Customs and my soundproof booth

[WayneFarrell]

I own a soundproof booth that I now use mostly for music production - synthwave etc
I'm going to Phuket arriving as TR and transferring to an ED visa and I really want to bring this thing with me, as I'm going on to a retirement visa next June and writing music will be taking up a lot of my retirement time. (I have already rented a villa for twelve months)
Its value is around $3000 and I'm happy to pay duty on it.
Maybe some of the long-termers here can let me know:
What's the chances of them allowing me to bring it in.
What can I expect to pay in duty?
Is it just a matter of paying the right amount of money? It's just wood, glass and foam. 
Don't really want to lose my booth, and my new neighbors will also appreciate it!
Many thanks for any advice you can give. 

Edited August 14, 2022 by WayneFarrell

[Tropposurfer]

I'm uncertain if this item qualifies under 'personal belonging' ... Re: one off importing for retirees of their home contents and personal belongings ... is free of any import tax/duty. 

The reason you may not be able to is such an item may be construed as related to a business venture and therefore disqualifying it under the terms of you retiring here.

If you disassemble it and wrap pack it amongst other large household items and ship it maybe it will pass?!

To qualify for this one-off import of personal goods for retirees you have to have your retirement visa in place prior to the container you fill arriving on Thai shores ... and show this visa etc with inventory of container contents for customs to be granted this one-off duty-free importation.

I'm not sure of which retirement visa you are going to entrain O or OA but know that you MUST HAVE your retirement visa in place BEFORE you can import the personal belongings FREE of any import duty. 

I'd contact Thai Customs and ask.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[AgMech Cowboy]

1 hour ago, Tropposurfer said:

If you disassemble it and wrap pack it amongst other large household items and ship it maybe it will pass?!

Huh... and I thought he was trying to ship it on the plane with him and walk it through the green line. ????????

[PETERTHEEATER]

Is it air-conditioned? 

[NancyL]

It's a common misconception that retirees are entitled to a one-time duty exceptions for importing their household items.  It used to be that way a very long time ago and that info still shows up on the websites of some legal firms.

 

I know people who have brought in equipment in their checked luggage for sound recording, medical instruments to donate, etc, saying it was for their hobbies without problems, but I don't know if this could be checked luggage on an aircraft.  

 

Couldn't something like this be sourced locally?

[Gandtee]

Why not sell it, or strip the electrics and get a new one made here for less than 3000 quid and transport costs.?

[FriendlyFarang]

4 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

I'm uncertain if this item qualifies under 'personal belonging' ... Re: one off importing for retirees of their home contents and personal belongings ... is free of any import tax/duty. 

The reason you may not be able to is such an item may be construed as related to a business venture and therefore disqualifying it under the terms of you retiring here.

If you disassemble it and wrap pack it amongst other large household items and ship it maybe it will pass?!

To qualify for this one-off import of personal goods for retirees you have to have your retirement visa in place prior to the container you fill arriving on Thai shores ... and show this visa etc with inventory of container contents for customs to be granted this one-off duty-free importation.

I'm not sure of which retirement visa you are going to entrain O or OA but know that you MUST HAVE your retirement visa in place BEFORE you can import the personal belongings FREE of any import duty. 

I'd contact Thai Customs and ask.

There is no tax free import for retirees.

[ArnieP]

The OP appears to be coming on a Tourist Visa then at a later date acquiring an Educational Visa. He plans on getting a retirement visa next year but wants to bring the booth now.

 

Doesn’t look like something that can just be wheeled onto an aircraft but a ship may be OK. Also it may not qualify as personal belongings if the OP isn’t retiring here until next June. 

 

Might be an idea to contact a shipping company, Seven Seas or similar, and ask their opinion.

 

 

[flexomike]

17 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

There is no tax free import for retirees.

Unless you are married to a Thai 

[chilly07]

Forget it. Customs and courier will screw you. Thais are very good at copying things to a high spec so just bring the specification. Probably save overall if you sell yours back home.

[khunPer]

You can most likely have a new box made for less than $3,000 plus transportation costs and eventual duty and v.a.t., you might even be able to get an inverter aircon included in the price, which can work noiseless enough for studio use. SCG has some nice affordable acoustic plates for the internal - I use them in my mastering room - and foam or other material to isolate noise and a tight closing alu-door should not be be a problem to get; and use fibercement plates instead of wood to avoid termites eating your sound-box...????

[3STTW]

Firstly, I wouldn't import anything here unless my visa situation was sorted out for the long term. If there's one thing we all know, there are absolutely no guarantees for getting a visa and it would be wise to get that part of the equation is sorted out first.

 

Probably the best advice I can give is to use a reputable international mover who will prepare all the relevant documentation, including a formal packing list and goods valuation declaration. The best ones will liaise with a local agent to do a 'pre-clearance' so that your kit sails through customs once it arrives. 

 

Other folks have already discussed, how you ship it here is key; if you can disassemble the booth and bury it among your other personal effects and refer to it as a 'cupboard', that would probably work.

 

Otherwise, sell it and build yourself a new one when you get here. You can get all the materials you need including acoustic foam, neoprene sheet, door seals and Class A or B rubberwood sheet would be ideal for this application because it's so dense. If you had to buy all the tools, materials and fittings, I reckon $500 would cover it. Labor depends on whether you DIY or use a local carpenter.

[CH1961]

Importing unknown/unusual items are a  real long lasting PITA and you should have a lot of time to travel to Bangkok or a lot of money. 

Or both ????

[WayneFarrell]

14 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Is it air-conditioned? 

Yes it is

[WayneFarrell]

Thanks for all the advice folks. 
It's not going a plane. It's 600kg. 
My plan is to ship it and the mover has said they will take care of all the customs clearance and deliver it door to door. 
It's modular so is, as folks have suggested, going into a shipping crate with the rest of stuff. 
Most folks seem to think it will be fine once I have the cash to pay the duty and possibly pay someone off. 
Will let you know what happens. 
Thanks again. 

Edited August 15, 2022 by WayneFarrell

[StevieAus]

23 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

I'm uncertain if this item qualifies under 'personal belonging' ... Re: one off importing for retirees of their home contents and personal belongings ... is free of any import tax/duty. 

The reason you may not be able to is such an item may be construed as related to a business venture and therefore disqualifying it under the terms of you retiring here.

If you disassemble it and wrap pack it amongst other large household items and ship it maybe it will pass?!

To qualify for this one-off import of personal goods for retirees you have to have your retirement visa in place prior to the container you fill arriving on Thai shores ... and show this visa etc with inventory of container contents for customs to be granted this one-off duty-free importation.

I'm not sure of which retirement visa you are going to entrain O or OA but know that you MUST HAVE your retirement visa in place BEFORE you can import the personal belongings FREE of any import duty. 

I'd contact Thai Customs and ask.

Re your comments in paragraph 1.

I thought that only applied to a Thai person returning and it’s only a one off.?

[CharlieH]

Purely as a guide.....

 

C,I,F X 10% +7% VAT.

 

Making some assumptions around 4500 baht.

[WayneFarrell]

On 8/16/2022 at 6:27 AM, CharlieH said:

Purely as a guide.....

 

C,I,F X 10% +7% VAT.

 

Making some assumptions around 4500 baht.

Thanks a lot for this. 
It would appear on the face of it that all should be ok according the clearance company at the far end. 

 

[kwonitoy]

On 8/15/2022 at 2:17 PM, WayneFarrell said:

Thanks for all the advice folks. 
It's not going a plane. It's 600kg. 
My plan is to ship it and the mover has said they will take care of all the customs clearance and deliver it door to door. 
It's modular so is, as folks have suggested, going into a shipping crate with the rest of stuff. 
Most folks seem to think it will be fine once I have the cash to pay the duty and possibly pay someone off. 
Will let you know what happens. 
Thanks again. 

What custom's will charge is one area of concern.

Check into the cost of shipping the booth before deciding.

I was going to move to Canada in 2020, I wanted to keep my homemade custom desk. Cost of shipping about 300$ by ocean freight. Bangkok to Vancouver. 

Covid happens, travel on hold

 

October 2021, arrange to ship desk to Canada 0.5 cubic meter, 68,000 baht all in Udon Thani to Bangkok to Edmonton.

Got a call from Vancouver broker, they need 500 CDN dollars to unship the box, Thai broker nowhere to be found.

Vancouver broker needs 350 CDN to clear customs, Thai broker nowhere to be found.

All in it cost me 90,000 baht and took about six months.

I sent invoices to the Thai broker, who did not reply, big surprise there

 

I wanted to keep it because I dug the root stump up on land my wife owned and had it custom cut in a single piece, weight about 250kg.

Edited August 21, 2022 by kwonitoy

[WayneFarrell]

That sounds about right. 
It's the same here in the Middle East. 
Mixture of various quotes. 
Anyway, it's already on the way. Time and I suppose some extra baht will see how it turns out. 
 

Edited August 21, 2022 by WayneFarrell