I moved here recently and would like to bring back 1 or 2 of my guitars from my next trip home. I have proper flight cases, so that's not a problem, but what are the odds of me getting stopped by customs and being asked to pay import taxes? The general drift I get is that they're pretty relaxed at the airport and you can walk in with a lot before they stop you, but I'd be especially interested to hear from people who've done it. Also, anyone who walked in with 2 guitars? Thanks.

PS: if you can't resist the urge to discuss the ethics of this, please start your own thread. I have a large collection of guitars at home, all of them tax paid for, so I don't feel I ought to pay tax on them again, and maybe again at my next international move. I'm aware of incoming expats being allowed 1 shipment of household goods, and that one I've taken already. In fact, the moving company warned me against shipping more than 2 guitars at the time, saying that if they see 5 guitar boxes it would catch their attention, and I took their advice. Result is that I got my household goods without the ripoffs by customs that you read about here, but now I'm missing several of my guitars.

Edited February 10, 201412 yr by sundrenched

I brought a guitar and a mandolin both in Calton cases to Thailand from the states and nobody said anything. I have another friend here in BKK with several guitars that he brought them over from Japan when he moved here and didn't have any problems. I suspect if they were to stop you and ask questions, you could take one out of the case and play it to show you have a reason for bringing guitars into Thailand. But I really don't think you should have a problem since they are for personal use.

No problem, no questions, personal property don't even need to be able to play, no one imports them for commercial purposes via personal baggage.

OK thanks. I'll take a chance and bring back 2 cases.

Good luck!

A man without his axe is a someone to be pitied.

Oh, I'm not without. I brought 2 Les Pauls in cases and two strats and a tele disassembled in boxes, but that leaves plenty others at home that I'd like to have here. At one point I had 60 guitars, now still about 35. It's addictive!

Why would you be worried? Anything legal for personal use or consumption in non-commercial quantities is perfectly acceptable. This is especially so if used.

Normally you're supposed to declare anything you buy abroad and pay taxes on it, no? What's to stop them from saying I bought them abroad during my trip and now I'm smuggling them in? People do this all the time of course, but it's easier to hide, say, a new laptop or camera than one or two guitars.

No, stuff for your personal use while you're here and going to take back out with you - if ordinary price range and otherwise not suspicious - isn't going to attract a duty.

In practice 99.99% of the time visitors from NES countries walk on through without even making eye contact with an official anyway, could have a suitcase full of diamonds they wouldn't know.

I've see "khaek" being searched, perhaps they've got a higher likelihood of engaging in commercial import/export activities.