Handling charges by customs?

[Tatsujin]

Customs can be a complete nightmare here.

Many times had costs for customs clearance confirmed prior to shipping, and then find they pull a figure out of the air when it arrives so you can't plan anything in advance. It gets a bit ridiculous when the costs for the customs "bribe" costs more than the product and shipping. When they get difficult, I tell them I don't want it and 9 times out of 10 they deliver with no extra charges. Easy to get a refund most times as it hasn't been "delivered".

Have also had Thai people talk to them who were shocked by their thievery and it also made no difference how "helpful" you are with them. Bunch of thieves.

I have at least 2 imports per week for the last 8 or so years and not a single problem and not a single time asked for bribe.

If all documents are correct everything will be cleared correctly. No problems at all.

With wrong invoices, wrong tariff numbers you get problems.

All I can say is that you've been incredibly lucky. This is NOT the experience I have received nor anyone else I know of, Thai or foreigner. And the documentation is always correct by the way.

[TravelerEastWest]

Mistakes can be made and are daily in all fields of life but courier companies are simply following the law and collecting for customs not themselves. The fees that they charge for customs clearance can be avoided if you clear customs yourselves.

And unless your time has no value you probably don't want to clear customs yourself.

As for mistakes DHL etc are like going to fast food place low fees for low quality service. Go to a high quality broker or do it yourself don't blame others.

I have had many problems with DHL etc but I don't have extra time to do it myself and no interest. Sometimes for a larger shipment like your person household belongings I use a good broker and it is a pleasure. (no duty at all when we moved to Thailand)

I may be wrong but i think if you import personal affects within one year of moving to Thailand, there is no custom charges. How long after you moved here did you bring in your personal belongings?.

Nontabury,

You sound correct we moved to Thailand and had our personal items sent in the same container as business items but with separate invoices and packing lists.

The packages came about 3 months after we arrived we paid no tax for lots of personal items and very little for everything else.

We did pay an upcountry delivery fee for a truck.

The key point is that we did everything correctly with the help of a large shipping company.

I would never dream of using the post office for a large valuable shipment.

I smile when I read about people who complain about a 300 baht clearance fee - they must have a lot of free time if they want to clear themselves.

I have a family and work long hours let the couriers clear and let them make a good profit.

[TravelerEastWest]

Customs can be a complete nightmare here.

Many times had costs for customs clearance confirmed prior to shipping, and then find they pull a figure out of the air when it arrives so you can't plan anything in advance. It gets a bit ridiculous when the costs for the customs "bribe" costs more than the product and shipping. When they get difficult, I tell them I don't want it and 9 times out of 10 they deliver with no extra charges. Easy to get a refund most times as it hasn't been "delivered".

Have also had Thai people talk to them who were shocked by their thievery and it also made no difference how "helpful" you are with them. Bunch of thieves.

I have at least 2 imports per week for the last 8 or so years and not a single problem and not a single time asked for bribe.

If all documents are correct everything will be cleared correctly. No problems at all.

With wrong invoices, wrong tariff numbers you get problems.

All I can say is that you've been incredibly lucky. This is NOT the experience I have received nor anyone else I know of, Thai or foreigner. And the documentation is always correct by the way.

My imports are not quite as often as H90s but basically the same from the Post Office and thru Couriers no bribes - the correct duty no delays and no lost items.

I had a problem once but I had a made a mistake with the paperwork so I take responsibility.

This is the same experience of everyone i know who is careful to do things correctly.

[blackion]

I have got few bottles with colloidal silver and gel sent to me as free samples. The sender declared the silver water as "mineral water" and "gel" as "cosmetics".

I indeed payed nothing for it (to the sender) and they were sent to me free of charge via Fedex.

Fedex stopped my parcel and said: I need to pay about 1500 baht and get a license to import "cosmetics". <deleted>!? There are four small tubes for personal tubes for Chirst' sake.

I said ok, maybe the sender made a mistake declaring them as cosmetics. Can we redeclare it? They said ok, but even then I need to pay excise tax and I must send them my passport by EMS for e-paperless custom clearance! While there is a martial law in the country I'll send my passport away?!

[BobbyL]

They are shysters of the highest order. I've been stung twice, the most was 4000b to get my new iPhone 4 delivered from the U.K.

I've heard off a few people, like some have also mentioned above, that if it's addressed to a Thai then you won't have to pay such an obscene fee.

[JournalistsAreLiars]

Thai or not you pay the fee if customs catch you, but as these monkeys cannot even check 5% of the mail it's quite safe <3.

And this is because they know how retarded they are that they allow courier companies to do the dirty job for them !

[StefanBBK]

I have 50 cubic mtr in boxes coming from the UK they are personal posession's and I have to be honest I am expecting to get stung big time !!!!!

When my mom moved over here, she shipped her complete household. The only items that were taxed were old appliances, such as microwave, oven, VHS Player! , DVD player etc.

These items were old and in my mind completely worthless.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Oceanbat]

This behavior is not unusual at all. You shall know that ALL seagoing shipments coming in into the big corrupted city

of Bangkok´s port, they are being held for ransome as well.

The customs officers in port of Bangkok are so well known now among their fellow forwarder-collegues that the

thai customs brokers are recommended another port now adays for import-shipment Lat Krabang... The invironment

there is MUCH mbetter and MUCH less corrupted,,,

The Bangkok customs in Bangkok are digging their own grave just now...

Glegolo

No the problem is not customs, it is the broker of DHL, FedEx, UPS.

We do a lot clearing ourself or by some cheap broker, both for DHL and FedEx shipment as well for seafreight and airfreight.

If everything is correct than there is no problem and no corruption. The problem is that the declaration is usually complete wrong and even professional agents don't know that the customs tariff numbers have a meaning.

I have seen 100 times: Number and description don't fit together and the duty is also wrong for that number. Additional often things are undervalued. Than it goes into corruption to get that cleared. IF they catch you once for cheating they don't believe anything anymore.

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[p_brownstone]

This behavior is not unusual at all. You shall know that ALL seagoing shipments coming in into the big corrupted city

of Bangkok´s port, they are being held for ransome as well.

The customs officers in port of Bangkok are so well known now among their fellow forwarder-collegues that the

thai customs brokers are recommended another port now adays for import-shipment Lat Krabang... The invironment

there is MUCH mbetter and MUCH less corrupted,,,

The Bangkok customs in Bangkok are digging their own grave just now...

Glegolo

No the problem is not customs, it is the broker of DHL, FedEx, UPS.

We do a lot clearing ourself or by some cheap broker, both for DHL and FedEx shipment as well for seafreight and airfreight.

If everything is correct than there is no problem and no corruption. The problem is that the declaration is usually complete wrong and even professional agents don't know that the customs tariff numbers have a meaning.

I have seen 100 times: Number and description don't fit together and the duty is also wrong for that number. Additional often things are undervalued. Than it goes into corruption to get that cleared. IF they catch you once for cheating they don't believe anything anymore.

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Duty Free provision in Thailand covers "Household effects", NOT "Personal effects" :

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

"Returning Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties. Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects and cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects. NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this relief."

So in this case the Customs Department was correct.

Patrick

[Oceanbat]

This behavior is not unusual at all. You shall know that ALL seagoing shipments coming in into the big corrupted city

of Bangkok´s port, they are being held for ransome as well.

The customs officers in port of Bangkok are so well known now among their fellow forwarder-collegues that the

thai customs brokers are recommended another port now adays for import-shipment Lat Krabang... The invironment

there is MUCH mbetter and MUCH less corrupted,,,

The Bangkok customs in Bangkok are digging their own grave just now...

Glegolo

No the problem is not customs, it is the broker of DHL, FedEx, UPS.

We do a lot clearing ourself or by some cheap broker, both for DHL and FedEx shipment as well for seafreight and airfreight.

If everything is correct than there is no problem and no corruption. The problem is that the declaration is usually complete wrong and even professional agents don't know that the customs tariff numbers have a meaning.

I have seen 100 times: Number and description don't fit together and the duty is also wrong for that number. Additional often things are undervalued. Than it goes into corruption to get that cleared. IF they catch you once for cheating they don't believe anything anymore.

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Duty Free provision in Thailand covers "Household effects", NOT "Personal effects" :

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

"Returning Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties. Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects and cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects. NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this relief."

So in this case the Customs Department was correct.

Patrick

The "fee" was not tax.

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[p_brownstone]

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Duty Free provision in Thailand covers "Household effects", NOT "Personal effects" :

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

"Returning Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties. Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects and cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects. NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this relief."

So in this case the Customs Department was correct.

Patrick

The "fee" was not tax.

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Well given that your "well know (sic) Shipping Company" apparently did not know that the Customs Regulations related ONLY to "Household effects" NOT "Personal effects" - or at the very least did not make this clear to you (the distinction is very clearly explained in the Link I gave earlier) - I very much doubt that their explanation for the "Fee" was clear - or honest - either.

Patrick

[Oceanbat]

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Duty Free provision in Thailand covers "Household effects", NOT "Personal effects" :

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

"Returning Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties. Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects and cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects. NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this relief."

So in this case the Customs Department was correct.

Patrick

The "fee" was not tax.

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Well given that your "well know (sic) Shipping Company" apparently did not know that the Customs Regulations related ONLY to "Household effects" NOT "Personal effects" - or at the very least did not make this clear to you (the distinction is very clearly explained in the Link I gave earlier) - I very much doubt that their explanation for the "Fee" was clear - or honest - either.

Patrick

My golf clubs are more important than linens!

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Oceanbat]

not true. I shipped my personal items from Singapore 3 weeks ago via a well know shipping company. The shipment was held up in customs as they decided my golf clubs and bicycle were not personal items. They said they would have to open the entire shipment and would quite likely charge me a lot more duty on everything unless I paid a fee. Fee paid. They are total bandits.

OB

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Duty Free provision in Thailand covers "Household effects", NOT "Personal effects" :

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

"Returning Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties. Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects and cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects. NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this relief."

So in this case the Customs Department was correct.

Patrick

The "fee" was not tax.

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Well given that your "well know (sic) Shipping Company" apparently did not know that the Customs Regulations related ONLY to "Household effects" NOT "Personal effects" - or at the very least did not make this clear to you (the distinction is very clearly explained in the Link I gave earlier) - I very much doubt that their explanation for the "Fee" was clear - or honest - either.

Patrick

Yah yah agree. I do doubt the Singaporean agent is going to warn me I need to pay a bribe to thai customs (or whoever). I said well know because I didn't want to name them. Like a tiger.

OB

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[blackion]

Indeed, they are like bandits that are holding for ransom. The question is: Is there anything I could do about it?

For example, I have asked Fedex if they could re-route my shipment to Laos. They said - it is not possible, you have to import it first, pay all fees/duties and then export it. I wrote about it to the Thai customs information center. They replied: since the goods are in the warehouse of Fedex and hasn't been yet submitted to customs and as such are in not their custody they can be re-rerouted without any input from Thai customs and no fees to be paid. I forwarded this e-mail to Fedex and 2 hours later I get a new reply from Thai customs that says: We are sorry that we provided you not clear information and apologize for that. You do need to register for e-paperless Thai customs. 360 degree reverse.

My logic tells me, if the shipment hasn't been yet submitted to Thai customs and is not in their custody their first answer should has been right.

[likewise]

Won't start a new topic so will bump this one.

I got 3 boxes of protein powder supplements mailed to me from USA with UPS. Today UPS Thailand's calls me to tell me that my goods are held by Thai customs........yet tracking my shipment it states that it is still in Hong Kong at this moment.

She gave me 3 ways to collect my shipment :

Go to Bangkok (I live in the South) and declare the goods.

Closer then Bangkok would be Suratthani and declare the goods there.

Or EMS my passport and she will do it for me ??? I said no to the 3 options and will probably never see my 3 boxes of protein powder ?

Weird that she says that Thai customs is holding on to it, that it will cost me 250 baht per day till released, yet the goods seems to be in Hong Kong still !

THere was no reasoning with her, so I told her to throw the stuff away before they charge me 250/day endlessly !

[CharlieH]

Why not just tell then you refuse to accept and to "return to sender" then watch the track back and get a refund. Just a thought.

[likewise]

Why not just tell then you refuse to accept and to "return to sender" then watch the track back and get a refund. Just a thought.

Since my conversation with them was not friendly at all, I'll call them back tomorrow and tell I won't accept package. Not sure about return to sender, they'll probably charge me for it.

[surangw]

what can you buy form hkg that with a little effort can be purchased in bkk ?

[likewise]

what can you buy form hkg that with a little effort can be purchased in bkk ?

BEcause this was part of a Fitness package that I bought online ! Higher quality stuff then what we find here !

[likewise]

Called them again, nothing has changed, I either gotta go to Suratthani and declare the goods, then I still not receive the goods, UPS will then deliver them to my door ???? That is after me drving 200+km to declare it. Logic !!!

Or send her my original passport and she will declare it in Bangkok. Madness, I'm surely not sending my paspport and the Suratthani trip is also not an option.

Returning to sender would be on my costs she mentioned, so the only option open was to give them the go ahead to destroy it. Probably never going to happen and some customs official will be using high grade protein products !!

[mogandave]

Anyone importing anything is responsible for paying the tax, duty and clearing charges.

The fact that people sometimes get away with not paying, does not mean that people that do pay have been cheated.

[likewise]

Anyone importing anything is responsible for paying the tax, duty and clearing charges.

The fact that people sometimes get away with not paying, does not mean that people that do pay have been cheated.

Never knew their were import taxes on small quantity personal items ??

[mogandave]

Anyone importing anything is responsible for paying the tax, duty and clearing charges.

The fact that people sometimes get away with not paying, does not mean that people that do pay have been cheated.

Never knew their were import taxes on small quantity personal items ??

When you buy '...small quantity personal items..." at any store in Thailand you are paying the import taxes, why would you be exempt when you buy them from a store outside of Thailand?

The whole idea is to protect domestic jobs and industries,

[wow64]

I have had my own items not new sent here and then had to pay custom duty on them.

Also had a gift from back home sent here with maybe $20-$30 worth of food in it.. had to pay $30 duty.

One of the best bits of advice which I got from this forum was... send the package to a person with a Thai name. Now I get everything in my wifes name. No customs paid on my last 5 packages.

[likewise]

Indeed that's the advice I got as well, put it in wife's name.

Weird though, my China imported goods made it through without paying customs fee.

The other shipment came from USA, guess the Thais still got a chip on their shoulder regarding the statements of the US official whom dared to "criticize" Thailand.

It is just silly how high their import taxes are, yet when they export, most countries will not charge such huge import costs.

Just shows once again with what kind of people we are dealing here.

Edited March 29, 2015 by likewise

[Riffter]

I've sent numerous packages of various sizes and weights from the U.S. To Bangkok and never had any issues. Then again I've never tried to be dodgy about anything I was declaring or the amounts in which I declared. I also included invoices and receipts if I had them for various items. I always use USPS and always avoid DHL.

[h90]

Why not just tell then you refuse to accept and to "return to sender" then watch the track back and get a refund. Just a thought.

I had numerous customer in Germany (small value shipments) who got a letter from customs. They wanted to know about everything, including proof of payment, etc.

I always told them to write back, that they don't have time for that nonsense, they should either either deliver it or if they can't send it back. If they deliver it with any costs it will be reject as it isn't worth it.

(Carefully worded so it does not include and authorization for sending it back).

(If it get sent back I would simply send it new).

Always it was delivered without duty a few days later. Sometimes crazy methods work better than being reasonable.