drprasannabhat Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 I have bought a Sigma lens for my DSLR camera from eBay.com. I got it for a good price compared to the price in Thailand. Now, I am just wondering if I should pay customs when it arrives? If yes, how much would it be? I hope, then the price won't exceed that in Thailand...! Can someone advise...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartman Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 From other posts on the subject you will be or . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbin Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 In my opinion NO. As long as they aren't sent by courier. I've never paid duty on anything I had sent by ordinary airmail. I shop regularly on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drprasannabhat Posted December 25, 2009 Author Share Posted December 25, 2009 In my opinion NO. As long as they aren't sent by courier. I've never paid duty on anything I had sent by ordinary airmail. I shop regularly on Ebay. The seller of my lens is sending by FedEX... how about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdaz Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Fed-EX = You're <deleted> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary A Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Over the past couple of years I have purchased three items from eBay. Each time it cost me a flat 30 percent of the total cost including shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyride Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 In my opinion NO. As long as they aren't sent by courier. I've never paid duty on anything I had sent by ordinary airmail. I shop regularly on Ebay. I would have thought ANY item sent from one country to another needs a customs decleration attached to it. If that decleration exceeds the duty free allowance then you pay duty. This is true for EVERY country in the world, why should Thailand be different? http://www.customs.go.th/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadish_sweetball Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Not all sellers declare the correct value, and as a rule Thai customs do not check regular mail as thoroughly as mail sent via courier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanook2me Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 I bought a large cd player second hand off ebay...worth £70 £50 post with DHL from England £130 in total Thai customs £50 tax! more than half the price of the second hand electrical item ! good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djlest Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 ive just ordered 3 parcles from ebay too - and another from a company for other purposes one came via DHL and cost 110% tax (yes belive it or not) Dont use dhl or fedex if you can help it Secondly - use a THAI NAME and possibly address - if you want to avoid post office taxes and checks, this makes your items blend in a lot better. Ofcourse no one outside will understand the language so make sure the THAILAND bit is in English erm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nordlys Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 one came via DHL and cost 110% tax (yes belive it or not) you mean more than the CIF value? what was the content? Secondly - use a THAI NAME and possibly address - if you want to avoid post office taxes and checks, this makes your items blend in a lot better. doubt that makes any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 I have just sent a parcel with a no declared value as "child's toy" which did not attract any duty. It was sent by UK Royal Mail small packets service. Postage was about £11. Actual value of the goods was about £13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drprasannabhat Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Fed-EX = You're <deleted> I came to know just now that they are sending by UPS ups(dot)com Is this better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardog Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Ups same as fed ex & dhl the value is declared & taxed in the U.S. & tagged on the shipping price ...Then it gets to Thailand & you pay again Thai Tax. Had my sister send out some sunglasses under warranty. With shipping from the U.S. the original $169.00 came out to $147.00 after they tagged on 700 baht for the Thai tea money. They go by tax import tables Textiles are much cheaper than Electronics. Don't even think about a car or truck. If you send regular Usps & turns into EMS in Thailand no insurance the product usually has no taxes attached. Most of the downside is the invoice attached in the goods when they go through customs. My sister sends a ton of goods to other countries through her job duties . It wasn't till the warranty slip that they evaluated the actual value on how I was charged. But no I don't think I would have a camera lens Ipod or anything expensive shipped with no invoice for problems & make it to easy for someone to yank your gear. I wait till I go back every year & make my purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drprasannabhat Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Thanks everyone... All I can do now is wait and pray I think... I'll update on this when I receive it... Hopefully I won't be bankrupt feeding those bugs in the uniform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) As Far as I know there is no such thing as a "Thailand - Ebay Free trade Agreement" or "ASEAN - EBAY Free Trade Agreement" , so yes import duty and taxes should be paid... but... as many have mentioned it is possible that sometimes things make it through the post (and even on the rare occasion with courier) without getting caught. Technically this should not happen, but no system is perfect and some packages are sure to slip through. Edited December 26, 2009 by CWMcMurray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Ok, now that I had had my fun... If you are taxed, then the below rates should apply.. --Photographic (other than cinematographic) cameras; photographic flashlight apparatus and flashbulbs other than discharge lamps of heading 85.39. - Parts and accessories : 9006.913000 - - - - Other, for cameras of subheadings 9006.40 to 9006.53--- Duty 5% (CIF Value) -or- 9006.919000 ------ - - Other---- Duty 5%(CIF Value) VAT 7% (CIF Value + Duty Amount) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussieboi Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 As Far as I know there is no such thing as a "Thailand - Ebay Free trade Agreement" or "ASEAN - EBAY Free Trade Agreement" , so yes import duty and taxes should be paid...but... as many have mentioned it is possible that sometimes things make it through the post (and even on the rare occasion with courier) without getting caught. Technically this should not happen, but no system is perfect and some packages are sure to slip through. I had some motocross gear I got on ebay last year sent to me here, what I did was ask the seller to make the pants, kidney belt jacket & boots look a bit worn by putting, literally, dirt on them, then just dry wipe it off so it still looks a bit messy, then I asked him to write a letter to me, saying.. here's your old stuff we found at the back of the garage, sorry didn't have time to wash it for you, hope it's not too smelly to wear. Went through Thai customs with nothing to pay. The stuff was actually quite new, less than 6 months old, & the boots 3 months. Cleaned up like new !! Learn't that trick when I was living in Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbin Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I would have thought ANY item sent from one country to another needs a customs decleration attached to it.I've sent many "items" from Thailand to the UK and not once have I had to attach a "customs declaration". Does Thai post offices have them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Fed-Ex = Loss of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 In my opinion NO. As long as they aren't sent by courier. I've never paid duty on anything I had sent by ordinary airmail. I shop regularly on Ebay. I would have thought ANY item sent from one country to another needs a customs decleration attached to it. If that decleration exceeds the duty free allowance then you pay duty. This is true for EVERY country in the world, why should Thailand be different? http://www.customs.go.th/index.html Not every country in the world uses customs declarations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I would have thought ANY item sent from one country to another needs a customs decleration attached to it.I've sent many "items" from Thailand to the UK and not once have I had to attach a "customs declaration". Does Thai post offices have them ? They do, but only if you send the parcel the less expensive way where there can not be any tape keeping the box closed, only string. On registered Airmail Letter (the more expensive method) where the box is taped closed there is no customs declaration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackspratt Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Hmmm........while we are on the subject of tax evasion: 1. I work for Thai company, and am paid in Thailand - can anyone recommend the best way for me to evade paying tax on my income? 2. I would like a cheap copy of Windows 7 - can anyone recommend the best way to download a free copy, via torrent, including a registration key? Whilst neither of the above are true, it highlights an interesting dichotomy/inconsistency on TV, whereby discussion of certain types of illegal conduct seem to be tolerated, whilst discussion of other types of illegal conduct will cause a deletion of posts, or the shutting down of a thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drprasannabhat Posted February 6, 2010 Author Share Posted February 6, 2010 Ok, now that I had had my fun... If you are taxed, then the below rates should apply..--Photographic (other than cinematographic) cameras; photographic flashlight apparatus and flashbulbs other than discharge lamps of heading 85.39. - Parts and accessories : 9006.913000 - - - - Other, for cameras of subheadings 9006.40 to 9006.53--- Duty 5% (CIF Value) -or- 9006.919000 ------ - - Other---- Duty 5%(CIF Value) VAT 7% (CIF Value + Duty Amount) Finally, after 1.5 months of waiting....I received my Sigma lens... It was exactly as you said McMurray... [CIF value+5% duty]+7% VAT Still then it was cheaper than the MBK shop quotation. I paid a total of THB 28,000 instead of MBK's THB34,800... including shipping amount. Lens for USD 719+ shipping USD32... Reason for waiting is ...the seller had no stock after I won the bid...!!! Seller is 47st photo... Anyways...I got my lens for a better price now... Thank you all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Every time I have heard about a foreigner having something sent here, by any express mail, FedEx, DHL, etc, they have paid customs fees. Apparently that is a red flag. Try regular post. If it is urgent, buy it locally. You will probably not see alot of savings after you get finished with shipping, and duty. Remember, Thailand has exceptionally high duty fees on imported goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localsocalman Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Sure --- go to Pantip Plaza and buy whatever "bootleg" software and DVD you want! Get stopped on the road for no license === pay THB500 to the police and no ticket! Ya no! Hmmm........while we are on the subject of tax evasion: 1. I work for Thai company, and am paid in Thailand - can anyone recommend the best way for me to evade paying tax on my income? 2. I would like a cheap copy of Windows 7 - can anyone recommend the best way to download a free copy, via torrent, including a registration key? Whilst neither of the above are true, it highlights an interesting dichotomy/inconsistency on TV, whereby discussion of certain types of illegal conduct seem to be tolerated, whilst discussion of other types of illegal conduct will cause a deletion of posts, or the shutting down of a thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iono Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I've been shopping on ebay for the past couple of months as trying to buy motorcycle parts in Thailand is straight up F'ing hell....so in turn for the avoidance of shopping and explaining myself and getting blank stares I pay the price of importing items via U.S. Postal Services...I have paid out the ass on import duties for various items...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 (edited) Normal post is far better chance but on the couriers you're really screwed. For example my son ordered something last month, came by DHL. The seller was obviously really clued up and declared value at US$5 only. So customs took 50% tax from the US$5 + shipping total cost (basically they are taking tax on the shipping cost and that is quite obvious from what they have written). I think they basically do it because they can get away with it. The cynic in me says the various courier companies are taking a cut of this because its their employees collecting. Edited September 10, 2011 by cmsally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nocturn Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 In my opinion NO. As long as they aren't sent by courier. I've never paid duty on anything I had sent by ordinary airmail. I shop regularly on Ebay. The seller of my lens is sending by FedEX... how about that? <deleted> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robkey69 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) I own a golf and music business with my Thai brother in law.....there is taxes on FedEx and USPS.....the best way around paying taxes on the real value is to take your paypal invoice and edit it and include in with your shipment. If there is no invoice they tax the hell out of you... Good Luck Edited September 11, 2011 by robkey69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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