Claim VAT back at airport with thai spouse visa ?

[alexi333]

Hi, i live in thailand with a thai wife visa i bought a laptop 8 months ago, next month i will go back to my country switzerland. Can i claim the VAT at airport please ?

 

Cheers

[Crossy]

Nope.

 

It's "Tourist VAT refund", you are not a tourist (IIRC there's a time limit too).

 

 

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Nope.

 

It's "Tourist VAT refund", you are not a tourist (IIRC there's a time limit too).

 

 

60 days I have read and paperwork needs to be done by the shop at time of purchase.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Nope.

 

It's "Tourist VAT refund", you are not a tourist (IIRC there's a time limit too).

I actually think that the kind of visa is irrelevant, and somebody with a non-o can get this as well.

 

But as the Upnotover said, there is a time limit to it and you need the vat refund paperwork from the shop where you bought it, just the bill is not sufficient.

[sometimewoodworker]

19 hours ago, Crossy said:

Nope.

 

It's "Tourist VAT refund", you are not a tourist (IIRC there's a time limit too).

 

 

It’s the over 60 days that will kill any refund even if it would be allowed.

[dsj]

One question, do you still have to show the item in order to get the VAT back, and is it still before airline checkin? This way one can always pack it back up in their suitcase.

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, dsj said:

One question, do you still have to show the item in order to get the VAT back, and is it still before airline checkin? This way one can always pack it back up in their suitcase.

You have to get your paperwork stamped before going through passport control, they can ask to see the items, for expensive ones they probably will, several times they haven’t. You then collect your refund after security and passport control 

[timendres]

http://vrtweb.rd.go.th/index.php/en/component/vrt/main/23?layout=detail

 

Given the number of times "Tourist" is repeated on this page, I doubt that those on extensions will qualify.

[matador007]

They need to check/see the items BEFORE you go through with your passport.  The VAT check I believe is to the far side after last letter at BKK.

I made the mistake of going through without getting items checked, and there is nobody on other side to do that.

VAT office after passport check/exit stamp will not do this.

Edited August 8, 2020 by matador007

[ChouDoufu]

1 hour ago, timendres said:

http://vrtweb.rd.go.th/index.php/en/component/vrt/main/23?layout=detail

 

Given the number of times "Tourist" is repeated on this page, I doubt that those on extensions will qualify.

 

since a non-o retirement/marriage extension confers no special privileges (not even the right to run in a marathon), we're really just long-stay tourists.

 

i claimed and received the vat refund at the airport last two years with recently-purchased laptops.  paperwork in order within the time limit, no questions about visa/extension type.  YMMV.

 

both times was required to "show" the laptop, which meant unzipping the case so the officer could see there was a black square thingie inside.

[jojothai]

7 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

 

Both times was required to "show" the laptop, which meant unzipping the case so the officer could see there was a black square thingie inside.

I think that the question from DSJ is whether you had to show the item after passport control to get the refund, or can it be packed into a suitcase after declaration landside ( assuming it is checked in )

I was once refused a refund airside because i could not show the item and had packed it into a checkin suitcase.
It was a long time ago, trying to remember precisely what it was. I only did that once. 

I have claimed refunds and succeeded maybe twice when being on a retirement visa before and had no problem, but that was three to five years ago, when I was working out of Country travelling in every few months.

[ChouDoufu]

11 hours ago, jojothai said:

I think that the question from DSJ is whether you had to show the item after passport control to get the refund, or can it be packed into a suitcase after declaration landside ( assuming it is checked in )

I was once refused a refund airside because i could not show the item and had packed it into a checkin suitcase.
It was a long time ago, trying to remember precisely what it was. I only did that once. 

I have claimed refunds and succeeded maybe twice when being on a retirement visa before and had no problem, but that was three to five years ago, when I was working out of Country travelling in every few months.

 

okay, then....... had to "show" it before ticketing to get the stamp on the paperwork.  officer did not check the serial number, did not check the brand, only looked to see there was what looked like a laptop in my bag.

 

the airside clerk did not ask to see the laptop either time, just stamped the papers and handed me some cash.

 

there is a note at the bottom of the tourist VAT refund page linked above that certain items above a stated minimum baht sales price require physical check a second time inside.