USPS package held up in customs

[tom in bangkok]

Hey all

 

A package I ordered from a USA merchant arrived in Thailand on the 10th but has had the status "Held in Customs" since the 10th of this month. I haven't seen this status before so I'm not sure what to do about it. Do I just wait and it'll eventually be cleared? Am I going to get a letter to come pay duties on the package?

 

This is the 3rd time I've ordered the same package in the last 8 or so months and the manifest has always been correctly labelled, so I'm at a loss for why this particular order is "held" at customs. I checked the tracking code on the Thai EMS website and it says the status is "To Customs" and there's a link to the customs website. Searching for the tracking number on the customs website shows a completely unrelated order from a few years ago to some hospital in Thailand.

 

Do you guys have any experience with this status? Hell, I'd even take some anecdotes or conjecture at this point.

 

[Sheryl]

Would help to know what tbe ite. Is.

Also would the labelling inude your email address in case customs wanted to contact you?

Usually when held up it means they are having trouble figuring out what it is.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[tom in bangkok]

Thanks Sheryl. It's just some artificial flavoring with a value of about 20 USD. The last package only had my name+address and no email/phone number on it, so I'm assuming the label will be more or less identical this time.

[CharlieH]

It can in my experience take up to 7 days to "clear" customs, it's only been 48 hrs, give a few days and then contact the Post Office help line if no movement.

[tom in bangkok]

15 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

It can in my experience take up to 7 days to "clear" customs, it's only been 48 hrs, give a few days and then contact the Post Office help line if no movement.

Thanks Charlie. I'll wait and see then.

 

I've had things get stuck in customs before but the "Held" part was throwing me off.

[moontang]

could be an FDA issue.  All artificial colors and flavors are generally identified by their FDA number.  Customs is a nightmare here.  DT is spot on about countries playing fair, which Thailand does not.  

 

[asiaexpat]

Last time I had items (supplements) held up I received a letter telling me to come to customs office near Chaengwattana. The customs officer required FDA approval and import license, I had neither. Paid 3000 baht to get the vitamins released. I had many other packages of the same supplements clear customs without a problem in about a week. 

[Airalee]

I just had a delivery held up on customs too.  It took about 3 days for the notice to arrive.  I thought it would be at the local post office but upon going there, I was told by someone working there that it was at Changwattana customs and they usually hold packages there if the value is “high” or they want to ask some questions about it.

 

My package was leather fwiw.

[moontang]

take the train to Lak Si, make a day of it...lol.

[Just Weird]

"I've had things get stuck in customs before but the "Held" part was throwing me off".

 

"Held" means nothing more than that's where it is, nothing to be concerned about, particularly as it's only been there for 2 days.  

 

I've had a number of USPS items sent here and the next thing that will probably happen is that the item will either be delivered or you will get a notice from your local Post Office to pay the duty and collect it from their office.  If that happens, Thailand Post's tracking service will show it as "carded" with a reference that it couldn't be delivered for some reason.  It just means there's duty to be paid.

 

Unless, as someone else said, there's something that attracts the Customs officers attention.

[tom in bangkok]

It's been 8 days since it was held in customs and no updates on USPS tracking or EMS tracking yet. No letter from customs in the mail either.

 

Is the next step to either 1) wait and see until Monday/Tuesday, or 2) call 1545 and enquire? Do they speak English or do I need my Thai mate to call them up?

 

[Xonax]

When something is being held in customs, I normally get a notification from the mailman, which I will have to sign for.  Then I need to contact Thai customs in Chaeng Wattana to get the package delivered. The problem is usually improper declaration of the contents. There will most likely be some kind of payment of import duty and taxes involved.  There will be added storage fee, if the package is not picked up within 8 days.

If you still haven´t heard anything from customs, I suggest that you try to contact Thailand Post to get the mystery solved.

[tom in bangkok]

10 hours ago, Xonax said:

When something is being held in customs, I normally get a notification from the mailman, which I will have to sign for.  Then I need to contact Thai customs in Chaeng Wattana to get the package delivered. The problem is usually improper declaration of the contents. There will most likely be some kind of payment of import duty and taxes involved.  There will be added storage fee, if the package is not picked up within 8 days.

 If you still haven´t heard anything from customs, I suggest that you try to contact Thailand Post to get the mystery solved.

Thanks for your insight. When I called customs yesterday they said "we know what's in there" ominously and told me I'd have to go to court if I wanted a chance of having it released -- no mention of any import duties that need to be paid. They also said that the package would be destroyed next week. Still no notification in the mail yet..

 

I guess I'll just ask my friends to help me find a local business that sells my flavoring.

[moontang]

They told a friend, after nabbing his cigar shipment from Hong Kong he had two options.. send them back or go to jail, because according to the witch that day, you need an excise permit, before they arrive.