Shipping goods from Europe

[Big dave]

Hi All

New to the thai visa forum but have been frequenting Thailand since the 90s and wondered if any fellow readers have had any experience of shipping goods predominantly (household goods) to Thailand from Europe (uk) I guess they come in via Bangkok? I’m looking for companies prices and if they are charges that end? Any info would be much appreciated! 

regards dave 

[samtab]

if you enjoy paying taxes on ridiculous items, just do it !

 

 

[Big dave]

Thanks for all the feedback guys it’s been incredibly helpful!!!

[mark5335]

I did this 12 years ago but from Singapore to Bangkok. I shipped all my personal belongings including used household goods etc with Asian Tigers Movers in a 20ft container. My employer then paid so I'm unsure of the cost. I was not required to pay any customs taxes for the release, however, I believe that a (cash) handling fee was paid on the Thai end to facilitate a smooth process.

[SpaceKadet]

It has been possible in the past to ship your personal belongings and household goods free of customs duty if you were relocating to Thailand on some certain visa classes. The laws have been changed since, and now everything shipped by non-Thais will be considered for customs duty, at ridiculous rates, including your used clothes.

 

The only exception to this, is Thais returning from abroad. They can bring one shipment free of customs duty. Seems it's independent of the shipping size. I've seen some ridiculous items being shipped, like a whole industrial capacity kitchen stuff.

 

That's how we shipped our stuff from Saudi Arabia, my last contract. We had altogether 14 boxes in two shipments. One when my wife moved back and then another when I left. There were Thais organizing the shipment for other Thais, collecting several shipments into containers. Only thing they needed was one Thai passport, and then distributed the individual shipments locally. For us, we did it five and six years ago. I have moved several times between the continents and it was absolutely the cheapest shipment I've ever done.

 

This however, requires that you have a Thai wife, or know other Thais in your home country that do this for a business. And, of course, the shipment is not insurable.

[Sophon]

18 hours ago, SpaceKadet said:

It has been possible in the past to ship your personal belongings and household goods free of customs duty if you were relocating to Thailand on some certain visa classes. The laws have been changed since, and now everything shipped by non-Thais will be considered for customs duty, at ridiculous rates, including your used clothes.

 

The only exception to this, is Thais returning from abroad. They can bring one shipment free of customs duty. Seems it's independent of the shipping size. I've seen some ridiculous items being shipped, like a whole industrial capacity kitchen stuff.

 

That's how we shipped our stuff from Saudi Arabia, my last contract. We had altogether 14 boxes in two shipments. One when my wife moved back and then another when I left. There were Thais organizing the shipment for other Thais, collecting several shipments into containers. Only thing they needed was one Thai passport, and then distributed the individual shipments locally. For us, we did it five and six years ago. I have moved several times between the continents and it was absolutely the cheapest shipment I've ever done.

 

This however, requires that you have a Thai wife, or know other Thais in your home country that do this for a business. And, of course, the shipment is not insurable.

I have seen no changes to the rules that allow foreigners moving to Thailand for work to ship household goods duty free. The duty free allowance is still detailed on Thai Customs website. 

[SpaceKadet]

43 minutes ago, Sophon said:

I have seen no changes to the rules that allow foreigners moving to Thailand for work to ship household goods duty free. The duty free allowance is still detailed on Thai Customs website. 

It has been discussed extensively here on That Visa years ago, when the rules changed. It seems the rules have been amended again in 2018, in which case I'm wrong. But the documentary requirements are still complex.

From your link:

..."Nonresidents are required to submit the following documents:

1. The letter issued by the Immigration Department confirming that an annual temporary stay is granted
2. A one-year (or more) work permit issued by the Department of Labor
3. The letter from a relevant government agency confirming that a non-immigrant visa from the Immigration Department is granted and that working period in Thailand is not less than 1 year, for those entering Thailand as an expert, specialist, or under government contracts"...

The OP doesn't mention under what visa he's planning to enter Thailand, but it seems that the duty free household shipments for non-Thais are only available for Business visas and one year work permit holders.

 

From another website: https://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3521

 

..." Retirement / tourist / non - immigrant O visa holders must pay duties.

    Retirement visa holders must pay duties for household goods except used personal effects (e.g. books, clothes, shoes)."...

 

[Sophon]

23 hours ago, SpaceKadet said:

It has been discussed extensively here on That Visa years ago, when the rules changed. It seems the rules have been amended again in 2018, in which case I'm wrong. But the documentary requirements are still complex.

From your link:

..."Nonresidents are required to submit the following documents:

1. The letter issued by the Immigration Department confirming that an annual temporary stay is granted
2. A one-year (or more) work permit issued by the Department of Labor
3. The letter from a relevant government agency confirming that a non-immigrant visa from the Immigration Department is granted and that working period in Thailand is not less than 1 year, for those entering Thailand as an expert, specialist, or under government contracts"...

The OP doesn't mention under what visa he's planning to enter Thailand, but it seems that the duty free household shipments for non-Thais are only available for Business visas and one year work permit holders.

 

From another website: https://www.iamovers.org/ResourcesPublications/CountryGuides.aspx?ItemNumber=3521

 

..." Retirement / tourist / non - immigrant O visa holders must pay duties.

    Retirement visa holders must pay duties for household goods except used personal effects (e.g. books, clothes, shoes)."...

 

The rules that allow foreigners moving here for work to import household goods duty free has been unchanged for at least a decade. Further back it was also possible for people retiring here to bring in their household effects duty free.

 

The quote from your alternative source is wrong, you cannot ship books and clothes duty free to Thailand (used or otherwise) when retiring here.

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Sophon

[SpaceKadet]

4 minutes ago, Sophon said:

The rules that allow foreigners moving here for work has been unchanged for at least a decade. Further back it was also possible for people retiring here to bring in their household effects duty free.

 

The quote from your alternative source is wrong, you cannot ship books and clothes duty free to Thailand (used or otherwise) when retiring here.

 

So my first post above was basically correct. I had the impression that the OP was not coming on business/work related visa. 

[Big dave]

Thank you all for the info if the move goes ahead I shall let my thai wife take the reigns on this one! (Scary) 

Much appreciated