Laptop Import Tax Rate?

[Orita]

Does anyone know what the import tax rate

for a laptop is?

I am thinking of getting one via ebay from

America.

Thanks for any input.

[nikster]

Buy one here and save yourself a lot of hassle, that's my advice... or get one and bring it next time you're there.

Not sure what the official tax rate is but I am sure that once your laptop arrives at Thai customs, you are completely at their mercy. They use this formula:

(price + shipping cost) + import tax % + 7% VAT.

Because they add the shipping cost before applying any taxes, and they definitely add the VAT on top of everything, it usually gets expensive quick. At the same time laptops in Thailand don't cost much more than overseas. You have warranty. Etc.

Edited January 9, 2011 by nikster

[negreanu]

Depends on the price you "Declare" on the customs declaration.

[asiawatcher]

Depends on the price you "Declare" on the customs declaration.

I don't think so - they request (or view the shipping) invoice price then compare with local prices and they take the higher rate (always). Quickest way to get nailed! Why not buy duty free if you are travelling in and out and why ship from US to here? Does not make sense. HK is the cheapest with international warranties and many people travel in and out so why not buy there and have someone (or you) bring one in for you - walk it in and no tax at all.

[Pib]

You can go to the Thai Customs site and do some searches on their tariff database, but it's probably around 40% since that seems to be the catch all import tariff rate on data processing type devices. http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/Valuation/Valuation.jsp?menuNme=Valuation#

[Digitalbanana]

My experience buying off Amazon (USA) via US shipping agent and then Fedex was + 7% VAT of (price + shipping cost - declared by myself).

[astral]

And of you have a problem, you may not have recourse under the gurantee..................

[thrilled]

Believe me customs VAT is not cheap.Bring it with ya.

[Pib]

If you buy and hand carry it over you might not want to make it look like you are carrying a brand new laptop as you go through Thai customs at the airport.

I've read a few posts on ThaiVisa over the years were some people were bringing over a new laptop just bought and when Thai customs at the airport spotted it was still in it's brand new looking box probably with accessories still pretty much in plastic bags that these people got tagged for a healthy customs charge. Just repeating what I've read, but I would think if you are carrying it on your person, customs would figure you are just another traveler carrying their used laptop even if they did stop you, looked in the laptop bag, and the laptop looked brand new. I've carried my laptop in and out of Thailand many times and never had a customs problem anywhere.

And regarding other ThaiVisa posts where people have shipped them in, some posts indicate they got hit with a customs charge and the 7% VAT...sometimes the customs charge was based on the person's declared valve on the shipping forms...sometimes customs applied its own valuation. And then there are other post where apparently little to no customs charge was applied.

It can be somewhat of a crap shoot regarding customs charges when shipping things to Thailand.

[lomatopo]

This topic comes up quite often here and there seems to be no definitive answer other than to say you should expect to pay between 0% and 50%, on top of the shipping charges.

There have been some threads on re-shippers, like shipitto, which have been extremely positive and might be better for eBay purchases?

You usually get a global warranty, but obviously you should check this first, on purchases in the U.S., although getting warranty repair here through a local subsidiary, whose contract might excluded this, can be challenging. Local purchases (Thailand) typically only cover warranty repair in Thailand.

If you can't hand-carry back, or have a friend do that, then consider a local purchase unless the price difference is significant (~ 25%) and/or the technology is not yet widely available here.

[Phatcharanan]

I used Fedex from the Ebay to Bangkok with a Samsung netbook.

Total extra I paid was 7% of declared cost of item plus Fedex usual shipping rate. That was last month.

[lomatopo]

I used Fedex from the Ebay to Bangkok with a Samsung netbook.

Total extra I paid was 7% of declared cost of item plus Fedex usual shipping rate. That was last month.

Did you pay FedEx the 7%? On delivery? How much was the FedEx shipping? Did you give the eBay seller your FedEx account number or did they use theirs, and then you paid for it? 7%, essentially VAT, is pretty decent considering you might have paid as much in State sales tax if purchased in the U.S. in person at a store.

Based on my vague recollection of the hundreds of posts on this topic, it seems like anything sent FedEx gets 7%, although they may charge more to ship, while some of the other shippers might incur higher charges, like VAT + Duty + Excise Tax + ???.

The re-shippers, like shipitto (which I've never used), get a pretty huge discount from FedEx which they pass on, so even with their one-time fee it still may be less to ship that way.

[Orita]

Thanks for all the input.

Today I went to the friendly people of the Chiang Mai Customs Department

at the airport and simply asked. I should have done this earlier of course.

Anyhow, there are no import duties or taxes on importing a laptop. 7 % VAT

however will be charged on the CIF (Cost including freight) price.

This seems fair to me and I will go ahead and order an IBM Thinkpad with

English only keyboard from the US.

Yes, there are plenty of laptops available in Thailand, but I really do not

like the mixed language keyboards and prices including Win 7 Pro for

a Thinkpad are much higher in Thailand.

[h90]

Buy one here and save yourself a lot of hassle, that's my advice... or get one and bring it next time you're there.

Not sure what the official tax rate is but I am sure that once your laptop arrives at Thai customs, you are completely at their mercy. They use this formula:

(price + shipping cost) + import tax % + 7% VAT.

Because they add the shipping cost before applying any taxes, and they definitely add the VAT on top of everything, it usually gets expensive quick. At the same time laptops in Thailand don't cost much more than overseas. You have warranty. Etc.

You are wrong it is: ((price*wrong exchange rate+shipping costs)+import tax)+7% VAT. You also pay VAT on the import tax.

But I think computer are 0 import tax, or? Anyway the exchange rate is MUCH worse than the real one.

[Forethat]

And of you have a problem, you may not have recourse under the gurantee..................

Just a thought here, did this post address the OPs question...?