Shipping Stuff From The Us To Thailand For Dummies

[Jingthing]

I need a friend to ship a small electronic device to me from the US to Thailand. Not a retailer, a private person.

It's a small item and it's valued at under 100 dollars and I need it.

How to do this effectively?

Fedex, USPS, etc? What about customs issues? Is there a trick to avoid customs issues?

[MSingh]

Classify it as ** GIFT **, Value at $25 USD & send it by a Courier that you can track it Online, Fed Ex or the like..

[Jingthing]

Interesting idea, but I don't like lying. But thanks. Hoping for more info.

[MSingh]

Interesting idea, but I don't like lying. But thanks. Hoping for more info.

Ok, well tell the truth & get ripped the ar*e out of by Thai Customs..

& still send it by Courier..

[tangcoral]

Doesnt always works, dont be surprised if the item is opened, inspected and charged custom fee. It happened to me quite a few time depending on the item.

I had a friend send me a manually operated potato cutter worth $100, but hit with 50% tax cause the outside of the box stated "Potato cutter"

Asked why it was stopped?

They said cause it said potato so we assumed it had to do something with importing agricultural food.

Next time dont have anything written on the package says the customs agent.

[philw]

post it, like what we do in the rest of the world,

Lie about the value ( see above )

Amazing.............

[Jingthing]

post it, like what we do in the rest of the world,

Lie about the value ( see above )

Amazing.............

Post it. How? There are lots of options.

[flying]

I have sent quite a few things....Never questioned & they always get there.

I use the large US Postal Service flat rate priority air box...The box I use does cost about $40

I see it is up to $43 now.... But I stuff a lot of things in there...snacks...clothes T-shirts etc.

But in your case they do have a small box ( dont use the envelope for fragile stuff)that costs $13.45

But as I said never a problem & never questioned...always arrives.

Anyway......

http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-international-prices.htm

[chickenslegs]

I'm pretty sure that the duty free value for gifts sent to Thailand is 1,000 baht, so your package (if correctly labelled) would probably attract import duty if customs bother to inspect it and calculate the charges LINK TO THAI CUSTOMS WEBSITE

In my experience (UK, not US) items sent by normal post (Royal Mail in my case) have never been subjected to customs examination or import fees/taxes.

However, several packages sent by UPS and FedEx have been withheld by customs until duties have been paid, including one package which was just a DVD with photographs of my grandchildren.

You don't need anyone to tell you that Thai Customs are as corrupt as any other agency here, so you take your chances. You can always refuse to accept the delivery if the charges are too high.

Good luck

Edited to include better link

Edited December 9, 2010 by chickenslegs

[Jingthing]

I don't have the size and weight dimensions yet. The item is under 100 dollars so how much can the customs be? I am really more interested in getting the item reliably and directly without being held up and/or lost.

[flying]

In my experience (UK, not US) items sent by normal post (Royal Mail in my case) have never been subjected to customs examination or import fees/taxes.

Yup never had a penny of duty levied on any of the USPS Priority Air Mail packages sent from the US

Nor have they ever been opened/examined

Edited December 9, 2010 by flying

[Jingthing]

In my experience (UK, not US) items sent by normal post (Royal Mail in my case) have never been subjected to customs examination or import fees/taxes.

Yup never had a penny of duty levied on any of the USPS Priority Air Mail packages sent from the US

Nor have they ever been opened/examined

Is it stated what the item is on the package?

[flying]

Is it stated what the item is on the package?

Not usually unless you ask to purchase additional insurance in which case I just said various gifts....which was true

You can also get a return receipt for about $3 or web tracking is very cheap but of course the tracking stops once it is handed off to Thailand Postal.

But again I have never had a problem & time wise it is quite fast...little over a week.

There is the faster Express mail too but it costs a little more & is determined by weight & is only faster by 4-5 days.

[bina]

just sent a fairly large package with snacks, small gifts, chocolates etc. (took out the wine at last minute as was too heavy) ; i believe the kibbutz mail sent it as regular air mail since i just give over the box, wrapped in brown paper, address in thai , wrote gifts or something in english on the customes form, and the receiver got it about 10 days later no problem (korat area). one day out of my kibbutz rural mail, friday and saturday post doesnt work here, sunday post doesnt work in thailand...

[Thaifan2]

>> but of course the tracking stops once it is handed off to Thailand Postal.<<

YOU CAN STILL TRACK IT IN THAILAND BY GOING ON THE THAi POSTAL WEBSITE .

[Sojourner]

Classify it as ** GIFT **, Value at $25 USD & send it by a Courier that you can track it Online, Fed Ex or the like..

The Customs department has office space in all the International courier port of entry offices and the courier service is obliged to report everything that passes through their warehouse. You will be taxed not only on the value of the item but also on the cost of the shipment. As a side bar, be careful the charger for the electronic device will work on 220 volts 50 cycles.

[flying]

>> but of course the tracking stops once it is handed off to Thailand Postal.<<

YOU CAN STILL TRACK IT IN THAILAND BY GOING ON THE THAi POSTAL WEBSITE .

Interesting....I did not know that you can track a USPS tracking number via the Thai postal service.

Thanks good to know

[neverdie]

Make sure your friend removes the batteries before posting it. You don't want it to start vibrating operating whilst in transit as it might cause them to open the package and reveal it in all its glory.

I am trying to be serious.

ps: edit to add, please ignore if its a diesel operated device.

Edited December 10, 2010 by neverdie

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Thai customs even tax some small cosmetic parcels !

You must be lucky if they dont charge you for any bigger parcel...

[bifftastic]

I recommend using the regular mail. I've sent quite a few parcels to Thailand that way, with various bits and bobs in them, some cheap some not so cheap. never any problem. I received some goods here in the UK (from the US) via courier and they charged me duty on receipt, must be a 'courier thing'

Anyway, just get your friend to stick it in the post and write 'gift' on it, works for me, and quite a few other people too

Hope it all goes well,

Biff

[krading]

Make sure your friend removes the batteries before posting it. You don't want it to start vibrating operating whilst in transit as it might cause them to open the package and reveal it in all its glory.

I am trying to be serious.

ps: edit to add, please ignore if its a diesel operated device.

Somebody had to say it.

Trust neverdie to be the one.

[raylo]

I don't have the size and weight dimensions yet. The item is under 100 dollars so how much can the customs be? I am really more interested in getting the item reliably and directly without being held up and/or lost.

The item value is generally irrelevant. The customs value of the item is independently rated by the courier company (CC). The CC have agreements with customs in most countries to exact revenue in this manner and they ususally (notice I said usually) go for the throat.

I have personally had long term "fights" with the reps from these companies in a number of countries. UPS & DHL are the primary offenders but FEDEX & TNT are also in there with all the smaller players.

When my luggage was overweight leaving Saudi rather than pay the $US25 per kG over fee I decided to courier it. Big mistake.

At one stage they charged me import duty on my trousers, belts and socks. The belts were the worse. All used and all purchased in Thailand.

As a side note if you dont register an item as leaving the country then they are liable foe duty on re-entering the country. This again applies to most first world countries so no Thailand knocking.

You have a few choices like friends putting it in their luggage. etc. Thats how my laptop comes back to me next monthotherwise the duty could be gi-normous.

Alternatively, size and weight permitting, I recommend plain postal service. Be truthful but only to the letter of the law. It has been the most honest to date for me.

[zthyadat]

Interesting idea, but I don't like lying. But thanks. Hoping for more info.

You won't lie to Thai customs to protect yourself from their dishonesty? Good Lord, Who else won't you lie to? How exactly do you get through life?

[jfchandler]

Jing, I'd generally agree with the advice offered above by Flying, based on my personal experience shipping from the U.S. to LOS....

Nothing is guaranteed, but there are trends....

--Ship via U.S. P.S. Global Priority, not the private carriers such as FedEx, DHL, UPS in order to reduce the likelihood of your package getting dutied. Those USPS shipments will be delivered here locally by Thai Post.

--Have the person sending the package fill out the USPS customs declaration, which they'll have to do, as "Gift" and omit any kind of invoice paperwork inside the box. Try to use a generic (vs. detailed) description of the item inside.

--The chances of something getting dutied (and or the amount assessed) seem to be reduced in instances where the item happens to be used or refurbished vs. new... and you state that on the customs declaration.

--USPS Global Priority has two options in your case, a flat rate envelope that's cheap (about $15) and holds up to 4 lbs, but is not trackable online, or small boxes that are trackable but more expensive in postage.

Both the envelopes and small boxes for USPS Global Priority are available for free at the local post office.

In my experience, the small electronics things seem to get through relatively OK most of the time, whereas food and clothing type things seem to attract more attention/likelihood of duty.