Cargo other than bags brought on the flight.

[Travelighlty]

I'm wanting to bring personal belongings from Ecuador to Chiang Mai. Not as part of immigration but because of flight restrictions during the high season. Is there a recommended carrier or has someone also done this that can tell me the process I would need to follow. Duty charges? Everything would be used. Is it simply to expensive to make it worth the effort? I'd rather not buy again in Thailand and it would surely be more expensive I'd think. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, any information on small packages of supplements sent to a business address? Is there duty charged for all packages?

Edited November 11, 2014 by Travelighlty

[jij]

i highly highly recommend that you come in to bangkok and not chiang mai to clear customs, as most just walk thru without being checked. chiang mai looks for people such as yourself to shakedown for duty fees, but of course you need to still get the items from bangkok to chiang mai at that point. i've once before had them shipped here and another time just transferred them to the next carrier. i've brought in several thousand (US) worth of goods both new and used and never had to pay a fee. the 'old hands' here that i know do the same thing.

[jobin]

Not to lump all into one bag, but i would think that coming from SoAm would set off 'drug alarms' at any customs station. We all cocaine is valuable, relatively small. highly desired and is widely grown in northern SoAm. So take care.

[masuk]

If you're planning on bringing electrical goods, note that S.E. Asia and most of the surrounding countries are all on 220 - 240V power.

Step down transformers are available but a bit of a pain I'm sure, if you have many appliances.

[elektrified]

I brought 3 large boxes and 3 large suitcases when I moved here from Europe 8 years ago. Arrived in Bangkok at about 4:30 in the morning. Wasn't asked anything and no taxes asked for. But I did not continue to C.M. at first. I stayed in Bangkok the first month. Then I sent everything to C.M. by post.

[mikebike]

For us it was better and cheaper to bring our belongings as cargo on our flight... Also depends on your visa. If you are arriving with a non-o, you are allowed personal items duty free.

[Travelighlty]

Does anyone have vitamin supplements sent to Thailand through the regular mail? Charges?

The problem I have with my personal baggage is airlines can have limits on baggage several times during the year. I'm wanting to travel during one of those periods, so I need a different way to have things delivered.

[northernjohn]

Does anyone have vitamin supplements sent to Thailand through the regular mail? Charges?

The problem I have with my personal baggage is airlines can have limits on baggage several times during the year. I'm wanting to travel during one of those periods, so I need a different way to have things delivered.

Try this Many here use them I have only been hit with duty on one out of five shipments. It was a $79 U S order and I paid 490 baht.

http://www.iherb.com/?gclid=CL3p2fyu9rsCFWlT4gode0UAuw&gclsrc=aw.ds

Currently awaiting two more both under $50 so should be no problem.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Not to lump all into one bag, but i would think that coming from SoAm would set off 'drug alarms' at any customs station. We all cocaine is valuable, relatively small. highly desired and is widely grown in northern SoAm. So take care.

Um, by the time you hit Bangkok customs nobody knows what your point of origin was. Merge in with the people from some vanilla point of origin and walk straight through.

They're not very organized.

Also, especially for small volume high value items or substances, customs is the least of your concerns. Because you wouldn't let the items actually pass customs. I've done this with things that weren't per se illegal in most countries, but didn't want to get asked or challenged about.

To the OP: It's highly preferable to keep things in typical tourist luggage as opposed to crates or cartons though. Or, if you travel with someone then split up and each take things through separately. Do a split where higher value items are with the person carrying fewer bags in typical tourist luggage. Then the person carrying multiple cardboard boxes only takes low/no value items through, like clothes.

Edited November 13, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[mesquite]

Check your bags to BKK and pick them up and then check them to CNX.

BKK never checks my luggage, CNX frequently xrays it when international.

Never heard of airlines reducing checked luggage limits during certain times of the year. That's a new one for me. Do you have a reference for that?

Edited November 13, 2014 by mesquite

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Check your bags to BKK and pick them up and then check them to CNX.

BKK never checks my luggage, CNX frequently xrays it when international.

I've watched them do this for extended periods of time and they routinely X-Ray (almost) every big suitcase in Chiang Mai, versus X-Raying very rarely in BKK.

They don't X Ray smaller carry on bags, day-pack backpacks and purses in Chiang Mai though. That's where all the wine goes during a washroom visit.

[Travelighlty]

Check your bags to BKK and pick them up and then check them to CNX.

BKK never checks my luggage, CNX frequently xrays it when international.

Never heard of airlines reducing checked luggage limits during certain times of the year. That's a new one for me. Do you have a reference for that?

There are many countries that have an embargo limiting bags during the Christmas season.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/embargo.aspx

Ecuador even has a summer embargo from June through August.

[Langsuan Man]

In all the years that I have been coming to Thailand I have never been stopped at the "red channel" except this year when I brought in two suitcases and a large carton ( 50 in x 5 in) which contained a hammock with spreader bars, that I could never find in Thailand.

But only the box was scanned, not the luggage and once I pantomimed to the agent that it was a hammock I was waived through