I'm having some items shipped from America from a relative. They are used. They are model cars both diecast & plastic. Hard to figure the value. But some are in original boxes and look new. I have been told to put enter "Gift" on the customs form where it asks for the value. Does anyone have experience or advice with this?

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Don,t worry, boosta will answer you soon

If not of great value, cheapest method is of course plain surface US postal service, but slow and a little risky, better to ask for the cheapest method with some tracking. May even get past customs completely, if you want to increase your odds have the boxes and other "new flags" shipped separately.

EMS is much faster more reliable and a bit dearer more likely to attract customs.

Couriers like DHL/UPS/FedEx will attract the maximum customs.

Any US postal service method that includes tracking is the way to go. You can track the package until it gets to the US airport sorting facility for international parcels and you will be able to pick it up again using the Thai postal system tracking once it arrives in Thailand. Tracking usually does not fail and can give you a heads up if you are going to have to pay duty or not. More likely not, if using the postal system, almost guaranteed if you use one of the private carriers like, FEDEX, UPS, DHL, etc.

Just be reasonable in your value declaration, list them as "gifts" and declare their value as "toys" under $100

Track US parcels here: https://www.usps.com/

Track in Thailand here: http://track.thailandpost.co.th/trackinternet/Default.aspx?lang=en

Customs doesn't necessarily pay attention to the gift statement. Once, after filling out a customs form the USPS counter attendant wrote gift across the whole of the form for me but I was still charged something close to 40% of the value. I have had packages that are not gifts that should have been subject to duty come through with no charges. Only one package in 4 years was charged the correct amount. It seems to be totally at the discretion of the customs department.

USPS is the best shipping mehtod I have found from the US as they are far cheaper than Fedex/UPS. I have had problems with Fedex in Thailand not actually attempting to deliver items and forcing me to go to their office instead. Make sure to have the package insured and tracked.

Edited June 19, 201313 yr by CPT

Customs doesn't necessarily pay attention to the gift statement. Once, after filling out a customs form the USPS counter attendant wrote gift across the whole of the form for me but I was still charged something close to 40% of the value. I have had packages that are not gifts that should have been subject to duty come through with no charges. Only one package in 4 years was charged the correct amount. It seems to be totally at the discretion of the customs department.

USPS is the best shipping mehtod I have found from the US as they are far cheaper than Fedex/UPS. I have had problems with Fedex in Thailand not actually attempting to deliver items and forcing me to go to their office instead. Make sure to have the package insured and tracked.

Hello my daughter is sending me some Chips from the USA the are just for me to eat and i am not going to sell them do i need to get a Licence from the Ministry of Health to recieve the pacakage

Oooh imported chips, the beer girls might actually appreciate those!

Just in case this isn't a piss-taking, you might "need" a license but you couldn't get one, so have a go, worst case the postal inspector gets a nice snack.