Are DHL packages always opened by Customs?

[jojothai]

10 minutes ago, sjbrownderby said:

DHL will also make a 'handling charge' if they have to collect VAT and import charges on behalf of the government. The handling charge is also subject to VAT. So, it is in the interest of DHL to find a way to make charges applicable. The last (and only time) I received a package through DHL the handling charge was 200 THB + 14 THB VAT. I do not know if the handling charge is fixed or based on a sliding scale.

 

I normally get a demand to go and pay at a specific DHL center that you have to find.

Yes, I remember there was a small charge for processing. I dont recall it being as much as that.

[Crazy Noobie]

Every month I have my medicine mailed to me by FedEx from the USA and I have had no issues at all. This has been going on for over three years now. I did my research and found out that you can have up to a 30 day supply per medicine, not more. Also I had to have a Doctor letter stating that I take the following medicines and they all had to be listed in the letter. The letter needs to be included with the medicine. Then on the customs paper on the outside of the package, it had to say "Doctor Approved Medicine, less then 30 days" and I would show no value. None of my packages have ever been opened and never received any additional custom charges. Every month, just like clock work, I received my medicine. I had a total of 4 different meds in the package. There is a catch, not all medicine can be brought into the county. I had to get with a government agency in Bangkok that had a list of medicine that couldn't be brought in. For example Oxycodine. All of my medicines were on their approved list, so I had no issues. If I wanted to bring in, say Oxycodine, they told me I had to fill out paperwork and I would receive some type of license that would allow me to only bring in a 30 day supply for one month only. All of this is my experience only, so I don't know if there are other rules or what? When I took a flight from USA to Thailand last year, I brought a lot of my medicine with me and a letter from the Doctor. No one checked or even cared at all. Maybe I was lucky I don't know.

[rwill]

I have not had any of mine opened.  Keeping the value below 1,500 baht and less than 2 kilos weight will avoid scrutiny by customs.

[yankyoakum]

I am in this boat, I had DS bariatric surgery 2013 an it worked great, No more Lipitor, I do not absorb fats now.. but I have to take Bariatric Vitamins for the rest of my life...Retired here last October and finally am running out of meds I brought.. These are not available in country anywhere so far.....Fascino does not carry them..Went to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, they don't have either but they wrote me a statement for DHL as customs are holding my vitamins, These are not prescription, I get them from Amazon.  What is the best way to send these, USPS I have one thats been in transit for 5 weeks now, its somewhere in Thailand..My 2 bottles send DHL are maybe in process?? They came and got my cert from hospital Friday. I have even just now tried to order a different brand from iHerb... Thats a concern, I know the ones I take work, Celebrate ADEK... not sure about any others. My son put vitamins on the customs form in USA, should he have said supplements instead? The DHL cost 150 USD, 850 Baht for letter from doctor at hospital and I think 1000 baht handling fee from DHL so far for vitamins that are 23 bucks for 90 pills... Any advice highly appreciated 

[phetpeter]

Never deal with DHL or Fed Ex unless the offer includes all taxes and duty paid. Kerry logistics seem to be much better and just as fast. Send via Ems or tracked postal services and put in Thai wife's name it will sale right through. Put in you own name that is the first flag! Friend ordered a large bag of PG tips from UK, the idiot sent it by DHL, they charged him 5000 baht customs and other related charges, in the end he managed to get 2500 baht refund for a bag of tea bags cost 2O pounds!, then cheeky DHL delivered to Phetchabun by freelance driver

[Seeall]

On 6/7/2020 at 5:55 AM, CharlieH said:

You are heading for potential problems. Not declaring is illegal and fraudulent. If discovered you may hit all sorts of problems.

They will make up there own costs and charges if you dont declare and state otherwise. 

 

Your call, but not something I would do.

Just remember they dont need to be opened as most if not all are conveyor belted through scanners. Something declared as "Docs" and then something else is detected and a red flag is going up ! (IMHO)

They make it up depending on how needy  they are ......

[phetpeter]

23 minutes ago, yankyoakum said:

Any advice highly appreciated

Try getting your Meds from Cambodia, or contact the company manufacturer direct

[Taxi]

I've had more issues with DHL than all  other carriers combined. Given a choice I would use anyone but DHL. 

[AAArdvark]

I had 125 baht item come through DHL.  Went to customers and I could not get unless I went to swampy from cm.  I abandoned it.

[Pedrogaz]

I've had meds sent here for over 10 years. I have them kept in the original packs from the pharmacy and sent via EMS or recorded delivery. My son writers 'prescription medicines' on the customs declaration and zero value (although to buy them here is about 20,000 baht).

In ten years I might have received 120 packs, none have ever been opened. I am careful to keep copies of the prescriptions handy in case I travel or there is any issue in importing them.

[Sheryl]

Unless contraband uis suspected customs does nto usually open packages. If they cannot determine from the declaration what the item is/what duty to charge they will ask you to come down in person and then open it in front of them, happened to me several times.

 

However for medication, which is technically illegal to receive by mail, sending by DHL or other courier guarantees you will not get it. The courier will call you asking for a copy of an FDA license that you do nto have and after lots of back and forth the package will be returned to sender or destroyed by customs.

 

Have it sent by regular air mail. If the quantity is small customs usually lets it through, though it is still technically not legal. (Do NOT do this if ti is a controlled drug, though)

 

Never, ever, ever send meds by a courier.  In fact other than documents best never to send anything by a courier. But meds in particular will nto get through.

 

Are you certain this is not available in Thailand under a different brand name, pr a similiar drug available? There usually is, it is rare for something to be totally unavailable in Thailand with no similiar alternative. Note that brand names here differ and pharmacy staff will often just say "no have" if you don:t ask by local brand name.

[Proboscis]

On 6/7/2020 at 5:37 AM, CharlieH said:

You will get charged import and processing fees ! 

Couriers are a bad idea unless its urgent and you dont mind the charges.

Or Covid-19 means that there is no other way of getting your meds except a courier!

[chilly07]

That's why I stopped using DHL as letters arrived torn open and taped up. I use normal track and trace post office services to and from UK. Very reliable!

[Tropposurfer]

I've had about 5 DHL's delivered in Thailand and they were never opened.

[Bogbrush]

OP - FYI, this is what I posted last week in answer to a similar thread...

 

As I have posted before, my problems with sourcing prescription meds here are threefold; price (Xarelto 4 times more expensive) quantity (Bilocor only sold in packs of 100) and availability (Zolpidem/sleeping pills virtually unavailable, and when located were 90 baht a tab).

I therefore went the ‘Import’ route by (1) asking my overseas doctor for a scrip (2) getting a friend to collect/package (3) using a reputable forwarding agent with a correspondent in Thailand.

The result: 4 months of meds arrived within a week to my door - no duty, due to value declared (see Commercial Invoice below).

 

Give it a go - but you MUST use a decent agent who knows the ropes and corresponds with his counterpart in LoS.

[ICECOOL]

They do not always open DHL. I received an item from China. Marked $30.Not opened and no customs duty

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Proboscis said:

Or Covid-19 means that there is no other way of getting your meds except a courier!

They just restarted international postal service. Can use EMS.

[TooBigToFit]

I ordered three bottles of potassium supplements through iherb and the package wasn't opened. No problem getting through. My Amazon purchases always get through without being opened as well.

[Pdavies99]

On 6/6/2020 at 11:42 PM, ezzra said:

DHL FedEx and others will always scan/open all packages and tax and VAT them even items valued under $50, as for meds, best to enclose and have extra copy of doctor's prescription if any or a pharmacy receipt to show the value of said items... also best to send either EMS or other past postal deliveries stay away for the Couriers companies when possible...

Quite correct, it's always best to find out what delivery service will be used at the Thailand end! For example using the UK postal service "Royal Mail" the delivery in Thailand  is the standard Thai Post service, and if Express or Registered I never ever have had an issue, in fact even standard post is okay.  Of course, it helps to make sure your Thai wife etc, has a cordial attitude with the postman!

 

Even posting to UK, it is only about 89 baht for registered post by Thai post, you can track even to the time delivered in the UK and takes normally about 3-4 days.

 

If you want potential problems , then DHL and FED EXPRESS will give you everything you want, ie Import charges etc.

 

 

[ericthai]

On 6/6/2020 at 6:48 PM, Why Me said:

Charlie, are you saying they always open? My plan is have about a dozen strips put in a package with a prescription and some other docs (nothing to do with meds).

 

The meds are not going to be declared at the sending DHL office. But if the parcel gets opened then the prescription tells them it's all legit. But then I think the meds will get confiscated anyway because they are not Thai FDA approved.

 

I was thinking of taking a chance if it came under the radar but if they always open then I don't want to lose the expensive sending fee and the cost of the meds.

Also you need a license to "import" medications. So that can become an issue! 

If not really needed I wouldn't have it sent, if customs finds it either you are going to pay big or they are going to confiscate it. 

[scoupeo]

Customs do not check all DHL parcels, but DHL checks and tax parcels on behalf of customs 100% of the time.

 

Any idea why they are allowed to import faster when no customs in the world can check more than 5% of any parcels received ?

 

Did you think that the only reason is that they have faster planes ? 

 

????

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by scoupeo

[unblocktheplanet]

On 6/7/2020 at 3:55 AM, AlexRich said:

No. Only if the package is suspicious. No issue if the meds are legit.

Well, yes & no. All couriers act as Customs brokers. It's in their interest to make you pay, if possible, even if you legitimately don't owe. It's a pain to claim those fees back. In my long experience, it's always better to usethe Post. There's not much difference in cost for regular airmail & EMS from overseas, if the tracking gives you any sense of security.

 

Second point. It is illegal to import prescription medicines even if your overseas doc mails them with his own hands. Even on one's person, I believe prescription meds are limited to a 30-day supply. In practice, they'rey're rarely stopped and never seized. I know this because I'm on several compounded meds that are not available in Thailand (nor are there compounding pharmacies).

 

Any import is not charged duty if the value is B1,500 or less. In practice, almost all parcels under $100 are not given much attention.

 

I just received an 8kg EMS box of my annual supply of vitamin supplements from the US as I won't be visiting family this year. Declared value $145. Charged VAT of just over B1,000.

[unblocktheplanet]

On 6/8/2020 at 3:06 PM, TooBigToFit said:

I ordered three bottles of potassium supplements through iherb and the package wasn't opened. No problem getting through. My Amazon purchases always get through without being opened as well.

I just discovered iHerb after my sister mailed my supplements. When you order from Amazon, are shipping charges killer?

[lopburi3]

12 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I just discovered iHerb after my sister mailed my supplements. When you order from Amazon, are shipping charges killer?

Can't answer for Amazon but another alternative is using Shopee or Lazada local merchants reselling already imported products.  Price will be a bit higher than direct import but often much less than local shops charge and no issues of delayed shipments or customs charges.  

Edited June 13, 2020 by lopburi3

[from the home of CC]

On 6/7/2020 at 8:41 AM, WorriedNoodle said:

My Mrs just got some herbal supplement liquid in a bottle for 30USD from iHerb shop online in USA sent by DHL this week. Not opened, no extra charges.

I had some sent 3 weeks ago and the tracking said it entered here June 3 and it's not here yet. First time I've ordered from there, is the delivery time usual or has it lengthened due to the virus? 

[Bogbrush]

Could I have the source, please?

39 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

 

Second point. It is illegal to import prescription medicines even if your overseas doc mails them with his own hands. Even on one's person, I believe prescription meds are limited to a 30-day supply.