Customs cost . . .

[Checker66]

Have a 40 foot container of household goods arriving from Australia into Bangkok August 20th. After clearing customs goods will then be transported to Krabi where house is currently being built.
Have paid for door to door shipment however not for custom clearance. Have a AO non imm. visa. I am sure many of you have done this so I am after some idea of cost to clear 40 foot container of personal use goods through customs. I fully understand "tea money" etc., No Thai wife involved so no benefit there. Ball park figure would help.

[fwstallion]

Suggest you go to a midsize forwarding agency, it would be a lot easier.

[BaaBaa.]

I'd suggest he's already got it.

[hhfarang]

I think it's pretty much up to the whim of the customs inspector an what kind of bargain you (or preferably your shipping agent) can strike up with him. I did have ours shipped in the name of my returning Thai wife so no duty at all, but I've heard from others that if you have a shipper with a really good experienced representative to deal with customs on this end, you will pay much less than if you try to clear it yourself. A good shipping company will do all the customs negotiation for you and just tell you how much you need to pay. I've heard of people trying to do it by themselves and their whole shipment was held for a ransom that almost didn't make it worthwhile to collect... and things can also go missing in that case too.

Our receiving company was Hong Kong Transpack and they did everything in Bangkok and delivered the container to Hua Hin with the seal still intact.

[sjpthsuk]

It really will depend on the contents - there is a sheet out in the internet on the Customs page that shows what the tarriffs are for different items. As mentioned above it depends on the whim of the inspector who is looking at your case and whether he feels there is real value in what you are bringing in.

A few years back, I took a printer back into Thailand, after staying in Indonesia for a year, which i had purchased in Bangkok and was charged duty on it - when I showed the receipt for here, the response was it must be worth something to you if you are bringing back so I had to pay the duty on it.

[chaspul]

This was a statement to our Saudi shippers about 3 years ago concerning importing our household goods, this of course is subject to change as everything is in Thailand.
A little "greasing" was included in initial cost for both ends. Had a few phone calls from Bangkok conserning "double items" on the list as you are only allowed one of each tax free, camera/video camera is OK. Door to door with no extra costs, and no customs duty.
Have included HK transpack contact, found them to be very helpful.

THAI CUSTOMS INFORMATION ON IMPORTATION OF "USED PERSONAL EFFECTS" AND "USED HOUSEHOLD GOODS"
INTO THAILAND:
For foreigners (not holding Thai Passport), owner needs to have an One-Year Thai Work Permit (OA in my case) and shpt arrival at Bangkok Port within six months of owner's 1st arrival in Thailand on the Thai Non-Immigrant-B Visa to be eligible to import his Used Household Goods into Thailand on the Duty-Free basis.
Without One-Year Thai Work Permit, owner can import only his Used Clothes/Books
(Classified by Thai Customs as "Used Personal Effects") on the Duty-Free basis. But all other items
(Classified by Thai Customs as "Used Household Goods") such as electrical items, furniture,
kitchen ware, CD's, and, so on will be subject to full non-refundable Import Duties/Taxes. Thai
Customs Import Duties/Taxes on Used Household Goods items average approx 30% - 40% of
Thai Customs Assessed C.I.F. Value of the taxable items.

For Thai Citizens (holding Thai Passport), owner can import his/her Used Household Goods into
Thailand on the Duty-Free basis only if he/she has ALL the following qualifications:

1) owner is still holding the Thai Passport.

2) owner has been travelling in-and-out of Thailand and in-and-out of the Origin Country by using her
Thai Passport only.

3) owner has lived in the Origin Country at least one full year: counting only the time owner stayed there

4) during her stay in the Origin Country, owner has not come back to Thailand for more than 5 times, and, each owner did not stay in Thailand for more than 3 months each time

5) owner has some docs or stamp in owner passport showing that owner had the residence in the Origin Country: not just "staying as tourist".

6) shpt arrives at Bangkok Port within six months of owner return to Thailand.

7) owner has never imported any used household goods shpt into Thailand on the Duty-Free basis before.

pls advise owner NOT to pack any expired passports in the shpt because Thai Customs may require
to look at the expired passport too.

9) letter fm owner company certifying the period owner has been assigned to work in shpt origin country.

For "Diplomats", after (only after and not before) shpt arrival at Bangkok Port, owner office in Bangkok
has to apply for the Diplomatic Immunity on the shpt to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This process
normally takes approx 5 - 10 working days depending on the workload of the Thai Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. After Diplomatic Immunity approval has been received, our company will take another 2 working
days to complete the necessary Customs/Port Formalities, and, customs clearance. After that,

we can deliver shpt to owner residence. Thus, there would be some demurrage costs which are NOT
included in our above quoted dest rate.

According to Thai Customs Law, for customs clearance of shpt, we need to present owner's ORIGINAL
PASSPORT AND ORIGINAL ONE-YEAR THAI WORK PERMIT (OA Visa in my case) to Thai Customs Officials at time of customs clearance, otherwise, all items will be fully taxable.

After shpt arrival at Bangkok Airport/Port, and, after we receive owner's ORIGINAL Passport/Work Permit,
we need two working days to customs-clear shpt fm Bangkok Port, and, can deliver shpt to owner residence on the 3rd day

Pls inform owner that according to the Thai Customs Law, we need to present owner's
ORIGINAL PASSPORT (not copy) to Thai Customs Officials at time of customs clearance.
(posted mine recorded delivery from Hua Hin Main PO, 1day.)

Validity of this quote: within 90 days fm above date
Payment Term:
--FIDI Members: within 30 days upon receipt our invoice
--NON-FIDI: advance payment prior to delivery of the shipment

Consignee on the B/L & AWB should be: Owner's FULL Name (exactly same as owner passport) c/o owner's organisation with address in Thailand or just owner's address in Thailand

Notify: Owner full name c/o Hong Kong Transpack Co., Ltd., 59/44, Soi 26, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110,
Thailand, Tel: 02-258 6827

DESCRIPTION ON AWB/OBL SHOULD BE: USED PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS
Pls ship this shpt upto Lat Krabang Terminal (Bangkok) ONLY. Pls DO NOT ship to Bangkok Main Port (P.A.T.)
or to any other ICD's (around Bangkok) such as TPT, BMT, BDS, SCT, etc.
which may also be called Bangkok Port by the shipping companies.

Pls declare only 1,240 kgs/20' as the weight of this shpt on the Ocean B/L although the true actual weight of the shpt may be much higher than 1,240 kgs/20'. Pls show only 1,240 kgs/20' on the OBL.
This is to facilitate customs clearance of shpt at our end. (they will not open the container)

Sincerely hope you find our quoted rate competitive.
If you need more info on this quote, pls feel free to ctc us.
Many thanks/best regards,

Krit Wong
Hong Kong Transpack
59/44, Soi 26, Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110, THAILAND
TEL: 66-2-258 6827, 66-2-259 0088 EXT. 26
FAX; 66-2-258 5281, 66-2-260 1825
MOBILE: 66-81-315 3350

[littlebird]

I paid about 2000 tea money. Of course you don't have to pay anything but they can decide to hold the consignment for 'checking' and charge you a daily storage rate.

[dtaai-maai]

I'm sure the OP would have been very grateful for all this advice when he asked for it 2 months ago!