Will the custom in Bkk flag down a $165 Samsung phone from HK eBay seller?

anyone with experience or tips to share?

Depends how they send it, but probably yes.

If they didnt use a Fed-Ex or other courier then you wont get "handling fees", just around 20% import, then overall total x Vat. Probably payable at your local Post Office.

I recently bought two Android TV boxes on Ebay UK. Total cost was about 5000 baht (£105). The UK seller had them sent directly from his supplier in Malaysia to me in Chonburi by standard tracked post. They didn't incur any customs charges at all.

They did take a long time to arrive though (about six weeks) and at one point, according to the tracking service, appeared to be 'lost' for over two weeks between being shipped from Malaysia and arriving at Laksi postal centre in Bangkok.Neither the Malaysian or Thai postal services could say where the parcel was but I'd guessed maybe it was with customs. Still don't know where it was but, after inquiring about it, the parcel suddenly turned up at my house with no customs or extra charges at all and it hadn't been opened.

between 0 and 100 % up to forwarder and luck

If they come via regular postal mail as h90 said the chance lies some where between 0 and 100% chance. .... But if they are shipped via DHL, UPS, etc., the chances are probably closer to 100%.

I buy low cost stuff off Ebay all the time...like less than Bt1,000...have it shipped via regular postal....only one time was I hit up for 7% VAT. Heck, just today I receive a small digital scale I order off Ebay out of China....it was just in my mailbox. But the one time I did buy an auto related electronic item out of Germany I had no choice but to use DHL....when the dust settled I was hit up for approx 40% in customs and VAT.

h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:

between 0 and 100 % up to forwarder and luck

I like the cut of your jib me lad..... and I thought I was the funny one...

If they come via regular postal mail as h90 said the chance lies some where between 0 and 100% chance. .... But if they are shipped via DHL, UPS, etc., the chances are probably closer to 100%.

I buy low cost stuff off Ebay all the time...like less than Bt1,000...have it shipped via regular postal....only one time was I hit up for 7% VAT. Heck, just today I receive a small digital scale I order off Ebay out of China....it was just in my mailbox. But the one time I did buy an auto related electronic item out of Germany I had no choice but to use DHL....when the dust settled I was hit up for approx 40% in customs and VAT.

DHL/UPS you pay random number which are 100% guarantee 100% inflated.

Post you often pay nothing and sometimes random amounts....I recall on a 100 USD (or was it Euro) shipment they charged me 7 Baht

Post is always a fair deal....

h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:

between 0 and 100 % up to forwarder and luck

I like the cut of your jib me lad..... and I thought I was the funny one...

what is a jib?

I say yes too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If they come via regular postal mail as h90 said the chance lies some where between 0 and 100% chance. .... But if they are shipped via DHL, UPS, etc., the chances are probably closer to 100%.

I buy low cost stuff off Ebay all the time...like less than Bt1,000...have it shipped via regular postal....only one time was I hit up for 7% VAT. Heck, just today I receive a small digital scale I order off Ebay out of China....it was just in my mailbox. But the one time I did buy an auto related electronic item out of Germany I had no choice but to use DHL....when the dust settled I was hit up for approx 40% in customs and VAT.

DHL/UPS you pay random number which are 100% guarantee 100% inflated.

Post you often pay nothing and sometimes random amounts....I recall on a 100 USD (or was it Euro) shipment they charged me 7 Baht

Post is always a fair deal....

Your 7 baht statement jogged my memory...that's what I was charged also. For whatever reason the customs folks applied a value of Bt100 although it was worth closer to Bt1,000 and then I had to pay the 7% VAT which amounted to 7 baht. I paid the postman who delivered it to my house during his normal daily deliveries on his motorcycle. Yea, regular postal is the way to go to minimize the chances of any customs/VAT.

h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 14:49, said:

ezzra, on 23 Nov 2015 - 14:39, said:

h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:h90, on 23 Nov 2015 - 12:57, said:

between 0 and 100 % up to forwarder and luck

I like the cut of your jib me lad..... and I thought I was the funny one...

what is a jib?

This is an old sailors talks, jib referring to a kind of a sail form, and when one like what he hear he uses

that phrase...

If they come via regular postal mail as h90 said the chance lies some where between 0 and 100% chance. .... But if they are shipped via DHL, UPS, etc., the chances are probably closer to 100%.

I buy low cost stuff off Ebay all the time...like less than Bt1,000...have it shipped via regular postal....only one time was I hit up for 7% VAT. Heck, just today I receive a small digital scale I order off Ebay out of China....it was just in my mailbox. But the one time I did buy an auto related electronic item out of Germany I had no choice but to use DHL....when the dust settled I was hit up for approx 40% in customs and VAT.

DHL/UPS you pay random number which are 100% guarantee 100% inflated.

Post you often pay nothing and sometimes random amounts....I recall on a 100 USD (or was it Euro) shipment they charged me 7 Baht

Post is always a fair deal....

Your 7 baht statement jogged my memory...that's what I was charged also. For whatever reason the customs folks applied a value of Bt100 although it was worth closer to Bt1,000 and then I had to pay the 7% VAT which amounted to 7 baht. I paid the postman who delivered it to my house during his normal daily deliveries on his motorcycle. Yea, regular postal is the way to go to minimize the chances of any customs/VAT.

The 7 THB is not customs related, it has something to do with the postal service. Ie. you can send something as Airmail Letter, Airmail Small package, SAL etc. One type of these shipments the received is charged 7 THB.

I also paid the "7 THB fee "several times, mostly on very small items from china bought on Aliexpress.

If you import via post you have a 1000 THB allowance.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+postal+items/importingpostalitems+

With Thailand post I have mostly positive experience, but if a package has a declared value of 100 USD you must be very, very lucky to get it with the 7 THB fee.

By positive experience I mean that Thailand Post often accepts a somewhat lower declared value.

For example Lego toys bought in Germany for 200 Euro, shipped to Thailand with a declared value of 990 THB. Gone through.

They usually don`t open the package and often accept the declared value.

DHL or Fedex open the package if they in doubt.

If I have time I prefer delivery by Post as normal Mail if it is available.

Last Thursday I ordered a Braun Razor from Korea, 60 USD plus 13USD for EMS - bought on Gmarket, they only offered EMS to Thailand.

Arrived Monday morning, Customs Duty 782 THB.

Price in Central around 5500 THB. So still a lot cheaper to order online.

duty on camera and phones is 5% , then VAT 7% will hit the total value of the item AND the shipping/insurance costs.