To cut a long story short – My Mother sent me a Christmas present from the UK witch didn’t arrive before Christmas. Then on 26 Dec the post man come, not with the parcel containing my Christmas present but with an Import Duty form. I proceeded immediately to Chaweng Post office to collect my un-posted parcel. To my shock and horror I was told I had to pay 805 Baht import duty! They somehow valued the parcel at 2,000 Baht! They then explained that under new Government rules all items from abroad are subject to Import Duty! Basically the parcel is still sitting in Chaweng post office. Looks like they are having a better Christmas than me!

Happening for years .. Normally DHL or FedEx ..

I was once sent a gift which coat 12.95 in the uk , got sent over and I had I pay 585 thb tax !

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

and in the mean time, i still receive all my parcels duty free, received another two this afternoon ,-)

customs have rules, i guess the CN22 wasn't completed correctly or undervalued which caught their attention.

duty is free on items valued at less than 1K baht and marked as gift.

This has happened many times to us, especially toys for the kids. Golden rules are to write Gift on the package, put a very low estimated value and never have a receipt/invoice in the parcel. I actually sent copies of my children's Passports to Bangkok with a form and letter demanding to know why children under 9years old had to pay tax. The result.......got one bill quashed, the other has the Amazon invoice in so we had to pay that. Btw process takes 6 weeks for parcel to be reassessed by Bangkok office.

correct me i'm wrong but i think duty is levied on anything coming via a courier.I have stuff sent to me through the post and have never been charged duty.

The Samui PO doesn't seem to apply duties on a padded envelope declared at under $100.00 -- received two yesterday and get one per month usually. However, I would be very careful about asking for a reassessment of duties. I did this on a package and they told me to come back the next week. When I enquired the following week they simply said it disappeared.

I have received quite a few parcels over the years. I have only had to pay duty or VAT a few times.

I think that if it is duty - you pay at the customs office. If it is VAT you pay at the post office, but the rules seem to change depending on who you talk to.

Had a parcel with books delivered. Postman charged me 7 Baht.I think it was VAT.

Had a parcel with books delivered. Postman charged me 7 Baht.I think it was VAT.

Same, had to pay 7 baht once.

Had a parcel with books delivered. Postman charged me 7 Baht.I think it was VAT.

Same, had to pay 7 baht once.

I get lots of stuff via EBay (usually from China and HK) and anything that is sent EMS has a 7 baht charge on it, no matter what the value is.

Anything sent by courier (UPS etc) always gets taxed if it's valued at more than 5,000. But the PO calculates the duties differently for some reason!

An electronics item (sent UPS) valued at 7,000 baht ($220) was handled by the PO and I collected it there, paying around 700 baht duties on it.

But then I got a used motorbike front brake caliper from USA on Boxing Day. Went to Mae Nam PO with the form and was told Nathon. PO there sent me to the customs house. The interesting bit was that I had to pay import duty and tax - but I can't believe I had to pay it on the <deleted> shipping charge too! Cost of the part: $45. Cost of UPS shipping $42. I paid 30% import duty on $87 . . . . then they totaled it all up and charged me 7% VAT on the total of $113. The part cost me 1,450 baht but after duties and tax it ended up at 3,300 baht - a total of duties/tax of around 1,800 baht on a $45 item.

I had the idea that none of them know what they were doing - three of them spent 20 minutes going through huge volumes of files and books and listings trying to find the item listed and work it out - and kept disagreeing with each other. I think in the end it was getting close to face-losing-time and the guy just made it all up . . .

Amazing Thailand.

R

Yes Robsamui, it works exactly like this.

I'm a shopper by Ebay and few other websites.

By post/EMS usually I don't pay nothing or the famous 7 Baht.

By UPS (mostly from USA) I pay tax duties on the total, including yhe shipping :-)

By DHL , FedEx, I avoid them because the custom charges are crazy.

Just a few days ago, I received a shipment by Post of motorcycle parts and tools from a friend in the US. No duty.

Just a few days ago, I received a shipment by Post of motorcycle parts and tools from a friend in the US. No duty.

Looks like didn't send it courier and write MOTORBIKE PARTS WORTH LOTS OF MONEY all over the customs form, then . . .

Sometimes American friends can be useful . . .

R