Moving To Los Duties For Shipped Items/i Have Thai Wife

[manijohn]

First I'd like to thank you in advance for your help.

I am planning on moving to LOS from USA in a couple of months. I'll be 48 this year. Married to Thai for over two years and she has green card. I know Thailand has hefty duties on imported items. Is there a way to minimize the tax bite?

What can I bring with me, motorcycle, pistols, electronics and personal items.

What to and not to say at the Thai embassy in LA when appling for visa?

Thanks again

[Axel]

Have all documents issued in your wife's name as returning resident who has been abroad for more than 1 year. She will be able to import household goods (used) free of duty and tax.

Yourself entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" and wish to accompany your Thai wife will not be qualified for duty free allowance.

Have a look in here:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/House...nuNme=HouseHold

Refer especially to electronics, one piece only, however, customs most likely will accept 2 itrems as family.

Pistols: I doubt this will be permitted. Personally, would say forget it.

A motorcycle is not seen as household goods and subject to heavy duty and tax, although it is possbile if your wife has owned, possessed, and used the imported vehicles together with the valid driving license for at least one and a half year while staying abroad.

[Axel]

As for the visa, suggest to go for a non-immigrant 'O' based on marriage. This allows you to stay for 90 days. During the last 30 days visit the immigration-office and apply for extension to one year (from original entry) This might take +40 days but once granted you can stay one year at a time before going for extension again.

You did not say if you will be working in Thailand. 48 is too young to retire, in Thailand it is 50.

However, the question of income of having funds to support the Thai spouse is important and must be shown.

For application of the visa have a look here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/304.0.html

Edited May 21, 2006 by Axel

[manijohn]

Have all documents issued in your wife's name as returning resident who has been abroad for more than 1 year. She will be able to import household goods (used) free of duty and tax.

Yourself entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" and wish to accompany your Thai wife will not be qualified for duty free allowance.

Have a look in here:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/House...nuNme=HouseHold

Refer especially to electronics, one piece only, however, customs most likely will accept 2 itrems as family.

Pistols: I doubt this will be permitted. Personally, would say forget it.

A motorcycle is not seen as household goods and subject to heavy duty and tax, although it is possbile if your wife has owned, possessed, and used the imported vehicles together with the valid driving license for at least one and a half year while staying abroad.

Thank you for the valuable information. You asked about work? Money? Good question? First and formost I was planing on leaving 10 million baht here in the USA for reserve and income (from interest)if needed. Flying back to the States to work once a month for upto ten days (income from trip 250000 baht net). The travel back and forth is not set in concrete. Could be more I hope it's less. I will work for myself (contracting) work from a third party. I will be incorporated in Nevada, USA for tax and expense purposes. Renting apartment for aleast first year. Maybe Sukumvit above Soi 22. Relaxing, Ive been to BKK 25 + times in the last four years.

[manijohn]

First I'd like to thank you in advance for your help.

I am planning on moving to LOS from USA in a couple of months. I'll be 48 this year. Married to Thai for over two years and she has green card. I know Thailand has hefty duties on imported items. Is there a way to minimize the tax bite?

What can I bring with me, motorcycle, pistols, electronics and personal items.

What to and not to say at the Thai embassy in LA when appling for visa?

Thanks again

My wife has been in the USA a total of about 11 months in the last two years. Fly back and forth a bit. Any forseen problem with declaration of ownership for my wifes used household goods with the frequent exit/entry passport stamps and total time abroad? Thank you again!

[Axel]

...

Thank you for the valuable information. You asked about work? Money? Good question? First and formost I was planing on leaving 10 million baht here in the USA for reserve and income (from interest)if needed. Flying back to the States to work once a month for upto ten days (income from trip 250000 baht net). The travel back and forth is not set in concrete. Could be more I hope it's less. I will work for myself (contracting) work from a third party. I will be incorporated in Nevada, USA for tax and expense purposes. Renting apartment for aleast first year. Maybe Sukumvit above Soi 22. Relaxing, Ive been to BKK 25 + times in the last four years.

OK, I pointed to the money, when you go for the 1-year-extension immigration wants to see Baht 400K in a Thai account and a letter by the bank confirming it came from abroad.

Alternatively, would be legally working and having an income in Thailand.

But originally, just tell the embassy that you will join your Thai wife. Have a copy of the marriage certificate and her Thai ID-card. That should be enough to get the original non-imm O and it is easier to get this and do the extension in Thailand than to apply for a non-imm O-A for which the embassy will require a police report.

So as said, go for the 'O', single entry. Apply for extension during the last 30 days.

As you do travel a lot, keep a re-entry permit until the extension to one year is granted and get a multiple re-entry permit for the rest of the year once this is given.

[Axel]

First I'd like to thank you in advance for your help.

I am planning on moving to LOS from USA in a couple of months. I'll be 48 this year. Married to Thai for over two years and she has green card. I know Thailand has hefty duties on imported items. Is there a way to minimize the tax bite?

What can I bring with me, motorcycle, pistols, electronics and personal items.

What to and not to say at the Thai embassy in LA when appling for visa?

Thanks again

My wife has been in the USA a total of about 11 months in the last two years. Fly back and forth a bit. Any forseen problem with declaration of ownership for my wifes used household goods with the frequent exit/entry passport stamps and total time abroad? Thank you again!

Customs might want to see proof of residence abroad. I would say your wife's green card is proof.

Travelling back and forth is just for trips, did not change her living abroad.

[lopburi3]

If you are going to be traveling that often you may find it hard to obtain an extension of stay and probably should try to obtain a multi entry non immigrant O visa from a smaller Consulate in the US.

[Dah fahrang]

Customs might want to see proof of residence abroad. I would say your wife's green card is proof.

Travelling back and forth is just for trips, did not change her living abroad.

Nope! Customs won't be interested in ANY evidence of residence aboad.

We have been through all this;

I, too, have Thai wife, lived overseas for 20 years, with annual trips to Thailand. goods shipped in her name. Paperwork squeaky clean.

On our return to live in LoS, with evidence of living abroad in the form of UK Tax, National iInsurance card, Medical and voting registration papers all in her name, together with stamps in and out of Thailand in her Thai passport, they were singularly not interested.

Looking ONLY at Thai passport:

"Where's your visa to live in England?"

"Don't need - don't have, have UK and Thai passports."

"You go in an out every year. We don't know how many times you have imported goods to Thailand".

"Never. Look in your records. My trips are to visit family".

"We don't keep records. You must pay tax. I will do a special for you - you only pay 7000 baht on your shipment".

This, on a bill of lading declaring very used household goods, an invitation to open each and every box to check, another attempt at showing UK residence - no use.

They know if you don't pay up quickly, your wharfage charges mount up very quickly, so you have that to pay no top. They know they have got you by the b*lls.

Same saga with friends, with identical experience, and papers. Their "gift to Thailand" as it was so politely worded by the first of the three separate inspecting departments, was 12,000 baht.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but, you will have to pay.

You are not dealing with rational or reasonable people in Thai Customs.

You are dealing with time hardened racketeers! They will extract their tea money from you, come what may.

I do hope you (or other TV readers) prove me wrong, and post that your stuff comes in, in accordance with all the rules laid out on their web site, free of tax, via your Thai wife. But, as is said so many times in his forum, its not the rules, but the officer who interprets them.

Chok dee nah.

[dutch]

Do your shipment with an official moving company and make it door to door.

One lump sum. Make it very clear in your contract, that no more money is to be expected.

They will have a very good look at the passport of your wife and will count the days and frequency of her visits to Thailand.(max. 3 times a year If I remember well).During my pre-visit to the company in BKK,there was one special official, to have a look in the passport of my wife and he was indeed calculating all the days spent in Thailand.

They will inform you about everything.

That's how I did it 11/2 year ago and everything went perfect.

Edited May 21, 2006 by dutch

[thaihome]

We moved back to Thailand about 1.5 years ago, used a full service moving company and everything went very smooth. We had been out of Thailand just under 2 years, with my wife visiting her family maybe 5 times in the 2 years. Moving company took the pasport, a couple of days later stuff showed up (along with passport). No duty paid.

TH

[KhonJaiYen]

With regards to this second hand goods thread. Is it possible for a Thai who lives outside of the country to bring in second hand goods more than 1 time or is it a one off event only? So, for example, if my wife wants to furnish her house with goods this time and then in lets say 3 years time decides to do the same thing again can she do this?

[samran]

We moved to the UK for a year and a half. I went there on my Aussie PP with a UK Further Leave to Remain visa stamped in it. It clearly showed the entry date at heathrow.

On returning to Thailand, we had to chose a moving company. I chose one who knew their shipping agents in Thailand. I made sure that they had good relations with their Thai counterparts, who had good relations with customs.

If you can check out who will be dealing with the Thai side of things - it certainly won't be the US based company - make sure that they can get things through without you having to pay any extra in Thailand.

In my case, getting back to Thailand, I submitted both passports, carefully highlighting the departure and return stamps (side by side) showing that I have been away for more than a year. The UK visa in my Aussie passport showed I was away for work reasons.

Anyway, I got our stuff through without having to deal with customs, and without having to pay anything extra to the handling agent here (except for a 300 baht for something I can't recall). The agent did everything.

Customs gave us an official receipt. My thai passport was stamped with a special customs stamp in thai saying 'right to import duty free has been used on 27 Dec 2005' and we got our stuff delivered and unpacked at home. There was a note saying a DVD had been imported inserted into my Thai PP.

To be honest, I am not sure if any of the 600 pounds I paid in the UK went towards customs fees and bribes here in Thailand, but one thing is for sure, I didn't have to deal with any of it and from my side it all looks squeeky clean.

Moral...get a good shipping agent with door to door delivery.