I have lived in Thailand for 6 years. I am currently in Florida helping my Mom move to Thailand to retire and be close to me and her grandson. I want to know if anyone has brought over a container of household items, I have heard you are allowed a one time allowance to do this, Has anybody here on the forum done this and do they really have a one appliance rule ?? also she is thinking of bringing over a Harley Sportster also ?? does anyone have any advise on this ?? I would be very grateful for the help ??/ Thank you !!!   

Regarding importing personal effects, there are laws and there are laws, but mostly here in Thailand, there are customs officials, and it is up to each and everyone of those to judge wheater or not "your" container with personal effects will be "graced" with or without customs duty on the imported items.

 

Mostly there will be a fee, and in some cases if not carefull, there can be a big fee.. I have heard everything from zero to 80.000 baht in duties. You are allowed, according to the law, if you fullfill the requirements, to import pure personal effects into Thailand. However the customs here they will judge your items and "get" you in the end,,, by claiming that most of the stuff is not to be considered personal effects, and therefore debit you duties on those...

 

I have also heard of people that have gotten completely free through the customs, but in almost all these cases, there is confusion involved regarding the charges. Because they have very often been paying duties,  but hidden and called something else, and then people brag about how clever they were towards the customs...

 

So expect customs duties to ber paid in the amount of something like up to 50-60.000 baht, and if you dont have to pay this, consider your self very lucky......

 

What regards the Harley.... all motor vehicles MUST have an import license, and that can be a cruel experience for you, that almost everyone in the end gives up upon... It is complecated and nervracking to seek this import-license, but if you are able to do it, and then on top of that pay some 2-300 percent in customs duties and VAT..

 

Most people finds it much much smarter just to buy a motor vehicle here in Thailand, that is at least my experience.

 

Glegolo

Edited September 14, 20169 yr by glegolo

There is no duty free allowance unless working here with a work permit. See: http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+used+or+secondhand+household+effects/importingusedsecondhandhouseholdeffects+

For the Harley it would be best to sell it or put it in storage. The cost and headaches would not be worth it.

I'm dealing with a international moving company and he has shipped other containers for people here before , He too has warned me about the motorcycle but as far as household items he has shown me the list of what I cannot bring in. he also will be handling the duty's. Which is why I am asking if anyone has done it before ??  and not "I heard from somebody ,, Hearsay" there are plenty of rumors going around, I'm looking for facts. I do appreciate peoples input but I would like to hear from peoples experience  

2 minutes ago, Tom C said:

Which is why I am asking if anyone has done it before ??  and not "I heard from somebody ,, Hearsay" there are plenty of rumors going around, I'm looking for facts. I do appreciate peoples input but I would like to hear from peoples experience  

I hope you didn't include my post in your comment. I posted a link to the Thai  customs website. Certainly not hearsay there.

You can only bring in a single shipment of personal goods duty free, and that must be done within 6 months of getting your first one year visa extension.  I did it through a shipping company and it was pretty much hassle free.   The only hitch was the sudden need for my original passport at Customs, whilst I was living a couple of hundred kilometres away.

 

By "appliances" I presume you mean electrical appliances.  Probably a waste of time for most items given the different voltage here.

18 minutes ago, Tom C said:

I'm dealing with a international moving company and he has shipped other containers for people here before , He too has warned me about the motorcycle but as far as household items he has shown me the list of what I cannot bring in. he also will be handling the duty's. Which is why I am asking if anyone has done it before ??  and not "I heard from somebody ,, Hearsay" there are plenty of rumors going around, I'm looking for facts. I do appreciate peoples input but I would like to hear from peoples experience  

I am dealing and working with this kind of import on a daily basis as a proffessional shipping-guy,, so from me you did get the first hand experience..... (see my earlier post plse)

 

Glegolo

Just now, Oxx said:

You can only bring in a single shipment of personal goods duty free, and that must be done within 6 months of getting your first one year visa extension.  I did it through a shipping company and it was pretty much hassle free.   The only hitch was the sudden need for my original passport at Customs, whilst I was living a couple of hundred kilometres away.

 

By "appliances" I presume you mean electrical appliances.  Probably a waste of time for most items given the different voltage here.

Not anymore unless you are working and have a work permit or have a Thai wife who can import them duty free. Read the webpage I posted a link to.