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Foreign business leaders call on Thailand to end its ‘red tape’ madness


webfact

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2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Foreigners are allowed to import a container full of their personal possessions, when moving here. A friend of mine did this. It required 26 months and nearly 30 visits to the appropriate ministries. He said he was constantly being approached by staffers, asking him if they could help him "fast track" the process. He consistently refused. He finally got his stuff released. Red tape is an under statement. Reams of paperwork. Gross inefficiency. 

Hope it didn't take 26 months to get your personal effects released? Makes me a bit worried as my Container arrives end of this month. If you had and problems getting your Container released then would appreciate you extrapolating on problem(s) encountered. 

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13 minutes ago, peterpaintpot said:

Well my experience was quite different, I arrived from England 14 years ago on the 26th of this month, my household effects and other property arrived in a container a few weeks later, I  was using the bulk space in the container so other small shipments could have been put in for another unknown. ....

Three years ago, I did sent my stuff from Belgium to Thailand.

It was only 5 cubic meter I needed (75 large boxes in total), so it was sent as part of a container.

The movers collected the stuff at my home and even secured/protected the fragile stuff (like my large screen TV), then took it to a warehouse in Rotterdam, waiting for a full load container to ship the stuff to Singapore - first stop - and then to Bangkok.  Approx 1 week after it arrived in Bangkok, a truck stopped at my place in KhunHan (650 km trip), and unloaded everything.

The whole process took almost 3 months from collection in Belgium to delivery in Khunhan, Thailand.  But nothing was missing or damaged, and I was never confronted with customs.  The cost was also more than reasonable > approx 55.000 THB all-in.

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27 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

Hope it didn't take 26 months to get your personal effects released? Makes me a bit worried as my Container arrives end of this month. If you had and problems getting your Container released then would appreciate you extrapolating on problem(s) encountered. 

You probably know by now that I commented on the same post as you did and I would like to help you with advice on your shipment. However I don't know why mine went so smoothly, it could be down to the shipping agent so at this stage there would be nothing for you to do, too late. I think taking a Thai friend with you if you have to meet the agent, one who is softly spoken but very firm and politely unyielding. However I have a suspicious mind ( a good thing if you live in Thailand ) and I cannot ignore my suspicion that there was something a bit iffy about the container load in the first post and the customs were trying to use their suspicion to get more money out of the farang. Just a suspicion.

 

Those are my thoughts, maybe something helps. I hope it all go smoothly for you.

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There is some hope. The Thai passport office is highly computerised and incredibly efficient. No photocopies of any documents are required. Instead your original documents are electronically scanned in by the staff member. Digital photos, electronic fingerprints, iris scan and electronic signature.

 

Everything is highly optimised, with the minimum of everything required or produced. Passports arrive by EMS 2 days later.

 

If the passport office can do it for millions of customers each year from multiple offices around the country then it must be possible for other departments to follow suit.

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20 hours ago, colinneil said:

Thailand to end its red tape madness.... Dream on, it will never happen.

Every civil servant, and even the uncivil servants enjoy red tape, they would be totally lost without everything being copied many many times.

Without out all that nonsense what ever would they find to do all day?

Stairing out the window, that is common practice for civil servants....day in day out.

 

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4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Foreigners are allowed to import a container full of their personal possessions, when moving here. A friend of mine did this. It required 26 months and nearly 30 visits to the appropriate ministries. He said he was constantly being approached by staffers, asking him if they could help him "fast track" the process. He consistently refused. He finally got his stuff released. Red tape is an under statement. Reams of paperwork. Gross inefficiency. 

He had to pay custom on that? As far as i have hear you must be a thai returnee back to Thailand in order to avoid the custom or tax. Not a foreinger. Is that wrong?

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I recall a story a few months whereby Thailand was being cited as one of the easiest Countries to set up a business. The story was hard to believe at the time, now we have confirmation to dispel such a myth... Thailand is till stuck in the 20th Century (some would say 19th C), lol... won't admit it... 

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On 11/17/2020 at 2:25 PM, webfact said:

Foreign business leaders call on Thailand to end its ‘red tape’ madness

This headline alone is pretty damning of the Thai " friendly Business " Model.

Not just one Chamber of Commerce, but pretty much all of them coming out together to fire a warning shot across the Bows of Thai government.

For sure, if things do not change , and in swift order, there will be Businesses moving out of Thailand to more Business Orientated Countries. This has been a wake up call, that could have huge impacts upon Thailand.

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2 hours ago, peterpaintpot said:

Well my experience was quite different, I arrived from England 14 years ago on the 26th of this month, my household effects and other property arrived in a container a few weeks later, I  was using the bulk space in the container so other small shipments could have been put in for another unknown. One day i received a call from the shipping agent who asked me to send my passport to him so he could get my goods through customs. I wasn't happy about sending my passport anywhere so my wife booked an appointment for us at his office in Bangkok.

Before we went I gave the missus 10 thou baht in case any tea money was required. At the appropriate time in the meeting my wife gave me the signal and I excused myself and went to the Gents. A little later I went back everything was complete the agent was happy and we left. after we left the building I asked, " What did that cost/" The reply "Nothing" "What nothing?"  "Yes he was a katoey and I always get on very with them" !!. A few days later the container arrived, nothing was missing.

Yes, it matters who you get.  We were helping friends import their dogs and cats.  We were instructed to pay B6K.   We later found a guy that was cheaper.   A Thai-Chinese woman coming back from vet school had to pay B24K.   Who you know or get matters in Thailand.  I have heard endless stories.   

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This is really great news, because it shows that some people are seriously concerned about the unnecessary "red tape" and that the Gov't of Thailand is actually listening.

 

We would love to do business here, and it may even result in a relaxation of such draconian policies such as 90 day reporting, etc. because business people do not move their place of business, or residence that frequently.

 

Let's hope and pray that this comes to fruition, fingers crossed!

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5 hours ago, Jen65 said:

Hope it didn't take 26 months to get your personal effects released? Makes me a bit worried as my Container arrives end of this month. If you had and problems getting your Container released then would appreciate you extrapolating on problem(s) encountered. 

His biggest problem was that he included his BMW motorbike, which is allowed. But, it was stupid complicated. 

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5 hours ago, peterpaintpot said:

Well my experience was quite different, I arrived from England 14 years ago on the 26th of this month, my household effects and other property arrived in a container a few weeks later, I  was using the bulk space in the container so other small shipments could have been put in for another unknown. One day i received a call from the shipping agent who asked me to send my passport to him so he could get my goods through customs. I wasn't happy about sending my passport anywhere so my wife booked an appointment for us at his office in Bangkok.

Before we went I gave the missus 10 thou baht in case any tea money was required. At the appropriate time in the meeting my wife gave me the signal and I excused myself and went to the Gents. A little later I went back everything was complete the agent was happy and we left. after we left the building I asked, " What did that cost/" The reply "Nothing" "What nothing?"  "Yes he was a katoey and I always get on very with them" !!. A few days later the container arrived, nothing was missing.

Most important question is did the wife give you the money back or did it cost you in the end ? ????

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4 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

Most important question is did the wife give you the money back or did it cost you in the end ? ????

 

No, I got it all back. Sad to say that phase didn't last long and she borrowed against our land and defaulted. The legal action went all the way to the Supreme Court and I won. Everybody that I knew in Thailand, Thais and from all other nations told me at the start that I had no chance - but they were all wrong. But you do need an exceptionally smart lawyer.

Before you ask a further question, the answer is yes I kicked her out as soon as the papers from the court arrived.

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