Duty On Items Shipped To Thailand?

[moto77]

I wonder if anyone here has any experience with this.

My US employer ordered a laptop for me to use while I am working in Bangkok. Unfortunately, Apple has delayed shipment and now it will arrive after I leave. They are planning to ship it to me, probably via DHL or FEDEX.

I am afraid that the Thai inspectors will try to charge me duty on it. Is there any way to avoid this? I am not importing it, and will be taking it back out when I leave in August.

[gotlost]

You well probably get charged duty. All you can do is try and negotiate a lower duty, pay it, get receipt and pass it back to your employer.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

How about just buying a new one here, charging it to your employer, and then taking it back with you?

You might compare the U.S. vs Thai price for the item, might find it's not all that different, and sure a lot less hassle.

Mac

[devaram]

I think you will pay a very high duty price for a new computer maybe 30%-50% but you should call fedex and ask them how much.

[devaram]

You say its going to arrive after you leave so you just call the office that sent the item and have them reverse the shipping so it gets sent back. There will be NO duty charges but you will pay the return shipping only.

Edited May 1, 2010 by devaram

[beejoir]

You're fuc_ked.

Plain and simple.

[moto77]

How about just buying a new one here, charging it to your employer, and then taking it back with you?

You might compare the U.S. vs Thai price for the item, might find it's not all that different, and sure a lot less hassle.

Mac

Not possible. Government purchase.

[moto77]

You say its going to arrive after you leave so you just call the office that sent the item and have them reverse the shipping so it gets sent back. There will be NO duty charges but you will pay the return shipping only.

It's going to arrive in the US after I leave the US.

[hazz]

here is a sample calculation, which can give you an idea,

the duty can be found by searching for code 84713020 which suggests that the import should be exempt of import duty. but you will get stung for VAT and a processing fee by the courier.

I would recommend searching this site for experiences with couriers in thailand. As around the world, some are plain thieves.

Edited May 1, 2010 by hazz

[moto77]

here is a sample calculation, which can give you an idea,

the duty can be found by searching for code 84713020 which suggests that the import should be exempt of import duty. but you will get stung for VAT and a processing fee by the courier.

I would recommend searching this site for experiences with couriers in thailand. As around the world, some are plain thieves.

Supposedly there are discounts for personal effects that are shipped over if you have a work permit. Also exemptions for a Thai coming back to Thailand. (My wife is Thai.) Does anyone know how these work?

[ralfbkk]

His US Employer probably has to setup the laptop with their software and email etc., hence buying it here in Thailand might not be possible.

There are a few options ( I work in this biz)

- does your US Employer has an office here? If yes, we could arrange for temporary import in to the Kingdom

- if it not to late tell you Employer to call USCIB Telephone: (866) 786-5625 and check the option for having a ATA Carnet issued

If all this fails, please PM me and we can work something out here on a local basis.

Hope this will help.

[gregb]

There is a way to do it if you will be re exporting it from the country in under 60 days. Longer than that and it is deemed to be imported permanently, and you will pay 3% customs fee, and 7% VAT on the entire CIF rate including cost of the computer plus shipping, plus around 1500 baht in clearance charges.

If this is for a short term project, and you ship the item by the US postal service, there is a complicated procedure you can use to to recover your customs fees. They will pay you by check after about 18 months, so whoever imports the device should have a Thai bank account and the unit should be addressed to that person with their name spelled exactly as it would appear on their bank account. Otherwise, they can not deposit the check.

You will need to go down to Hua Lampong and spend the better part of a day. You will pay substantially more than the customs fees as a deposit. Nobody will want to do it, but be persistent. They do know how. You will need to save the paperwork they give you, as it will be impossible to get your deposit back without it. (OK, not impossible, but it means filing a police report that says you lost the receipt and a bunch of other hoops to jump through.)

You must bring your own camera and photograph the item, including identifying features such as serial number. You must then leave without the computer, print out the pictures somewhere, and bring them back to the officer who will verify that they are a correct representation of the item. He will then fill out more paperwork, and finally you can take your computer. After 60 days, you must ship the item back out via EMS at Hua Lampong and you must get the proper forms from the customs guys at Hua Lampong. They will verify the computer is exactly the same one you imported, and then walk you down to the shipping area where they will verify you send it out of the country.

Failure to do anything exactly as specified will result in a forfeiture of your deposit.

After all of that, in about 2 years you will get a check for your deposit back from the government.

I seriously doubt UPS or FedEx will do this for you. You must go via postal service to try this.

Again, longer than 60 days and it is considered permanently imported. You will lose your entire deposit, and the deposit is more than the customs fees.

Sound like something you want to attempt? It is a learning experience.....

[moto77]

His US Employer probably has to setup the laptop with their software and email etc., hence buying it here in Thailand might not be possible.

There are a few options ( I work in this biz)

- does your US Employer has an office here? If yes, we could arrange for temporary import in to the Kingdom

- if it not to late tell you Employer to call USCIB Telephone: (866) 786-5625 and check the option for having a ATA Carnet issued

If all this fails, please PM me and we can work something out here on a local basis.

Hope this will help.

Thanks, I sent you a PM with more details.

[moto77]

here is a sample calculation, which can give you an idea,

the duty can be found by searching for code 84713020 which suggests that the import should be exempt of import duty. but you will get stung for VAT and a processing fee by the courier.

I would recommend searching this site for experiences with couriers in thailand. As around the world, some are plain thieves.

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Edited May 13, 2010 by moto77

[Crossy]

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Contact FedEx or DHL to get an idea.

That said, using a courier is the way to absolutely guarantee that you get charged the maximum possible together with 'storage' and 'delivery'.

[moto77]

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Contact FedEx or DHL to get an idea.

That said, using a courier is the way to absolutely guarantee that you get charged the maximum possible together with 'storage' and 'delivery'.

Still a lot of comments here about what not to do, but few ideas about what I should try. A friend shipped three iPhones over for import and marked the tag "3 iphones $350 each total $1050 and was not taxed at all, so clearly nothing is "absolutely guaranteed". Is it just a random system?

Greg: The incredibly complex process described earlier is beyond silly for one laptop and in any event I will be here for 90 days and will be carrying it out, not shipping it out. I KNOW that many people are not taxed on some electronic items that at shipped in. Does anyone have any concrete steps for how they are doing it?

One page mentioned an exemption for a Thai that has lived abroad being able to ship back items for free. Does anyone know how that works?

Would shipping in care of a Thai university help?

Edited May 14, 2010 by moto77

[Crossy]

Still a lot of comments here about what not to do, but few ideas about what I should try.

The problem is that Thai Customs and their charges are so variable. From personal experience, the method that is least likely to attract customs attention is regular parcel post (tracked of course), the method that is most likely to attract customs attention is a courier (FedEx etc).

The above does not mean that regular post won't attract duty, or that FedEx will. Did those iPhones come by courier?

There's not actually a lot more that can be said.

[Naam]

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Contact FedEx or DHL to get an idea.

That said, using a courier is the way to absolutely guarantee that you get charged the maximum possible together with 'storage' and 'delivery'.

bad experience with Fedex and DHL, no problem with TNT (two small shipments).

[moto77]

Still a lot of comments here about what not to do, but few ideas about what I should try.

The problem is that Thai Customs and their charges are so variable. From personal experience, the method that is least likely to attract customs attention is regular parcel post (tracked of course), the method that is most likely to attract customs attention is a courier (FedEx etc).

The above does not mean that regular post won't attract duty, or that FedEx will. Did those iPhones come by courier?

There's not actually a lot more that can be said.

Look at the first box here: http://www.asiatradehub.com/thailand/custom.asp

It says:

Duty free entry available to :

· Returning Thai resident who has lived abroad for more than 12 months (which my wife is)

· Persons possessing a one year non-immigrant visa with a valid work permit at the time shipment is imported. (which I am)

But I don't know the exact rules about how to do this.

[moto77]

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Contact FedEx or DHL to get an idea.

That said, using a courier is the way to absolutely guarantee that you get charged the maximum possible together with 'storage' and 'delivery'.

bad experience with Fedex and DHL, no problem with TNT (two small shipments).

Who is TNT?

[Naam]

I'm planning on having it sent via Fedex or DHL.

Contact FedEx or DHL to get an idea. That said, using a courier is the way to absolutely guarantee that you get charged the maximum possible together with 'storage' and 'delivery'.

bad experience with Fedex and DHL, no problem with TNT (two small shipments).

Who is TNT?

a courier service. http://www.tnt.com/