what visa is required for 'duty free import' shipping stuff from oz

[Marvo]

A work permit is needed or being Thai. The type of visa does not matter. See: http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

Customs told me they wouldn't let my stuff off the quayside duty-free as my work permit needed to be valid for MORE THAN 1 year

That requirement is very clearly stated

"A one-year (or more) work permit issued by the Department of Labor"

Check the Thai customs website!

Correct, "one-year (or more) ..." It says. They tried to tell me just a one year WP was no good, and then demanded 90,000 baht duty! Edited April 3, 2014 by Marvo

[ghworker2010]

Can someone please confirm, if Im currently on a tourist visa and will be getting married in 2 to 3 months and then my visa reverts to non immig visa.... can I legally import my used furniture etc to thailand- I understand it will be subjected to duty / tax. But can I actually legally ship stuff here after getting married? Does that non immig visa have to be in my passport by the time my stuff arrives at the thai port? or before it leaves oz?

[ubonjoe]

Can someone please confirm, if Im currently on a tourist visa and will be getting married in 2 to 3 months and then my visa reverts to non immig visa.... can I legally import my used furniture etc to thailand- I understand it will be subjected to duty / tax. But can I actually legally ship stuff here after getting married? Does that non immig visa have to be in my passport by the time my stuff arrives at the thai port? or before it leaves oz?

There is no rules that say you need a non immigrant visa to ship your goods into the country.

Since you do not qualify for duty free entry of your goods it will not matter.

[thepool]

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Can someone please confirm, if Im currently on a tourist visa and will be getting married in 2 to 3 months and then my visa reverts to non immig visa.... can I legally import my used furniture etc to thailand- I understand it will be subjected to duty / tax. But can I actually legally ship stuff here after getting married? Does that non immig visa have to be in my passport by the time my stuff arrives at the thai port? or before it leaves oz?

You can import your belongings whilst "on" any visa.

How is your tourist visa going to "revert" to a non "immig visa"?

[davidst01]

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Can someone please confirm, if Im currently on a tourist visa and will be getting married in 2 to 3 months and then my visa reverts to non immig visa.... can I legally import my used furniture etc to thailand- I understand it will be subjected to duty / tax. But can I actually legally ship stuff here after getting married? Does that non immig visa have to be in my passport by the time my stuff arrives at the thai port? or before it leaves oz?

You can import your belongings whilst "on" any visa.

How is your tourist visa going to "revert" to a non "immig visa"?

From my understanding the tourist entry visa can change to non imm O visa after marriage by visiting thai consulate in Laos for example- assuming one has all the doc's required and proof of income etc

[thepool]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Can someone please confirm, if Im currently on a tourist visa and will be getting married in 2 to 3 months and then my visa reverts to non immig visa.... can I legally import my used furniture etc to thailand- I understand it will be subjected to duty / tax. But can I actually legally ship stuff here after getting married? Does that non immig visa have to be in my passport by the time my stuff arrives at the thai port? or before it leaves oz?

You can import your belongings whilst "on" any visa.

How is your tourist visa going to "revert" to a non "immig visa"?

From my understanding the tourist entry visa can change to non imm O visa after marriage by visiting thai consulate in Laos for example- assuming one has all the doc's required and proof of income etc

You may obtain an "O" visa based on Marriage from Laos but it will be a new visa !

Visas cannot be "changed" !

[Maestro]

The form TM.86 APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF VISA can be used to apply at the immigration office for a non-O visa as the first step of the two-step process to apply for a one-year extension of stay for the reason of living with Thai spouse.

[yankee99]

I know this thread is a little old but didnt want to start a new one....Just got a wp today is there a time limit to bring in belongings duty free? Is there a link to the time frame?

[ubonjoe]

I know this thread is a little old but didnt want to start a new one....Just got a wp today is there a time limit to bring in belongings duty free? Is there a link to the time frame?

"It is important that the used/secondhand household effects must be imported not earlier than one month before or not later than six months after the arrival of the importers."

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

[sandyf]

I shipped about $30,000 US worth of goods to Thailand from the US and only paid about $100 in fees. I'm not sure what the fees covered as I used a shipper in the US and a Thai agent to receive the goods in Thailand.

FYI, I had a non-immigrant visa based on a Thai wife.

I have a Thai wife, but she will have a US passport, does anyone know if I still qualify for duty free, I will be shipping from Minnesota, does anyone know of any shippers in this area, would like to do the 20 foot container

I imported my household goods from the UK some 7 years ago and used a company in Bangkok called ' Asian Tigers'. My 20 foot container arrived at my house unopened and I only paid something like 300B to the driver of the lorry for a piece of paper that he had with him. Some 30 mins later 6 men arrived in a mini van, all smartly dressed in 'Asian tiger' overalls and proceeded to unload/unpack and put everything where the wife (British) wanted it to be.They took about 3 hours to unload the whole lot and then took all the packing materials away with them - fantastic service, and not a single item damaged.

Guess that I was just plain lucky ????

You are not alone, mine was almost the same, also with Asian Tigers. The container lorry had a bit of a problem with access so the mini van arrived first.

Everyone has their own story. The rules and reality are as far apart as chalk and cheese. I was on visa exemption when I brought my container in.

I would suggest you contact a Thai shipping agent and get their advice, they are the people doing it on a daily basis.

[Jamesht]

I shipped about $30,000 US worth of goods to Thailand from the US and only paid about $100 in fees. I'm not sure what the fees covered as I used a shipper in the US and a Thai agent to receive the goods in Thailand.

FYI, I had a non-immigrant visa based on a Thai wife.

I have a Thai wife, but she will have a US passport, does anyone know if I still qualify for duty free, I will be shipping from Minnesota, does anyone know of any shippers in this area, would like to do the 20 foot container

I imported my household goods from the UK some 7 years ago and used a company in Bangkok called ' Asian Tigers'. My 20 foot container arrived at my house unopened and I only paid something like 300B to the driver of the lorry for a piece of paper that he had with him. Some 30 mins later 6 men arrived in a mini van, all smartly dressed in 'Asian tiger' overalls and proceeded to unload/unpack and put everything where the wife (British) wanted it to be.They took about 3 hours to unload the whole lot and then took all the packing materials away with them - fantastic service, and not a single item damaged.

Guess that I was just plain lucky ????

You are not alone, mine was almost the same, also with Asian Tigers. The container lorry had a bit of a problem with access so the mini van arrived first.

Everyone has their own story. The rules and reality are as far apart as chalk and cheese. I was on visa exemption when I brought my container in.

I would suggest you contact a Thai shipping agent and get their advice, they are the people doing it on a daily basis.

.

Old thread I was just here looking for info.

someone I know on a retirement visa said Asian tigers right now saying the law has changed regarding 1 year retirjrhg visa and duty tax fre me import if household items. I think the customs website is clearly vague non immigrant 1 year visa looks like it would meet duty free? It is a non resident moving to thailand to live right?

Asian tigers said vat and duty would be 90,000 at first (almost like testing the water) then when queried they said its only an estimate and customs will decide.

Some other material Asian tigers sent through looks like was doctored off thai customs website with added material just typed in as the letter where a completely different shade. When confronted about what looks like a simple print out being added too they said they couldn't show where it was downloaded off the thai customs website because they downloaded it in 2006!

It sounds fishy as all the retirees here I know paid zero import or duty in their belongings? Anyone had recent dealings with Asian tigers or importing on a retirement visa?

[ubonjoe]

You will not get duty free unless you are working here and on a work permit. The rules are clear on this.

Using a good customs broker can reduce the duty substantially.

[steve187]

regardless of the rules, in practice shipment,

in Thai name only, for a returning Thai should get through, in my case the container arrived still secured unopened from the UK, a small amount of money was paid which included local dock charges,

in Western name you may or may not get it through, but money will almost always change hands.

nothing is black and white in Thailand

This is a non newbie post