Amazon Book

[sbk]

Books are officially zero-rated for customs, so it's a bit hard for them to ask for duty.

Where did you hear THAT?? In a bar?

Customs website seems to say it's 40%.

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

I've shipped books to myself for years (via the now defunct m-bag--40 lbs of books for about US$40 shipping--what a deal, even if it was surface). I've had books shipped to me by book sellers and family and have never paid duty on books. even when the the total value of the package was more than 1000 baht.

[junkofdavid2]

Books are officially zero-rated for customs, so it's a bit hard for them to ask for duty.

Where did you hear THAT?? In a bar?

Customs website seems to say it's 40%.

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

I've had books shipped to me by book sellers and family and have never paid duty on books. even when the the total value of the package was more than 1000 baht.

I won't argue with that, and I hope that certainly is the case. I was reacting to a poster's assertion about his knowledge on "official" regulations...

I may be wrong though (and I certainly hope I am, because I want to order books), so hopefully Bkk_mike can share his knowledge of where he got that information; and if it's an official source, I'd like to use it to import books.

.

Edited December 22, 2009 by junkofdavid2

[bonobo]

I have a novel being sold now on Amazon, and I know of at least a dozen copies or so which have been shipped to Thailand to various friends here without problem and without customs duty.  

By the way Bonobo, what shipment procedure did your friends use in buying your book? Standard, Expedited, or Courier? Did the book arrive safely in Thailand with Standard shipping?

Let me ask tomorrow.  I only knew the books arrived when they asked me to sign them.

[sbk]

Books are officially zero-rated for customs, so it's a bit hard for them to ask for duty.

Where did you hear THAT?? In a bar?

Customs website seems to say it's 40%.

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

I've had books shipped to me by book sellers and family and have never paid duty on books. even when the the total value of the package was more than 1000 baht.

I won't argue with that, and I hope that certainly is the case. I was reacting to a poster's assertion about his knowledge on "official" regulations...

I may be wrong though (and I certainly hope I am, because I want to order books), so hopefully Bkk_mike can share his knowledge of where he got that information; and if it's an official source, I'd like to use it to import books.

.

The US Post Office had this wonderful thing, the M Bag. Surface mail, book rate. Worked out to about a dollar a pound. Every year I went home (until they stopped it about 3 years ago) I would buy second hand books, as well as include new books and bundle them in my bag. Most years I would send two bags, around 45 lbs each bag (didn't want to kill the post office people). I never paid duty. Ever.

In addition to this, I would occasionally order books from online book sellers (daedalus books is a great online book store selling remainders with a very fair shipping rate, unlike amazon) and never paid duty on books from there either.

My father has mailed me books. I never paid duty on those either.

In the lets say grand total of 15 years I've been mailing books to myself or had books mailed to me (I didn't do the m bag thing the first few years because I didn't know about it) I never once paid duty on a book or books received in the mail.