Post office charging 3000 baht to pick up package?

[yankee99]

10 minutes ago, recom273 said:

I have had to pay duty a few times on packages.

 

After the initial shock, I paid up, ran the price through the site and it turned out less than the website charge.

 

Is there any appeal system ?

Yes you can absolutely appeal . . The post office has a form and they will ask for documentation .  Copy of receipt , proof of payment and advertised price .  Everything goes back to Bangkok and gets reviewed . 

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, Boristos Jaxon said:

It's just Ray Ban sunglasses and kids clothes

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Let the guy keep the sunglasses and then the kids get the clothes!

[MrMo]

17 hours ago, robblok said:

 

 

There is.. i know for a fact exercise equipment goes for 10% ( after that 7% vat is added)

 

Click on the top link (site is real slow)

 

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

The official site http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+postal+items/importingpostalitems+ gives the variation on rules for postal imports.   Up to Baht 1,000.00 is duty free.   This site appears to imply that, where applicable, duty will be applied it will be calculated at the "normal" rates.

 

The calculation can be found official site on http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/traders+and+business/sample+of+duty+assessment/sampleofdutyassessment explains how total charge is calculated for commercial import operations.

 

[seancbk]

18 hours ago, johng said:

They charged me 30% import tax on a pair of shoes.

 

 

They charged me 50% import tax on some industrial food machines I imported from China.   I was actually expecting to pay more than that.

But it's not just Thailand, every country has import duties based on the Harmonized System that almost all countries (including Thailand) use.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/traders+and+business/customs+tariff/hs+system/hssystem

If you are going to import things you should familiarise yourself with the rules.

 

[akentryan]

Over the last three months I have been ordering Christmas gifts for Thai family members via Amazon and E-Bay. Most of the stuff has been perfume. women's lingerie. dresses, shorts and a couple of watches. Most of the stuff comes from Hong Kong and  in soft packs and marked with a nominal value of $5 usually. None have ever been opened, all have been delivered complete and never a problem with customs. Knock on wood.

[robblok]

30 minutes ago, MrMo said:

The official site http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/individuals/importing+postal+items/importingpostalitems+ gives the variation on rules for postal imports.   Up to Baht 1,000.00 is duty free.   This site appears to imply that, where applicable, duty will be applied it will be calculated at the "normal" rates.

 

The calculation can be found official site on http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/traders+and+business/sample+of+duty+assessment/sampleofdutyassessment explains how total charge is calculated for commercial import operations.

 

 

I imported gym equipment for home use.. (concept 2 rowing machine). Was 10% + 7% vat you can find that there too. But it was calculated over cost + shipping and if they think your invoice is too low they will set the value. 

 

I have no idea about how commercial imports are calculated.

[ironbark]

Ninety dollars postage and AUD120 import duty for some sunglasses even if they are Raybans  sounds like it might be cheaper to just walk away and not collect the "present".

Its the thought that counts anyway.

[lopburi3]

Don't believe anyone has asked but the $90 postage really seems excessive for a small mail package (but not being from Oz really don't know).  Or are we talking a trunk full of clothing?  Or was this sent by one of the package courier services?

[TravelerEastWest]

18 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Thai have to pay customs and Ray Ban is not a cheap item.  Customs would be based on purchase price plus the $90 you paid for postage plus 7% VAT. 

 

 

Correct information.

 

Note if you try to cheat they can often look up prices on the internet.

 

Sounds like the post office is doing its job and you didn't do your research before sending the package duty is very normal over most of the world.

 

You should post an apology to the post office.

[Firefan]

In my experience; over a variety of imported goods (from supplements, to books, clothes and electronics) an average of 30% (total - fee, tax, vat) for packages valued above AROUND Baht 2000 is charged. I recall having read that Baht 1000 is the official limit so your milage may vary. Postage is NOT considered part of the limit calculation.  Cheers!

[Lamkyong]

read incorrectly sorry

Edited November 8, 2016 by Lamkyong
incorrect reading

[FredNL]

I had my prescribed glasses (with special tainted lenses for better eye sight) send out, to the optician where I have bought it, for a repair they couldn't do in Thailand. A screw just broke off and had to be drilled out.

 

My glasses were still under warranty, bought them when I was in Europe for 2 months. Back in Thailand one of the screws that was in the temple just broke off. So I had it send with the receipt (copy) and they had to replace the complete frame. It was send back with a copy of the original invoice. I had to wait for over 3 months, when I got the message from the shipper, that I could pick it up at the Thailand Post custom department in Lak Si. I went down there and I had to pay import taxes for over 15,000 THB !!! 

 

I just told them to shuff it up their a$$#ole$.

Another 3 months later I got a message that a parcel had arrived and I had to pick it up at the Thailand Post custom department in Lak Si. Same package, but now I had to pay 1,000 THB import taxes and 6 months storage (250 THB/month for a package of 5 x 5 x 25 cm (renting a warehouse in Lak Si is cheaper)) for 1,500 THB. Totaling 2,500 THB... 

Edited November 8, 2016 by FredNL

[Generalchaos]

22 hours ago, Boristos Jaxon said:

It's just Ray Ban sunglasses and kids clothes

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Clothing will attract heavy import duties! I had a Chinese business friend DONATE a box of 50 T-shirts and 50 Baseball caps all printed with his company logo from China, they were being donated to a poor school in the North for underpriviliged kids. The Thai Customs wanted over 300USD on a stated value of 110 USD!

[Bangkok Barry]

It would be normal to charge maximum tax on 'luxury' items. I believe that only 10 percent of Thais pay tax on earnings, so the government has to get money in somehow to fund 'wonderful' mega-projects such an already outdated before built high-speed rail network (Many countries already have trains running at 300kph and Thailand is wetting itself over getting ones that run at 200 kph many years from now.)

[tancred]

The amount of duty to be paid is at the discretion of the custom officer,got it.

[Suradit69]

23 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

just trying to extort money then…they know you are farang and "farang can pay"

 

did you describe the package as a 'gift' and value it at 20USD or so…and remove all price tags?

" just trying to extort money then…they know you are farang and "farang can pay" "

 

What are you talking about? The people being charged the customs duty are Thai. At least when you rush to Thai bash try to get the facts right.

[JHolmesJr]

if the OP wrote his name on the package then they would know its a farang….I guess.

 

never heard of duplicate receipt books?

[chrissables]

23 hours ago, Boristos Jaxon said:

They are trying to charge my Thai in law. They aren't farang

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They know a "farang" sent it, so the money will come from the "farang"

 

[williet98248]

On 11/7/2016 at 1:26 PM, Boristos Jaxon said:

It's just Ray Ban sunglasses and kids clothes

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The Thai Customs dept has assessed customs fees and the PO is the agent of collection.  It is hit and miss.  I get a package from the US about every two months.  Most come through no customs fees.  But once in a while I am dinged for customs charges.  Always for car and MC parts.

[natway09]

All countries charge duty + VAT on imported items. Get over it you dumb Ozzie

[louse1953]

14 hours ago, kannot said:

lost track  of  how  much  stuff ive  brought into  Thailand  in  baggage  and  never  stopped  in over  10  years, items  include hedge  cutters petrol,  leaf  blower  petrol all new.

I could never find anyone even if i was silly enough to declare.Green channel,ever time.80 kilo between 2,once.

[SOTIRIOS]

...under $100......no commercial value.......a gift..........are non-taxable all around the world one would think....

 

....more race-based gouging.....

 

...why I want a Thai to send my vitamins to a Thai.....

[robblok]

1 hour ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...under $100......no commercial value.......a gift..........are non-taxable all around the world one would think....

 

....more race-based gouging.....

 

...why I want a Thai to send my vitamins to a Thai.....

 

You should read the topic before you sprout of your usual dribble anti Thai dribble 

 

The people receiving it are Thai.  Postage alone was 90$ (I doubt there was for less then 10$ ) Duty is calculated on postage and content, i doubt the Rayban were 10$.. and if you pay 90$ postage.. one would assume there is more in it and if that more is clothes.. be prepared to pay a lot. 

[bumpkin]

Imports with a CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight)  value up to 1000 THB are exempt from duty and VAT.

Goods imported into Thailand are subject to VAT at a rate of 7% calculated over the CIF value plus any applicable duty.

Duty on sunglasses is 5%

[Argus Tuft]

20 hours ago, kannot said:

lost track  of  how  much  stuff ive  brought into  Thailand  in  baggage  and  never  stopped  in over  10  years, items  include hedge  cutters petrol,  leaf  blower  petrol all new.

Thanks for this meaningless bit of information, given the OP is specifically about charges on goods arriving into Thailand by post.

Well done to you for getting your gardening tools in. 

[IMA_FARANG]

I bet if you just  got rid of the Ray Bans and carried them with you  in your luggage the next time you came your customs duty would  have been  lot less than to m,ail them

Ray Bans are considered as a luxury item and they have a hefty tarrif customs duty for that reason.

Just "sunglasses" listed on the description when you mailed  the parcel would have been a lot cheaper.

You are paying for the brand name and the trademark.

 

[jolive]

So basically we will never know the total cost of the items that import from overseas until the items reaches and the post office send us the custom tax charges right?


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[sgtsabai]

I just returned from the post office and the exemption is 1,500 THB. I had bought a 72 USD cowboy hat, no Stetson 4X, but a working hat and the customs charged me 95% import duty. It did not come from the factory but from my attorney and a brief look at the semi-crushed box it appeared to have lost the US customs bill of laden. I filed an appeal and now have to wait about 2 weeks for a reply. The postal people were polite, I remembered to be although I was boiling inside, and helpful. Kudos to them. I had the picture and price of hat from the manufacture, not sure it looks the same as the picture anymore, along with the sales receipt. The customs people put a value of 241 USD on a 72 USD cowboy hat. Now I've had Stetson Silver Beaver 4X that was worth every bit that but not this hat. Customs also screwed me on some New Mexico Hatch Red Chile, Blue Corn Posole, and a couple of other food/spice items with a 50% "tax" or "duty" on 70 USD worth of product. I never had that happen before the change in "government". Just another "crackdown".

[balo]

I never paid tax for any of the packages I received from abroad. I order from Ebay and iHerb.com (vitamins) , and AliExpress.   Maybe just lucky ?  I always ask them to send as normal air package so I can pick up at Thailand post. 

[Crossy]

4 hours ago, jolive said:

So basically we will never know the total cost of the items that import from overseas until the items reaches and the post office send us the custom tax charges right?

 

For mixed bags of stuff sent by private individuals that's pretty much the case.

 

Items sent by companies skilled in export with proper customs documentation including tariff codes are much more predictable even if sent by the bane of our lives, couriers (FedEx, DHL, UPS etc.).