam, got delivered in a few days. On one instance they even refunded a couple of bucks, as the actual import fee ended up cheaper than their estimate. I'd say it becomes an interesting alternative to Lazada.

[KittenKong]

6 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Broad general cost will be:

Cost + shipping+ins× %duty+vat +applicable service/processing charge (subject to who is handling it).

The advantage of Amazon is that they quote an all-in price in their "international store", and all taxes duties and fees are included. See my link.

[CharlieH]

4 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

The advantage of Amazon is that they quote an all-in price in their "international store", and all taxes duties and fees are included. See my link.

Yes as stated in my post "some services include these costs".

[Pravda]

1 hour ago, KittenKong said:

The advantage of Amazon is that they quote an all-in price in their "international store", and all taxes duties and fees are included. See my link.

 

That's only for items fulfilled by Amazon.

 

Anyway, I dislike shopping on Amazon.com and always use either amazon.uk and Amazon Germany. Thei shipping costs on some items is a lot cheaper and they deduct VAt charges on checkout, so even if something is advertised at say 300 pounds, it will cost less than that shipped to Thailand even with shipping charges and customs/duties included.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, DingDongLing said:

Anyone buy online?  Are there high fees? 

AliExpress, Shopee and Lazada are the places to try first.

[DingDongLing]

3 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Works like a breeze now. My last order, for a dash cam, got delivered in a few days. On one instance they even refunded a couple of bucks, as the actual import fee ended up cheaper than their estimate. I'd say it becomes an interesting alternative to Lazada.

Lazada is like amazon?

Seems like a lot is used for "duties"

[Tayaout]

5 minutes ago, DingDongLing said:

Lazada is like amazon?

Seems like a lot is used for "duties"

Lazada is like Amazon. You can filter for local items for faster delivery but if items is outside the country then taxes are included. I get stuff almost daily and it works good! 

Edited May 28, 2019 by Tayaout

[ThaiEskimo]

2 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Lazada is like Amazon. You can filter for local items for faster delivery but if items is outside the country then taxes are included. I get stuff almost daily and it works good! 

Bump - Lazada works good indeed

[Jeffrey346]

I use Amazon all the time. Where it says "this item ships to Thailand" click details and it will show you the cost of VAT and Customs if applicable.

Most of the time I receive a refund on the customs charge as it is estimated. 

Amazon now uses UPS iShip that takes about 5 working days to arrive. Keep in mind, Amazon guarantees delivery. If you order a TV box you will get it.

[HarrySeaman]

In general you can have things that cost less than 1000 Bt shipped in duty free.

 

It is also possible that you can have more expensive items shipped in without Thai Customs charging you import duty, but it is a gamble.  Thai Customs will apply whatever price they wish, regardless of the price paid, so you must be willing to smile and pay duty on whatever value they assign or abandon the item.

 

Buying from Amazon is more trouble and cost than it is worth in most cases, especially from their USA stores.

 

I have gotten many things from eBay without being charged import duty.  The value has generally been less less than 1000 Bt, but but occasionally around 2000 Bt.  Go to eBay Advanced Search and specify from China and you can usually find small items with low prices and free EMS shipping.  Most Chinese shippers will only put an innocuous name on the package for low cost items, not a price.

 

To keep things simple always consider the Thai internet shops AliExpress, Shopee and Lazada that BritManToo listed before you buy from internet shops that are outside Thailand.

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by HarrySeaman

[Jeffrey346]

8 minutes ago, HarrySeaman said:

 

 

 Thai Customs will apply whatever price they wish, regardless of the price paid, so you must be willing to smile and pay duty on whatever value they assign or abandon the item.

 

Buying from Amazon is more trouble and cost than it is worth in most cases, especially from their USA stores.

 

 

 

 

 

Not true.. When you buy from Amazon, they guarantee Customs and VAT will not exceed the price they charged you.

Buying from the US is a breeze..

Edited May 28, 2019 by Jeffrey346

[Jimbo2014]

Ali express is a great alternative.  They have most things Amazon does but usually free shipping and import.  Worth a look.  We use it all the time

[Farang99]

There are a lot of things Amazon will not ship to Thailand

[bender92]

I have a package from Amazon, shipped via UPS, currently held in Thai customs. It's been there over 2 weeks, and Friday UPS finally told me the problem is the name on the box doesn't match my passport, middle name is missing. I'm waiting to see what will happen.

[Kerryd]

I routinely use Amazon, Lazada, eBay and AliExpress when I'm shopping online.

 

Amazon is usually quite good, but there are a lot of vendors that won't ship to Thailand, even if the item(s) are "Fulfilled by Amazon". It got to the point where I ended up registering with a company that provides a US address and will forward packages on to you. (They usually also give you a variety of shipping options, like UPS, USPS and FedEx, with "Express" and "Priority" options if applicable.)
Also watch the shipping charges on Amazon. I've cancelled orders I was going to make when I saw that the shipping charges were going to be way more than the cost of the stuff I was buying. (I think they get a kick-back on the shipping charges.)

If Amazon will ship the item, they include the estimated duties. Only once was I ever charged more than what they estimated and quite a few times I've received small refunds when it turns out the estimated charges were higher than the actual costs.

eBay is a little different. More "used" items, vendors often have their own shipping preference so you can get screwed on the costs but, for what I normally purchase, I've had fewer problems with vendors not wanting to ship to Thailand. They don't estimate Duties so even if they use regular mail you could get hit with extra charges.

 

Personally, I've found that things that go through the Thai mail system (EMS) and are under $50 (US) often sail through with no additional duties. Things valued at $50-75 are "hit or miss" as sometimes they get hit for additional duties and sometimes they don't. Things over $75 usually get hit with extra duties.

However ! ANYTHING shipped via a courier company like UPS, FedEx or DHL will most likely get hit with extra duties regardless of the value of the shipment !!!! Those companies use 3rd party Customs Brokers to process shipments through Thai Customs so they tack on extra charges wherever possible. Expect to pay 40-75% of the total value of the shipment in additional charges.

Keep in mind that in Thailand, they take the value of the shipment, add the shipping and insurance costs, then assess the duties on that total (so yes, you are paying duties on the shipping). If the shipping costs and/or insurance cost aren't known, they will estimate them.

AliExpress could be oh so much better, but it's primary function seems to be for factories to sell to retailers. You can buy single items, but it seems that most vendors are looking for bulk sales. Naturally, a lot of the "brand name" stuff they sell are knock offs as well.
Their search function absolutely SUCKS. On Amazon, if you search for "Cotton drawstring pants" you will only get returns that have all of those words. If you do the same search on Ali (or Lazada for that matter) you will get EVERY entry that has ANY of those words in it, even if you use "" (i.e. specific words/terms).
And so often, their filters, if they even have any, do nothing to limit the choices and they expect you to scroll through 17,000(+) listings, many of which have absolutely nothing at all to do with what you are searching for.

The big advantage with Lazada is no import duties and quite often your order will be at your door within a couple days of placing it. However, note that many of the vendors on Lazada don't actually have stuff in stock and instead order it themselves (probably from Ali) so for some things it can take a week to arrive (like the water bottles I just received a couple minutes ago). The item listings will normally show that the item is "coming from overseas" if it's something they aren't actually holding in stock.

2 weeks ago I had to go to the Customs Office in Laem Chabang because of an item I had ordered through Aliexpress. A set of LED lights for the Harley (headlight and 2 fog lights). The cost was $72.00 but the shipper put $8 on the declaration. I guess Customs saw "headlight" and $8.00 and got suspicious so they held up the package. I went there and showed them the order and actual price, and they tried to charge me double ($72 for the headlight and another $72 for the fog lights as they were in a different box). I had to show them (again) that it was one "set", not 2 separate items.

 

Then they wanted to know how much the shipping charges were. I SHOWED them that it was "free shipping" so what did they do ? Slapped on an estimated shipping charge as well as an estimated Insurance charge, then totalled that and slapped on the 40% import duties. 
Basically, the order was worth about 2,300 baht and I ended up paying just under 1,000 baht in duties on it.

Another time I had to go to the main post office in Bang Lamung to pick up a parcel from AliExpress. It was a windshield for the Harley. Only cost me about 900 baht ordering from Ali and the post office dinged me just over 300 baht in duties.

Lazada is usually pretty good with the customer service as well. I ordered a digital camera one time (that was apparently shipped from China). The shipment arrived in Thailand, went through Customs and then......disappeared. A few days after it was overdue for delivery Lazada contacted me and asked if I wanted a refund. A couple days later it was processed without any hassles or delays.

I ordered a slightly different type of the same camera and it arrived 10 days later (no Customs duties and no "disappearing package"). 

So, where possible, use regular (Registered) mail (like USPS) and the Thai EMS mail system instead of couriers.

Try to keep individual shipments under $50 in value if possible (but don't get crazy with the undervaluing either).

Use a 3rd party forwarding company for things that vendors won't ship to Thailand.

Be very aware of the shipping costs before placing an order.

 

If something can't be shipped from Amazon (or is too expensive) - look for the same thing on eBay (check shipping costs again). Then try AliExpress or Lazada. After awhile you kind of get to know what is easier to order from Lazada or what you basically have to order from Amazon. 

https://www.amazon.com/

https://www.ebay.com/

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/

Mail (Parcel) forwarding for those things that Amazon won't ship to Thailand:
https://planetexpress.com/?ref=32575

(Lol - I signed up with them in March and have already had 13 packages forwarded by them. Need to turn off my computer more I think !)

[atyclb]

i was looking at a 100usd ssd for computer on amazon usa. shipping 15 usd but they add . estimated 48usd for import duty when in actuality the cost is 7% vat for computer part made in china.  amazon says refund if due within 6 months.

[connda]

10 hours ago, KittenKong said:

https://www.amazon.com/International-Shipping-Direct/b?ie=UTF8&node=230659011

Fine and dandy if you can find what you want, but it seems that 95%+ of what I want isn't available via that site.  And then if you can get it shipped, then shipping is a nightmare, expensive, and often gets held up in Customs.

I get most of my needs from Lazada and AliExpress.  I can get about 50% of what I'm looking for at Lazada and AliExpress.  Payment often is COD or a bank transfer making it simple to purchase, and shipping has never been a problem as it usually arrives via EMS, Kerry, or just via Thai Post. None of this crap that the shipment must be send by an expensive courier service like UPS and Fedex.

Imho -- Amazon is pretty much worthless except for books that I can download to Kindle or to purchase software, music, and downloadable DVD or streaming services.  And even then I often have to use a VPN to the US in order to bypass the, "This item only is available to US customers."  Really, what a pain in the patootie.  More problems than it's worth.  Billionaire Bezo obviously makes enough without Thailand's business.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by connda

[connda]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

I routinely use Amazon, Lazada, eBay and AliExpress when I'm shopping online.

 

Amazon is usually quite good, but there are a lot of vendors that won't ship to Thailand, even if the item(s) are "Fulfilled by Amazon". It got to the point where I ended up registering with a company that provides a US address and will forward packages on to you. (They usually also give you a variety of shipping options, like UPS, USPS and FedEx, with "Express" and "Priority" options if applicable.)
Also watch the shipping charges on Amazon. I've cancelled orders I was going to make when I saw that the shipping charges were going to be way more than the cost of the stuff I was buying. (I think they get a kick-back on the shipping charges.)

If Amazon will ship the item, they include the estimated duties. Only once was I ever charged more than what they estimated and quite a few times I've received small refunds when it turns out the estimated charges were higher than the actual costs.

eBay is a little different. More "used" items, vendors often have their own shipping preference so you can get screwed on the costs but, for what I normally purchase, I've had fewer problems with vendors not wanting to ship to Thailand. They don't estimate Duties so even if they use regular mail you could get hit with extra charges.

 

Personally, I've found that things that go through the Thai mail system (EMS) and are under $50 (US) often sail through with no additional duties. Things valued at $50-75 are "hit or miss" as sometimes they get hit for additional duties and sometimes they don't. Things over $75 usually get hit with extra duties.

However ! ANYTHING shipped via a courier company like UPS, FedEx or DHL will most likely get hit with extra duties regardless of the value of the shipment !!!! Those companies use 3rd party Customs Brokers to process shipments through Thai Customs so they tack on extra charges wherever possible. Expect to pay 40-75% of the total value of the shipment in additional charges.

Keep in mind that in Thailand, they take the value of the shipment, add the shipping and insurance costs, then assess the duties on that total (so yes, you are paying duties on the shipping). If the shipping costs and/or insurance cost aren't known, they will estimate them.

AliExpress could be oh so much better, but it's primary function seems to be for factories to sell to retailers. You can buy single items, but it seems that most vendors are looking for bulk sales. Naturally, a lot of the "brand name" stuff they sell are knock offs as well.
Their search function absolutely SUCKS. On Amazon, if you search for "Cotton drawstring pants" you will only get returns that have all of those words. If you do the same search on Ali (or Lazada for that matter) you will get EVERY entry that has ANY of those words in it, even if you use "" (i.e. specific words/terms).
And so often, their filters, if they even have any, do nothing to limit the choices and they expect you to scroll through 17,000(+) listings, many of which have absolutely nothing at all to do with what you are searching for.

The big advantage with Lazada is no import duties and quite often your order will be at your door within a couple days of placing it. However, note that many of the vendors on Lazada don't actually have stuff in stock and instead order it themselves (probably from Ali) so for some things it can take a week to arrive (like the water bottles I just received a couple minutes ago). The item listings will normally show that the item is "coming from overseas" if it's something they aren't actually holding in stock.

2 weeks ago I had to go to the Customs Office in Laem Chabang because of an item I had ordered through Aliexpress. A set of LED lights for the Harley (headlight and 2 fog lights). The cost was $72.00 but the shipper put $8 on the declaration. I guess Customs saw "headlight" and $8.00 and got suspicious so they held up the package. I went there and showed them the order and actual price, and they tried to charge me double ($72 for the headlight and another $72 for the fog lights as they were in a different box). I had to show them (again) that it was one "set", not 2 separate items.

 

Then they wanted to know how much the shipping charges were. I SHOWED them that it was "free shipping" so what did they do ? Slapped on an estimated shipping charge as well as an estimated Insurance charge, then totalled that and slapped on the 40% import duties. 
Basically, the order was worth about 2,300 baht and I ended up paying just under 1,000 baht in duties on it.

Another time I had to go to the main post office in Bang Lamung to pick up a parcel from AliExpress. It was a windshield for the Harley. Only cost me about 900 baht ordering from Ali and the post office dinged me just over 300 baht in duties.

Lazada is usually pretty good with the customer service as well. I ordered a digital camera one time (that was apparently shipped from China). The shipment arrived in Thailand, went through Customs and then......disappeared. A few days after it was overdue for delivery Lazada contacted me and asked if I wanted a refund. A couple days later it was processed without any hassles or delays.

I ordered a slightly different type of the same camera and it arrived 10 days later (no Customs duties and no "disappearing package"). 

So, where possible, use regular (Registered) mail (like USPS) and the Thai EMS mail system instead of couriers.

Try to keep individual shipments under $50 in value if possible (but don't get crazy with the undervaluing either).

Use a 3rd party forwarding company for things that vendors won't ship to Thailand.

Be very aware of the shipping costs before placing an order.

 

If something can't be shipped from Amazon (or is too expensive) - look for the same thing on eBay (check shipping costs again). Then try AliExpress or Lazada. After awhile you kind of get to know what is easier to order from Lazada or what you basically have to order from Amazon. 

https://www.amazon.com/

https://www.ebay.com/

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/

Mail (Parcel) forwarding for those things that Amazon won't ship to Thailand:
https://planetexpress.com/?ref=32575

(Lol - I signed up with them in March and have already had 13 packages forwarded by them. Need to turn off my computer more I think !)

Nice write up!

[khunPer]

11 hours ago, DingDongLing said:

Anyone buy online?  Are there high fees? 

I sometimes buy from Amazon – last two orders for a book and a DVD arrived this month – I was quoted an all inclusive price, and didn't pay extra.

 

Years back I would pay little duty and v.a.t. when ordering stuff from Amazon, or another foreign Internet supplier, but depending of size of parcel, and price.

 

Thai's Lazada is a good alternative to check for online orders, and they quote all inclusive prices. I've used them a number of times, and been satisfied with both products and service.

????

[Mukdahanman]

Lazada has worked well for me, and the goods I buy are sourced domestically so no customs hassle. They manage to find my pretty obscure address too 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Another vote for Lazada, you can use the filter for local ( in Thailand ) and Cash on delivery.

Cash on delivery is a great advantage IMHO , applies to many stuff o/seas as well.

 

Lot of cheap junk on there as usual but great if you are looking for something specific, want it delivered to your address in good time and can pay COD.

 

The last 3 items I bought from Lazada arrived in 6 days or less from China and I paid the delivery man cash in hand, he will also allow you to check the item within reason.

I’ve never had to return anything but I understand it can be done easily from any 7-11.

 

Give Lazada a good check out before you discount them.

 

[Mukdahanman]

5 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Another vote for Lazada, you can use the filter for local ( in Thailand ) and Cash on delivery.

Cash on delivery is a great advantage IMHO , applies to many stuff o/seas as well.

 

Lot of cheap junk on there as usual but great if you are looking for something specific, want it delivered to your address in good time and can pay COD.

 

The last 3 items I bought from Lazada arrived in 6 days or less from China and I paid the delivery man cash in hand, he will also allow you to check the item within reason.

I’ve never had to return anything but I understand it can be done easily from any 7-11.

 

Give Lazada a good check out before you discount them.

 

Deffo, I always use the cash on delivery option rather than credit card - very convenient. And I am phoned shortly before they turn up in case I’m not in. If that’s the case, they arrange to turn up when I’m home, which could be the next day, all part of the service.

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, Mukdahanman said:

Deffo, I always use the cash on delivery option rather than credit card - very convenient. And I am phoned shortly before they turn up in case I’m not in. If that’s the case, they arrange to turn up when I’m home, which could be the next day, all part of the service.

 

I'm not saying that's not a good idea...  But after a few orders on Lazada, I gave up on the COD because that meant I had to be available with cash in hand- often a big inconvenience.  For my first 100 (or so) orders, I had them sent to the office where there was always a receptionist to receive them.  But I didn't want to burden the rotating receptionists with keeping my cash available for the COD payments or to chase me down- even when I was in the office and not offshore.   When my contract ended, I had another 100 (or so) orders sent to me at home.

 

Bottom line- in about 200 orders, I only had one that needed to be returned and that was an action camera with some dead pixels, ordered from a local company.  They had the replacement to me the next day- long before I returned the defective unit.

 

My only problem with Amazon (20+/- orders) is when I ordered a $10 e-book as a gift for a friend.  When she tried to download it, it wasn't available for download in Thailand- something about copyright license.   So I ended up buying her a paperback copy that cost over $60 when shipping and fees were added.  And she was a $10 friend, not a $60 friend...

 

[Suradit69]

14 hours ago, KittenKong said:

The advantage of Amazon is that they quote an all-in price in their "international store", and all taxes duties and fees are included.

Depending on what you're having sent, I wouldn't call that an advantage.

 

For most things I only buy from vendors who will send via the post office. Probably been buying things from them for over 15 years. Only about 25% of what I buy is ever charged duty. Never had anything go missing.

 

If you use the International Shipping Service or whatever it;s called, you'll pay customs on 100% of what is sent and their charges are a rip off.

[Yme]

I get stuff shipped to a US drop shipping address and they send it EMS. Never, ever DHL. Check out planet express

[onera1961]

15 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Works like a breeze now. My last order, for a dash cam, got delivered in a few days. On one instance they even refunded a couple of bucks, as the actual import fee ended up cheaper than their estimate. I'd say it becomes an interesting alternative to Lazada.

Same. I bought an iPhone 8 plus from Amazon US for my GF and they refunded the excess import duty. As it was her first import, she has to register her name/address with custom. UPS told us going forward it will not be required. I think the import fee is $48 but they refunded a few dollars. 

[Pdavies99]

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

AliExpress, Shopee and Lazada are the places to try first.

Quite agree with you.  The issue with Amazon is the fact that they in a lot of orders charge an import duty which can be very high, the same issue is when DHL or UPS delivery services are involved, they create huge problems re Customs duty.

 

I find E Bay and Ali Express far better, but always check which delivery service they intend to use.