# bringing household container with a OA visa



## shumi330

Hello,
I will probably sound very naive to you guy! just got a OA visa throught London thai Embassy , on the end of june ,now on the process to move to BKk. I did organise a container to be sent to thailland from uk , it is due to arrive on the 31 th of August , as i have read that i could bring my personel effect and my household belonging taxes free, as long i had this kind of visa and was doing it within 6 months ,which i did.
As my shippment is on his way i have contacted my BKK agent to ask the customs to give me a estimate on my inventory,well i am been ask 42 000 thb so far just as a estimate ,i did ask why ?
well they answer i simple tax free only on personal effect ,well i dont have to tell you i am under shock as i have paid £2688 already and the bkk agent want £331 more because my location is out of bkk city ,20 km out , as you can see i am in a big mess.
Any advise please as i feel that i should not been tax ,what shall i do ? any suggestion ? 
Anyway thank you very much for taking time to read that message 
Michael


----------



## flemmie

Sounds to me like you are poorly informed at the beginning. The shipper should have informed you in advance about all charges and difficulties. I am in exatcly the same situation, my shipment left Russia end of June and is expected here on the 28th of August. I know that there are many funny rules about import duties and such (like electrical appliances, pc's etc...) so I wait. I have the advantage that the company is moving me so all costs are paid by them.

Good luck is all I can say, I dont know what options you have.

Nick


----------



## Guest

The customs department is allegedly the most corrupt in Thailand, and all ancillary services and costs should be checked, double-checked and triple-checked before importing goods into the country.

Being charged £331 for a delivery 20k from the depot looks like an attempted rip-off. Just tell the agent you will organise your own collection from their premises if they insist on this silly amount.

As for unforeseen taxes, you need to ask for a detailed inventory of the items to be taxed and the costs involved. This too might be an attempted rip-off. However it is well known that the Thai customs charges are very high - just try to bring in your old car, for example. It's cheaper to buy a new one.

Most people don't bother bringing much other than essentials into Thailand for this very reason. You can usually buy everything you need here for a fraction of the price anyway.


----------



## shumi330

*thank*



flemmie said:


> Sounds to me like you are poorly informed at the beginning. The shipper should have informed you in advance about all charges and difficulties. I am in exatcly the same situation, my shipment left Russia end of June and is expected here on the 28th of August. I know that there are many funny rules about import duties and such (like electrical appliances, pc's etc...) so I wait. I have the advantage that the company is moving me so all costs are paid by them.
> 
> Good luck is all I can say, I dont know what options you have.
> 
> Nick


Dear Nick 

Thank you for your mail, and yes i was not well inform by my uk shipper at all but now i am in the hole , i did read as much as i could about the retirememt visa but seem that they are doing there own law ,
Anyway my shippemt is du to arrive on the 29 now ,so we might meet at the customs who knows 
All the best to you 
Michel


----------



## shumi330

*Thank you*



frogblogger said:


> The customs department is allegedly the most corrupt in Thailand, and all ancillary services and costs should be checked, double-checked and triple-checked before importing goods into the country.
> 
> Being charged £331 for a delivery 20k from the depot looks like an attempted rip-off. Just tell the agent you will organise your own collection from their premises if they insist on this silly amount.
> 
> As for unforeseen taxes, you need to ask for a detailed inventory of the items to be taxed and the costs involved. This too might be an attempted rip-off. However it is well known that the Thai customs charges are very high - just try to bring in your old car, for example. It's cheaper to buy a new one.
> 
> Most people don't bother bringing much other than essentials into Thailand for this very reason. You can usually buy everything you need here for a fraction of the price anyway.



Thank you so much for taking the time to read and advise me , yes you are righ i have been very stupid as i really thought they were playing by the book , but they are not .
As for the £331 i will try to aggle there price otherwise i will try do it myself .
As for the customs i am so angry as i did read so much about it what too bring and not too bring , i was going to bring my car of course that would have been a stupid thing to do .
Anyway thank you again an i will try to do what you said , i will let you know the outcome of it as my shipment is du on the 29th now .
Best regard
Michel


----------



## Winkie

This link will give you some info about what you can and cannot bring in Tax-Free

>> Thai Customs <<

Whilst these items can be brougt in Tax and Duty Free, there will most problaby be a clearing charge. And givent he value quoted to you, looks like some items will be taxed (certain things, only ! can be brought in tax-free, above 1 unit is taxable)

UKP330 to move to 20 kms outside of Bangkok, if tht includes moving a a 40ft Container and team of people to unpack (and remove the mountian of packaging) and position everything, maybe is not too extreme, but it is strange that it was not quoted at the start, unless you shipped only as far as the port and not door-to-door.

Good luck, hope you don't encounter any other surprises along the way.


----------



## Guest

Winkie said:


> UKP330 to move to 20 kms outside of Bangkok, if tht includes moving a a 40ft Container and team of people to unpack (and remove the mountian of packaging) and position everything, maybe is not too extreme, but it is strange that it was not quoted at the start, unless you shipped only as far as the port and not door-to-door.


For a 20' container, going 20k, redelivery at that price is very high indeed. Even for a 40' container it is way excessive. 

If the container needs to be stripped and restuffed, and this was not included in the original quote, then the cost is not so bad, but the OP seemed to be suggesting that the original price was inclusive, door to door Bangkok, and the supplement is being imposed simply because the actual delivery location was 20 km outside city limits. If so, that is a ridiculous extra cost.

It would be a ridiculous extra cost for anywhere in Europe where I ship containers every day, and where labour and road transport costs are considerably higher.

shumi330 - Where are the goods clearing customs?


----------



## shumi330

frogblogger said:


> For a 20' container, going 20k, redelivery at that price is very high indeed. Even for a 40' container it is way excessive.
> 
> If the container needs to be stripped and restuffed, and this was not included in the original quote, then the cost is not so bad, but the OP seemed to be suggesting that the original price was inclusive, door to door Bangkok, and the supplement is being imposed simply because the actual delivery location was 20 km outside city limits. If so, that is a ridiculous extra cost.
> 
> It would be a ridiculous extra cost for anywhere in Europe where I ship containers every day, and where labour and road transport costs are considerably higher.
> 
> shumi330 - Where are the goods clearing customs?


HEY Frogblogger ,
Thank you for your message and all your concern , yes the original quote was door to door and i got told about the big rise once my container was in the boat i really felt the trap ,outside city limit is there argument ,the company is call Trans-link , and it is the Port of BKK which is only 20km from my house .
I am looking at renting a truck , but would he be cheaper ? they seem to be all so bad . 
Nice talking with you anyway , property in France and Chang Mai .you done well for yourself 
Take care 
Michel


----------



## Cer

To the best of my knowledge:
An O-A visa is a long stay (for retirement purposes).
People on such a visa are not allowed to bring in their personal "stuff" duty free (it is explecitely mentioned in the custums rules).


----------



## Cer

Cer said:


> To the best of my knowledge:
> An O-A visa is a long stay (for retirement purposes).
> People on such a visa are not allowed to bring in their personal "stuff" duty free (it is explecitely mentioned in the custums rules).


quote from custums regulation
Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1) 
unquote


----------



## flemmie

Bonne chance Michel! Maybe we do see each other at customs, I will keep my eye out for an angry frenchmen... Drop us a line to let us know how you did.
Nick


----------



## shumi330

*thank you*



Cer said:


> quote from custums regulation
> Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1)
> unquote


Thank you for your mail , but i thought visa O was only good for 3 months , then to apply for OA , which is good for a lenght of one year, then that fit with the rules
as non -immigrant visa or resident visa valid for one year,it is very open to interpretation i was told that if you have been granted for a year visa in thailand ,your belongings will not be taxed,however if your permit to stay is less than one year ,these item s will be taxed 20% import duty plus 7% vat .
i got that from SIAM -LEGAL .COM 
Any way i think i have a real fight on my arm 
ALL the best 
Michel


----------



## shumi330

*bonjour*



flemmie said:


> Bonne chance Michel! Maybe we do see each other at customs, I will keep my eye out for an angry frenchmen... Drop us a line to let us know how you did.
> Nick


Thank you Nick , 
Not looking forward it at all , as i am reading more and more about it ,i think i am in for a rougt ride, 
I wil drop you a line to let you know the result , please do the same .
Take care 
Michel


----------



## Serendipity2

Shumi330,

There was quite a discussion about this very issue many months ago. I may be wrong but it seemed you could "negotiate" the Customs duties with them. If you wanted a "legit" clearance it was one price, lots of paperwork etc. and if you wanted the "cheap" clearance you just paid a fee under the table - about 1/2 the legit fee.

I think I also read you need to be there when your shipment arrives - check on that but sounds like you've got that handled.

As for delivery charges you should be able, when in Bangkok, to find a trucking company that would deliver your things MUCH cheaper that your quote. Heck, 20 kilometers is what - 12 miles? I'll bet a Google search will give you dozens of carters that would love your business. Good luck and watch your 'six'.

Serendipity2


----------



## Cer

An O-A (means pre-approved) visum can only be obtained from a Thai embassy in your country of origin


----------



## Cer

It is the link from the Ministry of Foreighn Affairs as the embassy is their jurisdiction.They will sent it to Immigration Office in Bangkok for (pre) approval,
On entering Thailand you will receive a 365 days stay.
An other advantage with this procedure is that you (at this time) don't need the 800.000 baht in a Thai bank account (if you do that route).


----------



## Cer

and here is the link
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand
needed 4 posts or more before I could post a link.


----------



## shumi330

*thank you*



Serendipity2 said:


> Shumi330,
> 
> There was quite a discussion about this very issue many months ago. I may be wrong but it seemed you could "negotiate" the Customs duties with them. If you wanted a "legit" clearance it was one price, lots of paperwork etc. and if you wanted the "cheap" clearance you just paid a fee under the table - about 1/2 the legit fee.
> 
> I think I also read you need to be there when your shipment arrives - check on that but sounds like you've got that handled.
> 
> As for delivery charges you should be able, when in Bangkok, to find a trucking company that would deliver your things MUCH cheaper that your quote. Heck, 20 kilometers is what - 12 miles? I'll bet a Google search will give you dozens of carters that would love your business. Good luck and watch your 'six'.
> 
> Serendipity2


Thank you very Serendity2 , i will try to do that , negociate with them with cash ,hope i will be able to have acces to them as i have a agent , probably get the documents from the agents then go to the customs and bargain.
Anyway that is a positive advice .and yes will look for a trucking company .
All the best to you and thank you again 
Michel


----------



## shumi330

*thank you*



Cer said:


> It is the link from the Ministry of Foreighn Affairs as the embassy is their jurisdiction.They will sent it to Immigration Office in Bangkok for (pre) approval,
> On entering Thailand you will receive a 365 days stay.
> An other advantage with this procedure is that you (at this time) don't need the 800.000 baht in a Thai bank account (if you do that route).


Well very interesting , i have already my OA visa from The thai embassy in London,so they will grant me a 365days visa on my arrival , so my goods should not be taxed as i will have a non immigrant visa for a year .
Well we shall see what happen and i will let you know , but anyway thank you for good explication about the visa itself .

Kind regards 
Michel


----------



## Serendipity2

shumi330 said:


> Well very interesting , i have already my OA visa from The thai embassy in London,so they will grant me a 365days visa on my arrival , so my goods should not be taxed as i will have a non immigrant visa for a year .
> Well we shall see what happen and i will let you know , but anyway thank you for good explication about the visa itself .
> 
> Kind regards
> Michel



Shumi330,

Your goods WILL be taxed. That's what Customs is - for collecting revenue. Were you married to a Thai would would get some consideration but you aren't and they've got your goods. By the way, even though you have a 365 day visa I believe every 90 days you have to go and present yourself to the police or immigration so they'll know you're still there. You also have to do so if you move. They want to know where we are at all times. [maybe they could just affix an ankle bracelet on us and monitor us 24/7? There's an idea! ]

Serendipity2


----------



## flemmie

*Bangkok is finally home...*

Hi Michel,

After nearly 11 weeks, my shipment has arrived and I had to pay a total of 250 USD in handling and other fees here in Bangkok, quite reasonable. of course the move of the 40 ft container from Russia was somewhat more expensive

I sincerely hope that it has also gone smoothly in your case and that you were not ripped off for the duties that you had mentioned in your mail.

Let us know how it went.

Nick


----------



## shumi330

flemmie said:


> Hi Michel,
> 
> After nearly 11 weeks, my shipment has arrived and I had to pay a total of 250 USD in handling and other fees here in Bangkok, quite reasonable. of course the move of the 40 ft container from Russia was somewhat more expensive
> 
> I sincerely hope that it has also gone smoothly in your case and that you were not ripped off for the duties that you had mentioned in your mail.
> 
> Let us know how it went.
> 
> Nick


Hie Nick 
Thank you for your concern , i am glad everything went well for you , but you had a working visa and that make all the difference , as i had a retirement visa and i had to pay 46 323 Thb ,which is far more that i would have hope , but once the shippment was gone i knew i was on for a funny ride ,anyway the agent did not charge me the extra £331 ask originaly they have been good and very helpfull ,especily the agent in name of JOY Belle Llentieno , she was very helpfull an she said that the thai customs rule are very unclear , Well that is a real statement when i was suppose to pay nothing i end up paying 1250 usd ,if i would have known i would have never done that , so my best advise to futur expat who are thinkink to do so ,Dont , not worse it ,
Anyway hope you setling well in BKK .
Take care 
Keep in Touch 
Michel


----------



## flemmie

*Thanks for your feedback*



shumi330 said:


> Hie Nick
> Thank you for your concern , i am glad everything went well for you , but you had a working visa and that make all the difference , as i had a retirement visa and i had to pay 46 323 Thb ,which is far more that i would have hope , but once the shippment was gone i knew i was on for a funny ride ,anyway the agent did not charge me the extra £331 ask originaly they have been good and very helpfull ,especily the agent in name of JOY Belle Llentieno , she was very helpfull an she said that the thai customs rule are very unclear , Well that is a real statement when i was suppose to pay nothing i end up paying 1250 usd ,if i would have known i would have never done that , so my best advise to futur expat who are thinkink to do so ,Dont , not worse it ,
> Anyway hope you setling well in BKK .
> Take care
> Keep in Touch
> Michel


At least your things are in and you can move on. I can understand that this is far more expensive than you anticipated, but this should have been pointed out by the shipper at home originally. Unfortunately, they often just want to cash in on the portion there and don't care too much how it goes at the final destination.

Anyway, I also hope that you settle in well. _(edited)_

Hope to keep in touch.

All the best

Nick


----------



## shumi330

flemmie said:


> At least your things are in and you can move on. I can understand that this is far more expensive than you anticipated, but this should have been pointed out by the shipper at home originally. Unfortunately, they often just want to cash in on the portion there and don't care too much how it goes at the final destination.
> 
> Anyway, I also hope that you settle in well. Have you also checked out the ThaiVisa forum? Lots of good advice on Thailand, I go there much more often than here.
> 
> Hope to keep in touch.
> 
> All the best
> 
> Nick


Hey Nick 

Thank you for your good advise , and yes you are very right the shipper in the UK was rubbish all he wanted was his share of the money of the deal , in fact i never had a good answer for the £331 extra,
But like you said you have to move on ,THAILAND seem to be a nice place , except for the heat better get use to that .
_(edited)_ 
Take care 
Speack to you soon 
Michel


----------



## oddball

So you think you had a problem with Thai customs . just wait until you attempt to navigate the rest of government , it all depends on what day/office it is and the mood of the official you happen to be dealing with , LOS is far from credited to mean what you currently think it does , the Thai 'Face' is multi-faceted . Anyway , good luck in future travails , oops , sorry , I meant travels .


----------



## Cer

oddball said:


> So you think you had a problem with Thai customs . just wait until you attempt to navigate the rest of government , it all depends on what day/office it is and the mood of the official you happen to be dealing with , LOS is far from credited to mean what you currently think it does , the Thai 'Face' is multi-faceted . Anyway , good luck in future travails , oops , sorry , I meant travels .


Having an O-A (retirement/long stay) visum,you did all your preparations in your home country.
IF....you can fullfill the requirements (esspecially the financial) not only now,but also for the future (income quarantees/pensions),I hardly can see where you need to make "deals"
Most "deals" need to be made by "problem cases".


----------



## oddball

Give it time and patience , I said nothing about 'Making deals' I said "Dealing with ", a completely different aspect in what should be straight forward negotiations , but rules are made to be broken(by officialdom) , are they not ? Well TiT .


----------

