Thailand Customs Regulations - what can and cannot be imported

General rules

To begin with, here are frequent questions and answers on the topic of importing and exporting to Thailand. Although they are not directly related to customs rules, you need to know about them:

• What and how much can be carried in luggage and hand luggage to Thailand? First of all, you should know that baggage and hand luggage allowances and customs allowances are different things. Baggage and hand luggage allowances are set by airlines and this does not depend on the country's customs regulations. You can find out baggage and hand luggage allowances in your ticket or on the airline's website; they differ for each airline and for different fares even within the same airline.
• Is it possible to import or export fruits not in a basket? Yes, there are no customs rules or airline rules that require passengers to carry fruits only in baskets. So you can bring fruits from Thailand in a bag, backpack, suitcase, and anything else, as long as they comply with the airline's carriage regulations.
• Is it possible to carry fruits in checked baggage? Yes, you can carry fruits both in checked baggage and in hand luggage.
• How many fruits can be carried in hand luggage or checked baggage? You can carry as many as the carriage allowances of your ticket allow (they vary by airline and fare), but do not forget that what you bring on the plane still needs to be imported into the destination country. And here the customs regulations of the destination country come into play, and, for example, in the Russian Federation you can import no more than 5 kilograms of fruits and other plant products per person.
• Is it true that airlines have banned taking baskets of fruit on board? No, it's not true. If everything you have complies with the airline's carriage regulations regarding weight, size, and number of pieces of baggage and hand luggage, then you can carry a basket of fruit. Read more here
• Is alcohol bought in duty-free added up with that in baggage at customs? Yes, it is added up. That is, if you are carrying 1 liter from home in your baggage and bought another 1 liter at the airport, then you will be carrying 2 liters through customs.
• How much alcohol can be imported into Thailand in total? No more than 1 liter per person over 20 years old, including alcohol from duty-free shops.
• Is it possible to import electronic cigarettes or a hookah? It is not allowed. Thailand has a ban on the import and sale of electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, and hookahs. Violation carries serious penalties: imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht (approximately 1500 US dollars).
• Is it possible to import meat or smoked sausage? No, it is not allowed. There is a sanitary ban on the import of meat and meat products.

And now in detail everything you need to know about Thailand's customs regulations:

In Thailand, as everywhere in the world, a system of "green" and "red channels" operates at customs checkpoints. If you have nothing to declare to customs, then boldly go through the "Green Channel"; this is the way most travelers pass. If, however, you have items that you must declare and perhaps even pay duty on, then go to the "Red Channel". If you are not sure which "channel" to use, it is recommended to choose the "red channel" to avoid possible misunderstandings.

According to the law, you can import into Thailand duty-free items with a total value of no more than 20,000 baht per person (613 USD, )Thailand currency). At the same time, these items must be intended for personal use, be in reasonable quantities, and must not be prohibited. This means that, theoretically, even for an expensive camera worth more than 20,000 baht, you would have to pay duty, but in practice, of course, this does not happen. In addition, you can import duty-free 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or tobacco and 1 alcoholic beverage.

It all sounds quite strict, but in practice it is difficult to check the cost of imported items unless you attract the attention of customs officers, arriving in Thailand in furs, gold chains, and hung with expensive equipment. And we have never heard of a case where any tourist was "turned back" at customs for carrying a reasonable number of items, even if they cost more.

Nevertheless, if you import items worth more than 20,000 baht (per person), you may, at your discretion, declare them and pay duty upon arrival at the airport. If the total value of imported items is more than 80,000 baht, they will be confiscated from you and placed in a warehouse for further customs clearance procedures.

You will also be exempt from paying import duty on items if you previously purchased expensive equipment in Thailand and registered it upon departure. It sounds a bit confusing, but the gist is that if you frequently enter and leave Thailand with any expensive equipment purchased in Thailand, it is better to register it upon departure as intended for subsequent re-import, so as not to pay duty on it upon your next return to Thailand.

Import declaration

It is necessary to fill out a passenger declaration and present it to customs officers when passing through the "red" or "green channels". If the goods you are moving are not subject to declaration, a mark is placed in the corresponding box on the declaration. If the goods are subject to declaration, or you are not sure whether the goods you are moving belong to the category of declarable goods, the mark is placed in the box "Goods subject to declaration are available".

What is allowed to be imported into Thailand duty-free

• Items and goods intended for personal or professional use with a total value not exceeding 20,000 baht (613 USD);
• Alcoholic beverages - no more than 1 liter per person over 20 years old, including alcohol from duty-free shops;
• 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or smoking tobacco per person over 20 years old.

It should be noted that while it is not always easy to check the value of personal goods imported into Thailand, and Thai customs officers do not pay attention to this, importing alcoholic beverages and cigarettes in excess of the permitted limit is so obvious that there are cases of tourists being fined upon entry. And if you do get caught with alcohol or cigarettes over the limit, rest assured that customs officers will check all your baggage and, among other things, count the cost of all your belongings.

Import and export of currency to Thailand

It is allowed to import and export any amount of Thai and foreign currency from Thailand. However, upon import and export, any! foreign currency equivalent to an amount exceeding 20,000 US dollars is subject to mandatory declaration. At the same time, you will not have to pay any duties; you are only obliged to declare the amount and answer all the customs officer's questions. The declaration procedure at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is carried out on the fourth floor and takes no more than 15 minutes.

When exporting Thai currency in an amount exceeding 50,000 baht, it is also necessary to go through the declaration procedure without paying any duties. However, when exporting Thai currency to Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam, its amount cannot exceed 500,000 baht.

What is prohibited to import/export

Attention! The prohibitions and restrictions listed below apply only to tourists. Different import/export rules apply for commercial purposes (usually stricter).

It is prohibited to import and export from Thailand:

• Indecent literature and images
• Pornography
• Items depicting the national flag of Thailand
• All types of drugs
• Counterfeit money, securities
• Counterfeit royal seals, official seals
• items that violate intellectual property rights (pirated cassettes, discs, software, etc.)
• Counterfeit products

There is also a number of items that are allowed for import/export only with permission from the relevant authority:

• Import of medicines, food products
• Import/export of antiques and works of art
• Import of weapons, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, weapon replicas
• Import of animals/fish/plants

Jewelry items exported and purchased in Thailand (including processed precious stones) are subject to mandatory declaration. In this case, it will be necessary to present documents of purchase (receipts, certificates).

In addition to the restrictions established by customs legislation when entering/leaving the country, you may encounter other problems. The fact is that some items, although not directly prohibited from import/export, can cause problems at customs because their turnover in Thailand (purchase and sale) is prohibited. Such items include: items made of elephant ivory and elephant ivory in whole; items made from the shells of rare species of sea turtles; dried seahorses in the form of keychains, embedded in plastic, etc.; unprocessed precious stones (usually sold in markets near the border with Myanmar); parts and products from tigers (skins, fangs, claws, medicines from bones); stuffed bats and crocodiles; corals and items made from them.

Additional information on the website of the authority http://www.customs.go.th

Exporting fruits from Thailand

There is no ban on the export of exotic fruits by tourists from Thailand. You can export as many and any fruits as you like (except for durian, which is prohibited from being brought into the airport building and onto the plane), but, of course, no more than the allowable weight for carriage in aircraft baggage.

There is a legend that fruits can only be exported from Thailand in special plastic baskets. This is not true, and you can pack them in bags, boxes, pack them in luggage. It is recommended to pack fruits in checked baggage, because theoretically, when passing through security control when boarding, fruits may be confiscated. In practice, we have not encountered this and have calmly carried fruits on board in hand luggage.

As for carrying durian, it cannot be brought in any form into buildings or on board. But there is a simple trick that some tourists use: you can hermetically seal (wrap) the durian in cling film so that it does not let the smell through, and place it in checked baggage.

However, do not forget that there may be restrictions on the import of fruits into the country you are entering from Thailand. For example, if you are returning from Thailand home to the Russian Federation, you can import no more than 5 kilograms of fruit per person (more about what tourists can import into the Russian Federation here)

VAT refund on purchased goods

A foreign citizen in Thailand can take advantage of a VAT refund of 7% on goods purchased in the country, expenses for payment of services - the so-called VAT Refund. The actual refund of money occurs when leaving the country upon presentation of VAT Refund forms confirming your right to a refund.

What you need to do in Thailand to apply for and receive a VAT refund

Processing of VAT Refund forms is done in all major stores in Thailand. As a rule, this is done in special departments such as Customer Service, and not directly at the cash register. We recommend that you immediately ask the seller where the VAT Refund is processed. In small stores, VAT refund may not be available – it is always better to clarify this aspect in advance.

Stores that practice VAT Refund are usually marked with a logo:

A passport is required to process a VAT Refund form

VAT Refund in Thailand can be issued provided that purchases are made for an amount of more than 2000 baht (61.27 USD) , but note that to receive a VAT Refund when leaving Thailand, it is necessary that the total cost of goods on all VAT Refund receipts is more than 5000 baht (153 USD) . That is, when presenting one receipt for an amount of, for example, 3000 baht, you will be denied a VAT refund upon departure.

The VAT Refund form in Thailand is called the VAT Refund Application for Tourist form (P.P. 10) and is a yellow A4-sized form to which the original store receipt is attached.

The VAT refund procedure at the airport is quite simple:

• Before check-in (and baggage drop-off), you must visit the VAT Refund office at the airport and have a customs officer stamp all processed receipts. This must be done without fail, as no payment will be made without the stamp. It is not recommended to check in items as baggage, as the customs officer may require you to present to him the goods being exported from Thailand and listed on the receipts. This is mandatory for any item exceeding a cost of 8,000-10,000 baht and at the officer's discretion for other items. After the procedure is completed, all items can be checked in as baggage.
• After receiving the stamp on the receipts, check-in and passport control, already in the departure area and duty-free shops, you must proceed to special counters with the sign VAT Refund, where the VAT refund amount will be directly processed for you.

A fixed fee of 100 baht is charged for the service of processing and handling documents and receipts, deducted from the total amount due for refund.

A refund amount exceeding 30,000 baht is not issued in cash and can only be refunded in the form of a check or transferred to a payment card account such as VISA or Mastercard.

The official rules, as stated in the customs regulations for VAT refunds, are as follows:

A VAT refund is made if the following conditions are met:

• the person is not a resident of Thailand and has been in the territory for less than 180 days in the current tax year;
• the person is not a pilot or crew member of a flight from Thailand;
• no more than 60 days have passed since the purchase;
• the person is leaving Thailand through an international airport.

In order to receive a refund of the VAT paid, it is necessary to present the following documents to the customs officers:

• passport;
• VAT refund application;
• original receipt evidencing VAT payment;
• receipt (passport) for the goods.

In cases where a VAT refund is required for small expensive goods such as jewelry, gold, watches, glasses, pens, etc., it is necessary to present these goods for inspection (examination) by customs officers.

More about the VAT Refund tax refund procedure can be found in a separate article.

Customs clearance of cargo

• Customs clearance of cargo in Thailand (Customs clearance) both commercial and private. In ports and airports. "All inclusive" service.
• Logistics in Thailand. (Container delivery to the door)
• Selection of a manufacturer and organization of production in Thailand (Brand registration in Thailand and production under your own brand)
• Export of food products from Thailand: frozen, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, juices and drinks, snacks, fish.
• Export of cosmetics and skin care products.
• Export of raw materials (for food production)
• Organization of a trade representative office in Thailand.

"THAI RUSS ALLIANCE CO., LTD"

Phone: +66 99 33 44 357

WhatsApp: +66 99 33 44 357

E-mail: tra@thai-rus.ru

🌐 Website: http://thai-rus.ru/