whats the duty/tax on imported supplements?

[razorramone]

GNC is comically overpriced, and the online stores offer a limited selection, so I decided to make a bulk order for sports supplements from an american website.

The total cost was 10,000 baht so im wondering what the damage at customs will be?

It's a mix of fishoil, creatine, multivit, joint support,etc... I've searched online but cant find the exact duty rates. I realised that if I order enough for a few months, I save quite a lot of money even with $80 shipping*. But i have no idea of the customs charges.

The package will only be a few kilos because it's all small bottles. So hopefully it wont receive any special attention

*Thai online shops charge 50-100% more than US online shops. For GNC it is close to 300% more.

[h90]

question is also if you need some kind of license to import it.

Also keep in mind that you also pay duty and VAT on the shipping costs.

[Kalbo]

In my experience, it seems to be hit and miss as to whether you will get stung for duties. I got hit for B4000 tax on a B9000 order, which was a bit excessive, but in the order

was several large containers of whey protein. I've found that if the packages are smallish, then you tend to get away with it a lot more than ,say, a large box.

[TobiasML]

GNC is comically overpriced, and the online stores offer a limited selection, so I decided to make a bulk order for sports supplements from an american website.

The total cost was 10,000 baht so im wondering what the damage at customs will be?

It's a mix of fishoil, creatine, multivit, joint support,etc... I've searched online but cant find the exact duty rates. I realised that if I order enough for a few months, I save quite a lot of money even with $80 shipping*. But i have no idea of the customs charges.

The package will only be a few kilos because it's all small bottles. So hopefully it wont receive any special attention

*Thai online shops charge 50-100% more than US online shops. For GNC it is close to 300% more.

This would be considered a commercial import. If you are lucky, they will let it through if it is shipped via USPS. If you are unlucky you will not only be asked to pay duties and taxes but as well support them with a FDA import license, as all food items, drinks, food, supplements, medication, etc. are restricted.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Sheryl]

It is completely hit or miss with customs duties and as another poster said the big issue is whether they let it in at all. In my experience much depends on how shipped. If regular postal service usually goes through and sometimes duty is applied and sometimes not. If courier...big problems.

[h90]

It is completely hit or miss with customs duties and as another poster said the big issue is whether they let it in at all. In my experience much depends on how shipped. If regular postal service usually goes through and sometimes duty is applied and sometimes not. If courier...big problems.

For postal service, we have the experience that we mostly get a letter to go there. I send one of our neater guys there and he comes back with some fair solution, even if invoice and everything is complete nonsense and in German. But it was always metal parts...don't know for food.

[macleans]

The official rates as published on the customs website are 5% import duties on vitamins and supplements + 7% vat = 12% overall for a parcel with the value exceeding 1,500 baht. However, it has never been the case as the on-site customs inspectors usually impose 30% total duties on vitamins and supplements, acting as if they don't know the true rates. In case that happens and if you can be bothered you will have to lodge an official complaint to the customs requesting for the true rates to be imposed. But the process will involve a lot of red tapes though. So, you may want to consider dividing your items and send them in separate shipments.

In the past 2 years, theThai FDA has been very strict and closely mornitored all vitamins and supplments imported into the kingdom because the airport FDA has confiscated imports of illegal drugs and supplements containing illegal substances on numerous occasions. Consequently, the FDA has ordered couriers to declare all V and S shipments at the inspection site and deliver them to the airport FDA team for inspection. Inspecting such items will involve a few add-on costs that many, me included, have found not worth the hassle and decided to just let the officials destroy them.

My advice is to ship them here using regular postal service as they are more likely to get through the customs (depending also on how the seller label the parcel). I use iherb.com and mine have always been let in without any problems.

Edited July 1, 2014 by macleans

[h90]

The official rates as published on the customs website are 5% import duties on vitamins and supplements + 7% vat = 12% overall for a parcel with the value exceeding 1,500 baht. However, it has never been the case as the on-site customs inspectors usually impose 30% total duties on vitamins and supplements, acting as if they don't know the true rates. In case that happens and if you can be bothered you will have to lodge an official complaint to the customs requesting for the true rates to be imposed. But the process will involve a lot of red tapes though. So, you may want to consider dividing your items and send them in separate shipments.

In the past 2 years, theThai FDA has been very strict and closely mornitored all vitamins and supplments imported into the kingdom because the airport FDA has confiscated imports of illegal drugs and supplements containing illegal substances on numerous occasions. Consequently, the FDA has ordered couriers to declare all V and S shipments at the inspection site and deliver them to the airport FDA team for inspection. Inspecting such items will involve a few add-on costs that many, me included, have found not worth the hassle and decided to just let the officials destroy them.

My advice is to ship them here using regular postal service as they are more likely to get through the customs (depending also on how the seller label the parcel). I use iherb.com and mine have always been let in without any problems.

no 5 + 7 is much more.

Example:

Say product is 2000 Baht and shipping was 500 Baht in America invoiced in USD

Total 2500 + estimate 5% =2625 Baht value, as customs uses a different exchange rate than normal people.

5% duty of 2625=131.25 Baht

new value=2756.25

7% VAT=193 Baht

So total 131+193=324 Baht

On some courier there is than 200 Baht for customs clearing, makes a 524 Baht

[razorramone]

Ah that sucks. I paid $20 extra to upgrade from USPS to Fedex priority. Sounds like that was a bad idea.

I have no idea about this FDA licence.. im a uk citizen. Do you mean like a doctor's note? It's all basic supplements, the same stuff you can buy in thailand but different brand names.

[h90]

Ah that sucks. I paid $20 extra to upgrade from USPS to Fedex priority. Sounds like that was a bad idea.

I have no idea about this FDA licence.. im a uk citizen. Do you mean like a doctor's note? It's all basic supplements, the same stuff you can buy in thailand but different brand names.

yes that was a bad idea.....but maybe you are lucky.....

Let us know what happens...

[pmarlin]

Monday I spent two hours clearing a mail package at changwattana (CW) on some supplements from the USA. They let me have the package after paying the fees but was warned that I could in the future bring in more than a one month supply. I brought in too much so I had to get approval from the FDA for that order. This was the first time in over three years that has happened to me. With the long taxi ride there and back and the long wait and the added expense that was my last order. The little bit of money saved was not worth it.

[taiping]

I have ordered supplements many times from the USA from eVitamins and Swanson's.

Most times I have no problem with delivery but occasionally I have to pay import tax at the post office. But I try to keep the total cost including postage at less than $100 and that seems to solve the problem.

However, one time I received a notice saying I had to go to Thai Customs near to the train station. A Customs Officer told me that I was only allowed to import 30-days supply of vitamins at any one time (and I had more than that). After some pleading I was allowed to take delivery after paying custom's duty (can't remember but I think 5%).

I now insist that all supplements (and anything else) are sent by USPS and NOT by courier such as UPS/FedEx. The latter tend to charge outrageous handling and clearance fees.

Over many years with hundreds of packages, I have never had a problem with USPS (except one time a long time ago some cassette tapes were lost).

[Sheryl]

Ah that sucks. I paid $20 extra to upgrade from USPS to Fedex priority. Sounds like that was a bad idea.

I have no idea about this FDA licence.. im a uk citizen. Do you mean like a doctor's note? It's all basic supplements, the same stuff you can buy in thailand but different brand names.

Definitely a bad idea, FedEx and tyhe like are the kiss of death when it comes to getting parcels delivered here.

The FDA license is not related to a doctors note. It is a license to import pharmaceuticals and you will not be able to get it. Nor should you need it for a small quantity of supplements for personal use but with a courier, this sort of thing happens. The courier services are geared towards businesses importing things for business purposes.

[h90]

Ah that sucks. I paid $20 extra to upgrade from USPS to Fedex priority. Sounds like that was a bad idea.

I have no idea about this FDA licence.. im a uk citizen. Do you mean like a doctor's note? It's all basic supplements, the same stuff you can buy in thailand but different brand names.

Definitely a bad idea, FedEx and tyhe like are the kiss of death when it comes to getting parcels delivered here.

The FDA license is not related to a doctors note. It is a license to import pharmaceuticals and you will not be able to get it. Nor should you need it for a small quantity of supplements for personal use but with a courier, this sort of thing happens. The courier services are geared towards businesses importing things for business purposes.

We get weekly some large seals with DHL....declared correctly, with the right tariff number. Duty would be 0 %. Every time they declare it wrong with 10 % on the express clearing.

The communication with them is in a way that you wonder where they recruit the people from.....They are definitely the kiss of death.....

FedEx: My mother liked to sent me sausage declared as documents....never any problem. I sent an urgent passport and they brought it back to me on the next day (not calling) because the envelop does not contain documents. (Passport is not document )

That why we all love the Thai Post

[charliebru]

Be very careful; I imported three bottles of a weight loss supplement last year and Thai FDA wanted 2,500 Baht to clear it. I told them where they could stick all three bottles. I use Phuket Health shop and other Thai sites for purchases now.

[AlexDorneles]

Yes hit or miss. Just today I received a $94 worth purchase of supplements from the US. Zero tax charged.

It was my third order and I think anything above $50 USD is subjected to a duty tax.

10,000 for a single purchase is risky in my opinion. I would have made at least 2 separate purchases.

You might still get lucky and get away with not getting charged.

The Thai Customs will require an FDA license if you are importing for resell. If you are just purchasing 3 of each it will be OK but if you buy a box of 50 bottles of creatine of example it will probably get stuck at customs.

[razorramone]

I got pretty much the worse possible result.

Fedex contacted me today to say that the goods come under the FDA rules, and i can only import a 1 month supply.

They gave me two options:

1. Abandon the entire shipment.

2. Turn it over to officials who will throw away some of it, and in about 4 weeks time give me what they deem the 1 month supply.

No return to sender option because apparantly they're not allowed to ship FDA goods? And worst of all.... no corruption tea-money option!

Edit: After pushing fedex a bit more (refused to give an answer, asked where customs is), they gave a third option: 3. Find a customs broker to import it.

Edited July 9, 2014 by razorramone

[h90]

I got pretty much the worse possible result.

Fedex contacted me today to say that the goods come under the FDA rules, and i can only import a 1 month supply.

They gave me two options:

1. Abandon the entire shipment.

2. Turn it over to officials who will throw away some of it, and in about 4 weeks time give me what they deem the 1 month supply.

No return to sender option because apparantly they're not allowed to ship FDA goods? And worst of all.... no corruption tea-money option!

Edit: After pushing fedex a bit more (refused to give an answer, asked where customs is), they gave a third option: 3. Find a customs broker to import it.

It is a gamble, but you can try the following:

Tell FedEx to clear it as good as they can. But be carefully to not agree to destroy it or anything else the phone call is recorded. Keep insisting that it is a 1 month supply for you (and your GF). Everything else is their problem and if the cost is too high you won't accept it.

There is a good chance that you simply get it, because FedEx didn't try to clear it yet and the customs officer may decided that it is OK. Just FedEx is lazy and want to overdo the rules.

The downside of the gamble is that you may loose it complete.

If you have a lot time, you can additional annoy them, by writing letters demand to speak with the customs, etc etc....that is of course all nonsense. But all try to get rid of the annoying customer first....-->Risk you never get an answer and never see your shipment....

[razorramone]

Nice idea! I called fedex again, and pretended i didnt have the first phone call where i admitted it was a 3 month supply.

This time i told them it was for me and my wife for 1 month, and they're willing to try and clear it.

Quoted a time-frame of three days rather than four weeks to get through the FDA checks.

So I'm just going to gamble and let them clear it, see what happens next.

Edited July 9, 2014 by razorramone

[h90]

Nice idea! I called fedex again, and pretended i didnt have the first phone call where i admitted it was a 3 month supply.

This time i told them it was for me and my wife for 1 month, and they're willing to try and clear it.

Quoted a time-frame of three days rather than four weeks to get through the FDA checks.

So I'm just going to gamble and let them clear it, see what happens next.

The important thing is never agree to anything like sending it back or destroying it.

I don't know for now, but a couple of years ago, it brought them into some bureaucratic problem if they can reach you, but you don't sign to agree to destroy it. Most probably they have to fill out a ton of documents with someone higher up sign it.

Whatever we had cleared, never had any problems with customs....all problems were there customs clearing agents, who want to avoid any questions and work and are usually incompetent (and I mean it general, not only FedEx and not only Thailand.....same happens in Germany Slovenia and Austria).

[retiree]

Another vitamin report. 

Ordered 10 bottles (100 count each, so 1-year supply for three people) of Trader Joe high-potency B supplement via Amazon, fulfilled by outside supplier, sent USPS. 

Thai Post delivered customs pickup form.  I authorized pickup by GF on back.

Sent GF, passport, form, and copy of order payment confirmation (with prices) to Chaeng Wattana. 

 - cost $150

 - shipping $50

 - total subject to duty 5% / vat 7% / holding fee 50 baht/day.   All seems entirely reasonable to me. 

Clerk asked if they were for resale, GF explained household use.  She said he was very polite, btw. 

Clerk told GF that they'd let it through this time, but that vitamins of this type (I wasn't there & GF didn't retain the whole message, so I'm not sure if it was just high-potency   had been reclassified as drugs, and would not be allowed again -- I'll order fewer next year and see what happens.

 

[Different]

Imported medications are extremely taxed, for example I buy 28 Nixum tablets box back home for about 1000 baht. While here 14 tablets are 950 baht. 

Also, Xanax is locally made but invective at all, and original Xanax cannot be found. I really admire India when they got court order to produce alternative cancer treatment medicine which costs $150 per year, because gready inhumane medical corporations in US costs $65k for cancer patients treatment. 

My concern why on earth imported medicine is very highly taxed in LOLies.

 

[Sheryl]

37 minutes ago, Different said:

 

My concern why on earth imported medicine is very highly taxed in LOLies.

 

 

Protectionist measure, because there is local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

[Different]

On 7/10/2019 at 11:27 AM, Sheryl said:

 

Protectionist measure, because there is local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Let's assume you are some percentage right, I will mention Nexuim 40mg 14 tablets costs back home as 20 40mg here in Thailand. 

To make it easier 14 40mg Nexuim costs 950 baht, what protectionist exact alternative locally made medicine!? BTW even some or many Thais must buy it.

[Different]

Locally made Xanax is b.s compared to the original European made. 2 Valium 10mg tablets barely works for me. 

Instead they should make cancer alternative medicine like they do in India. Instead of $65k per year, cancer patients in India pay $150 per year. 

[Sheryl]

Let's assume you are some percentage right, I will mention Nexuim 40mg 14 tablets costs back home as 20 40mg here in Thailand. 
To make it easier 14 40mg Nexuim costs 950 baht, what protectionist exact alternative locally made medicine!? BTW even some or many Thais must buy it.

There are not separate tariff laws for individual pharmaceuticals. That would be unmanagable as there are thousands of them and lical availability keeps changung

There is a single across the board tariff on imported pharmaceutucals.



Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sheryl]

Locally made Xanax is b.s compared to the original European made. 2 Valium 10mg tablets barely works for me. 
Instead they should make cancer alternative medicine like they do in India. Instead of $65k per year, cancer patients in India pay $150 per year. 

And Thai patients usually pay nothing.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[aldriglikvid]

I was thinking of "importing" 8kg of whey protein a 6500thb. What's the general duty on that type of shipment? 

[Sheryl]

On 12/26/2021 at 9:21 PM, aldriglikvid said:

I was thinking of "importing" 8kg of whey protein a 6500thb. What's the general duty on that type of shipment? 

At that size odds are customs will seize it. Bear in mind import requires an FDA license. S

mall amounts of supplements  coming by regular post usually slip through but 8kg is pushing it.

[aldriglikvid]

Oh the excitement! 

Keeping you guys updated.