Phuket - Customs at the airport is F*cking with me any help is appreciated

Uptown Jesus · #1 16-10-2007, 15:46

Flew into bkk friday night. I checked 3 turntables and a mixer out of pittsburgh in the u.s. When I arrived in bkk, customs said they had to hold them over night. My thai lady friend works at the airport and she has been trying to help me out for the past couple of days. The customs want 550$ befor they let me take them out of the airport!!!!! Any info on this is appreciated. I have friends who have had the same problem here, and I guess they just ended up paying them off. If I end up having to pay the 16,000 baht it wil most def. screw my budget. Another dj said to say I can only pay 4000baht and if they say no then threaten to call the us embassy. Again any info or advice is appreciated.

UJ

Captain · #2 16-10-2007, 16:00

Don't know if 550$ is fair, but you have to pay import taxes, it is in the law. For cars those taxes can be 200-300 %. So customs are right if they say you have to pay.
It is not the role of the Embassy to interfere in this matter, they represent your country and they have no duty aiding fellow countrymen with problems. Consulates will do more. In the worst case an Embassy will give financial aid for repatriation (and hospital) but Foreign Affairs will ask the money back. I suppose Embassy and Consulate they will both say you have to obey Customs and Excise (the law).

LivinLOS · #3 16-10-2007, 16:03

You got caught with import duties.. Tell me about it.. You have to have realized that if you didnt get them in through excess baggage you were going to get shafted..

Haggle, get a Thai to haggle, but legally your not in the right so expect to pay or lose the equipment.

IIRC electronics are 37 or 39 % of the total CIF value (that includes shipping costs).. 30% electronics / luxury goods and the 7% sales tax.

Masterwoodsman · #4 16-10-2007, 18:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

You got caught with import duties.. Tell me about it.. You have to have realized that if you didnt get them in through excess baggage you were going to get shafted..

Haggle, get a Thai to haggle, but legally your not in the right so expect to pay or lose the equipment.

IIRC electronics are 37 or 39 % of the total CIF value (that includes shipping costs).. 30% electronics / luxury goods and the 7% sales tax.

Surely it depends on whether the items are brand new or used right. If they are or appear to be new then i agree the import tax will apply but if they are knocked about and obviously in a used condition then surely this would be seen as personal items.... sounds to me like a typical customs scam, IF they are not new

bangladiver · #5 16-10-2007, 18:54

if push the used bit may enquire regarding work permit perhaps????

Captain · #6 16-10-2007, 18:54

Possible answer from the customs officer: I might understand one turntable, but 3????

LivinLOS · #7 16-10-2007, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masterwoodsman

Surely it depends on whether the items are brand new or used right. If they are or appear to be new then i agree the import tax will apply but if they are knocked about and obviously in a used condition then surely this would be seen as personal items.... sounds to me like a typical customs scam, IF they are not new

Used goods carry the same import duties.. Only you would expect a different 'value' to be applied..

Used or new.. Same rates..

marc26 · #8 16-10-2007, 19:53

is a dog considered import goods?
they wanted me to pay 900usd to get Bishop out of customs and Cathay Pacific admitted they were wrong
i have never been so mad in my life than that day

landofsmiles · #9 17-10-2007, 00:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Used goods carry the same import duties.. Only you would expect a different 'value' to be applied..

Used or new.. Same rates..

So say you had a laptop computer and you travelled in and out of Thailand with it 5 or 6 times a year and you were stopped by customs every time...technically every time they could sting you for import duty?

hyku1147 · #10 17-10-2007, 00:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

So say you had a laptop computer and you travelled in and out of Thailand with it 5 or 6 times a year and you were stopped by customs every time...technically every time they could sting you for import duty?

I was wondering about laptops also.

cotambear · #11 17-10-2007, 00:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyku1147

I was wondering about laptops also.

Ya me too, just bought a cheap new one. Am I better carrying it as hand luggage or putting it in the suitcase?

Dupree00 · #12 17-10-2007, 01:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotambear

Ya me too, just bought a cheap new one. Am I better carrying it as hand luggage or putting it in the suitcase?

I believe one laptop is in the same category as a camera or iPod. Personal use.

Captain · #13 17-10-2007, 02:50

You can say a laptop is personal use, but as said before, do you think that customs officer will understand that you have 3 turntables for personal use?Friend of me was stopped at customs with a coffeemachine. Luckily he had put a used coffeepatch in it and they accepted that it was for personal use.

LivinLOS · #14 17-10-2007, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

So say you had a laptop computer and you travelled in and out of Thailand with it 5 or 6 times a year and you were stopped by customs every time...technically every time they could sting you for import duty?

Yes a single laptop (or you can argue a projector for biz meetings etc) is allowed for biz use..

However if you look at the forms (I did once but am not really sure on this from memory) your only allowed personal items up to about 20k baht.. Thats one camera let alone lappy, cam, ipod, etc..

So technically you should declare and pay the money, but of course they let it slide..

Secondly if you did pay the money, and then take it back out the country within 30 days, I presume you can claim the VAT back (but possibly not the import duty) the same as tourists claiming sales tax back. Would need to show your taking it back out with you tho.

LivinLOS · #15 17-10-2007, 09:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotambear

Ya me too, just bought a cheap new one. Am I better carrying it as hand luggage or putting it in the suitcase?

If you put it in check in luggage, and thats is lost, the airline only have to re-imburse your a minimal amount like 20 USD per KG..

ALWAYS carry on valuable items.

snakebite911 · #16 17-10-2007, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

If you put it in check in luggage, and thats is lost, the airline only have to re-imburse your a minimal amount like 20 USD per KG..

ALWAYS carry on valuable items.

This is so true! The rules for reimbursing you for lost or damaged luggage is governed by one of two different conventions, Warsaw or Montreal, depending on which convention the country the carrier is based in have signed. The Warsaw convention limits liability to 17 SDR per kg checked luggage (1 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) = 1,55 USD on the 16th of Oct.). The newer Montreal convention gives a limit to airlines liability of 1000 SDR for all your checked luggage. So that 2,5 kg laptop might be worth no more than 66 bucks if in checked luggage.........