Where do our postal packages clear customs?

[Thighlander]

If it arrived from abroad in BKK, will it clear customs there, or will it hit customs in Chiang Mai?

[Dante99]

Arrive in Bkk, clear in Bkk, been that way for decades. Of course there are always exceptions but infrequent.

[Oscar2]

BKK

[mesquite]

BKK, but you will pay in CM

[Thighlander]

BKK, but you will pay in CM

So far the tracking shows that is went through BKK, and now is in the North, with no mention of customs, whatsoever. Smallish package, with relatively low value, under 1000 thb (excluding shipping). Do you think it is clear, or will I likely get a slip in the box to go to CNX Customs?

[mesquite]

BKK, but you will pay in CM

So far the tracking shows that is went through BKK, and now is in the North, with no mention of customs, whatsoever. Smallish package, with relatively low value, under 1000 thb (excluding shipping). Do you think it is clear, or will I likely get a slip in the box to go to CNX Customs?

My guess is you will pay nothing. The ones I've had to pay on were held up in customs processing for several days. The flat EMS packages with documents only go right through.

Edited July 20, 2014 by mesquite

[NancyL]

If you have to pay anything, you will pay at the local post office. You will receive a slip in the mail telling you which local post office is holding your package pending your showing up in person to pay the customs duty. Only had to do this once. Another time the customs fee was small and someone in the condo office paid and we reimbursed and the rest of the time packages sailed thru the Thai postal system with no duty -- packages that would have been hit with a steep duty had they been shipped FedEx/DHL/UPS, with the usual B.S. routine about them wanting copy of our passport, etc, sent to Bangkok before they'd release the package from customs. None of that with the Thai postal service.

Edited July 20, 2014 by NancyL

[Thighlander]

It does seem like they are focussed on FEDex/DHL. I'm under a Kg, so that is a plus, but it clearly isn't documents. Suspense is killing me.

[true blue]

i just paid 900bht on a two shirts from uk priced at 2500bht overall,notice on demand states anything over 1000bht is taxed,tax is applied at bangkok you pay at post office in chiang mai,take some id with you when you go to collect. must admit first time in about 8/9 times of recieving goods ive been taxed,imho think the coup has, or had. something to do with it.

[Thighlander]

i just paid 900bht on a two shirts from uk priced at 2500bht overall,notice on demand states anything over 1000bht is taxed,tax is applied at bangkok you pay at post office in chiang mai,take some id with you when you go to collect. must admit first time in about 8/9 times of recieving goods ive been taxed,imho think the coup has, or had. something to do with it.

Was that sent by a company, or a family member/friend? Did you track it through BKK? Did tracking indicate it was handled by bkk customs? Thanks!

[true blue]

sent by company,lady at post office when i complained (waste of time)said duty has nothing to do with them, applied at customs bangkok.

[northernjohn]

BKK, but you will pay in CM

True

I had a package from iHerb in the states that I had to bay a duty on. It was 490 baht for a $79 U S package. It cleared in Bangkok and I had to go to the post office up close to the rail road station to pick it up.

Not bad the fourth order with them and the first one to tag me with duty.

[Oscar2]

the crackdown has applied to the postal service as well. many packages are now being opened and taxes applied.

[Diplomatico]

the crackdown has applied to the postal service as well. many packages are now being opened and taxes applied.

Reference? Or just more TV experts providing in-depth coverage based upon whimsy?

[sharktooth]

sent by company,lady at post office when i complained (waste of time)said duty has nothing to do with them, applied at customs bangkok.

Did the sender put the value on the declaration? I bought t shirts from a uk company too 2 x deliveries of £60 each but no problems. They didn't write cost on the declaration.

[DonaldBattles]

Recently I had some shelled pecans sent to me by USPS. They were held in BKK for 10 days before the were released. The following note was in the box from BKK customs. "The Customs Department would like to inform you that the import of food, supplements, vitamins, medicines and cosmetics via international postal service requires prior licensing from the Food and Drug Administration as they are restricted according to domestic law. In case of breaking such law punishment will be applied and goods may be seized. For further information please contact FDA in BKK at 02 575 1008"

I had to pay 800 Baht to the main post office in Chiang Rai. For sure they have started to crack down on postal shipments.

[Dante99]

the crackdown has applied to the postal service as well. many packages are now being opened and taxes applied.

Reference? Or just more TV experts providing in-depth coverage based upon whimsy?

based on experience, mine and others', many have posted increased inspection and tax charged, just check the past posts over recent years and do a google search on the issue

[amse]

I sent for some special herbal creme from the US and it took over 2 months to get to me, then 2 weeks ago I also sent for 2 additional items from the same company, and received the package in 2 weeks. I've been living in Thailand for 13 years and only once did a package not arrive, which could be due to the senders bad handwritting.

[Thighlander]

I just picked up from the condo manager:

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

i just paid 900bht on a two shirts from uk priced at 2500bht overall,notice on demand states anything over 1000bht is taxed,tax is applied at bangkok you pay at post office in chiang mai,take some id with you when you go to collect. must admit first time in about 8/9 times of recieving goods ive been taxed,imho think the coup has, or had. something to do with it.

Was that sent by a company, or a family member/friend? Did you track it through BKK? Did tracking indicate it was handled by bkk customs? Thanks!

I send a lot of small packages from the U.S. for personal use, and I haven't noticed any difference in their handling/treatment since the coup occurred.

Avoid the express couriers, and use International Airmail or USPS. Generally, if it's not a large sized package and not valued above 1,000 baht, there often won't be any tax or duty assessed at all. Here in BKK, those kinds of packages are delivered straight to my door by the local Thai Post guy and typically he's looking for a 7 baht "small package" handling fee.

I will say, however, for whatever reasons, imported clothing and shoes seem to attract the heaviest duties and draw duties more often than other kinds of contents. I've gotten nicked a couple of times -- long ago when I didn't know better by FedEx and DHL, and in recent times rarely by USPS-Thai Post packages -- for duty rates of 30-60% and assessed values that were much above my real purchase prices for those items.

[Brian Robson]

Recently I had some shelled pecans sent to me by USPS. They were held in BKK for 10 days before the were released. The following note was in the box from BKK customs. "The Customs Department would like to inform you that the import of food, supplements, vitamins, medicines and cosmetics via international postal service requires prior licensing from the Food and Drug Administration as they are restricted according to domestic law. In case of breaking such law punishment will be applied and goods may be seized. For further information please contact FDA in BKK at 02 575 1008"

I had to pay 800 Baht to the main post office in Chiang Rai. For sure they have started to crack down on postal shipments.

It's becoming an increasingly irksome issue!

I have my diabetic/BP medication sent from the UK which normally took about 5 days. Three months ago it took two weeks and the last delivery 3 weeks after being opened. It's declared as diabetic medication and all prescription info is put in the package.

Thanks for that FDA number.

[Thighlander]

they assess the duty on CIF (i think), which means basically: contents, insurance, freight. And, they can pull numbers out of their arse, and you can show them all the proof you like, and it won't matter. I was quoted 12,000 thb for a box of cubans from Dusit Thani BKK.....3200 in HKG. Heard horror stories about them going after shoes here, too, which really sucks because I'm a 47, which is nearly impossible to get here anyway. It does make the shoe vendors go away quickly, though.

I think Mr. Batte got burned on Agriculture inspection...that stuff always raises red flags. I declared some dried squid at LAX one time. The officer takes the bag into his bosses office, and brings it back about half full, and says "we'll let it go this time." Seen a Germany guy get fined 300 USD, after a dog reacted to a ham on pumpernickel in his luggage.

[TheFishman1]

I had a package clear customs in BKK but never got it in Chiang Mai another case of lost in BKK then another package came to me in CM which cleared BKK and was like two weeks later it came go figure

[KhnomKhnom]

i just paid 900bht on a two shirts from uk priced at 2500bht overall,notice on demand states anything over 1000bht is taxed,tax is applied at bangkok you pay at post office in chiang mai,take some id with you when you go to collect. must admit first time in about 8/9 times of recieving goods ive been taxed,imho think the coup has, or had. something to do with it.

Was that sent by a company, or a family member/friend? Did you track it through BKK? Did tracking indicate it was handled by bkk customs? Thanks!

I brought in some coals from Newcastle but did have my shirts custom made in Thailand at 500THB each.

Also I recently learned that the proper abbv. for Baht is THB. My monthly flat packaged mail from USA, declared at One USD never has a charge. My import of a $10000 electronic item was FedEx and hit for 600USD at Thai customs. Obviously, I did that the legal way all the way. And all via BKK.

[Thighlander]

It does appear that several of us aren't to keen on the Nepalese bedsheet shirts. Some of those places don't have a piece of pure wool, or pure cotton in their entire stores.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Make sure it's marked as a gift and small value.

And whatever you do avoid DHL/FedEx et al.

Regular airmail with tracking number.

Then you get to track it on the web too, just have to use whatever the site is in the originating country, and then the Thailandpost website until delivery.

Easy.

Honey, no money.

[eliotness]

I had a very bad experience with DHL, not only did the box take 7 weeks to arrive but someone in the chain had removed the extra packaging, so not only was I hit by a huge customs bill but half the personal treasured items were either broken or bashed. DHL Thailand were totally useless, avoid them at all costs.

[Thighlander]

UPS/DHL once sent three people to my house 20 km away; to deny a 50 usd insurance claim on a used computer monitor that looked like it had been dropped off an airplane. They have a culture of being c____su__ers. This was in the US, too.

Winnie, yours looks a lot like mine....once it's on the container to Lamphun, you are home free...about 6 hours in BKK. Mine did say cigars, but it also said "GIFT," and was only about 500 grams. Smaller is better.........Duty on cigars is usually 100%...and that includes shipping, too.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Thighlander

[cloudhopper]

I had a very bad experience with DHL, not only did the box take 7 weeks to arrive but someone in the chain had removed the extra packaging, so not only was I hit by a huge customs bill but half the personal treasured items were either broken or bashed. DHL Thailand were totally useless, avoid them at all costs.

All the couriers are in it up to their necks with customs. They regularly blame each other and you have no chance. Anything too big/valuable for the post really recommend getting an agent to avoid reduce the pain.

[DonaldBattles]

Please report this corruption to the Army. We have been screwed too much and too long. The party between the international couriers and the customs agency needs to be broken up. They are ripping off millions of people for a lot of money. CALL THE ARMY TODAY AND REPORT THEM AT 1570. Don't be afraid, I think you have some balls. I have already called.