Import Duty Into Thailand From Us?

[jbsears]

I want to purchase some eyeglasses online in the US and have them shipped here in Thailand. Including shipping costs, the glasses are about 3000 Baht cheaper online than in stores here. The website says that I may have to pay import duty depending on the country. Does anybody know if I have them shipped FedEx or something like that, what will the import tax be? Is there a way to ship them here without paying any import duty?

Would appreciate any suggestions.

By the way if the price needs to be known to figure it out, the glasses are approximately 8000 Baht online.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I want to purchase some eyeglasses online in the US and have them shipped here in Thailand. Including shipping costs, the glasses are about 3000 Baht cheaper online than in stores here. The website says that I may have to pay import duty depending on the country. Does anybody know if I have them shipped FedEx or something like that, what will the import tax be? Is there a way to ship them here without paying any import duty?

Would appreciate any suggestions.

By the way if the price needs to be known to figure it out, the glasses are approximately 8000 Baht online.

In reality Thai Customs can provide a completely arbitary amount for you to pay. Stating the value of the item makes no difference. They tend to put duty onto everything that is shipped through Fed-Ex, DHL, etc. If you send it by standard mail then there is a very good chance of not paying any tax - especially at this time of year.

[Tywais]

I order electronic components nearly monthly from the US and use USPS Express mail and haven't been hit by customs yet. These are items you expect to be hit. Maybe lucky, but that is over several years. However DHL, FedEx etc. have been bit by customs but arbitrarily.

[ProThaiExpat]

I don't mean to question your shopping ability but I have bought many glasses here from Top Charoen and they have never cost that much. Perhaps with tinting, glare resistence, designer frames, etc. you can get the price higher here than in the U.S. However, do consider shipping as well. Most shops, particulary Top Charoen are happy with half of the sticker price for the frames and about 1000 baht for the lenses, depending on what you have done to them.

My experience with FedEx, while reliable, always involves duty. I was told by a relaiable source, that FedEx has the entire shipment assessed the duty and then aportions the duty among the packages, disregarding the value of the item shipped. Individual duty assessment is perhaps not practical when shipping huger planes full. After all, why would documents be assesed unless it was a batch assesment process.

I have found the U.S. Mails to be the easiest to use and the least likely to involve customs. In fact, I haven't paid duty any time I used the mails, but always FedEx.

In ordering online, I do have to shop around to find a vendor that will mail you your goods. Usually they have a shipping department that is set up for FedEx type shippers and can't be bothered with the U.S. Mail. Others just won't ship to Thailand. I then have it mailed to a friend, who re-mails it to me and the total cost is always cheaper than FedEx and only a couple of days longer in time. The average FedEx to Chiang Mai is seven days, ten days for the mail from the U.S.

Many online vendors have free mailing or shipping within the U.S., so if a friend re-mails glasses for instance, the International Priority U.S. Mail is 9USD for 2 pounds or less.

My understanding is that duty is not assesed if the value is declared to be 25 USD or less. Clearly, your friend can "declare" the real value to him as being wholesale and with a scratch or the like, the value would be considerably less.

Good luck. I know many will post that the Thai mail service is undependable and things get lost, but so far I haven't had any problems and I have even ordered from China and had it sent by boat.

I was shcoked to learn that many Chinese Cities have as many as 30 or more Western Union offices.

I ordered a crock pot from China and even with the 10USD wire fee with Western Union, I brought the order to my door through China Mail for one quarter less than the retail apllicance store price.

The price retail here was 2000 Baht, and I would have bought it without thinking about it had I known it was available at this one appliance store before I ordered it from China.

[goldenmile]

I don't mean to question your shopping ability

thats a compliment for a man

[Old Croc]

Everyone is very complimentary here.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Everyone is very complimentary here.

I'm sure that you'll change that!

[jbsears]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just have it posted free to my family and then have it posted here. If it wasn't for the advice, I probably would have had it sent FedEx and ended up being taxed.

[Old Croc]

Everyone is very complimentary here.

I'm sure that you'll change that!

Why would you say that?

[Maestro]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just have it posted free to my family and then have it posted here. If it wasn't for the advice, I probably would have had it sent FedEx and ended up being taxed.

My additional advice: if it weighs less than 2 kg (about 4 pounds), have your family send it as letter post, not parcel post, and they should stick the postal form CN22 (customs declaration) on it, duly filled out and signed. The description of the goods could be something like “lenses for personal use”

---------------

Maestro

[Meerkat]

I had two pairs repaired in HK last month and forgot to pick them up before I flew back. A mate Fed-Exed them here for me and I had to pay THB 500 duty when they turned up. Reckon it was just an arbitrary amount.

[barryofthailand]

I've used Fed Ex in the past to order contact lenses which could not be made in Thailand. Have the shipper put for personal use only on the air bill and you will not get charged any duty.

Barry

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Everyone is very complimentary here.

I'm sure that you'll change that!

Why would you say that?

No reason mate

Don't read anything into it!