Importing Sporting Equipment

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Hobiecat
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Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by Hobiecat »

I am going to purchase a "Kettler Favorit" rowing machine on line out of the US and have it shipped to my residence in HH. Can anyone tell me, am I going to have to go to BKK and deal with customs as I did importing my golf clubs via an airline Years ago or can I expect it to be shipped right to my door. Your experiences would be gaily appricated. Thank you..
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Big Boy
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Re: Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by Big Boy »

My experience has been it's luck of the draw. Some items get stopped. If yours is one of those, you will have to pay tax.
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centermid7
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Re: Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by centermid7 »

It's a pretty good bet that customs will get involved.
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Nereus
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Re: Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by Nereus »

..........am I going to have to go to BKK and deal with customs ..............
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Hmm, I guess it is just me, but as I read it the OP is not asking whether or not he will have to pay customs, just whether or not he can do it in Hua Hin.

Surely it will depend on how it is shipped? Have somebody hand carry it and you may smuggle it in, other than that it will be subject to customs duty.

If it is shipped via a courier such as DHL / UPS / FedEx etc., then there is no option about the customs duty and the shipping agent will arrange payment which you will have to reimburse before they will release it. Not sure which courier is in Hua Hin, I believe it is DHL, so for me I would find out from them before ordering it.

Airlines are not shipping agents per se, so it is understandable that you would have to go to Bangkok and "negotiate" with customs yourself.

Small items that are sent via the postal service are the ones that can be hit and miss.
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fft100
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Re: Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by fft100 »

Where and who you deal with will depend on where it is shipped from and who it is shipped from.

If you can find this item in Japan or another Asian nation, then that will probably be your cheapest option, both from shipping cost and also the tax amount - a look at the thai customs site gives a list of rates for different categories and locations. You will also pay the tax in HH at the post office next to the airport. (I have done this from Japan in the last month for golf equipment). Tax rate was less than 20% of the total (which includes the shipping). delivery time was about 5 days.

If you import from the USA it is best to use a company that has an arrangment with thai customs (and other countries as well). Ebay for example. When you pay, you also pay all the import duties. It is then delivered to your doorstep with no tax to pay. ( I have done this in the last month also for golf equipment). delivery time was about 10 days.

Neither item was small - say golf bag size.
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Re: Importing Sporting Equipment

Post by thebears »

I have been ordering goods frequently during the past few years. Firstly just for the benefit of any others rather than your case: Although most of my items have been sent via postal service (USPS which when gets handed to Thailand Post), I found that anything via the postal service in a large box or anything that doesn't have the value clearly marked, gets stopped at Customs and re-directed to a Customs house. The Customs house is usually a long distance, such as Prajuab town, or at another time to Mae Klong, just south of Bangkok. There are very few of them, hence a long trip.

However, if your supplier uses a courier service, which I think in your case seems more likely, the courier will phone you using the contact number that your supplier should mark on the documents. They will inform you what to pay, in order to clear the item. You can then pay it into the courier's bank account and they'll then ship it to you. In this case, it is the courier's role to get the goods to you and to clear Customs on your behalf.

Your supplier needs to provide a commercial invoice attached to the outside of the package. The invoice value will be used to calculate the tax value, normally between 10% and 20% of the price, then with 7% VAT on top. It also helps if the supplier quotes a commodity code (the HS code), to clearly identify what category the goods come under and if that code is specified, it might prevent any wrongful calculation, given that you've reduced any ambiguity about the contents.

I would guess that your goods will be under HS code 95069190 "General physical exercise/gymnastics/athletics article/equipment". You can also look up those codes on various websites.
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