Import duty rip off?

[ChesneyHawkes]

I will always check for the HS code to see what the duty will be. Thailand uses the harmonized system that is common worldwide, you just need to find the right code for you item. If it's clearly labeled with the code it's easy for them to charge you the right amount in duty. If there's no code I usually find they pick one which doesn't match the item description correctly and charges a much higher amount of duty.

http://igtf.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp

As noted in other posts, you'll have to pay duty and tax on the shipping too which can easily cause the cost to exceed the item's original price.

Anything over 1k is open for them to assess and add duties and tax. Anything over 40k requires a commercial invoice, also can apply to products that's that come in large quantities. You have to be able to prove it's for personal use and not to resell.

[callaway]

Anyone who uses DHL has got to be crazy and have more money than brains. It is all about how much can they rip you off. If it is a farang name on the parcel then that makes them have a big smile

[fekman]

Pay it. Take a pic of the invoice and send it by email to the customs headquarters. If its BS, maybe (.0043%) if its a scam, the fraudster will get fired/arrested/punished. We can only dream.

[Don Mega]

Anyone who uses DHL has got to be crazy and have more money than brains. It is all about how much can they rip you off. If it is a farang name on the parcel then that makes them have a big smile

How is/are DHL ripping people off ?

[Dan5]

I noticed a long time ago that packages sent by the carriers, DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc. almost always come with bills to be paid for customs, and various other things. In one case the charges were more than the price of what was being shipped. So I started sending them through the postal service, US Postal Service in the US, called EMS in Thailand other names in other countries but basically the post office . I must have sent over 50 packages this way and only once did I have to pay anything extra when the package was delivered. Takes more time, but I've saved a lot of money.

[kennypick]

i have things sent over from uk know and then through the normal postage system and if the value and the postage is under 1000 baht they deliver to my home. if the value and postage is above 1000 baht i have to pay tax and import duty at 20 percent at the main post office so have to pickup myself. 20 percent of the total cost.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I wish someone would post what the 7 Baht is all about ?

I don't mind paying it I am just curious about it since sometimes I get charged and other times not, sort of hit or miss

AFAIK, it's the fee that the Post Office assigned to what are considered "small packages." Dunno how exactly they determine that, whether it's based on value or size or a combination of both

But I regularly order stuff from the U.S., try to keep the value under $50 U.S., and they're sent by International Airmail and then delivered to my door in BKK by Thai Post. About half the time, I get absolutely no fee at all, and the other half of the time, I get a purple ink stamp on the box that in Thai characters says "7 baht fee". In terms of box size, the qualify for the International Airmail I use, the total box dimensions (HxWxD) can't exceed 36 inches.

I haven't been able to determine any discernable difference between those boxes that I get charged no fee for, and those that I get the 7 baht stamp fee for. But in both cases, they're all coming in with absolutely no duty or VAT from Customs at all -- just sometimes the 7 baht fee to the postman. And of course, NONE of these packages are being handled by the private couriers like FedEx, DHL, etc.

[melvinmelvin]

Whenever i order parts from abroad i insist it goes via their post office system, be it in the US, UK or Oz. If it can only go by DHL, Fed Ex, UPS or whatever, i say no thanx...

I do the same, just skip the purchase if it has to go with a courier company

have had too much problems with DHL

[harrry]

When I used to get post restaunt mail some years ago they had a book at the post office the mail was entered in and I had to sign and they put a standard rate postage stamp in the book and cancelled it.

My guess is the 7 bht is the same sort of charge.

[BSJ]

Yes if its 6 months of arrears i would be sceptical and refuse.... you need to know exactly how they came to that figure

if its 7 baht per item usually, then you must have ordered like 90 parcels in the last 6 month.... dont trust him...

However, if you order from ebay and the likes, and most items get in ok.... be thankful

for every 100 items i order, occassionally one will get stopped and i will have to go and pay a stupid amount at the PO, usually worth more than the items...

But 99% of the time they all get through and im thankful

TIP: put a thai name on the address

Thanks for the TIP!

[VocalNeal]

TIP: put a thai name on the address

I do this also when sending stuff.

I assumed it was nearly all under the import duty threshold.

What is the duty threshold and who determines it?

Edited January 29, 2016 by VocalNeal

[Don Mega]

The duty threshold is Bt.1000

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

[harrry]

The duty threshold is Bt.1000

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

not what that site says

ategory 1: Low value postal items : This category comprises postal items having no commercial value and which are exempted from taxes and duties provided that they are subject to the criteria listed below :

• The value does not exceed 1,000 baht; and

• Category 2 : Postal items subject to applicable taxes and duties : This category comprises postal items of which FOB value is above 1,000 baht but does not exceed 40,000 baht and which are subjected to taxes and duties.

  Any items that are prohibited and restricted are excluded.

  The items under Category 2 are jointly examined by Customs and the Thailand Post. After the applicable taxes and duties are determined, such postal items are sent to the Thailand Post for further distribution to the destined postal office, and subsequently to the consignees.

  Applicable taxes and duties of the postal items under this Category are collected by the Thailand Post on behalf of Thai Customs. In this connection, the Thailand Post will issue and send the consignee a dispatch note known as “Notice on the Collection of International Postal Items”. The consignee then brings such Notice to the Thailand Post office and pay applicable taxes and duties. The item is a commercial sample of no commercial value

FOB means.....that the value of 1000baht is calculated inculding cost plus freight and insurance....ie..... item cost 700 postage 301 baht the item fob is 1001baht and not exempt.

Edited January 29, 2016 by harrry

[VocalNeal]

Category 2 : Postal items subject to applicable taxes and duties : This category comprises postal items of which FOB value is above 1,000 baht but does not exceed 40,000 baht and which are subjected to taxes and duties.

This is interesting. because i get courier stuff that seems to get stuck at customs if over 40,000 baht. TNT could never tell me why. Maybe courier packages are considered postal items?

[Don Mega]

The duty threshold is Bt.1000

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

not what that site says

ategory 1: Low value postal items : This category comprises postal items having no commercial value and which are exempted from taxes and duties provided that they are subject to the criteria listed below :

• The value does not exceed 1,000 baht; and

• Category 2 : Postal items subject to applicable taxes and duties : This category comprises postal items of which FOB value is above 1,000 baht but does not exceed 40,000 baht and which are subjected to taxes and duties.

  Any items that are prohibited and restricted are excluded.

  The items under Category 2 are jointly examined by Customs and the Thailand Post. After the applicable taxes and duties are determined, such postal items are sent to the Thailand Post for further distribution to the destined postal office, and subsequently to the consignees.

  Applicable taxes and duties of the postal items under this Category are collected by the Thailand Post on behalf of Thai Customs. In this connection, the Thailand Post will issue and send the consignee a dispatch note known as “Notice on the Collection of International Postal Items”. The consignee then brings such Notice to the Thailand Post office and pay applicable taxes and duties. The item is a commercial sample of no commercial value

FOB means.....that the value of 1000baht is calculated inculding cost plus freight and insurance....ie..... item cost 700 postage 301 baht the item fob is 1001baht and not exempt.

Yeah, as I said the threshold is 1000b.

[harrry]

The duty threshold is Bt.1000

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

not what that site says

ategory 1: Low value postal items : This category comprises postal items having no commercial value and which are exempted from taxes and duties provided that they are subject to the criteria listed below :

• The value does not exceed 1,000 baht; and

• Category 2 : Postal items subject to applicable taxes and duties : This category comprises postal items of which FOB value is above 1,000 baht but does not exceed 40,000 baht and which are subjected to taxes and duties.

  Any items that are prohibited and restricted are excluded.

  The items under Category 2 are jointly examined by Customs and the Thailand Post. After the applicable taxes and duties are determined, such postal items are sent to the Thailand Post for further distribution to the destined postal office, and subsequently to the consignees.

  Applicable taxes and duties of the postal items under this Category are collected by the Thailand Post on behalf of Thai Customs. In this connection, the Thailand Post will issue and send the consignee a dispatch note known as “Notice on the Collection of International Postal Items”. The consignee then brings such Notice to the Thailand Post office and pay applicable taxes and duties. The item is a commercial sample of no commercial value

FOB means.....that the value of 1000baht is calculated inculding cost plus freight and insurance....ie..... item cost 700 postage 301 baht the item fob is 1001baht and not exempt.

Yeah, as I said the threshold is 1000b.

including postage

[Don Mega]

The duty threshold is Bt.1000

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

not what that site says

ategory 1: Low value postal items : This category comprises postal items having no commercial value and which are exempted from taxes and duties provided that they are subject to the criteria listed below :

• The value does not exceed 1,000 baht; and

• Category 2 : Postal items subject to applicable taxes and duties : This category comprises postal items of which FOB value is above 1,000 baht but does not exceed 40,000 baht and which are subjected to taxes and duties.

  Any items that are prohibited and restricted are excluded.

  The items under Category 2 are jointly examined by Customs and the Thailand Post. After the applicable taxes and duties are determined, such postal items are sent to the Thailand Post for further distribution to the destined postal office, and subsequently to the consignees.

  Applicable taxes and duties of the postal items under this Category are collected by the Thailand Post on behalf of Thai Customs. In this connection, the Thailand Post will issue and send the consignee a dispatch note known as “Notice on the Collection of International Postal Items”. The consignee then brings such Notice to the Thailand Post office and pay applicable taxes and duties. The item is a commercial sample of no commercial value

FOB means.....that the value of 1000baht is calculated inculding cost plus freight and insurance....ie..... item cost 700 postage 301 baht the item fob is 1001baht and not exempt.

Yeah, as I said the threshold is 1000b.

including postage

Yeah and ?

I answered a question of what is the threshold. Never did I say the 1000b is the value of the goods.

[BSJ]

Finally got to the post office today and the manager was there at the counter so we talked to him about it......he turns and walks to a filing cupboard pulls out a piece of paper, gives it to the missus, the missus reads it, the missus tells me the letter head is for Thai customs......game over! I could see it was for an item from Australia so it was the 6 day glow work shirts. The purchase price and postage was just over Au$100, well over 1000 baht!

Nothing left to say is there.

After the shirts arrived I was in Phi Chit for a day while the fuel injection shop cleaned out and adjusted the DFI on the PU. Sitting around waiting got boring pretty quick, so we went for a walk to Isuzu showroom, around the corner to Chevy, back through the bus station to the food shops then back to the fuel injection shop...checking out Yamaha on the way...and just past Yamaha there is a shop that makes polo shirts! Any size, any colour, any pattern, low or high quality with prices from 160 baht to 300 baht.

Been along there 40 or 50 times but never saw the polo shirt shop on the bike or in the PU!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, I generally try to keep my packages from the U.S., sent via international airmail and delivered by Thai Post, to smaller box sizes and lower values per box, say under the 1000 baht amount mentioned above.

But, it's equally true that for the many packages I receive, some of them do have declared values above the 1000 baht amount (but always under say 1600 baht), and I've never yet drawn a customs duty on those types of deliveries. Just sometimes the 7 baht Thai Post small package fee. So at least here in BKK, the Thai Post and/or Customs folks seem to be somewhat flexible on that. I never see any indication on any of my boxes that they've been handled by Customs at all (though that doesn't mean they haven't).

But again, those are packages sent via international airmail, and NOT by any of the private couriers like DHL, FedEx, etc.

[Kerryd]

It's not the couriers (DHL/UPS/etc) that are the rip off.

A package sent via DHL (for example) uses their system until it arrives in country. The paperwork is then handed to a Customs Broker. They are the ones that try to scam as much as they can from the end receiver. Once they've got their loot the paperwork goes back to the courier who then completes the delivery.

I learned how the system works in Dec 2014 when I had to go to Bangkok to sort out a shipment of personal effects I'd shipped to myself when my last contract ended. DHL shipped the 2 boxes to Thailand and delivered one to me right away but the 2nd one got held up in Customs. The paperwork was handed to their regular Customs Broker who contacted me and told me they wanted 17,000 baht in fees/taxes/duties on my used clothing, books, work boots, sleeping bag and assorted paraphernalia accumulated during 8 years of working in Kandahar. (I had valued everything at about $1,000 US so they were asking for about 50% in fees and duties on used clothing and personal items !) They also wanted me to repack the box that had been delivered and have it sent back to Bangkok (they would send a driver to collect it) and they wanted me to send my original passport with the driver as well so they could verify my Non-O(A) visa ! Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

I went to the Free Zone, found the broker and had a lengthy, slightly heated "discussion" with them. It got heated when they looked at my (almost new) passport with it's proper stamps, and decided they wanted to see my previous passport (they knew I had just driven up from Pattaya so it wasn't like I could just pop home, grab the old passport and come back). Then they informed me that if I paid the 17,000 baht they could "probably" get my box delivered to me sometime in the next week ! Needless to say I wasn't happy and was starting to get a little red around the collar.

Then the agent informed me that if I wanted my box today she could contact an "independent" broker who could probably arrange that, for only 12,000 baht !!! Right then I knew they had been trying to screw me righteously.

I went with the independent broker. A whole lot of running around the free zone over the next 6 hours finally got my box. One problem was the first box that DHL had accidentally delivered without it going through Customs. When we went to the DHL office they were very helpful as they realized it had been their mistake (sending me the box without it going through Customs). They even covered the warehouse "storage fee" (1,000 baht/day) for the 2 days my box sat there.

A lot of papers and a lot of offices (and a few 100 baht notes) and finally I was good to go. Not totally sure but I think the actual Customs fees were a fraction of what I ended up paying. I looked at the stack of papers I ended up with and couldn't make heads nor tails of them.

So, the "courier" gets the package to Thailand. The paperwork goes to a "broker" who actually charges the fees and process the Customs paperwork. When the "fees" are paid the paperwork goes back to the "courier" who can then deliver the package to it's destination.

It appears that UPS/USPS pays the fees then collects from the receiver (or is able to do them in arrears). A couple of times I've had to zip to the nearest ATM to get some extra cash to pay the courier. With DHL deliveries I've had to pay the fees before the package gets delivered.

Amazon works well as they charge the (estimated) fees up front and then after the paperwork (and delivery) is completed they reimburse you if the fees end up being less than charged.

[DILLIGAD]

Another TIP.

If you use an address of a school/Uni/clinic/hospital, I have seen thinks come in the post without any undue investigation 'nudge nudge'

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's not the couriers (DHL/UPS/etc) that are the rip off.

In the distant past, when I foolishly (not knowing better) had some small items shipped from the U.S. to Thailand via FedEx or DHL, it was always the delivery driver collecting the duty/taxes due at the point of delivery. Who did the actual calculations of the duty and taxes owed (the courier, third parties or government employees), I never had any way of knowing.

But I did know this Either I paid the driver the fees owed, or they didn't give me the package I was waiting for. And if I didn't accept delivery and pay, then the package went back to the courier and began to incur storage fees, adding to the other costs already on the table.

Perhaps in your situation, because the alleged duty/tax amount was so high, they wanted payment first. But in my cases (small packages), I never dealt with or had any contact with any brokers. It was just the FedEx or DHL bills the drivers presented me with at the point of delivery.

In one particularly egregious case, they ended up trying to charge me almost 100% duty and taxes on the actual purchase price of some new clothing I had bought and shipped from an online store in the U.S. 60% duty on some pants based on an inflated customs value (much higher than my actual retail purchase price) and then the duty being applied against the shipping cost as well, plus insurance, plus 7% VAT. In that case, I only had the courier to dispute with. If there was any customs broker involved, I never knew who it was or had any means to contact or identify them.

Edited February 1, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK