How much to ship a small box from US to Bangkok?

[noodleslayer]

I am wondering what the cost would be for my family to ship a little folder with my degree + transcripts and my external 8tb hard drive from Virginia, USA to my condo in Bangkok. And what company would be the best to use to ship it? I am just wondering the general cost for the shipping, and also I've heard you have to pay some sort of custom tax? Can someone explain how this works? I've never had someone ship something from US to me in Thailand, I've only ever ordered stuff from Lazada.

[dj230]

cost me around $100-$200 Canadian for a small box from Toronto to Bangkok using Canada post late 2021

I remember doing the estimate on fedex/ups, Fedex was cheaper I than ups, I think ups was $300+ and Fedex was $200-$300

 

You only have to pay customs (duties/import fees) on purchases of goods, you don't have to pay any fees if you're just shipping yourself documents and a hard drive. 

[noodleslayer]

3 minutes ago, dj230 said:

cost me around $100-$200 Canadian for a small box from Toronto to Bangkok using Canada post late 2021

I remember doing the estimate on fedex/ups, Fedex was cheaper I than ups, I think ups was $300+ and Fedex was $200-$300

 

You only have to pay customs (duties/import fees) on purchases of goods, you don't have to pay any fees if you're just shipping yourself documents and a hard drive. 

What do they consider as goods? I wouldve thought something like computer parts like an external HDD would count as that. What about other things like clothing: shoes, boxers etc? And to be clear, you used Fedex?

[dj230]

2 minutes ago, noodleslayer said:

What do they consider as goods? I wouldve thought something like computer parts like an external HDD would count as that. What about other things like clothing: shoes, boxers etc? And to be clear, you used Fedex?

I used Canada post, I think its USPS in the states, also there are some delays because of covid, I waited about 5-7 days longer than the estimated delivery date

 

usually you have to declare what you're sending when you ship internationally, unless its retail goods, as in you purchasing from a retailer, you won't be charged import tax on it, just don't ship it in the original box with the receipt

Edited February 18, 2022 by dj230

[noodleslayer]

1 minute ago, dj230 said:

I used Canada post, I think its USPS in the states, also there are some delays because of covid, I waited about 5-7 days longer than the estimated delivery date

 

usually you have to declare what you're sending when you ship internationally, unless its retail goods, as in you purchasing from a retailer, you won't be charged import tax on it, just don't ship it in the original box with the receipt

Uh how would I have it declared if its just someone in my family going to Fedex and shipping it to me? Ive never done this before, so have no idea how this all works. Also if I wanted to get my mechanical keyboard shipped would they charge import tax? How about shoes? It's all used stuff, not in the retail box or anything

[dj230]

3 minutes ago, noodleslayer said:

Uh how would I have it declared if its just someone in my family going to Fedex and shipping it to me? Ive never done this before, so have no idea how this all works. Also if I wanted to get my mechanical keyboard shipped would they charge import tax? How about shoes? It's all used stuff, not in the retail box or anything

You go to fedex and they have you fill out a form asking what is being shipped and the cost of it

 

I doubt they would charge import tax if its old, I've never been charged import tax personally on used items. 

 

You probably should get an estimate at fedex, just shipping some credit cards in an envelope was $70 or so, im guessing a keyboard/shoes would cost a few hundred dollars to ship at least, but maybe it's cheaper in the states. 

[KhunLA]

6 hours ago, dj230 said:

You probably should get an estimate at fedex, just shipping some credit cards in an envelope was $70 or so, im guessing a keyboard/shoes would cost a few hundred dollars to ship at least, but maybe it's cheaper in the states. 

FedEx is ridiculously priced.  Just received a CC in bubble pack via USPS, cost $16.45.  

https://www.usps.com/international/priority-mail-international.htm

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by KhunLA

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If it's a one time thing, you can use USPS First Class International to ship a small box, I believe up to 4 lbs, and the rates aren't bad. Just arrange direct thru your local P.O. in the U.S.

 

If you plan to be doing future or semi-regular packages, best to use a re-shipping service like Planet Express or Shipito, who both have very good rates for small packages up to 4-5 lbs.

 

I usually pay about $10 to $12 a pound using Planet Express and their own economy mail service from the US to TH. Delivery time is usually 10-14 days. Very reliable, and insurance is optional, if desired, at very reasonable add-on rates of a couple bucks.

 

 

 

 

 

[Pilot3Boz]

USPS is the only way to go, cheapest and least hassle to do so… put a small value on the SSD drive… it have shipped lots of stuff to a friend of mine in Phuket… Most expensive was a full camera outfit $68 … He didn’t have to pay any duty on any items I sent him… 

[connda]

It's amazing.  Places like Lazada can ship for the equivalent of a few USD.  I just ordered a hard drive.  International shipping was maybe 70 THB.
But average people like you and me?  The same box costs $50, $100 or more.

I used to have paperwork sent to me via USPS First Class International.  It used to be about $25.  The last time it was so expensive that I don't want to do that again. It was like triple if I remember right.  Even Courier service like Fedex is ridiculously expensive now. 

I try to do everything electronically now.

Postal shipping is a real racket nowadays. 

Regarding your hard drive.  Buy some cloud storage and have your people back in your home country create an ISO image of the hard drive and put it on your cloud storage.  Buy a new hard drive here and reimage it, or just download it and use an app that unpacks the ISO into files and just put it on your current system. Costs you the price of of storage and a hard drive, but at the end of the day - you have that storage and the hard drive you use over again.  If you just ship it -  BIG BUCKS - and that's it once you get it. (Wham-Bam-Thankyou-Overpriced-Mail-Carrier) If you get it.  If you get it undamaged.  If you get it without customs and taxes.  Get my drift?

Best of luck! 

Edited February 19, 2022 by connda

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, connda said:

If you just ship it -  BIG BUCKS - and that's it once you get it. (Wham-Bam-Thankyou-Overpriced-Mail-Carrier) If you get it.  If you get it undamaged.  If you get it without customs and taxes.

 

I've shipped single hard drives from the U.S. to Thailand using Planet Express for a total cost of $10 to $12.

 

I don't think that's unreasonable, considering the package is making an 8,000 or so mile trip by air.

 

[Jeffrey346]

USPS First Class International to ship a small box, I believe up to 4 lbs,  cost me $41. and it took 9 days

[ChrisKC]

I think you need to be careful about the hard drive. Declaring it as personal effects may well be true but a zealous Customs Official* might think maybe "personal" to avoid import tax that could easily be charged at 30% of its declared value plus the cost of the shipping which is charged at the same rate. If thought as anything perceived as suspicious, the package will be opened and checked. And if they open it, that will be charged as well. And all of that has added 7% VAT

 

I have personal experience of this, not of a hard drive but some clothes I bought online from China! From the USA, no idea how that may all play out for you.

 

Good luck with that.

 

*  Incidentally, my experience involved the DHL Office in Bangkok who do the inspection and pass the information on to Customs Office, AFTER taking your money!

 

[phetphet]

USPS with Track and Trace so you can follow it online with the tracking number.

Describe contents in a vague generic way, with small value. e.g. drive 5 dollars. or usb 5 dollars

[KhunLA]

https://postcalc.usps.com/Calculator/MailServices?country=10424&ccode=TH&omil=False&dmil=False&mdt=2%2F19%2F2022&mdz=16%3A59&m=12

 

[oslooskar]

I shipped a painting from San Francisco to Bangkok about three years ago by DHL in a box that was 25 inches by 28 inches and 4 and a quarter inches deep. But, I have long since forgotten the cost of shipping it; though, I do remember that it wasn't an arm and a leg. Anyway, the most important thing to remember is to ship your parcel by a reliable company. So, I would strongly advise you to use DHL and to avoid the U.S. Postal Service. (I have found the latter of the two to be extremely unreliable and irresponsible.)

[oslooskar]

7 minutes ago, phetphet said:

USPS with Track and Trace so you can follow it online with the tracking number.

Yes, I've done that and was able to follow my documents online from Bangkok, to Hong Kong, to Los Angeles, to San Francisco, where they quickly disappeared down the Black Hole of Calcutta never to be seen again. Bottom-line, I would never advise anyone to use the USPS-----unless they were going to send me a summons for jury duty.

[timendres]

Be careful about shipping the evil playing cards...

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by timendres

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

40 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

I think you need to be careful about the hard drive. Declaring it as personal effects may well be true but a zealous Customs Official* might think maybe "personal" to avoid import tax that could easily be charged at 30% of its declared value plus the cost of the shipping which is charged at the same rate. If thought as anything perceived as suspicious, the package will be opened and checked. And if they open it, that will be charged as well. And all of that has added 7% VAT

 

When you ship via USPS First Class International, there's RARELY any customs duty of any kind charged. About the most I've ever gotten on any kind of electronics was a 7%  VAT charge, and that only for higher priced, multi hundreds of dollar items like laptops. For under $100 stuff, usually nothing, just delivered to your door.

 

But that advice above ONLY applies for USPS sent packages. Use any of the private couriers, and you're in a whole different world when it comes to customs risk.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 minutes ago, timendres said:

Be careful about shipping the evil playing cards...

A month or so back, I had a package rejected for shipping because it contained 4 regular consumer sized cans of shaving creme (Gillette Foamy type). Ran afoul of the shipping rules against aerosols... so they said.  ????

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

31 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

Yes, I've done that and was able to follow my documents online from Bangkok, to Hong Kong, to Los Angeles, to San Francisco, where they quickly disappeared down the Black Hole of Calcutta never to be seen again. Bottom-line, I would never advise anyone to use the USPS-----unless they were going to send me a summons for jury duty.

You're  talking about sending things from Thailand TO the U.S.

 

Here's we're talking about sending from the U.S. to Thailand. And over the years, I've sent scores of small packages from the U.S. to Thailand via USPS, and NEVER had one of them disappear. It's a perfectly reliable means for the US to Thailand route....

 

Though, I have also heard a lot of complaints from people about the TH to US route being often problematic.  But, of course, you can't SEND anything from Thailand to the US via USPS... It's going to be EMS from Thailand, and then a handoff to the USPS once in the U.S., and perhaps that's where the problems occur.

 

PS - if you really want to get reamed on Customs fees, go ahead and use DHL to send any kind of $ value package from the U.S. to Thailand.... I made that mistake once, and never again!

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dj230]

10 hours ago, KhunLA said:

FedEx is ridiculously priced.  Just received a CC in bubble pack via USPS, cost $16.45.  

https://www.usps.com/international/priority-mail-international.htm

 

what date was this? I never used fedex either because of the high prices, but even the Canadian post office is charging a lot.

 

USPS is essentially Canada Post in Canada, was $60 or $70 for a few credit cards in a similar envelope 

[KhunLA]

18 minutes ago, dj230 said:

what date was this? I never used fedex either because of the high prices, but even the Canadian post office is charging a lot.

 

USPS is essentially Canada Post in Canada, was $60 or $70 for a few credit cards in a similar envelope 

"Just received " ... I picked it up at PO Box yesterday.  

Edited February 19, 2022 by KhunLA

[KCPhuket]

Go to USPS.com and select Calculate A Price choose your destination, size and shipping speed then see the price. We use Priority Mail International...6-10 business days and fully trackable point to.point.

[oslooskar]

On 2/19/2022 at 2:25 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You're  talking about sending things from Thailand TO the U.S.

 

Here's we're talking about sending from the U.S. to Thailand.

Apparently, you did not read both of my comments.

[NanLaew]

The backup to cloud issue avoids the need to ship the HD and would be my course of action.

 

However, there's no import duty on computer hardware. Ship the HD via USPS using international tracked and declare it as a used hard drive and an arbitrary second-hand value.

 

I would recommend FedEx for the certificate. More expensive but better packaging and faster, more secure delivery.

Edited February 25, 2022 by NanLaew