How To Determine Customs Duty

[up-country_sinclair]

Hi,

I plan on ordering two pairs of shoes from Europe (the price for these specific shoes is quite high in Thailand), and will be charged about 150 Euros for the shoes including shipping.

What should I expect to pay for customs duty? If it is over 30%, It would almost equal the price of buying them here in Thailand.

Thanks!

[Upnotover]

According to the Thai Customs website (http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp) its 100% duty.

[Jeffrey346]

The Thai Customs site can be difficult to use and very confusing. Here is a better solution.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/

• Shoes For Mens has an import duty rate of 30% and a VAT rate of 7%, Interior Tax rate is 0%, Surcharge rate is 0% . Import of counterfeit goods is expressly prohibited CITES: High probability that import of this product requires a CITES license, in case product is made of endangered species.

[Isan Farang]

Expect to pay big bucks on Duty & VAT if the shipment happens to get checked.

I have my stuff sent to Thailand by standard air mail and previously it gets through no problem.

Last month I had two small parcels sent from the USA, using USPS Priority Mail. On checking the tracking both showed customs check, they were held for around 13 days before they reached my local post office. I then received the paper that I need to pay duty & VAT for the post office to release my parcel.

On the customs paper I observed a new stamp in Thai & English saying, Subject to customs law receipt of a postal package valued at over 1000 baht must pay duty and tax.

If you think you can pull a fast one by having the sender write 200 baht and sent as a gift on the declaration then think again, after they open the package they use there own figures to obtain the Duty & VAT you need to pay.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

To the OP, you really want to avoid the private courier services like Fed Ex and DHL, or else you might very well end up getting charged a duty and associated fees approaching the original purchase price of your shoes.

Best to send them Airmail or through your home country's postal service, which means they will be handled in Thailand by Thai Post. That doesn't guarantee no duty, but it will likely minimize the extra amount you'll have to pay.

Despite the 100% statutory duty rate for shoes, I've mailed quite a few different pairs of shoes over the years here from the U.S. through local postal services (can't buy my size here), and the results have ranged from no duty to sometimes amounts approaching 30% or so of the original purchase price. That has been for tennis/sports shoes with typical purchase prices of $50 to $75 each.

When it comes to Thai customs, it's really a hit or miss proposition with little apparent consistency. As long as you avoid the private carriers, sometimes you can escape unscathed. Sometimes, for the same item, you'll get hit with 20, 30 or 40%.

Also, keep in mind, Customs doesn't have to accept your purchase price as the basis for their duty. They often, especially if you've bought something on sale with a good price, will simply assign their own value to your item and then duty it based on their value, regardless of what you actually paid.

[RigPig]

To the OP, you really want to avoid the private courier services like Fed Ex and DHL, or else you might very well end up getting charged a duty and associated fees approaching the original purchase price of your shoes.

Best to send them Airmail or through your home country's postal service, which means they will be handled in Thailand by Thai Post. That doesn't guarantee no duty, but it will likely minimize the extra amount you'll have to pay.

Despite the 100% statutory duty rate for shoes, I've mailed quite a few different pairs of shoes over the years here from the U.S. through local postal services (can't buy my size here), and the results have ranged from no duty to sometimes amounts approaching 30% or so of the original purchase price. That has been for tennis/sports shoes with typical purchase prices of $50 to $75 each.

When it comes to Thai customs, it's really a hit or miss proposition with little apparent consistency. As long as you avoid the private carriers, sometimes you can escape unscathed. Sometimes, for the same item, you'll get hit with 20, 30 or 40%.

Also, keep in mind, Customs doesn't have to accept your purchase price as the basis for their duty. They often, especially if you've bought something on sale with a good price, will simply assign their own value to your item and then duty it based on their value, regardless of what you actually paid.

Agreed 100%, avoid DHL and FedEx, EMS seems OK if you can use it, post is best, ALWAYS get tracking. If you decide to dispute the amount they will charge you storage while it is disputed.

[up-country_sinclair]

Thanks for the all the replies.

One more question: Can you dispute or appeal the % of duty charged?

[harrry]

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

I am sure the amount is 100% and then 7% vat

[BlackJack]

here also

http://www.dutycalculator.com/hs-code-duty-rate-import-restrictions/170490/candy/1704.90.3590/1704.90.9999/2573/

[Isan Farang]

Thanks for the all the replies.

One more question: Can you dispute or appeal the % of duty charged?

This being Thailand anything is possible with a good contact or plenty of coin.

If none of the above forget it, just pay what they ask, or let them take your goods as a free gift.

If you are having a few items sent per year, It may balance out what slips through and what you get hit for.

[cyborgx]

Thanks for the all the replies.

One more question: Can you dispute or appeal the % of duty charged?

I've had various disputes with the big carriers over the years, mainly on their "additional fees" which usually turn out to be their own added on charges for handling customs. I maintain that that is normally part of the Senders fee which has already been paid in full by the sender. Sometimes it requires reading through the actual sender contract for the origin country, but they usually remove the charge. My argument has been that ALL items have to pass through customs, whether or not they decide to charge you import duties, therefore it is already included in their "door to door" fees. The actual contracts normally say the courier is not responsible for the additional fees imposed by Customs which is normal and understandably, but its quite sneaky when they add their OWN "additional charges" hidden mixed into the Customs duties of the government.

Take a look next time you get bill from a courier for Customs charge on your imported goods, ask fir explanations of the individual items, and you'll probably find one that is added on by the courier themselves.

If you refuse to pay them, they will normally remove them.

Edited July 26, 2014 by cyborgx

[snooky]

TallGuy - Appreciate knowing where you order shoes. I too have problems because I need wide size and usually not available here in LOS. Also, several places such as Amazon say they cannot send shoes and certain other items to Thailand.

Thanks

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I generally will use Amazon U.S., although there are a variety of other online sources that have larger and wider sizes like ShoeBuy.com. New Balance is a particularly good brand in terms of having widths up to 6X.

I've never tried to have Amazon ship anything directly to Thailand. I only use U.S. reshippers... One of the best is Shipito.com, which has airmail services available that are two-thirds less costly than FedEx, DHL, etc., and generally half as costly as even using USPS.