UPS demands a TISI license to import black lights from Amazon?

[thai dweller]

Hello!

 

I purchased a lot of stuff from Amazon and the box got stuck in Bangkok customs upon arrival.

UPS is asking me to provide a TISI import license for this item: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FSZGP1Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Long story short, they also told me that this license is impossible to get for a private person and if I want them to remove this item from the box, I'll have to wait 30 days for customs officer permission (and I'll have to pay UPS for storage for these 30 days).

 

Has anyone been in this situation before? Why the hell do I need an import license for a pair of black lights in the first place? It's not like I ordered a batch of them for resale.

My other concern, what the hell is with these 30 days "waiting to abandon item" period?

Edited November 25, 2020 by thai dweller

[uncleP]

Nothing to do with ups ask to provide customs paperwork. Provide pics of the specs and state it's for personal use or order from aliexpress for $15 

[ukrules]

Yeah, you have a customs problem, not a UPS problem.

[onebir]

2 hours ago, thai dweller said:

Why the hell do I need an import license for a pair of black lights in the first place?

Useable for growing marijuana??

[Heng]

I'd say it's a customs + UPS problem.... they (and DHL, Fedex, etc.) in my OPINION operate in a kind of symbiotic parasitic relationship here.  Any 'interesting' package results in a customs red flag.   Red flags require a customs broker (which comes with fees payable to UPS, DHL, Fedex, etc.) to handle the paperwork for you... "if it's inconvenient to swing by the Bangkok airport to handle this yourself."  (you know, in case you live in Chiang Rai, Ubon, Phuket... ).   The next step in the two step is that there will either be a seizure/discard order because the product doesn't conform to whatever law (again, all legal) OR a duty to be levied (so it's either free goods OR revenue for the customs department).   Nothing illegal going on here.  The only folks that lose out are the people ordering 'interesting' things online.   Just had a $X00 pair of snowboard boots end up costing me around 2-3 times as much because I had a bottle of over the counter ibuprofen shipped along with them.  (no license to import medication... although it seemed more like someone in the customs department was dreaming about shredding some powder).   

Edited November 26, 2020 by Heng
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[treetops]

13 hours ago, thai dweller said:

Why the hell do I need an import license for a pair of black lights in the first place?

 

I think the TISI License is a standards based approval of the goods in question.  They don't want you burning down your home because you bought a cheap UV light from China.  It's the sellers fault IMO, not UPS or Customs, who it appears are going by the book.

[Calvin1976]

UV light need import license here as per the rule.

Last year, my company custom agent informed me about similar UV light need TISI NSW license for import to Thailand.

But this portable UV light was part of my NDT machine of this shipment, so get the agent to remove this from the list and provide machine manual to justify it.

Only subjected to normal import tax, no additional license needed.

[thai dweller]

Ok, so the customs officer wanted a 15,000 THB bribe to let my package through. Greedy <deleted>.

I decided to abandon the package. Amazon agreed to refund me it fully.