I have understood that a Thai may return to Thailand with personal goods aquired abroad.

The TV board has lead me to believe the amount of time abroad is one year.

How is that accounted for and by whom when dealing with customs at port of entry. Goods arriving by ship or by ship and with the perdon, by plane (two shipments)?

Presume the person must be domiciled soneven if no lease, surely not hopping around Europe for a year correct? It is for purpose of household goods.

What if during the year, extended holiday taken outside the country?

US B Visitor Visa? Ten Year qualifies?

Thx

Probably better off in the Thailand section.

They account for this via stamps in the passport. When you return make sure you get stamped in, rather than using the automatic passport gates which don't provide physical evidence of your time away.

It can be a year just about for any reason.

I've been told that immigration and customs don't yet speak to each other so the physical stamp in the passport is the only way to prove it.

Going through this process myself at present.

Edited May 26, 201313 yr by samran

Does it have to be an entire uninterrupted year out of Thailand, or can it be large chunks of time (9+ months) that add up to a year over 2 - 3 years? Would proof of residence in another country also qualify, even if there was not a continuous year spent outside Thailand? I may be going through this myself soon (time to start gifting my wife all my personal stuff )

Depends who you speak to. Some movers say you need to be out if the country for an entire 12 months, no coming back. Others say that short trips back are acceptable. I'm betting in the latter as that is our situation.

What you are proposing now probably won't cut it though.

Edited May 26, 201313 yr by samran

Posted Today, 10:47

I have understood that a Thai may return to Thailand with personal goods aquired abroad.

The TV board has lead me to believe the amount of time abroad is one year.

How is that accounted for and by whom when dealing with customs at port of entry. Goods arriving by ship or by ship and with the perdon, by plane (two shipments)?

Presume the person must be domiciled soneven if no lease, surely not hopping around Europe for a year correct? It is for purpose of household goods.

What if during the year, extended holiday taken outside the country?

US B Visitor Visa? Ten Year qualifies?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes a thai may return to Thailand with personal effects bought wherever abroad. A falang is given the same status if he can show a 1 year VISA or extension of stay and if he process his shipment during the first 6 months of these. The thought is that it will be free from customs duty and VAT. This can only be done ONE TIME, not TWO....

Customs in Thailand do not care where you have been living abroad, so hopping around that is OK, nobody care at all...

VISAS abroad has nothing to do with this.

Glegolo

(freight forwarder)

not free from agents scamming at the docks.

Alright, considering the answer from "Meatboy". Yes as being a falang I do agree with you 100%. There is of course a certain amount of scam also here among the customs as well as the rest of Thailands authorities.....

But there is also a huge lot of rumors circulating among a lot of falangs here. And these rumors are based on ignorance to some extent..... people in general do not know the rules and the laws applied here in Thailand when it comes to customs clearence... I know from experience that it is hard for a private person to find out all information, especially when their booking-agents in i.e. England, USA or Sweden are not themselfs at all aware and knowledgable in this....

The scams you talk about can i.e. be than: The description applied to what personal effects really are....is completely different comparing Thailand from rest of the world. Just for your knowledge... Here in general, they do only agree to personal effects if it is books, clothes and more extremely personal items...... As soon as it comes to machines, computers and tools they will apply duty and VAT...... And it will be done via negotiations between the consignee, his agent and the customs officer......

What you can do to keep costs down in case you ship goods. Is to keep the declared value down as much as you possibly can, and than back it up with receipts and invoices....

So my suggestion to you is that you try to find a middlehand here in Thailand that can represent you and make it as cheap as possible to import to Thailand.. But please do just forget in general to get it in for free.. It is almost impossible.... I know that a couple of guys here at TV have told that they got it in for free, meaning all their items also the electrical ones...... But I am doubtful really..

If you need more info, you are welcome to PM me, I am living here in Thailand and have regular contact with the port in Bangkok.

Glegolo

Edited May 27, 201313 yr by glegolo

when my wf.moved her goods from the uk.after 20yrs,no electrical items,all personel second hand,every single item declared in each of 30 boxes,12,000bht.please,and as for the shipping agents

they know about the scams,ours told us in the uk.but considering we only paid £240 to ship it over

3 cubic mts.we got away lightly to what others have said.

When it comes to tv's,fridges etc you are only allowed one of each.

Appreciate everyone's input

Furniture (70-100+yrs), China set, misc china, crystal and glassware. Old clocks, two rugs...

Some friends within past two years sold off their parents home furnishings, after their passing, both said they could not get much for the stuff. Estate dealers total bandits and eBay useless. I really enjoy antiques and have all my life. My wife seems to as well. I'm sure they stuff ciuld fetch some good money here in 40yrs when Im dead and she's winding her life down as well.

We could at the time, ship in her name under her ten yr visa.

Nothing electric - USA.

BTW how does Customs verify youve even been out of the country (or long enough)?

Thx

bb they veryify the time youve been out of the country by having a copy of your passport details.one thing that added to my wfs.bill was farang name in passport,everyone here has that farang virus not good for your wealth.as for the goods we have one of the bigest flea markets by us [save one] and there is one or two antique stalls prices are hilly or very steep.

Lot's of interesting theories and the usual "customs will rip you off" blather. The fact is that customs don't need the trouble of all the paperwork and would much rather do it the straight way or the tea money option, which is considerably less costly than official means. Since I have imported more than 1,000 hhg shipments, I know what I am talking about. Anyone want advise can message me...for a bottle of red.

Thx for that Meatboy, my wife wanted to chg her name but Ibargued agsinst it for time being so this looks like yet another plus for not doing so.

Thanks Kurnell, Ill sort it out and drink it myself - or maybe with the Customs guy when that day arrives.

when you engage an agent in the uk.you will be told the ships name and who the agent is in bkk.the aprox.date of arival and given the bill of laden.try and find out any info on the agent,our agent in bkk.tried everything with my mrs.saying they had no authority to enter the dock so they had to use another co.we found out both names were same co.i think they would have ripped my mrs off for more but she threatened them that she had contacts at the docks[in fact she did have]but long ago.mind you our goods were delivered to our home in korat all in perfect condition,glass,china ect.cost 6,000bht so that was ok.