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Declare A Laptop With Customs?


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I always walk thru the 'nothing to declare, side at customs, but the truth is, I haven't a clue as to what I should or should not declare. This is the first time I'm bringing in a laptop. Should I declare it or not?

As I know, laptop is a personal effects like camera, jewelry, organizer, etc. As long as you do not have more than one laptop with you you should be able to walk through the "nothing to decalre" counter. I always travel with my laptop in many countries and I didn't have any problem until now. To be more sure, please read the back of the arrival/departure card in the custome declaration part for other items that you may also have to declare.

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As long as you can show, that you use the lap top, I see no problem. This means, if it is a new one, take it out of the sales carton etc. Have some data on it. Assume, you are talking about Thai customs, but the rule is the same around the world.

thai_narak, arrival/departure car (TM 6-form) has no reference to customs.

The written customs declaration form was abolished a long time ago.

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or, I bought a thai script keyboard at Tesco Lotus in 94 for about 1.50.

Logitech brand too! :o

It was possibly the only thai script keyboard in all of central america! :D

With regards to declaring the laptop, yeah, it it is one you use, then, as millions of business travellers worldwide, you can carry it on the place (take it out of your hand luggage and run it throught hte conveyor belt at customs) and you have NOT to declare it.

It is viewed the same as a mobile phone, or a walkman, or anything like that.

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I always walk thru the 'nothing to declare, side at customs, but the truth is, I haven't a clue as to what I should or should not declare. This is the first time I'm bringing in a laptop. Should I declare it or not?

Ten years ago it was a bit of a big deal walking through customs with a laptop.

In the last ten years, I have carried my laptop through hundreds of customs check points (including at least a 100 trips into Thailand), and no questions and no issues. The only time you are going to run into a problem is if you buy a new laptop and try to walk through the green line at customs with the lap top (or even a printer) still in its original packing boxes.

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Is there anything on the market to place over the keyboard on a laptop to change keys from english ti thai script? :o

This is not a reply to your exact question, but on multiple occasions I have taken a laptop with a broken keyboard into repair shops and they have put new keyboards on the laptop, which include Thai script. The price was modest.

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The only time you are going to run into a problem is if you buy a new laptop and try to walk through the green line at customs with the lap top (or even a printer) still in its original packing boxes.

I was told at the apple store the other day that the import duty on PC is now slashed to 0 (previously 5%). So I walked through the green line with a new laptop in the original box through at Suvanabhumi last week (but box in stashable bag). I can't confirm on the credibility of the information (but I knew it was previously 5% and the plan was to scrap entirely on PC) but wonder if one still has to declare it for VAT.

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  • 13 years later...

I would like to dust off this old conversation from 2006.

We are coming to Thailand in January and will be carrying 2 laptop computers between us, plus 3 iPads (we are a family of 3).  All are used, like the newest is 2 years old.

She is telling me the current outrage in Thailand is the authorities are demanding customs fee for personal computers brought into country.  Not based on the current (used, depreciated) value, but the replacement value if you were to buy the same item new today.  Anything with a replacement value of more than 20,000THB is subject to customs.  Failure to declare would add on an additional penalty.

Anyone know anything about this?  She said the outrage is especially for frequent travelers, they have to keep paying customs on the same device everytime they re-enter the country.  Each of our computers, being used, is worth less than 20,000 but the replacement value of a similar new item would be more than that.  

Thanks for any recent feedback on this. 

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41 minutes ago, USNret said:

She is telling me the current outrage in Thailand is the authorities are demanding customs fee for personal computers brought into country.  Not based on the current (used, depreciated) value, but the replacement value if you were to buy the same item new today.  Anything with a replacement value of more than 20,000THB is subject to customs.  Failure to declare would add on an additional penalty.

Anyone know anything about this?  She said the outrage is especially for frequent travelers, they have to keep paying customs on the same device everytime they re-enter the country.

Who is "she"?

 

Anyway its absolute nonsense. Cannot imagine any country in the world enacting such draconian regulations.

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1 hour ago, MJKT2014 said:

Who is "she"?

 

Anyway its absolute nonsense. Cannot imagine any country in the world enacting such draconian regulations.

Wife.

I agree it's nonsense, which just reinforces that it might well be true.  Apparently, this is all the talk among Thai travelers right now.  They are quite adamant that it's happening.

However, as we all well know, there is a difference between policy "as written" and what actually happens in the real world.  And differences between one agent and the next. 

Not sure if links are allowed, but I have a link to a story from last year where this policy was proposed. I can find anything that says it was actually implemented.  So like everything else in Thailand... "It depends". 

https://www.worldofbuzz.com/thai-govt-wants-travellers-declare-electronic-devices-customs/
 

Edited by USNret
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30 minutes ago, USNret said:

However, as we all well know, there is a difference between policy "as written" and what actually happens in the real world.

Here is the official info. http://www.customs.go.th/list_strc_simple_neted.php?ini_content=individual_160503_03_160905_01&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individual_submenu_01_160421_01

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Maybe your wife mixed it, read it wrong etc. What they did recently is to take the luggage scanning more seriously, when you arrive in BKK. I didn`t know that, but my gf told me. With the strong Baht the Thai middle class travels much more frequently and of course they bring super cheap (compared to Thailand) luxury goods from abroad.

 

However, that has nothing to do with used laptops. 

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3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I've not heard of anyone having been stopped and charged excise for a personal Laptop computer or iPad. 

 

If someone were to be stopped the news would have swept through social medial like a girl with large breasts on a som-tam store.

 

Sorry for my delayed response. I've spent the last 3 hours checking all the local som-tam stores ????

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So it's ok to leave a cheap laptop in the box for a gift. It will be the only laptop with me.   It's new under 20,000 baht. Do I need  to declare this?  Or ditch the box? I am also bringing  some new and used clothes  for  the gf. 

Where can I read the what's ok to bring rules?  

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