Customs wants to know about work laptop

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How do you suggest a laptop should be sent to Thailand from overseas?  

 

From the U.S., insured USPS Priority or Express Mail are absolutely better choices, and almost guaranteed to only be charged the 7% VAT amount on personal electronics, at most.

 

There also are third-party shippers who don't attract the same kind of excessive/arbitrary customs fees on packages that often are seen with FedEx and DHL delivered packages.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

12 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Customs and fedex are colluding to charge you whatever they can get away with..."

 

You have some evidence of that defamatory accusation?   "I heard a story..." doesn't count.

Too many 1st person accounts to enumerate + personal experience. Tax, VAT, and huge clearance fees are all common from the 2 if you try to DIY.

 

You are welcome to believe that a customs clearance paperwork fee of 7,000 Baht on a single item on top of duties and taxes is reasonable.

[hanuman2543]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It has been a recurring subject here, that's all, and so far, not one poster who has accused the courier companies of incorrect duties on items purchased/sent from overseas using couriers has been able to show anything empirical to back their accusations.   As you "suspect it's a racket", is it safe to assume that you've got something to back up your suspicions?

Here you go:

 

https://financialtransparency.org/incentive-imbalances-in-thai-customs-enforcement-encourage-illicit-flows/

 

And here:

 

https://www.ganintegrity.com/portal/country-profiles/thailand/

 

And if you Google "Thai customs bribery" you can find many more examples.

 

You stand corrected.

Edited September 29, 2021 by hanuman2543

[Liverpool Lou]

7 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The price I paid is the price the market was bearing on the product. For Customs to come in and start arbitrarily imposing what they think the value ought to be is simply inviting abuse.

 

Then there's also the issue of different countries' product prices. In the U.S., if you're a good shopper, you can often find very good deals on products at discounted price. In Thailand, the same items especially for personal electronics are often much higher priced because of a lack of meaningful market competition.

Whether you like it or not, by law, duty and VAT is based on assessed value, not some "arbitrary price the market is bearing on a product"!   

 

Just because you may be able to buy a product for £100 when someone else can't buy it for less than £1000 doesn't mean that it's value for import duty assessment is £100!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

From the U.S., insured USPS Priority or Express Mail are absolutely better choices, and almost guaranteed to only be charged the 7% VAT amount on personal electronics, at most.

 

 

Just to give a real world illustration, I happen to have a 5 lbs. package (which would be about the weight of a typical laptop)  pending in the U.S. shipping service I use awaiting forwarding to Thailand.

 

This below is a chart of the shipping rates for that package with my re-shipper, comparing the USPS rates vs those of FedEx and DHL for exactly the same 5 lbs. package.  And then the higher customs  fees associated with the private couriers make it even worse from there....

 

 

(I can't provide a public weblink for this graphic, because the rate chart is private to my personal account with this re-shipping service)

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

15 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How do you suggest a laptop should be sent to Thailand from overseas?  

 

From the U.S., insured USPS Priority or Express Mail are absolutely better choices, and almost guaranteed to only be charged the 7% VAT amount on personal electronics, at most.

That's the same charge as Customs official rates, i.e. 0% duty and 7% VAT for a laptop.   

 

"Personal electronics" are not zero-rated and, if Thailand Post pulls your item for inspection, import duty and VAT will be charged by them also.

[Liverpool Lou]

16 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

34 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Customs and fedex are colluding to charge you whatever they can get away with..."

You have some evidence of that defamatory accusation?   "I heard a story..." doesn't count.

Too many 1st person accounts to enumerate + personal experience. Tax, VAT, and huge clearance fees are all common from the 2 if you try to DIY.

So many personal experiences but you can't post just one receipt for those "huge clearance fees" imposed on you when buying items online and having them delivered by a courier!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Personal electronics" are not zero-rated and, if Thailand Post pulls your item for inspection, import duty and VAT will be charged by them also.

In a vast number of packages I've sent to Thailand over the years, the normal charge for USPS/Thai Post delivered packages of personal electronics has been 7% VAT at most, and often no charge at all. In the rare case where any actual Customs duty has been charged, it's been a pittance to the amounts FedEx and DHL have wanted in the past.

 

Thailand has a duty exemption for packages valued at 1500 baht or less ($45-50 US)... But just lately, I shipped a $125 mobile phone from the U.S. via USPS, valued it correctly in the customs declaration based on that market value purchase price, and it was delivered to my home by ThaiPost with zero added charges (no duty or VAT).

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So many personal experiences but you can't post just one receipt for those "huge clearance fees" imposed on you when buying items online and having them delivered by a courier!

I can and I have here in the past.... But I haven't used FedEx or DHL for package deliveries into Thailand for many years.... after having some packages delivered by those services where the total amount of duty and VAT they charged exceeded the real/actual value of the items being shipped.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

20 minutes ago, hanuman2543 said:

Here you go:

 

https://financialtransparency.org/incentive-imbalances-in-thai-customs-enforcement-encourage-illicit-flows/

 

And here:

 

https://www.ganintegrity.com/portal/country-profiles/thailand/

 

And if you Google "Thai customs bribery" you can find many more examples.

 

You stand corrected.

No, I do not "stand corrected".  The subject of my comments was personal items purchased online, or sent from overseas, such as a laptop, via a courier company, being incorrectly assessed for import duty.   Your links do not relate to my comments.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

28 minutes ago, hanuman2543 said:

Here you go:

 

https://financialtransparency.org/incentive-imbalances-in-thai-customs-enforcement-encourage-illicit-flows/

That's a pretty interesting report, and tells you everything you need to know about how Thai customs mis-operates.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

15 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Just to give a real world illustration, I happen to have a 5 lbs. package (which would be about the weight of a typical laptop)  pending in the U.S. shipping service I use awaiting forwarding to Thailand.

 

This below is a chart of the shipping rates for that package with my re-shipper, comparing the USPS rates vs those of FedEx and DHL for exactly the same 5 lbs. package.  And then the higher customs  fees associated with the private couriers make it even worse from there....

 

 

 

That's just a comparison of US delivery charges comparing USPS 12-day delivery with couriers' 2-day delivery, that's all.    My comments are relating to alleged incorrect import duty in Thailand, nothing else.   

 

By the way, couriers do not "charge higher import duties" than Customs allows them to charge.  Official Customs Dept rates are charged whether by postal services or couriers, the rates are the same.   Unless you can post a real world example of what I'm actually talking about, import duty.

[Saanim]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

That's a pretty interesting report, and tells you everything you need to know about how Thai customs mis-operates.

 

How does it help you? You have to pay what the courier is asking for.  How do you want to argue with them? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, Saanim said:

How does it help you? You have to pay what the courier is asking for.  How do you want to argue with them? 

You don't use them, if you know they have a tendency to charge inflated/extortionate customs duties if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones.

 

FedEx and DHL don't have a total monopoly in the handling of shipments being sent into Thailand.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Liverpool Lou]

16 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Personal electronics" are not zero-rated and, if Thailand Post pulls your item for inspection, import duty and VAT will be charged by them also.

In a vast number of packages I've sent to Thailand over the years, the normal charge for USPS/Thai Post delivered packages of personal electronics has been 7% VAT at most, and often no charge at all. In the rare case where any actual Customs duty has been charged, it's been a pittance to the amounts FedEx and DHL have wanted in the past.

 

Thailand has a duty exemption for packages valued at 1500 baht or less ($45-50 US)... But just lately, I shipped a $125 mobile phone from the U.S. via USPS, valued it correctly in the customs declaration based on that market value purchase price, and it was delivered to my home by ThaiPost with zero added charges (no duty or VAT).

I am commenting on the alleged, and so far, unconfirmed by anything empirical, overcharging of duty by courier companies, that's all.

 

I'm aware that items sent in through regular Thailand Post frequently do not get charged as they cannot examine every item that is sent into the country.   I have had many items with no duty charged through Thailand Post that would have been charged using a courier company.

[Saanim]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You don't use them, if you know they have a tendency to charge inflated/extortionate customs duties if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones.

 

It surely will teach them...

However, if something is already hanging in the customs handled by the courier, you have no choice, unless you refuse to accept it completely.

[gamb00ler]

My only dealing with Thai customs was when we shipped a 20' container of our household goods from USA to CM in Oct '20.  Many items clearly identified on our inventory were not household goods.  However, customs did find 1 of 2 sets of golf clubs, an 8' aluminum step ladder and a metal toolbox full of typical home/auto/misc. hand tools that were dutiable.  They did not open the container.  Thai customs assigned very low values and only charged us 1200 baht duty.

 

Boonma, the shipping company, handled the customs paperwork.  No "tea money" was demanded or given (unless it came out of Boonma's fairly transparent fees).

 

They missed two expensive bicycles, a Sony PlayStation, more sports gear, a couple of extra TV's and computer monitors, etc.  Some of our stuff was also brand new and ignored the rules that specify the goods must be used.  We did not identify anything as being NEW.  We did provide an otherwise accurate inventory to minimize any difficulties.

[Liverpool Lou]

22 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

24 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So many personal experiences but you can't post just one receipt for those "huge clearance fees" imposed on you when buying items online and having them delivered by a courier!

I can and I have here in the past.... But I haven't used FedEx or DHL for package deliveries into Thailand for many years.... after having some packages delivered by those services where the total amount of duty and VAT they charged exceeded the real/actual value of the items being shipped.

"I can..."

You can?  Go on then!   

My point is that so many posters claim to have been overcharged duty by couriers yet not one, not one single one, can post a receipt showing it.      I'm ready to eat humble pie as soon as someone posts some evidence of a courier company's overcharging, as they're claiming.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, Saanim said:

It surely will teach them...

However, if something is already hanging in the customs handled by the courier, you have no choice, unless you refuse to accept it completely.

 

If I find a merchant outside Thailand that will ONLY deliver a package here to Thailand via FedEx or DHL, I won't buy from that vendor.  I'll find a different vendor with better shipping options that will allow me to receive the package into Thailand without extortionate upcharges.

 

It's never happened to me, but in the past, other members here have reported the following: Getting a huge customs duty bill for a pending package from DHL or FedEx, disputing and fighting with them over it, with them refusing to make any adjustment, and then the recipient finally saying, OK, then I'm refusing to accept delivery and pay those fees...

 

And then a week or so later, the same package is delivered to their home by FedEx or DHL without any payment of the demanded duty whatsoever...  But I wouldn't count on that scenario as something I'd rely on!  ????

 

[Liverpool Lou]

9 minutes ago, Saanim said:

How does it help you? You have to pay what the courier is asking for.  How do you want to argue with them? 

"You have to pay what the courier is asking for".

 No, you do not.   The charges can be reviewed and adjudicated by Customs if you request it but couriers charge official Customs Dept rates and VAT, plus a small admin charge that they are permitted to charge for the service of collecting the duty/VAT on behalf of Customs.

[sometimewoodworker]

41 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So many personal experiences but you can't post just one receipt for those "huge clearance fees" imposed on you when buying items online and having them delivered by a courier!

Not can’t, but won’t 

[Chris.B]

3 hours ago, jdlancaster said:

Recently bought a computer from Amazon from the US. Cost was $1499 plus $37.46 shipping and a $213.43 deposit for import duties. They later refunded me $20 for the leftover from import duties.

 

Edit: I got the laptop from the US because I couldn't find a Thai one with a RTX3070

Here you are:

https://www.central.co.th/th/acer-black-notebook-nitroan515-57-73n0-mkp0884427?gclid=CjwKCAjwndCKBhAkEiwAgSDKQQVe-6UEq8vM1mIvdv5R21mYe2rmYT5QEEThhGvx9krruwUNhaUIDBoCyvQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[sometimewoodworker]

8 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"You have to pay what the courier is asking for".

 No, you do not.   The charges can be reviewed and adjudicated by Customs if you request it but couriers charge official Customs Dept rates and VAT, plus a small admin charge that they are permitted to charge for the service of collecting the duty/VAT on behalf of Customs.

If you believe that ‘a small admin charge’ could be 7,000 Baht,  your concept of small is drastically different to mine.

[MrJ2U]

22 hours ago, Crossy said:

Computers should be zero rated for duty (just attracting VAT) so not sure what the FedEx game is, was it seriously under-valued?

 

You can print out what the computer costs on Amazon if you don't have a receipt to show customs.

 

  Don't show it until you know what there asking.

 

As Crossy mentioned there should be no Duty just VAT.

 

They can be reasonable once you have the paperwork to counter there attempt to extort you.

 

Good luck, what a pain.

[Gulfsailor]

So much speculation and guesswork in this thread.

imports valued at over 40,000 THB (including shipping and insurance) require an import declaration to be made. This is a paperless system for companies who are registered with customs. As a private individual it’s quite complicated and not something you can do yourself. FedEx will do it for you for a very large fee because they know you can’t do it. 

I suggest finding another customs clearance agent and give them a power of attorney to import and declare on your behalf. That way you’re looking at no more than 5000 Baht in fees. (Plus of course the 7% VAT on the shipment). 

[Skinny Boy]

Its a scam between Fedex and you know who. I had the same thing recently. Every time I contacted Fedex they just sent me a load of forms which had to be completed in Thai !

In the end I had to go to the airport where I was met by many helpful chaps offering to get my goods cleared that day, guaranteed ! I declined their kind offers. I then spent several hours in the very well appointed Customs entry hall filling out said forms with the help of my own translator and very little help from Fedex.   I did notice that one of the helpful fellows that accosted me on the way in regularly wandered between the Fedex table and the clearance office. Just being helpful I'm sure although I always seemed to be at the back of the queue.

I didn't get it that day but it did arrive several days later and I paid nothing. My company were not charged either. In the end I guess it was worth a day out at the airport ! TiT !

Have told my company not to use Fedex again under any circumstances. DHL are much better !

[Liverpool Lou]

45 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

It's never happened to me, but in the past, other members here have reported the following: Getting a huge customs duty bill for a pending package from DHL or FedEx, disputing and fighting with them over it, with them refusing to make any adjustment, and then the recipient finally saying, OK, then I'm refusing to accept delivery and pay those fees...

 

And then a week or so later, the same package is delivered to their home by FedEx or DHL without any payment of the demanded duty whatsoever...  But I wouldn't count on that scenario as something I'd rely on!  ????

Those members reports of that nature are, of course, nonsense.    If refusing delivery (due to duty being applied) means the duty and VAT is just cancelled and the item is then delivered anyway everyone would be doing it and there'd be no need for duty to be levied.   

[Liverpool Lou]

45 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So many personal experiences but you can't post just one receipt for those "huge clearance fees" imposed on you when buying items online and having them delivered by a courier!

Not can’t, but won’t 

I wonder why?!

Edited September 29, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

37 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

If you believe that ‘a small admin charge’ could be 7,000 Baht,  your concept of small is drastically different to mine.

I doubt that any courier company has charged you a B7,000 admin/distribution charge on an item ordered from overseas that they'd delivered to you.   Duty and VAT are not couriers admin charges.

[worgeordie]

My last experience with FedEx ,will be my first and last , my daughter

sent me a parcel by FedEx , nothing of any value, but they phoned to

say I needed an import license for half kilo of fish food, next day they

phoned up will need an import licensee for two packets of toffee's, ????

and they said I will have to get agent to clear them.

 

All the while they would be charging me storage and handling fees, if I 

chose to do that, the parcel is in Bangkok and I am in Chiang Mai ,

it would not be easy ,take a long time, and be a lot more expensive

than the goods in the parcel , so told them I was just abandoning it,

I hope the toffee got stuck in their teeth.

 

A week after this my daughter posted a parcel by Royal Mail ,with the

exact same goods , delivered by Thai post ,no bother.

regards worgeordie     Over  to you Lou ........

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by worgeordie