Thread: Import licence needed to import coil of wire and plastic rods!!

Did you ask Customs to show you the relevant item on the list of items that need an import license? Looks like you out-bluffed them when they demanded to see your HAM license and someone felt shamed.

Did you ask Customs to show you the relevant item on the list of items that need an import license?

Since the junta took over, Thai customs have become very 'sensitive' to any import that is described as an 'antenna'. If the US company described the package as a coil of wire and plastic rods, then it would have been delivered without issue (That US company sent me another ham product a few weeks previously, and that was delivered just fine).

If I manage to get the antenna sent back to the US company, I'll try asking them to send it again and remove the word 'antenna' from the customs declaration.

Yup, after a number of years the big mail order companies simply don't deliver to Thailand anymore, and many of the smaller companies on e-bay have also got wise...surely because of shit like this.

I just got through a two month long fiasco with Thai custom.

I'd ordered two antminers and two power supplies, from China.

The power supplies were delivered to the door and customs taxes paid on the spot.

The Antminers themselves got hung up with customs at Swampy.

They wanted additional documents, which I provided, they asked for the same again, and this went around and around for two months, till I had my two Thai proxies bothering UPS on the phone and me sending requested docs over and over.

All I wanted to do was pay the fucking taxes and get the packages!

They seemed to be quibbling over the value of the shipping which was listed in BCH, not USD.

Finally got the Antminers, I was worried about them being sent back, because of some customs stupidity.

Now had to order heavy duty power cables from the USA, the locally available power cable is too skinny!

I never had any problems with my last package...

She'll never get that floor cleaned like that.

You should have asked them to list it as "Gardening equipment".

I once ordered an item from the UK. Thailand UPS automatically deduct import duty as they act as agents for the customs. I had to pay the duty before the delivery guy handed the item over.
I later ordered another exact item for someone else. When the UPS guy tried to deliver, he wanted more duty than the previous item. I refused to pay and asked why they wanted more duty this time than last. UPS head office wouldn't give an answer and I had no chance but to pay the extra in the end.

You should have asked them to list it as "Gardening equipment".

Any 'real' company will refuse to do that - getting caught out for writing fraudalent commodity descriptions is not a good idea..

I order quite a few things from overseas, but being aware of the reputation of UPS and DHL etc, I always try to avoid using them as shippers. Usually, just sending by regular post, such as USPS from the USA works fine and I rarely have to pay more than a few baht in tax or handling charges.

Unfortunately, this particular item was too long (2 metre long support rods) to send by USPS, which is why I had to use UPS. But I had the choice of sending via UPS and then paying the import tax and handling charges, or paying by UPS I-Parcel service, and prepaying ALL tax and handling charges. I chose the latter service, paid $143 in shipping, import tax and handling charges, and then got fcuked regardless by UPS Thailand and their pink oboe partners - the Thai customs.

I'm almost $400 down right now. Should have gone to Macro for the parts and used the $400 to buy 1 million Luigicoins.

Originally Posted by Simon43

Any 'real' company will refuse to do that - getting caught out for writing fraudalent commodity descriptions is not a good idea..

I order quite a few things from overseas, but being aware of the reputation of UPS and DHL etc, I always try to avoid using them as shippers. Usually, just sending by regular post, such as USPS from the USA works fine and I rarely have to pay more than a few baht in tax or handling charges.

Unfortunately, this particular item was too long (2 metre long support rods) to send by USPS, which is why I had to use UPS. But I had the choice of sending via UPS and then paying the import tax and handling charges, or paying by UPS I-Parcel service, and prepaying ALL tax and handling charges. I chose the latter service, paid $143 in shipping, import tax and handling charges, and then got fcuked regardless by UPS Thailand and their pink oboe partners - the Thai customs.

I'm almost $400 down right now. Should have gone to Macro for the parts and used the $400 to buy 1 million Luigicoins.

Bollocks you could build a fence with that.

Employ a customs broker to do the work on your behalf.

Employ a customs broker to do the work on your behalf.

Er.. that's what the UPS I-Parcel service is for..... they are the customs broker.

Unfortunately, because one prepays ALL the charges with the i-parcel service, this meant that nothing 'under the table' was left over for Thai customs. So having realised that they wouldn't be getting any extra money from me, they simply decided to block my package and refuse it's importation into Thailand.

It's not worth the hassle and cost to apply for this imaginary import licence (I'm sure it would be refused TiT).

^Nope.UPS and their ilk employ entry writers. You need somebody that does this day in and day out for commercial customers.

Nope.UPS and their ilk employ entry writers.

Oh I'm sorry - I though perhaps one of the 450,000 employees of this long-established and global courier company would be experienced in dealing with customs.....

In any case, customs has washed their hands of the matter by saying that I need an import licence from the Thai telecoms office. Having dealt many times with that office (for my radio ham licence), I have no interest to 'chase my tail' for the sums involved. It's better to try to get the package returned back to the US.

buy from china - alexexpress or dhgate and get sent via china post

buy from china - alexexpress or dhgate and get sent via china post

Can't do - it is an amateur radio antenna.. not stocked by anyone except specialist shops mostly in the USA.

David, yes I can build it (I'm a Radio Frequency design engineer by qualifications and previous career). This antenna is mainly wire and supporting rods, but also has some other components that are difficult to construct (but I can if pushed to it!).

I decided to buy it simply to save myself the hassle of going around various shops to find the parts that I need, and to put it all together. Now it sounds like I'll have to do this. The final antenna will work, but my efforts will probably not be as pretty as the commercial item!

I agree about not using UPS or DHL anymore. I have had better results sending from post office in Europe. Get stuff delivered to my Dad in the UK and have him repack and use the post office. I do the same sending stuff from Germany. Lesson learnt after being stitched up in the past.

LoL - I have just had an email from UPS Thailand.

"Sent back also required permit import license requirements is customs regulations . Restricted item Import & export license is required"

Basically, you can't import this item without an import licence, and sorry, cos we ain't going to send it back to the USA without an export licence......