Importing vintage instruments

[Wuvu2]

I've got several vintage guitars I'd like to bring from the United States, and comparing FedEx to flying to the USA to bring them in myself.  Does anyone have experience dealing with customs about vintage instruments by air flight or FedEx ?

 

Via FedEx: I think it's roughly 10% + 7% duty and tax. Is that correct?   I'm concerned about the valuation being challenged by the customs office. I'd insure for $8K-10k but don't have any formal appraisals. 

 

Via Air Flight: I've carried guitars into Thailand and have never been questioned.  I'm wondering if technically I could be charged the same duty and tax.

[Kwasaki]

If it were me I would contact someone in Thai custom and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

Via FedEx: I think it's roughly 10% + 7% duty and tax. Is that correct? 

Those rates are correct and are charged on Customs' CIF value, which is not necessarily your chosen insurance valuation.  Don't forget that, in return for collecting the duty as an agent of the Customs department, couriers can charge their own disbursement fee on top of the duty.  You'd need to check with them beforehand but it is not usually significant.

 

If you carry them in yourself and are challenged, the import duty rates are the same.

[Wuvu2]

9 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

If it were me I would contact someone in Thai custom and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

What the horses say doesn't often match what the horses do. Vintage guitars are a pretty common thing. I thinking other collectors will have experience on this. Thanks for the feedback.

[KannikaP]

In 2009 I brought 4 with me and no problems saying they were for my personal use, which they were.

1972 Jazz Bass, 1976 Ovation Balladeer, 1983 Squire Jap Strat and an 86 Ricky 360/12 Tuxedo.

Took them all back to UK eventually, and bought a Variax 700.

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, Wuvu2 said:

What the horses say doesn't often match what the horses do. Vintage guitars are a pretty common thing. I thinking other collectors will have experience on this. Thanks for the feedback.

Hope you don't have problems, personally I would say walking in with a guitar is not a problem once it is been scanned 

[Liverpool Lou]

15 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

If it were me I would contact someone in Thai custom and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

Yes, they have an English-speaking call centre..

Customs Care Center at Tel. 1164
The Customs Department, 1, Suntorn Kosa Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110
Fax : +66-2667-7767
E-mail : [email protected]
Call Center : 1164

[Kwasaki]

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, they have an English-speaking call centre..

Customs Care Center at Tel. 1164
The Customs Department, 1, Suntorn Kosa Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110
Fax : +66-2667-7767
E-mail : [email protected]
Call Center : 1164

Yeah thanks I only suggest direct contact with custom so he knows exactly his legal position as I'm sure OP would not want a valuable guitar confiscated by some donk working at airport customs.

[Liverpool Lou]

7 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah thanks I only suggest direct contact with custom so he knows exactly his legal position as I'm sure OP would not want a valuable guitar confiscated by some donk working at airport customs.

It would only be confiscated if he deliberately tried to smuggle it (or them) in, unlikely in view of it's size, if bringing guitars in was not permitted or if he refused to pay duty on it. 

The worse that would normally happen is he would have to pay import duty, but that would be most unlikely if it is clearly for his own use unless there was a suspicion that what he was bringing in was for re-sale here.

[Ms Tigger]

I brought 2 guitars in (Levinson Blade and a Gibson Les Paul) and noone was bothered. I don't know if there'd be questions asked if you brought in, say, 5 or 6, where it could be construed as bringing in to sell?

[Muhendis]

Reading this one could be forgiven for believing that the only musical instruments in the world are guitars.

 

[tkramer]

Carry them in no problem. But don’t be sheepish about it. Act like you are the PM. 
 

Hope you don’t have plans of trying to sell them here. Most of the best musicians in town have no money.

[tkramer]

22 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Reading this one could be forgiven for believing that the only musical instruments in the world are guitars.

 

Duh…!

[CecilM]

Contact Thai customs. They speak English well and are very helpful. Expect heavy import duties (imposed on “value of items + shipping expenses”).

[mr336]

Imported a new Fender Tele last year shipped from USA via FedX. Wow what an ordeal. Purchased for $3300.00 and had $800 import fee. Many forms. Then there was what kind of wood was it made of which I thought they were gonna reject the import. Emails, questions, forms times 5.

 

Went back to USA, boxed up 2 of my other guitars and checked em in on the plane no problems no questions. My experiences.

[digger70]

On 6/23/2023 at 12:08 PM, Kwasaki said:

If it were me I would contact someone in Thai custom and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak.

Yes that should be fine, But there are so many Different Horses one would have to get the quotes in Writing.

[PeterA]

16 hours ago, mr336 said:

Imported a new Fender Tele last year shipped from USA via FedX. Wow what an ordeal. Purchased for $3300.00 and had $800 import fee. Many forms. Then there was what kind of wood was it made of which I thought they were gonna reject the import. Emails, questions, forms times 5.

 

Went back to USA, boxed up 2 of my other guitars and checked em in on the plane no problems no questions. My experiences.

Many times if you use FedEx or DHL, they go right to customs and you end up with crazy extra charges. I have brought bagpipes from Scotland via Fedex, value of about $1000 USD on a good day. They went right to customs, (for a week), accessed a charge of $400 USD.

 

Anytime I've had to deal with Fedex, the charges were over the top on items coming in. 

I have hand carried in bagpipes and never got questioned.