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How to receive a laptop without being ripped off with "import tax".


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Someone wants to send me a laptop from Canada.  (An individual, not a company - and they're flexible about how to send it, and how to describe it on the packet).

 

When I Googled Thai import tax - I nearly fell of my chair!  Up to 60%, and some people have talked about 80%!.  I don't mind paying around 10% if  have to... but how do I avoid extortionate fees?  I've heard that electronic goods are exempt - but some people are still being charged.

I did consider taking a flight to Malaysia, booking a hotel, and receiving it there - and avoiding the hassle.

 

(BTW... I did search forums... and I even noticed a similar thread recently... but less confusing to ask about MY specific situation here.  So don't flame me for not searching first).

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I was talking to  customs officer,while picking

some stuff up at airport,asked her about tax

on PC's ,she said none,just 7% VAT, ?,not sure

if she thought I would import from China as thats

where the stuff I was picking up was from,if you

have it sent by courier,Fedex,etc you will be ripped off

with all kinds of charges.

regards Worgeordie

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4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I was talking to  customs officer,while picking some stuff up at airport,asked her about tax

on PC's ,she said none,just 7% VAT, ?,not sure if she thought I would import from China as thats

where the stuff I was picking up was from,if you have it sent by courier,Fedex,etc you will be ripped off

with all kinds of charges.

regards Worgeordie

 

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

Do a search on the forum, recent thread about this.

No import tax on laptops, just the 7% VAT.

a hahahahahahaha :cheesy:

 

Many just have someone flying into Thailand unbox it and bring it in as if it were their Personal Laptop.

 

Others may trust their luck with DHL or FedEx believing the total cost won't exceed the fees they estimate and will actually smooth the paperwork (the package won't get trapped in Customs or have a larger fee tagged to it).

 

Oh EDIT to add this recent-ish link

 

Import tax on a new computer/tablet shipped from overseas?
By wpcoe, August 2, 2017 in IT and Computers 

Edited by RichCor
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I am watching the other thread.  And thanks for confirming only 7%.  Having someone fly from Canada is likely not an option.  (Though as I said in my initial post - I was considering receiving it in Malaysia - and flying into Thailand with it).

 

@RichCor... That's the problem- I have to trust to LUCK.  We all know it SHOULD be just 7% fee - but there's still the possibility that Thai customs will ask for a higher fee.  Thai institutions make it up as they go along - they don't seem to follow rational processes or rules.  Then what do I do? - if they insist on adding 70-80% of the laptop's new value.  (Technically it's second-hand - though almost new).  If I refuse to pay will it be returned to sender? ... Will the sender have to pay extra then?

 

Has anyone actually used a courier that quoted the 7% tax - and that's what they got charged?

Edited by 234872_1469957439
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The other day I had to buy a new laptop, the motherboard died on my old Asus and I took to Asus service and they told me it would take awhile to get a new motherboard as my old model was from Canada and it was going to cost allot, was going to wait until I went back to Canada in May and buy it there, but after priced comparasion, I found it was about 5,000 Baht cheaper buying it hear instead of personally bringing it back from Canada in my luggage.  Also buying it hear is much easier for warranty repair.  Unless you plan to return to Canada soon, I would suggest buying it here.

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Three years ago a friend of mine, at his insistence, attempted to courier my lap top to me in Chiang Mai from Canada using FedEx.

Long story short, I never received the lap top and it was returned to my home address, (after over 25 email exchanges with FedEx in Canada, and my friends dogged pursuit) three months later with FedEx reversing all charges. 

It started with an email from FedEx / Customs? stating I was to pay a undetermined amount of tax and duty and pick the lap top in BKK. It only got worse from there with them telling me to mail my passport to them, and including having me go to Chiang Mai airport were the customs agent said the phone number was not in Thailand and that this was a scam he had seen many times before.

Do not courier anything into Thailand. 

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Dont do it, just buy here. 

 

Its luck of the draw when it comes to Thai customs import tax. Theres no chart you can cross reference against so you will be charged whatever they want on the day of collection. 

 

They will have to remove the battery in Canada so theres another expense too. 

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5 hours ago, dsj said:

I would suggest buying it here.

For a run-of-the mill laptop such as Asus, Apple, Dell, Microsoft etc... I'd buy it here.  But this is a laptop not many people would have heard of - and the company don't even ship it to Thailand.  There will be very few of these - if any - in Asia.  A System 76 Galogo Pro.  A linux laptop.

 

... So basically - would I be better off booking a hotel in Malaysia for a few days?, receiving it there? - and just carrying back as my luggage?  It's a hassle - when I'd rather just receive it here and pay 7%.  (Also this puts my o-visa application on-hold for a little longer while I faff around leaving the country again)

 

To clarify...

 

A. Is the problem that stuff gets held up at customs and the Thai officials  slap random extra charges on?

or B. That the Courier Agents attempt to scam you?

Edited by 234872_1469957439
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I've no idea about the Canadian postal service but if it's any good, use them to send the laptop to Thailand. Goods received here via the overseas & Thai postal service are rarely subject to the tax rip-offs that come from the couriers. It will take a little longer but it's worth the wait.

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Just now, khunken said:

I've no idea about the Canadian postal service but if it's any good, use them to send the laptop to Thailand. Goods received here via the overseas & Thai postal service are rarely subject to the tax rip-offs that come from the couriers. It will take a little longer but it's worth the wait.

Thanks for the tip.  I didn't realise that standard postal service would be different.

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4 minutes ago, RichCor said:

Standard Postal may be subject to VAT and Customs Hold.

If the package is insured, expect to get hit with charges.

7% Vat is fair enough.  What is the Customs Hold charge?  Or what charges are we talking about?  (I would be nice to know the charges on the outset... not have them sprung on me prior to delivery).

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I'm just wondering what is it with importing computers from Canada or USA?  Makes absolutely no sense, since the are all manufactured in China or Taiwan, and can be most probably bought in Thailand far cheaper than US/Canada. Am I missing a crucial technical point here?

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4 minutes ago, koo said:

I'm just wondering what is it with importing computers from Canada or USA?  Makes absolutely no sense, since the are all manufactured in China or Taiwan, and can be most probably bought in Thailand far cheaper than US/Canada. Am I missing a crucial technical point here?

Not missing any technical point, in fact there is no point to your post all. What facts have you to support "can be most probably ", have you even been to Thailand?

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13 minutes ago, koo said:

I'm just wondering what is it with importing computers from Canada or USA?  Makes absolutely no sense, since the are all manufactured in China or Taiwan, and can be most probably bought in Thailand far cheaper than US/Canada. Am I missing a crucial technical point here?

Price, often things are even cheaper in The Netherlands harddrives cost 1000 bt cheaper at times (talking about 6tb ones). Its like prices in Thailand are often higher.. but it makes no sense as VAT is lower here.. and the transport cost Asia to Asia also.. so someone is making a bigger profit (cant tell you where as I don't know)

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On 2 March 2018 at 4:40 PM, koo said:

I'm just wondering what is it with importing computers from Canada or USA?  Makes absolutely no sense, since the are all manufactured in China or Taiwan, and can be most probably bought in Thailand far cheaper than US/Canada. Am I missing a crucial technical point here?

Yes.  As stated before - this is not a run-of-the-mill laptop.  It's unlikely you'll find many of these in Asia.  Google it.  System 76 Galago Pro.  

Edited by 234872_1469957439
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On 2 March 2018 at 10:54 AM, misterphil said:

They will have to remove the battery in Canada so theres another expense too. 

Are you sure?  I know that you can't send batteries by themselves.  (I once had problems ordering a battery for a Macbook Pro).  But I thought sending a laptop containing a battery was ok.

Can anyone else confirm?

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On 3/2/2018 at 2:48 PM, 234872_1469957439 said:

To clarify...

 

A. Is the problem that stuff gets held up at customs and the Thai officials  slap random extra charges on?

or B. That the Courier Agents attempt to scam you?

Both.....

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A few months ago I had good experience of using DHL to ship a Notebook back to my company in the UK for software related issues. Then this was returned to me in Thailand, plus a replacement (as the original was too old for the updates), a refurbished Notebook. This 2nd notebook was shipped with its' battery.

 

I had placed a value of Bt5k on the 1st computer and DHL UK charged a normal 20% UK VAT rate on this import. Then both computers were shipped back to Thailand, again by DHL. There was a delay of about a day at Thai customs before the package reached me. The charge came to approx. Bt700, which was VAT (7%) of Bt500 (on Bt5k cost + Bt2k freight) + 'disbursements' of Bt200. They seemed to have missed the 2nd computer in the package (a value of Bt4k was indicated on the paperwork) as the charge was based only on the returned 1st computer.

 

Just my recent experience. Was happy with how DHL performed. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Do any of you happen to know if there is Duty on Cell Phones in Thailand?

I purchased a replacement phone online and using the shipping company MyUS.com who seem to be pretty strict with putting the exact value on each package. They also allow me to choose between DHL, UPS, and FedEx.

So my total order comes up to $489. I was informed there might be duty and sales tax and it might be high. So I have two questions. First is this true and second, if I pay the tax will I get it back when I leave the country next month at the airport? Thanks. 

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50 minutes ago, i claudius said:

DO NOT SEND ANYTHING WITH FEDEX ETC . had some stuff sent from my brothers co once.they just tried to rip me off for more and more .in the end told them to keep it as it was not worth the effort.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

So FedEx is bad? How did they try to rip you off? 

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