Customs Rip-Off

[glbv]

Update on cheap shipping healthdesigns currently has a TON of items that ship 100% free even to us, ranging from multi vitamins, herbs, pre workouts, whole shebang.(url link removed) is free shipping.

[Pseudolus]

Update on cheap shipping healthdesigns currently has a TON of items that ship 100% free even to us, ranging from multi vitamins, herbs, pre workouts, whole shebang.(url link removed) is free shipping.

Wouldn't it still be a case of them shipping free, but they get here and then get pinged by the Customs mob?

@OP - " When I went to get it, post office said the tax owed was 1584 baht PLUS another 4000 baht for something like customs LAD. May be spelled wrong."

I think that would be LAB then, testing to see if the pills / supplements were not drugs of a death penalty type.

[glbv]

As ive said, shipping via international post has an extremely low likely hood of hitting customs. Im well over 200 packages with them and ive never had one hit customs. Just had 2lbs of protein delivered yesterday, 21b delivery fee (idk if its my building that charges it or them) and no customs, 14days from site to me. cost me 17$ for the protein.

[wpcoe]

@OP - " When I went to get it, post office said the tax owed was 1584 baht PLUS another 4000 baht for something like customs LAD. May be spelled wrong."

I think that would be LAB then, testing to see if the pills / supplements were not drugs of a death penalty type.

Several years ago when I FedEx'd a 20kg box of items honestly declared as "used personal effects", I was nailed with a B5000 "warehousing" charge by Thai Customs. I recall chatting online with others who encountered a similar "warehouse charge" at the time. Perhaps the fee is currently B4,000?

I was tempted to just decline to pay the charge, as the contents probably weren't worth B5000, but there was one or two things in the box that I really did want, so I relented and paid. The Customs Officer sneered when I paid. (At that time, I had to go to Customs in person to pay and sign some paper.)

Oh, and no receipt, of course!

[tombkk]

Just on a side-note, the topic title is misleading: There is no customs rip-off in the reported case.

Skin and bodycare products as well as any kind of medicine or food or food supplement, is subject to an import licence from the Thai FDA. However, we all know that the post office cannot check each individual parcel, and so most packages just slip through.

There are some exceptions for small amounts for personal use, that's where the reported "one month's supply" comes from. I am not sure where it says "one month" in the regulation, but suffice it to say that you can bring in small amounts for personal use. These may still be subject to import duties.

Just be happy that this can all be arranged in a day, and with your passport only. If you want to apply for a commercial licence, it will take months.

I have ordered the same type of products before and had them inspected in front of customs at their post office. Bottles of shampoo, soap, etc., all for personal use and have never been hit with an import license fee. I can understand if u were reselling them and received tons of containers. Not for 1 bottle, sorry. By the way, the agent who told me about the one month supply, was referring to anything that is ingested. Skincare products he said was ok if I had more than a months supply.

The one-month rule is a rule of thumb. How much shampoo do you really use in one month? What is meant is that they won't bother if this is obviously for your own use. You need a licence if you intend to resell.

[jvs]

onceb4,bee pollen can be found over here in Thailand they are part of Chinese medicine practice.Easy to find.

This brings me to another question maybe slightly off topic but very relevant,how many of us import stuff from overseas just because we can not find it here but it may be available?

Or are people so worried about bad quality or copied products so they buy the brand they are familiar with from overseas?

[robblok]

onceb4,bee pollen can be found over here in Thailand they are part of Chinese medicine practice.Easy to find.

This brings me to another question maybe slightly off topic but very relevant,how many of us import stuff from overseas just because we can not find it here but it may be available?

Or are people so worried about bad quality or copied products so they buy the brand they are familiar with from overseas?

I think a lot of us cant find it here and much of the stuff we know is overpriced. I don't trust Chinese stuff that much they only want to make money. Remember the milk scandal in china that killed children.

I have more faith in Western brands but even there you have to be careful.

[tropo]

Or are people so worried about bad quality or copied products so they buy the brand they are familiar with from overseas?

I buy some stuff from overseas because I can save money. It's not like it is difficult. Order online and wait for the mail man.

[glbv]

As tropo said its a bit about saving serious $ or impossible to find products. I personally don't really worry about fakes of what I do buy here, maybe I'm just naive in area though. Id rather spend 1 minute ordering my facewash online for 6$ get a high quality product toss some jerky into the order as well, and the whole thing will be about 20$ or i can go to villa and get the same face wash for 12-15$.