Importing Personal Possessions

[Ossies]

I hope someone can advise me re importing personal possessions (kitchen stuff/books/mountain bike/bedding/towels/computer printer etc) with Non Imm B (multi entry visa) without a work permit. I understand strictly speaking to avoid payment of tax/duty you need the work permit as well as the Non Imm B Visa?

Options. Firstly airline will allow an extra 20kg of excess baggage charged at A$12 per kg. Weight restriction unlikely to be sufficient for what I need to move but presumably excess baggage arriving with me will not attract customs attention at the airport?

Second option. Use air freight forwarding company. Cost A$3.80 per kilo and no weight limit. Therefore this option a lot cheaper and no weight limit but would be sent to customs at BKK airport. Would I have to pay tax/duty as have no work permit or may it 'get through'. If I have to pay tax how much am I likely to be liable for and is it possible to estimate this figure?

Thanks for your help!

[torito]

bluemoon, for what I am aware the Non Imm B visa will not give you the pass for one entry of goods. Once you have your work permit you will be allowd to bring your stuff in one trip only. A friend did it years ago so if somebody has more updated information it would be of help.

Not sure what it is your situation but if you can sell your stuff in your country and buy new one in here, probably it will be cheaper....(kitchen stuff/mountain bike/bedding/towels/computer printer etc) in here these things are very cheap.

[Ossies]

Torito, thanks for your comments.

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of bringing 'personal possesssions' over by air freight on a Non Imm B Visa with no work permit and whether they got them through tax/duty free or had to pay (and if so how much etc).

A lot of my stuff, particularly kitchen stuff is valuable to me as a chef and therefore would like to keep it rather than sell and replace.

If I subsequently obtain a work permit could I then bring it into the country if I am already there or does have to come when I arrive?

If I can bring stuff in when I subsequently get a work permit can I do this from 2 countries i.e. 2 loads at the same time from 2 different countries as I have possessions on opposite sides of the world!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Tom Kagai]

..... airline will allow an extra 20kg of excess baggage charged at A$12 per kg. Weight restriction unlikely to be sufficient for what I need to move but presumably excess baggage arriving with me will not attract customs attention at the airport?

Bluemoon, out of interest, what airline has quoted you excess baggage at $12/kg?

I have a similar dilemma. I want to bring my trusty guitar and a few other bits that aren't so easy to sell and re-buy.

Good luck with your move.

[torito]

A lot of my stuff, particularly kitchen stuff is valuable to me as a chef

This info would have been better in the first place....as I thought was juts standard kitchen stuff....

If I subsequently obtain a work permit could I then bring it into the country if I am already there or does have to come when I arrive?

If you bring the stuff with you while not with work permit, it will be considered importing and you will have to pay tax.

As I understand you can bring after you get your work permit one only shipping without paying tax.

[Ossies]

..... airline will allow an extra 20kg of excess baggage charged at A$12 per kg. Weight restriction unlikely to be sufficient for what I need to move but presumably excess baggage arriving with me will not attract customs attention at the airport?

Bluemoon, out of interest, what airline has quoted you excess baggage at $12/kg?

I have a similar dilemma. I want to bring my trusty guitar and a few other bits that aren't so easy to sell and re-buy.

Good luck with your move.

[Ossies]

The airline which quoted A$12 per kilo excess bagage is Jetstar if booked online at same time as ticket. Air freight at A$3.80 per kilo is obviously cheaper if you can avoid paying duty/tax under the importing rules.

Thanks Torito for your further comments.

Is there anyone out there with direct experience in relation to my scenario as I wish to make a decision which way to go about getting my possessions into BKK asap (before the flight price on the internet increases!)

Thanks

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The airline which quoted A$12 per kilo excess bagage is Jetstar if booked online at same time as ticket. Air freight at A$3.80 per kilo is obviously cheaper if you can avoid paying duty/tax under the importing rules.

Thanks Torito for your further comments.

Is there anyone out there with direct experience in relation to my scenario as I wish to make a decision which way to go about getting my possessions into BKK asap (before the flight price on the internet increases!)

Thanks

Without a WP and an extended Non-Immigrant B visa you will be hit up for duties / taxes.

[cheshiremusicman]

..... airline will allow an extra 20kg of excess baggage charged at A$12 per kg. Weight restriction unlikely to be sufficient for what I need to move but presumably excess baggage arriving with me will not attract customs attention at the airport?

Bluemoon, out of interest, what airline has quoted you excess baggage at $12/kg?

I have a similar dilemma. I want to bring my trusty guitar and a few other bits that aren't so easy to sell and re-buy.

Good luck with your move.

I recently moved to live in the Kingdom from the UK and also wanted to bring with me my most expensive classical guitar - a treasured possession! I was also bringing two cats into the country so there was no way I was going to be inconspicuos at customs. I let the trusted guitar go into the hold in its hard case and stuck plenty of 'Please handle with care' and 'Fragile' labels all over it. It came out unscathed and customs didn't even give us a second glance, they just smiled and waved at the cats.

Also in the past three weeks our container arrived at Bangkok just as Sonkran had started and we feared the worst as we had been told that it had landed at a 'Maf~ia' port. We had obtained our 'Retirement Visas' some 3 weeks prior to the container arriving and had been told in the UK that with these we could import our household goods FREE of import duty. We have been told so many stories about 'Tea Money' charged by the customs that we feared the worst. I spoke to a Thai friend and he had a word with the Agent in Bangkok who was handling the movement from Bangkok to our house in Hua-Hin. He told me to send off copies of my passport and Retirement Visa's and a few days later I was asked to send copies of my 'Blue Book' along with my original passport via the EMS post - which I did with some trepidation. Low and behold I received a telephone call from the Agent in Bangkok to say that my container would be with me in two days time. It duly arrived with the original seal still intact and NO DUTY TO PAY....yipee. SO IT CAN BE DONE AND BEFORE YOU ASK I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NO MONIES WERE PAID TO ANYBODY. Hope that this helps

[torito]

Without a WP and an extended Non-Immigrant B visa you will be hit up for duties / taxes.

This is a confirmation of what I indicated before...you need the Work Permit

........ He told me to send off copies of my passport and Retirement Visa's and a few days later I was asked to send copies of my 'Blue Book' along with my original passport via the EMS post - which I did with some trepidation.

In this case the have already their extended visa...and the Blue Book refers probably to the WP as they need it for business..

[cheshiremusicman]

Without a WP and an extended Non-Immigrant B visa you will be hit up for duties / taxes.

This is a confirmation of what I indicated before...you need the Work Permit

........ He told me to send off copies of my passport and Retirement Visa's and a few days later I was asked to send copies of my 'Blue Book' along with my original passport via the EMS post - which I did with some trepidation.

In this case the have already their extended visa...and the Blue Book refers probably to the WP as they need it for business..

No Torito the 'Blue book' relates to the property. You are NOT allowed to work if you have a 'Retirement Visa'

You can apply for one or the other, but NOT both! We have been told that if you reliquish your RV then you will NOT get it back again when your re-apply when you decide to stop working

[solent01]

Even with a WP you will have to pay some tax, I am here on a non imm B, also have a WP, I shipped the entire contents of my house here, total tax payable, 1,250 baht