Wrong Taxation By Customs

[Dario]

Someone sent me a computer graphics card from the United States, also commonly called a video card. It was also declared on the customs form as video card. Computer parts have a 0% tax for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless a customs official at Laksi post office asessed the item as "ELECTICAL PART" and levied a 10% Import Duty.

Is there anything I can do, because this part is NOT an "ELECTICAL PART."

An ideas?

[Tywais]

Sorry to say that there is pretty much 0% chance of getting customs to change their mind. Been there done that. It pretty much seems to be the interpretation of the officer as to how it is to be declared. Many years ago I ordered a disk drive for a notebook computer. I was informed it would be 3%. When it got here they added numerous other charges and ended up with 50% charge. No arguments made any difference. Be happy it was only 10%. I order a lot of electronic parts from overseas. About 9 out of 10 get through with no customs charges and the random 10% get charged.

[Dario]

Sorry to say that there is pretty much 0% chance of getting customs to change their mind.  Been there done that.  It pretty much seems to be the interpretation of the officer as to how it is to be declared.  Many years ago I ordered a disk drive for a notebook computer.  I was informed it would be 3%. When it got here they added numerous other charges and ended up with 50% charge.  No arguments made any difference.  Be happy it was only 10%.  I order a lot of electronic parts from overseas.  About 9 out of 10 get through with no customs charges and the random 10% get charged.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the feedback. Well, this is the first part of two to arrive, the other one is a Athlon 64 3800+ Venice processor.

Not very encouraging if we're at the mercy of what we then can call "ignorant" and incompetent civil servants !

[Tywais]

Thanks for the feedback. Well, this is the first part of two to arrive, the other one is a Athlon 64 3800+ Venice processor.

Not very encouraging if we're at the mercy of what we then can call "ignorant" and incompetent civil servants !

That's why the phrase TIT is so popular. You could have the person sending it declare it as "a gift" and see if that makes a difference.

Computer parts have a 0% tax for obvious reasons.

I'm not sure why you think this is obvious?

Edited December 25, 2005 by tywais

[Thai Chi]

Someone sent me a computer graphics card from the United States, also commonly called a video card. It was also declared on the customs form as video card. Computer parts have a 0% tax for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless a customs official at Laksi post office asessed the item as "ELECTICAL PART" and levied a 10% Import Duty.

Is there anything I can do, because this part is NOT an "ELECTICAL PART."

An ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes Dario, you can tell him/her to stop sending you VGA cards.

[Rigger]

Someone sent me a computer graphics card from the United States, also commonly called a video card. It was also declared on the customs form as video card. Computer parts have a 0% tax for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless a customs official at Laksi post office asessed the item as "ELECTICAL PART" and levied a 10% Import Duty.

Is there anything I can do, because this part is NOT an "ELECTICAL PART."

An ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is no real sense to the way customs works in Thailand I have large boxes motorcycle of parts come in to Thailand and land at my front door with 0% tax and then boxes with similar motorcycle parts come in with 10% + 7 %vat and one other that was also similar parts to the first two was held up in customs and they went right through the box and hit me with 40% + 7%vat

I guess it is luck of the draw but after the last lot I will no longer send anything in to Thailand. Hand carry from now on

I ordered bike boots from the USA once they arrived at my door with a duty tax of more than what I paid for them

[chuchok]

Someone sent me a computer graphics card from the United States, also commonly called a video card. It was also declared on the customs form as video card. Computer parts have a 0% tax for obvious reasons.

Nevertheless a customs official at Laksi post office asessed the item as "ELECTICAL PART" and levied a 10% Import Duty.

Is there anything I can do, because this part is NOT an "ELECTICAL PART."

An ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Call 1676 (Corruption Hot line.) and tell them that a certain customs officer is taking liberties....watch his phophie valve pucker.

[Kringle]

After all the comments I've seen on TV about Thai customs and their corrupt ways, I don't have any desire to have anything shipped here. I have been very lucky to have some friends from TV and a good friends from Hawaii and Florida to help me get parts in and although it might take a lot of time, it has helped me to save heaps.

[OldAsiaHand]

Call  1676 (Corruption Hot line.) and tell them that a certain customs officer is taking liberties....watch his phophie valve pucker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, yeah. I'm sure that will fix him. The counter-corruption people in Thailand are really tough cookies, aren't they?

[Dragonman]

Call   1676 (Corruption Hot line.) and tell them that a certain customs officer is taking liberties....watch his phophie valve pucker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, yeah. I'm sure that will fix him. The counter-corruption people in Thailand are really tough cookies, aren't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Slip them a few baht and they may be!

[chuchok]

Call   1676 (Corruption Hot line.) and tell them that a certain customs officer is taking liberties....watch his phophie valve pucker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, yeah. I'm sure that will fix him. The counter-corruption people in Thailand are really tough cookies, aren't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well,the wife has used them to great effect.

[chanchao]

I think it's very important to clearly declare what's in it, i.e. "clear" in the meaning of what a 5 year old would understand.

So don't write "VGA 3D Graphics Accellerator Board", but write: "Computer part - free sample - no commercial value"

As an aside, I wonder where mail/courier shipments are processed? Centrally in Bangkok or on a provincial level or even at the postal district?

Also I understand some courier companies are bad news. (Fed Ex?) Mail EMS is probably best.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[trt]

I think it's very important to clearly declare what's in it, i.e. "clear" in the meaning of what a 5 year old would understand.

So don't write "VGA 3D Graphics Accellerator Board", but write: "Computer part - free sample - no commercial value"

As an aside, I wonder where mail/courier shipments are processed? Centrally in Bangkok or on a provincial level or even at the postal district?

Also I understand some courier companies are bad news. (Fed Ex?) Mail EMS is probably best.

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately writing free sample or gift doesn't help.. they will still tax it..

So what you paid 10% on a VDO card worth how much??? 10% of not a great deal = not worth complaining about..

[barryofthailand]

Ship Fed Ex From the United States, have them put for personal use only on the airbill. No customs charges, and Fed Ex will give you door to door service.

Barry

[Dragonman]

Ship Fed Ex From the United States, have them put for personal use only on the airbill. No customs charges, and Fed Ex will give you door to door service.

Barry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

barry, why can't they open the parcel and charge duty if you mark for personal use. I was told personal use only relates to items brought in, not posted.

[Sheryl]

Ship Fed Ex From the United States, have them put for personal use only on the airbill. No customs charges, and Fed Ex will give you door to door service.

Barry

See other thread in progress on fedex -- my experiences with them have been uniformly bad & seems to be so for many other posters as well. Inefficient to the point of clueless when it comes to clearing things through customs, reportedly corrupt, and VERY unwilluing and inept at door to door delivery if you live in the boondocks.

Of course if you live in BKK or CM and the item is something obvious like a document, might be OK. I tried to use them to clear an unusual item throiugh customs with disasterous results that took 3 months (with me being charged storage by the day) to unravel.

Like other posters, I find no rhyme reason or consistanct in duty charges..the same exact thing (e.g. DVDs from amazon.com) will sometimes be free, sometimes be 10%, sometimes 20 etc etc

Have also found that once they've made a valuation -- even if based on a misunderstanding of what the item is -- there's no realistic hope of getting it changed.

In fact, if your only problem is an incorrect charge of 10% you are well ahead of the game. I've had to face situation where they had trouble deciding what to consider the item and how to assess it (used fedex as interm,ediary...bad idea...any recommendations from anyone as to bnext time? I don't live in Bkk so going in person not an option). That kind of problem can drag on for ages with storage charges at the recipients expense.

Also had to deal with demands for all sorts of absurd "licenses" from various departments...electrical licenses for anything that runs on elecrtricity, even battery-operated....FDA licenses for anything remotely related to health & a few things not...as far as I can gather these various license requests are just shake-downs but need a skillful negotiator to handle. (Just agreeing to pay for the "inspections"and "licenses"runs big bucks and at least if it is an FDA license, never reaches conclusion because the matter is infientely "pending"...

In other words count your blessings, and pay the 10%

Anyone out there with a recommendation for a good agent to handle custom clearance of things imported for personal use please post....

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Ship Fed Ex From the United States, have them put for personal use only on the airbill. No customs charges, and Fed Ex will give you door to door service.

Barry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

barry, why can't they open the parcel and charge duty if you mark for personal use. I was told personal use only relates to items brought in, not posted.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is correct Dragon.

[astral]

Is there anything I can do, because this part is NOT an "ELECTICAL PART."

An ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have a video card that works without electricity??

Is this a first??????????

Live with it and get on with your life.