Importing A Vehicle To Thailand.....

[Belfastboy]

yes guys i know this an old topic and everyone advises against importing your vehicle...but

im curious to know how much a Toyota T4 Rav 2005 (im moving in 2years so it will be 3 years old when importing) how much would i have to pay tax on this ?

plus it will be done through my thai wifes name...is there any advantage or discount because a thai citizen import the vehicle?

any info truly appreciated...

[xbusman]

Current duty is 200% of the new value plus frieght. Then you get to pay VAT on top of that. For rought estimates, your safe at about 280% of your 2005 sticker price.

All that is if your lucky. If someone in Customs takes a fancy to your pride and joy it may get a lot more expensive than that.

[terdsak_12]

If a Thai has owned a vehicle in their name overseas for a few years apparently they can bring it in at quite a lower rate.

[Axel]

As said already, don't do it. But if so under your idea, Thai wife imports the car, it can be done if the car was used, owned and possessed for at least 1.5 years before arrival.

She needs to present hHouse Certificate and Identification Card; passport in case of changing residence; vehicle Registration Certificate indicating that the imported vehicles was used abroad;

an import permit from the Ministry of Commerce, marriage certificate. This together with other documents, like bill of lading, insurance cert. proforma invoice etc.

The Thai Customs will than evaluate the car which is based on their own figures, not what you paid for neither what you show in the invoice.

To the value determined by customs you add freight charges and landing costs as well as insurance premium. This gives you a "cif-landed value".

Tax and duties are based on this as well as cylinder capacity.

If below 2.4 cc the duty is 80 % plus 35% excise tax plus 10% interior tax plus 7 % VAT.

Example: Value Baht 1 million:

1,000,000 Baht

Import duty= 80 % Excise tax= 35 % Interior tax= 10 % of excise tax + VAT 7%

The total import duties and taxes imposed on this import are calculated as follows:

1. Import duty = (CIF value * Rate of import duty)=(1,000,000 * 0.8)= 800,000 Baht

2. Excise tax = (CIF value + import duty) * {Rate of excise tax/1-(1.1 * Rate of excise tax)} = (1,000,000+800,000) * {0.35/1-(1.1*0.35)} =

1,800,000 * 0.5691057 = 1,024,390.20 Baht

3. Interior tax = Excise tax * Rate of interior tax = 1,024,390.20 * 0.1 = 102,439.02 Baht

4. Base VAT = (CIF value+ Import duty+ Excise tax + Interior tax) = (1,000,000 + 800,000 + 1,024,390.20 + 102,439.02)= 2,926,829.20 Baht

5. VAT= Base VAT * VAT Rate = 2,926,829.20 *0.07 = 204,878.04 Baht

Total taxes and duties = 1+2+3+5 = 2,131,707.20 Baht

I am not sure if 2400 cc is corrrect, if more the excise tax goes up to 42%.

If Customs accept the car as off road four wheel drive vehicle not exceeding 3000 cc (less than 200 HP) the excise tax will be 29%.

The biggest unknow factor is the value determined by the Customs officer. Once this is clear the calculation as above is easy.

[PREM-R]

Seems that you can buy a new RAV4 here in Thailand where the RAV4 has a sticker price of B2.59m

Bangkok Post - SUV's in Thailand

[Nordlys]

Import duty= 80 % Excise tax= 35 % Interior tax= 10 % of excise tax + VAT 7%

Thanks for all that info.

But what is interior tax? And who collects it? Revenue department or customs department? BTW I think the excise tax on passenger cars with displacement under 2.4L has come down to 30% if I remember correctly.

Edited April 10, 2006 by Nordlys

[Axel]

Double checked this afternoon, as usual with customs house, no guarantee for verbal advise:

Import duty : 80% of CIF price ----> for Customs Dept.

Excise tax : 35% or 0.5691057 of CIF price & import duty ----> for Excise Dept.

Interior tax : 10% of excise tax ----> for Excise Dept.

V.A.T. : 7% of CIF price + import duty + excise tax + interior tax ----> for Revenue Dept.

The conditions for used car import :

- It must belong to the importer more than one and half year

- the importer must apply the import licence from the Ministry of Commerce before import.

[xbusman]

Great job Axel, thats exactly the ticket. You might want to cut and past that analysis for the next 200 times that exact question is asked.

Your run down above came out to 210% of taxes and duties. When you factor in the process of using new list price for a similar vehicle plus the Thammasat college fund payments, I am going to say that 280% is probably a pretty good estimate and should pretty much discourage all but the most masochistic.