Importing Personal Household Goods.

[sailaway2000]

It's been quite some time but I recall reading somewhere that Personal Household Good etc can be imported into Thailand with little or no tax or duties.

Is this true?

Can you point in the direction of any additional information on this subject?

Thanks

[happynthailand]

do you have a thai wife?

[sailaway2000]

No I do not have a Thai Wife.

I am here on a NON-O Retirement Visa.

[Ricardo]

When we did this, over a decade ago, it was on the basis of a Thai who'd lived overseas for more than a year, and now returning to the country.

We shipped a container-load from our UK-home to her here in Thailand, filled with all our family's furniture/personal-possessions, which was cleared without import-duty but with the customary contribution towards tea-money negotiated by the clearing-agent.

My wife had to supply her passport, and Customs made a note in it, of the shipment having been made.

If the OP doesn't have a Thai spouse, or is unable to piggy-back his shipment as part of someone-else's, then I doubt that the concession would apply.

But perhaps a conversation with a Thai shipper/clearance-agent might identify a low-cost alternative method ?

[p_brownstone]

You don't necessarily need a Thai wife - if you are changing your Residence to Thailand then you can still import Household effects Duty Free :

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

This concession does not apply to Personal effects however - at least in theory, you may get lucky!

Patrick

[wordchild]

You don't need a Thai wife, or at least I certainly managed fine without one when moved to Bangkok several (6) years ago; Asia Tigers handled the inbound and dealt with everything, excellent service from them btw. From memory the concession on duty is time limited, I think you have to get your stuff in 6 months after the start date on your visa or something along those lines. I just had to make one trip to the Asia Tigers office, on Rama4, they took copies of passport and visa WP etc, and that was it.

Edited December 22, 2015 by wordchild

[candyman123]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping to receive an update on this subject for returning to Thailand from the UK with only our household goods, please.

I and Thai wife have been living in the UK for nearly two years now and we are both thinking about moving back to Thailand where we lived before.
We are thinking of using a small 25ft container to ship all our household items (NO CAR)...!
What are the rules for shipping said items back and does the shipping documents need to be in my wife's name?  And if we have to pay money for Tea what is that cost, please?

Thanks for any update you can provide us. We will only do this if my wife doesn't get her final appeal to remain in the UK.

[rogerluli]

According to what I have read in the regs for household goods, art works are not allowed...I assume this can be overcome with the proper payments...

[Eff1n2ret]

14 hours ago, rogerluli said:

According to what I have read in the regs for household goods, art works are not allowed...I assume this can be overcome with the proper payments...

I don't know what is meant by "art works", but there were quite a few pictures and ornaments in our shipment, albeit of no great monetary value. That was nearly 8 years ago, though.