Moving To Thailand

[moe666]

Will be moving to Thailand in the near future, do you have to pay duty on household items if they are declared in her name. Thanks very much for all info.

[GungaDin]

Will you enter on a retirement visa?

[Checker]

They will find something to charge you duty for. Went through this last year after shippng container full of furniture and personal items to Thailand in my (Thai) wifes name. Firstly they wanted to charge us for Xmas decorations. We explanied what they were and then they wanted to charge us for two push bikes. After tellling them that they were our bikes and not new they then moved onto something else. In the end we said OK whatever let us out of here and paid 2,000 baht required. So be prepared to fork out around 2,000 baht which really is not a lot it is just the pain you have to go through. . .

[Monkeypants]

I can answer that for you.

My wife has just brought a container load of household things from the UK to Thailand, as a returning Thai national she will not have to pay any import duties on used items, and she can only bring in one of each item.

However because last year we visited Thailand for a 6 month stay, Upon presenting her passport and other docs to the customs via an agent, we were told that she must have been out of the country for a year exluding holidays, they deemed that a 6 month stay here was no holiday.

We had to pay 18,000 baht tax, and 25,000 tea money.

We used a very good agent in the UK and equally good agent in BKK.

The cost of the container from UK to BKK was £800. and the cost from BKK to Phetchabun was around £500. This included everything apart from what the Thai customs guys deemed fit.

If you want the names of the 2 Agents that I used I would be happy to let you know., Our container arrived 2 months ago, and took a month to get here.

Edited January 9, 2009 by Monkeypants

[slapout]

If your wife is returning (moving) to Thailand with you, has been outside the required time, sends goods with her the declared shipper and receiver,the shipment is addressed to her at Thailand address the goods should be duty free. We have done this 2 times over a 3 year time frame.

[thaihome]

If your wife is returning (moving) to Thailand with you, has been outside the required time, sends goods with her the declared shipper and receiver,the shipment is addressed to her at Thailand address the goods should be duty free. We have done this 2 times over a 3 year time frame.

Well put. We did this once in 2004, no duty, no problems. Container showed up at house in 2 days after arriving at port.

TH

[samran]

If your wife is returning (moving) to Thailand with you, has been outside the required time, sends goods with her the declared shipper and receiver,the shipment is addressed to her at Thailand address the goods should be duty free. We have done this 2 times over a 3 year time frame.

Well put. We did this once in 2004, no duty, no problems. Container showed up at house in 2 days after arriving at port.

TH

same here. Brought my and my wifes stuff back in 2005. It was all in my name (being the Thai citizen). No worries whatsoever with anything. Paid a couple of hundered baht for port storage as it arrived over the new year period.

Having transported my stuff down to OZ once, I think even if the Thai customs try it on you with a bribe, you are still better off versus OZ. Had to pay an OZ customs agent and customs themselves a small (and official) ransom so that it could clear quarantine inspection. The whole excersise cost many hundereds of dollars.

[fred2007]

If your wife is returning (moving) to Thailand with you, has been outside the required time, sends goods with her the declared shipper and receiver,the shipment is addressed to her at Thailand address the goods should be duty free. We have done this 2 times over a 3 year time frame.

Well put. We did this once in 2004, no duty, no problems. Container showed up at house in 2 days after arriving at port.

TH

Absolutely correct we did the same, my wife was 5 years in OZ with me we shipped a container full of personal goods such as furiture electrical goods and so on to her home address. We needed a list with all the contents and value and some pics and a packing list we never paid any import duty apart from the normal tea money which was not that great.

[LennyW]

Yeah we moved from UK and because my wife had been there more than one year, no duty to pay whatsoever and i had a lot of power tools and the like. We used Santa Fe shipping.

[SGDude]

After reading your stories, I guess I won't bring anything that cannot be squeezed into my luggage.

[moe666]

Thanks all, very good info and advice Thai Visa comes thru again.

[Maizefarmer]

I can answer that for you.

My wife has just brought a container load of household things from the UK to Thailand, as a returning Thai national she will not have to pay any import duties on used items, and she can only bring in one of each item.

However because last year we visited Thailand for a 6 month stay, Upon presenting her passport and other docs to the customs via an agent, we were told that she must have been out of the country for a year exluding holidays, they deemed that a 6 month stay here was no holiday.

We had to pay 18,000 baht tax, and 25,000 tea money.

We used a very good agent in the UK and equally good agent in BKK.

The cost of the container from UK to BKK was £800. and the cost from BKK to Phetchabun was around £500. This included everything apart from what the Thai customs guys deemed fit.

If you want the names of the 2 Agents that I used I would be happy to let you know., Our container arrived 2 months ago, and took a month to get here.

Monkeypants - thats a good shipping price - was that a half size container/full size container? - and was that prize based on sharing the container with another shipper, or was weight part of the cost equation?

... all very useful info for me as I regulary ship stuff into Thailand in containers and am always on the hunt for cheaper costs.

[kurnell]

£800 is for freight only. Cannot include packing/loading etc

[teacup]

I will be coming out from Seattle-US soon back to BKK, and so far got quoted from Allied for $7000 - 40ft container

Does anyone know any shipping company that might be cheaper than that?

[Monkeypants]

Monkeypants - thats a good shipping price - was that a half size container/full size container? - and was that prize based on sharing the container with another shipper, or was weight part of the cost equation?

... all very useful info for me as I regulary ship stuff into Thailand in containers and am always on the hunt for cheaper costs.

Hi Maizefarmer It was for a 20 foot container, door to port BKK, which I had to load myself, not shared.

Let me know if you need anymore info.

[kurnell]

I will be coming out from Seattle-US soon back to BKK, and so far got quoted from Allied for $7000 - 40ft container

Does anyone know any shipping company that might be cheaper than that?

That's cheap if it includes packing and move door to door. Try AGS Four Winds.

[sholaisen]

When I first came here I was told I had to be duty unless I had a Work Permit.

As I shipped about 4 cbm of personal items including a lot of expensinve stereo equipement I ended up paying 10.000 with receipt and 30.000 under the table...

Door to door shipment via sea from Europe to Bangkok cost me equivalent to 100.000 baht with todays rate... took 2 weeks to arrive Bangkok and 2 weeks to clear customs as I tried getting away with paying less...

[henryalleman]

Will be moving to Thailand in the near future, do you have to pay duty on household items if they are declared in her name. Thanks very much for all info.

hereby the website of Thai customs with all the neccesary information

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/House...old#requirement