Thailand Considers VAT on Imported Goods Under 1,500 Baht

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

             They actually do know how to attract tourists and expats, Millions upon millions of tourists every year reportedly, and I'm guessing hundreds of thousands of expats. I'm no expert on tourism but as a lay observer and based on what I've seen at the airports  I'd say they are nearing capacity so I would imagine that in their minds  they  think they are doing ok. 

             They are probably not too concerned about  the relatively  few tourists / expats who can't exist here without their home comforts, "essentials" which they now consider unaffordable due to a 7% price increase.

Well said!  Again.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

9 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it will not, the policy already exists for B1500+ items, and items are held, and charges paid, at the local post offices for the delivery area.

What will not? You're confused. I know the current process for items over 1500 - you go to the Mail Center to pay your duty/VAT.

I know the existing process also, items are held at the local post office for my delivery area in Bangkok, not a "Mail Centre", whatever that is.

[OldmanJ]

The rich get richer,the poor get poorer and many long termers and tourists looking at other country's to find other accommodation.

[yankee99]

It's a good thing especially for local businesses competing against China on shoppe or lazada.   If its sold locally the business will be paying the 7% where the Chinese import wont.

[paul1804]

The usual repetitious reporting headlines where the 2nd paragraph is the same as the first!!!

Also about 2 months ago they put out a news brief to say that they had already decided to implement Vat on items below 1500 baht and yet here they are soon to put to to cabinet meaning it is still to be decided or enforced. 

Will they ever get it right!

[paul1804]

9 hours ago, Nickcage49 said:

Man this government is getting greedy. Pretty soon they'll tax your arse.

I would say desperate!

[sandyf]

10 hours ago, Foxx said:

How is this article different from the ones on this site on April 3:

Obviously different, It comes after the other articles said it would start.

[sandyf]

8 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

The Thai Govt really knows how to attract tourists and expats.WELL DONE.

That sense of self importance again.

[JensenZ]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I know the existing process also, items are held at the local post office for my delivery area in Bangkok, not a "Mail Centre", whatever that is.

I'm in Pattaya, and if I need to pick up imported packages to pay duty, they are held at the Mail Center, near the floating market, past Jomtien, about 8km south of Walking Street. That is the ONLY place I can pick up my overseas mail. It is NOT a local post office. My local post offices are in Jomtien Soi 5 and in Pattaya on Soi Post Office.

 

I'm surprised you're ignorant about Mail Centers. The main one in Bangkok is in Laksi. You'll see this listed in parcel tracking. They are the major distribution points.

Edited May 31 by JensenZ

[spidermike007]

More taxation is an idea very slothful minds come up with, when their feeble economic policy fails. 

 

And to think they appointed Srettha as both finance minister and PM. 

[Luuk Chaai]

3 hours ago, JensenZ said:

I'm in Pattaya, and if I need to pick up imported packages to pay duty, they are held at the Mail Center, near the floating market, past Jomtien, about 8km south of Walking Street. That is the ONLY place I can pick up my overseas mail. It is NOT a local post office. My local post offices are in Jomtien Soi 5 and in Pattaya on Soi Post Office.

 

I'm surprised you're ignorant about Mail Centers. The main one in Bangkok is in Laksi. You'll see this listed in parcel tracking. They are the major distribution points.

 after the local delivery man/woman rings our doorbell ( at least 6times in rapid fashion) and hands us a slip we have to drive 7.7km from Wang Phong over to the Pran Buri Post office to pay and pick up the package 

by the way the wife has trained the delivery people to call her phone  instead of ringing the bell ....

 

 

 

[Moti24]

10 hours ago, JensenZ said:

Come on, that's a feeble excuse to bash Pattaya... Customs processing is not done in Pattaya.

 

I've been importing iHerb for over 10 years (to my address in Pattaya), and only twice had to pay import duties and tax (for packages over 1500), and I often get packages with values over 2000 baht. I've imported more than 50 times over the years. Customs have been very generous as some shipments were over $80 US.

 

This new policy will be a real nuisance as people will need to travel to Mail Centers to pay 100 baht or less VAT on packages under 1500. I can't see many overseas exporters wanting to become tax collectors for Thailand. That's a 16km round trip for me.

 

Where did I say that customs processing was done in Pattaya?  

This is not a new policy, it's just to ensure that the government receive the extra income.

If it's only a 16km round trip for you, you're lucky; Pattaya is a 35km round trip for me, 45km round trip to Immigration.

[NoshowJones]

23 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

How about we tier the VAT, 0% on anything under B1500 (to help the poor), keep it at 7% on everything up to say B1.5 million (help the middle-class), then 25% on everything over B1.5 million, that should hit the superrich where it hurts.

But is it not the superrich who make the rules? They are not going to penalise themselves.

[mran66]

19 hours ago, crazykopite said:

I think they add the postal/shipping costs in as well as the value of the product as it happened to me several years ago 

 

Yes most if not all use CIF (cost, insurance and freight included) price as basis for levied duties. 

[Liverpool Lou]

11 hours ago, JensenZ said:

The main one in Bangkok is in Laksi. You'll see this listed in parcel tracking. They are the major distribution points.

All packages retained for duty/VAT in Bangkok are held at the local post offices that cover the delivery area of the addressee.

[lapamita]

23 hours ago, tgw said:

VAT on imports isn't really a big issue, 7% on reading glasses that cost 35 baht won't be much.

 

the problem will be with the "service fee" - I guess they will collect that on every import to pay for the manpower needed to process the volume.

 

No, for samll shipments will be no fees.

actual , i send many packages to thailand , if send by post (not companys like ups,dpd) all shipments are related to flat tax of 30% up to 1000 USD shippments.

i avoid curoer services why ? service fees  even tax  is lower 7% vat 13.5% import duty (EU import), wahts cheaper than flat , have the service charges ,and on low pricetag for import , they are more,as well need the taxnumber for import

 

small shipments will be handled by post without extra  feees

Edited June 1 by lapamita

[lapamita]

23 hours ago, Airwolf said:

Does every country include VAT on the shipping cost, or is it just Thailand?

I paid 120% duty/fees on a shipment from France, as they dinged me for the shipping too. 

every country import tax calaculated  goods + shipping=import price

 

i send the lot from eu VAT 7% impotdutys btw 10-14% , of flattax 30%by post below 1000usd

 

for 120% must be the wrong shippingmetode, low value ,and on that heavy fees of a courier , that can happen if you send 100-300-500 usd ...............

NOTE !!! send by post only if value is bellow 1000usd and pay flat tax!!! and not forget to fill out the correct customs tax forms

 

 

[yankee99]

13 hours ago, JensenZ said:

I'm in Pattaya, and if I need to pick up imported packages to pay duty, they are held at the Mail Center, near the floating market, past Jomtien, about 8km south of Walking Street. That is the ONLY place I can pick up my overseas mail. It is NOT a local post office. My local post offices are in Jomtien Soi 5 and in Pattaya on Soi Post Office.

 

I'm surprised you're ignorant about Mail Centers. The main one in Bangkok is in Laksi. You'll see this listed in parcel tracking. They are the major distribution points.

The good news is you dont have to go to the post office anymore to pay the tax. You can pay online via qr code then they will deliver to your address 

[n00dle]

I'm amazed at how desperate the current government is to introduce new taxes and tariffs rather than trying to collect existing taxes that nobody pays. First the tax on foreign remittance, now this.

When you look at it in the context of the bureaucratic ineptitude that opened the floodgates on a cash cow like the cannabis trade without a mechanism in place to regulate or tax the billions of baht worth of sales there,  it is even more of a head-scratcher.

 

Edited June 1 by n00dle

[tgw]

19 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Where has that "service fee" been reported?

 

it hasn't ... yet.

[SiamAndy]

The current Thai administration's philosophy after watching one too many Hollywood movies: Tax everything, everywhere, all at once!

[JensenZ]

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

All packages retained for duty/VAT in Bangkok are held at the local post offices that cover the delivery area of the addressee.

Perhaps you live near a major distribution hub (mail centre). Such is not the case in Pattaya; my local post offices do not handle duty/VAT payments.

[JensenZ]

3 hours ago, yankee99 said:

The good news is you dont have to go to the post office anymore to pay the tax. You can pay online via qr code then they will deliver to your address 

The last shipment I received was earlier this year, and it came with a scrap of paper indicating where I had to make the payment. There was no QR code or a QR code on the Post Office tracking site. When did this "good news" begin? It's an option I would like to use in future.

[Mavideol]

On 5/31/2024 at 9:18 PM, Korat Kiwi said:

Hey Lou, are you always this argumentative? 

 

,Seems like no matter what anyone says you'll always take the opposite point of view. 

 

I suppose it generates a form of conversation for you. 

that's why they still have the ignore option, used it long time ago 555

[Paul Henry]

SandyF obviously can read words but not sentances, I asked a question? didn't get an answer! The cost of living in Thailand is of little importance too me. I sold my house and assets just prior to Covid.I come here every few months to catch up with relatives and friends. The sense of self importance must have been when sandyf looked in the mirror at 1am in the morning.

There is an old saying "Sit there and look like an idiot or open you mouth and remove all doubt"

[MeHere]

Jeez!
I wonder if they'll charge us import fees when we pack up our house and bring our (used) household items and furniture into the LOS!

[Ben Zioner]

On 5/31/2024 at 10:05 AM, lordgrinz said:

How about we tier the VAT, 0% on anything under B1500 (to help the poor), keep it at 7% on everything up to say B1.5 million (help the middle-class), then 25% on everything over B1.5 million, that should hit the superrich where it hurts.

U r a communist?

[Metapod]

can we get these big government tax <deleted> out of here? sretta is a disaster 

[Korat Kiwi]

5 hours ago, Mavideol said:

that's why they still have the ignore option, used it long time ago 555

I use it too,  once I've had enough clap trap from a person then they join that list.  I've a fairly high tolerance so some survive but they are walking a thin line. 

[Ben Zioner]

7 hours ago, Mavideol said:

that's why they still have the ignore option, used it long time ago 555