Personal Effects Shipment At End Of Expatriation

[PLACQ]

Hi again,

When I arrived in Thailand 2 years ago , my personal effects were shipped from my previous residence to Bangkok and were delivered after I got my work permit. Now my assignment here is finished and I am preparing my return. Shall I move my personal effects the day I'll leave Thailand ( together with visa and work permit cancellation ) or can I do the shipment some more months later (since a member of my family will stay longer in Thailand) ?

Thanks for your answer

[Mario2008]

Only you have to leave the country, not your possesions. It is up to you what you do with them, leave them here or ship them back home.

Might want to check the requirements of your home country, as you have to import them there.

[PLACQ]

Thanks Mario,

However, I would like to be able to ship them after a few months, that means at a time I will no longer be an expat, so no more visa, work permit ,... the member of my family who will stay here will eventually organize the moving of my personal effects but only with a tourist visa. Any problem ? I am asking the question since there was something written about my personal effects on my passport when I was granted my first visa. We actually arrived with a 500 kg container of personal effects, duty-free since I arrived as an expat.

Thanks for your new answer ... ;-)

[Maestro]

No work permit or particular visa status is needed for the export of your personal effects from Thailand.

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Maestro

[Mario2008]

Thai costums:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/Cargo...me=Cargo#export

They state that they want your passport. Probably the passport of your family member will suffice, but not sure if it will have any effect on importing the goods in your own country. Best to check with the shipping agent you will be using and check with your own countries costums what the procedures are and if it matters that a family member sends it.

[opalhort]

I am asking the question since there was something written about my personal effects on my passport when I was granted my first visa. We actually arrived with a 500 kg container of personal effects, duty-free since I arrived as an expat.

I would try to get info about your situation from the customs department.

Since the import is mentioned in your PP you may well become liable to pay import duty once your visa/WP is no longer valid.

Once you don't have a visa/WP you may have to put the goods into a bonded warehouse (some good shipping agents can handle this) and let your relatives arange shipment at a later time.

opalhort

Edit: additional thought: at the time of leaving the country immigration may want to see the a customs confirmation that the goods have either been exported or placed in a bonded warehouse due to the note in the PP.

Edited November 16, 2008 by opalhort

[Mario2008]

The note in the passport is probably to show OP already has its 1 allowed duty free shipment.

Believe no requirement exists to pay because he lost his permission to stay, and OP has stayed longer then 1 year in Thailand.

Thai costums import:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/House...nuNme=HouseHold

[opalhort]

Yes Mario, you are probably correct.

It depends on what the PP entry states.

Best place to get an answer is the customs department.

opalhort

[Ketsara]

Following this as we may leave Thailand in a while as well. I am not sure what note in the passport you are referring to? We imported using my Thai partner's passport and as far as I know no note was made. How do they keep track on these duty free imports? Would it be possible to import again?

Thank you,

Ketsara

[Mario2008]

Not sure about how they check the ammount of duty free imports. That the note in the passport is about the import is a speculation from my part, aas I can see no other reason to make a note in the passport.

Would it be possoble to import again? Yes, if you leave the country for more than a year and return to Thailand to live here again it should be possible. Based on the link provided in an earlier post.

[Maizefarmer]

I am asking the question since there was something written about my personal effects on my passport when I was granted my first visa. We actually arrived with a 500 kg container of personal effects, duty-free since I arrived as an expat.

I would try to get info about your situation from the customs department.

Since the import is mentioned in your PP you may well become liable to pay import duty once your visa/WP is no longer valid.

Once you don't have a visa/WP you may have to put the goods into a bonded warehouse (some good shipping agents can handle this) and let your relatives arange shipment at a later time.

opalhort

Edit: additional thought: at the time of leaving the country immigration may want to see the a customs confirmation that the goods have either been exported or placed in a bonded warehouse due to the note in the PP.

That note if I am not mistaken is to ensure the single duty free importantion of personal effects is not abused i.e. that you then do not ship in another load of goods under the same duty free regs. Thats all it is.

In respect of your onward movement, keep all paperwork in order (to include that which applied to the importation into Thailand) - as, as far as EU countries (to include the UK) you can exercise much the same priviledge in respect of personal goods importation on a duty free basis - to include 1 motor car as well. The car I think you have to demonstrate you have owned for 2 or 3 years (one or the other - not sure which one) if it was new when you purchased it - or it has to be at least 2 or 3 years old on importation if you did not purchase it new.