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ocker692004

Hi,

I am thinking of moving to Thailand. Can anyone tell me if there is import duty on a desktop Mac about 2 years old?

Many thanks.

Marmite the Dog

Personal items will be ok, unless you're a cock and try to declare it, then they'll probably levy a duty on your stupidity.

Thetyim

Answer should be in here somewhere

The Customs Department - Thailand

Muadib

A bit off topic, but these guys are not your friends... I just check T's link as I have been toying with the idea of bringing my mini cooper with me when I move to Thailand... Fook me, 188% duty, excise tax, interior tax and VAT... There are discounts for registration period and age of vehicle, but close as I can figure I'd have to fork over close to 800K baht for a new vehicle value of $1 million baht!!! And that's for a used car!!!

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chitown

And it probably won't change if there was a FTA with these greedy fools either.

Off topic, but how do you like the mini cooper? Mrs. Chi wants one.

Muadib

I love it... I have a S model and it's a blast... Drives & handles like a racing kart, gets 34 mpg on regular fuel, has enough room inside that I can haul most anything I need and being so small it's a wiz in traffic & parking... That's why I am thinking about bringing it with me... After checking new mini costs in Thailand, it's still more cost effective to bring mine with me...

To put it into perspective, I've got one of those ass-engined, nazi slot cars too... Haven't driven it since I got the mini and have just sold it...

chitown

I am 6'5", so I will have to get her a convertible.

jandajoy

Yup, cars are a "no no"

I've got a Land cruiser in Oz, it'd be great here but it cost me way too much to import. So I just grabbed an old ute to potter around in. Must say I've had it a while now and it's running well.

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Thetyim

Car import duty is very high.

I think a computer is in the region of 15%

jandajoy

Seriously though, why would you bother? You can get a tip top machine made for you for 25,000. Plus the bonus of being able to go back to the bloke that built it if you have any problems.

Just bring your stuff over on a hard drive.

Fondles

Please show me where this can be done, i have an "average" machine and its cost to date is well over 25k (I built it).

I just priced up a "decent" machine and the total was well north of 70k.

The price for a "tip top" machine scares me !!!!

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Muadib

I'm 6'3" and there's plenty of room for me...

DaffyDuck

This brings up an interesting issue regarding cars - what are the similar import duty situations in the surrounding countries, like Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar?

What about shipping the car there, registering it there, and then just driving it over the border?

Or air dropping it via parachute into an open area, recovering it, and just driving it with a license plate bought at chatuchak market :-)

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Thetyim

You still have to pay the duty to bring it into Thailand.

DaffyDuck

What if you drove it 'as a tourist', kinda just visiting, and eventually (allegedly) planning to leave again?

What about importing a wreck (i.e. car without engine)?

Idiotic import regulations? Are they trying to protect the local luxury car industry (I'm being sarcastic).

Muadib

Check the link... You have to get a visa for your car if it's of foreign registry... Max visa is 6 months... I thought of doing that too, but don't want to do visa runs for a car when I won't have to do one for myself...

DaffyDuck

ROTFLOL!

Might be worth it considering the costs of cars, especially if it's a nice car.

9999

OP, I successfully carried a desktop in a big suitcase no worries.

Butterfly

a friend of mine did that, imported from Malaysia, and was doing Visa run from Thailand to Cambodia etc... while driving with a UK license plate. It lasted a few years but I think eventually he got caught and lost the car entirely.

Importing a car is a big no no, no matter how legit you think you are. The CUSTOMS thief will simply "steal" the cars by putting at their discretion the excise "price" for duties, so don't expect the discount for registration as it doesn't work in practice, no matter how many papers you have to prove your point, the custom officer at the end is the only one making the appraisal.

There is a famous thread on TV about a guy doing just that, and he lost the car eventually. The price was so high, it didn't make any sense to bid for it. Eventually they sold his car in an auction with no chance to bid for it, as the game is rigged with local partners.

For a mini, they could ask you to pay more than a new one, just so that you give up the title and then proceed to sell it to their friends or partners for a nice profit.

It's a losing game, you are dealing with thief and a small government mafia gang, you can't win.

ocker692004

Shit, now a tax on "stupidity". I will never make it through customs/Immigration as they take my life savings.