Does anyone know anything about how much import duty I'd likely be subject to, as a percentage of the retail price, if I purchased an electronic tranlator from Ectaco in the US ? I am looking at paying around about $300. Is it an arbitrary assessment ? Cheers.

When an item does get customs applied it seems 30% or 7% tend to apply a lot. Now if you send the item through services like DHL/UPS the chances of getting hit with a customs charge is higher based on the posts I've read on ThaiVisa and that was my one personal experience when using DHL (I didn't have a choice) to ship an electronic car accessory from Germany worth about $300...I got hit around 39% in various customs fees...ouch. Sometimes I feel shipping companies like DHL/UPS are able to move things through customs so quickly is because of the way they process customs/shipping paper....almost like doing the customs work for the customs department...and the customs department like getting money for the govt via custom charges.

Now using USPS I've had much, much better luck....I've probably received around a half dozen items shipped from the States and only one ended up having a customs charge of 7% applied...all the others arrived customs fee. Usually, if the declared value is less than a 1000 baht/$30 your chances of excaping customs gets real good---of course this assumes customs believes the customs value estimate and what is declared as being in the package.

Good luck....hopefully your item will arrive customs free...but it can seem like a flip of a coin whether you are going to get charged or not.

Better to buy from HongKong or China. The import duty is only 10%.

Better to buy from HongKong or China. The import duty is only 10%.

I've ordered a few things off Ebay from mainland China and Hong Kong sellers over the last few months...items cost around 800 baht and they arrived in approx. 15 days (I'm in Bangkok) and arrived duty free...came through the normal postal systems...but I expect their low value of less than a 1000 baht helped in the escape of any duty.

Thanks very much Pib for a complete answer to my question. As for importing from elsewhere, I'm fairly sure Ectaco products are only available from the USA. Thanks for all the replies. Cheers.

Thnaks Pib for giving me a complete answer to my question. Some very useful stuff to know there generally as well. Regarding purchasing elsewhere I am fairly sure Ectaco products are only sold from the USA. Thanks for all the replies. Cheers.

The best way to ship items to Thailand is by POST

If you keep the cost of the goods down, you will probably not pay any duties

If you use couriers, such as DHL, TNT and UPS you will get charged Customs fee, VAT and broker clearance costs

Courier are very good...for DOCUMENTS ONLY....documents fly thru the system as they do not need the CC procedure

Using Post is the way to go it seems. I have some herbs coming from the US by Post so I will be interested to see how I go with those. Good to know,thanks.

Be sure the shipper declares a Value or Thai Customs will place a value for them and you pay the Duty. I ordered an item that was 5000. Baht and the shipper Did Not declare a Value and Customs slapped a 5000 Baht Duty Plus 7% Vat on 30,000 Baht Customs decided the item cost.