In a pickle with Customs after mail ordering laptop.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I use Shipto which enables me to bring in stuff at much lower custom declared values and save plenty on shipping costs (brought in 10 packages in one shipment from the US with DHL weighing 30 pounds for $ 150 shipping and B 1600 tax).

Do you mean Shipito ?

Thanks!

Shipito.com is an excellent choice for sending packages to Thailand, especially using their Economy or Priority Airmail options, which usually are half or less the price of USPS Priority Global, and a whole lot less than FedEx and DHL.

And the added bonus is, with their Airmail shipping, the packages are delivered by your local Thai postman, and I've never paid more than a 7 baht small package handling fee on the Thai end for packages shipped that way. With their method, also, you can insure just the successful delivery itself, or also against any damage or items that go missing in transit even if the package itself is still delivered.

I've sent dozens of mostly small packages thru Shipito, and they've never lost one, and I've almost never paid any duty or tax at all.

There is one caveat relating to the OP, however. Recently, Shipito's Airmail carrier stopped accepting ANY package with lithium batteries, such as laptops or cell phones. So, you either have to take out the battery if it's removable and having Shipito send it separately, or have them use a different carrier for lithium battery-containing packages such as USPS.

USPS is more expensive than their Airmail, but USPS will allow lithium batteries. USPS packages also have a greater chance of getting held for some duty and tax by Thai Post at the behest of Customs. But the amounts charged are usually a lot less than what the same package would incur if it went through FedEx or DHL.

Hello,

Who is shipto carrier ? They are not millions in the world so it can only be one of the famous ones.

And if post office deliver their parcels the risk to be caught by customs can only be the same as with parcels sent through usps and also delivered by post.

Thank you.

Shipito is a package forwarding company that deals with all the major couriers. However, their Airmail carrier is BPI - Belgium Post Intl.

Yes... Thai Post delivers both USPS sent parcels and those sent via BPI... But from a lot of experience, I can say I almost never get any customs or duty with BPI packages, while I get a low incidence rate of customs or duty with USPS packages, though clothing and shoes items seem to often get dutied.

I'd always go Airmail with Shipito...unless the lithium battery restriction forced me to choose another shipper.

Edited March 5, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ericthai]

Everytime that I have had something shipped from the USA using Fedex there has always been a hassle. I think most of this is created by Fedex as they want more money for clearing your goods. It seems like this has just started in the last 2 years. I think that it is safe to say that you get through paying 20% import tax and 7% VAT on the goods and shipping cost along with the expenses you end up paying 100% more for your goods. I have always thought that Fedex and customs work together to extract money from the recipient. DHL is not so bad but they do not deliver to most upcountry places. They ship by freight lines from Bangkok. US Postal service in many cases is the same price as DHL. Very few places will agree to ship by postal service to Thailand. Most places in the USA will not ship to Thailand and using a handler like My US is required.

I agree with you, I think Fed-ex has something going on. Actually it's been going on with them for a long time. I had issues with them about 8 years ago.

After that I had everything shipped by US post with no issues. Most of the time they wont deliver to your house you need to go to the post office and open it in front of them as they check for things you might have to pay duty on.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

After that I had everything shipped by US post with no issues. Most of the time they wont deliver to your house you need to go to the post office and open it in front of them as they check for things you might have to pay duty on.

That's interesting.. Here in my area of BKK, USPS sent packages get handled one of two ways.

1. the package is delivered to my door by Thai Post and there's no customs or tax assessed.

2. the package is held at the Thai Post station, and get a paper notice telling me to come collect it and the note includes the amount that Customs has determined is due.

I've never had the ThaiPost office that handles my package deliveries open anything, in front of me or otherwise. They just deliver or collect the duty owed.

[jacko45k]

Go buy one @ Phantip.

I thought that... the selection in Thailand is pretty good.... my Viao came with a lot of junky software on it that for some reason they thought I might want but I got it cleaned up, sorting the language out was a bit of messing, then I bought a keyboard skin to cover the Thai characters.

I appreciate this thread as I do have an item in transit via UPS at the moment and I wonder if I will get the itchy palm treatment or not.

[atyclb]

If the computer is made in china or other asean country is it not exempt from many normal duties? Must it be shipped from an asean country? most computers are made in asean even if sold in usa.

[Langsuan Man]

If the computer is made in china or other asean country is it not exempt from many normal duties? Must it be shipped from an asean country? most computers are made in asean even if sold in usa.

ASEAN makes no difference. They don't have a customs agreement in place yet and even when they do Thailand will find some way so that they will not have to comply

How do you think the Thai government can survive. Practically no one pays income taxes and real estate taxes are so low that most people don't even get a bill. VAT can only generate so much, as do real estate transfer taxes. So import duty is of great importance to the budget

[Guitar God]

Every time I ship something here by courier it's a hassle and I have to pay a lot in import duty, customs fees etc.

Every time I ship via regular post, package express it gets here almost as fast and is delivered without any drama or payment due.

[iamariva1957]

Everytime that I have had something shipped from the USA using Fedex there has always been a hassle. I think most of this is created by Fedex as they want more money for clearing your goods. It seems like this has just started in the last 2 years. I think that it is safe to say that you get through paying 20% import tax and 7% VAT on the goods and shipping cost along with the expenses you end up paying 100% more for your goods. I have always thought that Fedex and customs work together to extract money from the recipient. DHL is not so bad but they do not deliver to most upcountry places. They ship by freight lines from Bangkok. US Postal service in many cases is the same price as DHL. Very few places will agree to ship by postal service to Thailand. Most places in the USA will not ship to Thailand and using a handler like My US is required.

I hear you on a number of issues that you reported. But I have to tell you that I have been here for years now and family back home and for those things that I have purchased I have always used Priority Mail from the USPS (postal service). I have also used FedEx when I was first here and there was always a 'problem' with Thai customs. No it was not FedEx trying to dig deeper into my pockets, but rather the Thai customs folks. The thinking is I guess, if you can afford FedEx then you can afford the 'extra duty'. DHL is a bit better, but as you said they do not always deliver up-country.

The key is the Customs Deceleration that the USPS requires on each package containing materials other than documents. FedEx and DHL require their own version of said declaration but in triplicate and this alone will send up red flags to Thai customs as a potential 'tea money' contributor. Just make sure that the USPS form contains the notice that the item/s have No Commercial Value (N.C.V). US Priority Mail is considered by the Thai post office as EMT mail and so is handled in the same manner.

Again, I have never had an issue with the Thai post office about any package sent this way (I am up in Mae Sot). Sure it takes a bit longer than FedEx or DHL is supposed to... but we all know that that does not really mean anything as this is Thailand and Thailand is Thailand after all.

[Guitar God]

All the courier companies, FedEx, DHL, UPS etc. have an in-house customs department, every shipment is examined 100% to see if import duties apply.

[Goat Roper]

I had two tablet computers shipped from the US by Parcel Post and they arrived my home mailbox no problems. I have used parcel post many times and never any issues. I know it's a gamble but so far I have won every time.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I had two tablet computers shipped from the US by Parcel Post and they arrived my home mailbox no problems. I have used parcel post many times and never any issues. I know it's a gamble but so far I have won every time.

What do you mean when you say "parcel post"?

US Postal Service? Global Priority, Global Express, or First Class Mail???

Or something else?

[Paul888]

I bought a Kindle which was sent from USA

Two guys turned up at our front gate to deliver it.

They wouldn't go away

I understood that they wanted me to open the package

I did open it but still they wouldn't go away

Any how we chatted for awhile, me with my limited Thai, they with their limited english.

I thought maybe they need some baht. My wife asked them if we had to pay anything for the delivery and they said no.

Ok I thought....well I'll start up the Kindle.

I did that

Showed them the books I had ordered etc.

Eventually they seemed satisfied and left.

This was about two yeahs ago in Khon Kaen Province.

I still wonder.

I would love to see their account of that encounter

They were probably initially waiting for a tip and then wondering why this farang wouldn't go back inside his house and insisted on showing them his ebook connection.

[mortenaa]

I order a lot online, from everywhere in the world. Mostly car stuff and IT-products. I use whatever shipping is available. The custom/tax is based on standard rates, depends on what is in the package. Usually between 10% - 30%.

I never experienced any of them want any extra money to clear my goods. The goods come with official tax receipt from the customs department, every time.

Here is an example from yesterday. Rate is 10%. NO extra fees.

I wonder though why other people's experience should be different than mine?

[BWPattaya]

On Christmas Eve my daughter sent me, via UK Royal Mail, an iPhone for Christmas. The postman delivered it to my house on January 2nd. No tax or customs.

A few years ago I ordered an item from China. I had a tracking number so I knew when it had arrived at my local sorting office. I received a telephone call from the post office to say they had a parcel for me but the address was incomplete. I told them my address and the postman drove up in his own car to deliver ir personally at 5pm. Again, no fees, duty or tax. I doubt that would happen in the UK.

[HullyGully]

You should ONLY ship envelopes containing documents by courier's such as DHL / FEDEX etc,

Ship goods, then the courier is not authorised to carry out customs clearance, therefore you end up paying a LOT more, such as CC Agent fee, Import tax, and VAT

Send good by POST wehther you are in the USA or UK, and ideally keep the value lower, you may pay CC duties, but not Customs clearance fees are involved

I normally ship by post, sometime I may send by REGISTERED post

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I order a lot online, from everywhere in the world. Mostly car stuff and IT-products. I use whatever shipping is available. The custom/tax is based on standard rates, depends on what is in the package. Usually between 10% - 30%.

I never experienced any of them want any extra money to clear my goods. The goods come with official tax receipt from the customs department, every time.

Here is an example from yesterday. Rate is 10%. NO extra fees.

Well, the duty rate in that one case was assessed at 10%, plus another 7% VAT. And so you're actually paying an extra 17%, and not just on the value of the item/s you purchased, but on the combined value of what you purchased, the cost of sending it, and an insurance add-on. And that's in addition to what you paid for the shipping itself.

I don't know why anyone would want to pay an extra 17-20% or more extra (on top of their purchase price and the added intl shipping cost), when they have the option of paying little or no duty and VAT, as I've outlined above.

Also, the duty alone is not always 10%. I've had clothes items, back before I learned better, shipped via FedEx and they were dutied at 60%. I almost died when I saw that. I've also, back in the old days, had the duty assessed on arbitrary values set by Customs that were double the price I actually paid for the items being shipped.

[FiestyFarang]

I would have returned the notebook. However if you want the notebook you need to remember it is law in Thailand that a foreigner must have a Passport at all times so your friend might have a problem if he is stopped and asked to produce his Passport. I think you can go to Customs (in your nearest province) and register, that way I believe they only copy your Passport and hand it back.

[CWMcMurray]

I order a lot online, from everywhere in the world. Mostly car stuff and IT-products. I use whatever shipping is available. The custom/tax is based on standard rates, depends on what is in the package. Usually between 10% - 30%.

I never experienced any of them want any extra money to clear my goods. The goods come with official tax receipt from the customs department, every time.

Here is an example from yesterday. Rate is 10%. NO extra fees.

I wonder though why other people's experience should be different than mine?

Because the value of their goods are likely over 40,000 thb or consist of a commodity that would require a formal customs clearance

As for the shipment receipt you showed value is under 40,000 thb so if coming in via courier mode, they can use bulk clearance (so no formal import entry)... So just bill you for tax and then deliver

If flagged for formal clearance, then they would be asking for passport and filling out customs registration paperwork and then charging for customs cleanse fee and paperless registration

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mommysboy]

OP posting for the sake of completion: my friend got his laptop. He had to pay 5000bt for tax and clearance. They sent his passport back separately so I assume they forgot. He's very happy with the laptop incidentally.

If it was me I would never consider doing this, and will continue to limit parcels I receive to very low value items through the normal postal service.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What was the stated value (in baht) of the laptop he ordered/received? What percent duty rate was he assessed?

I've sent/received laptops from the U.S. to Thailand before via USPS and picked up at ThaiPost, and everything went fine.

I didn't have to deal with Thai Customs here or fill out any paperwork. And I surely didn't pay 5,000 baht in duty and tax.