I bought a survaillance system off Aliexpress. It has been sent by the vendor using DHL with a tracking number. I tracked it to Don Meuang airport where it has stopped and all i get is 'clearance event' posted on the online tracking information. Been there 5 days, each day the same.

Anyone else been in the same situation and if so is there anything i need to do ?

Phone them up, there's probably duty to pay, you can pay them using a credit card.

What to do? Brace yourself for what follows.

After this episode you will never again have anything sent to Thailand using a courier.

The items arrive to Thailand very fast and then the fun starts. Even if you have the package declaration doctored they have their own prices and the special fees to make you cry.

They kept my package for three weeks last time. Not even any duty payable.

After this episode you will never again have anything sent to Thailand using a courier.

The items arrive to Thailand very fast and then the fun starts. Even if you have the package declaration doctored they have their own prices and the special fees to make you cry.

totally agree. I imported a water flosser also using Ali express. it only took four hours to come from Hong Kong and then it was stuck in Bangkok airport for 10 days.

Because it fell under the purview of the Food and drug administration first they said it might not even be allowed into the country. Then they said if I got a doctor's certificate saying I needed to use it I could have it.

the DHL processing costs (including the fee for storage at the airport during that 10 days !) almost came to the same price as I paid for the item.

as you correctly say I will never have anything sent to Thailand ever again.

They probably don't know what it is that you've ordered.

Remember too there were public holidays...they always cause a backlog.

use ems mail. less chance to be screwed with

A not so close friend of mine works for DHL in the US. Neither she nor DHL care about these problems. Just don't use them. Ever.

Edited August 5, 201510 yr by BudRight

I am in the same boat right now with UPS. I wrote a formal complaint today to some email address where complaints go and I am giving them a day before posting the whole detailed story here.

Use the post office don't use dhl

Dhl rip you off

Or its Thailand that do the ripping

I sent two packages from UK

The post office costs more almost double but arrived in Thailand with only a 2000 baht handling charge

Sent second package cost half what the po charge but needed to pay 15.000 extra for handling transport and import duty

Never ever ever send by courier,just use the post office,last time my brother used dhl ,it got stopped in BKK customs kept trying to get more and more money,in the end I told them to keep the parcel and stick it where the Sun don't shine

Edited August 6, 201510 yr by i claudius

yup, DHL, FedEX bad.

EMS good.

Here's a write up on my UPS experience. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/846416-corruption-and-lies-at-ups-airport-customs/

Here's a write up on my UPS experience. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/846416-corruption-and-lies-at-ups-airport-customs/

Welcome to Thailand, you are barking up the wrong Soi here. Thai Customs will do as they please.

Have a trip to there office and tell them you wish to get this corruption lark knocked on the head, and if they hand over your items you will not report them to the boss man.

Here's a write up on my UPS experience. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/846416-corruption-and-lies-at-ups-airport-customs/

Welcome to Thailand, you are barking up the wrong Soi here. Thai Customs will do as they please.

Have a trip to there office and tell them you wish to get this corruption lark knocked on the head, and if they hand over your items you will not report them to the boss man.

maybe they get to keep ( share) all the abandon items people do not pay the extortion on.

I think for packages coming from businesses and online retailers, you should notify them of the problems you are having. I know iherb.com has suspended shipping online orders via couriers and only ships via standard post to Thailand. Make your voice heard!

DHL, UPS and FedEx......Never ever use them.......The Customs office is corupt for sure. But also act to prevent millons of people from ordering cheaper even better products and avoiding Vat and import duty.

Almost nobody pays income tax and if they do they cheat as that system can be beat.

The Govts money has to come from somewhere.

Or its Thailand that do the ripping

No it is DHL....

This is likely a custom issue. But I feel I have to rant a bit about DHL given I have to work with them on a daily basis and I just happen to work in the same building as them.

Man are they annoying. You check the tracking number on their web site and all you get is a lot of cryptic messages that you don't understand. The constantly say the ETA is at the end of the day of a certain day, yet they show up 24 hours later. And most DHL female employees are very good looking. Seems like that's all that they care about.

I am in the same boat right now with UPS. I wrote a formal complaint today to some email address where complaints go and I am giving them a day before posting the whole detailed story here.

they will be trembling in their boots..

Bwahahahahahahaha

I have had nothing but hastle everytime i've recieved a parcel by UPS . Will never use them to send anything EVER. Good to know DHL are the same.

rijit

Oh and in my experience parcelforce uk are nearly as bad.

rijit