Shipping goods to Thailand after getting a retirement visa?

[RichardThailand]

Does anyone have any experience with customs? Are there likely to be problems if the items are not new and if there are no electrical items or anything unusual in the single shipment that I will need to make?

[PoorSucker]

You will have to pay custom duty for all items, does not matter if old or new.

[ubonjoe]

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

[Langsuan Man]

Also you no longer get any customs exemption for having a "non-immigrant" visa like you did many years ago

[glegolo]

You will have to pay custom duty for all items, does not matter if old or new.

Right on the spot and correct

Glegolo

[NancyL]

You will have to pay custom duty for all items, does not matter if old or new.

Right on the spot and correct

Glegolo

Despite what appears on the website of a certain ThaiVisa sponsor, you will have to pay custom duty of anything you bring in after getting a retirement visa. And that duty isn't just on the value of the item, but also on the cost of shipping it over here.

[Suradit69]

Best to give a reasonably detailed list of items to a clearing agent who could also arrange to have the cleared items delivered to your residence. List the items as used personal and household goods. The agent will need your passport, not just a photocopy, to present to customs officials. You'll save a lot of hassle compared to doing it on your own. You will be charged duty. When I did it I thought the clearing agent's charges were quite fair and everything was delivered to me quickly.

If you haven't sent things yet, you can arrange to have the shipment sent to you in care of the agent.

[firefox999uk]

Try this duty calculator, I think you will change your mind about fetching things to Thailand….

It will work out cheaper to buy new here.

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

Have a Nice Day.

[DerekMarshall]

yep, you will be hit for duty. If you try selling what you have and buy new. It may work out cheaper or better as you will have to include freight, duty and delivery charges to your residence in Thailand, can all add up.

Having a friend that can print up a reciept for a reduced value of the good can reduce the duty bill as it is worked out on a CIF basis, Cost, Insurance and Freight.

[srn89]

If you are married to a Thai and she has been out of Thailand for over 6 months and the ''second hand'' goods are shipped in her name then there is no Import duty payable, otherwise Duty will be payable.

[ubonjoe]

If you are married to a Thai and she has been out of Thailand for over 6 months and the ''second hand'' goods are shipped in her name then there is no Import duty payable, otherwise Duty will be payable.

It is one year not 6 months. See the webpage I posted a link to earlier.

[TheCruncher]

If you are married to a Thai and she has been out of Thailand for over 6 months and the ''second hand'' goods are shipped in her name then there is no Import duty payable, otherwise Duty will be payable.

It is one year not 6 months. See the webpage I posted a link to earlier.

And I assume that the goods not only have to be shipped in her name, but she will have burden of proof that the items belong to her by the means of receipts or whatever.

[wayned]

I would agree with post number 7, you should find a clearing agent/logistics company in Bangkok yourself and have the shipment consigned directly to him and not rely on the agent that the shipping company recommends. I've never imported household goods but I did import a disassembled corn combine, 117 pieces, packed in a 40 ft container.

By finding my own agent I paid 5% duty, based on the HS Code, and 7% VAT. The agent that the shipping company recommended wanted 30% duty and 7%VAT, he would have paid 5% and pocketed the other 25%. I knew up front, almost to the $ exactly what the costs would be delivered to my facility upcountry before I finalized the purchase.

It's also important on how your declaration and invoice for services is prepared as you will pay duty and VAT on the goods CIF Bangkok. I had the internal to the US shipping charges and the dis-assembly charges invoiced separately, almost $10,000, so that I would not have to pay duty and VAT on it. The invoice used for customs purposes only had the cost(reduced on the invoice by agreement with the seller), sea freight, and container drayage.

If you want the name and contact of the company I used in Bangkok PM me. The company is a wholly owned German Company and the contact is also German but speaks English and Thai.

[stevenl]

If you are married to a Thai and she has been out of Thailand for over 6 months and the ''second hand'' goods are shipped in her name then there is no Import duty payable, otherwise Duty will be payable.

It is one year not 6 months. See the webpage I posted a link to earlier.

And I assume that the goods not only have to be shipped in her name, but she will have burden of proof that the items belong to her by the means of receipts or whatever.

Never heard of anyone asked for that.

[TheCruncher]

If you are married to a Thai and she has been out of Thailand for over 6 months and the ''second hand'' goods are shipped in her name then there is no Import duty payable, otherwise Duty will be payable.

It is one year not 6 months. See the webpage I posted a link to earlier.

And I assume that the goods not only have to be shipped in her name, but she will have burden of proof that the items belong to her by the means of receipts or whatever.

Never heard of anyone asked for that.

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

[stevenl]

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

Yes, you can assume, and you're wrong.

[kurnell]

So much misinformation in one page. I cleared 4 shipment of used hh goods last week, including 1 retiree. If you want facts, you are welcome to message me.

[khunerik]

So much misinformation in one page. I cleared 4 shipment of used hh goods last week, including 1 retiree. If you want facts, you are welcome to message me.

So why don't you tell us the facts? I'm sure a lot of people like to now it

[kurnell]

So much misinformation in one page. I cleared 4 shipment of used hh goods last week, including 1 retiree. If you want facts, you are welcome to message me.

So why don't you tell us the facts? I'm sure a lot of people like to now it

I've done it more than 20 times already here on TV. If the moderators wanted they could pin the info

[TheCruncher]

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

Yes, you can assume, and you're wrong.

I assume that I´m right, until you have proven the contrary.

Feel free to provide some facts, other than hearsay.

[yankee99]

Its really no big deal. I know many people who have brought containers in. Just itemize the contents with the value and find a agent to clear it. The port and agent fees should be around 10,000 baht not including taxes or land transportation.

[NancyL]

Of course, it's not impossible to ship goods into Thailand if you're moving here for retirement. It's that there's no special treatment just because you have a "retirement visa".

[stevenl]

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

Yes, you can assume, and you're wrong.

I assume that I´m right, until you have proven the contrary.

Feel free to provide some facts, other than hearsay.

Well, I, or better my wife, imported household items without any customs duty when we moved here.

[yankee99]

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

Yes, you can assume, and you're wrong.

I assume that I´m right, until you have proven the contrary.

Feel free to provide some facts, other than hearsay.

Well, I, or better my wife, imported household items without any customs duty when we moved here.

If she'sa thai citizen and out of the country one year she's allowed a one time duty free allowance. Although not for a car.

[TheCruncher]

So only what you have heard is fact now ? Are you a customs agent ?

I don't know for sure about personal goods, that's why I inserted the word "assume" in my comment, but I know for sure, in fact it is written on the Thai customs website, that if a Thai want to repatriate a car without paying duty, they have to proof that the car was bought AND registered in the Thai persons name for a required amount of time.

I can only ASSUME that the same would apply to personal goods.

Yes, you can assume, and you're wrong.

I assume that I´m right, until you have proven the contrary.

Feel free to provide some facts, other than hearsay.

Well, I, or better my wife, imported household items without any customs duty when we moved here.

If you read my post again you will see that I never denied that possibility, but that I would assume that she would have to proof that the goods indeed belong to her, otherwise every Thai returning from abroad would be able to import containers full of items for sale without import duty.

[stevenl]

If you read my post again you will see that I never denied that possibility, but that I would assume that she would have to proof that the goods indeed belong to her, otherwise every Thai returning from abroad would be able to import containers full of items for sale without import duty.

And again, your assumption is not correct. She did not have to prove anything regarding purchase of the goods. Of course I don't know what would have happened if the goods were not clearly used.

[stevenl]

If she'sa thai citizen and out of the country one year she's allowed a one time duty free allowance. Although not for a car.

Thanks, I know. But The Cruncher here is assuming that one has to prove by receipts etc. that the goods belong to the Thai national. I'm trying to convince him his assumption is not correct.