Exporting from Thailand

[November Rain]

I'm really not sure that I'm putting this in the right place, but here goes:


I have an idea about 'exporting' some typically Thai items to the UK (or elsewhere, if it proves a reasonable idea). I'm not going to say what they are, but they're small, completely legal and I think there might be a market for them. I've looked on the internet & not found anything comparable being sold in the West.


Right, questions for anybody that knows about exporting:

Customs: How do I find out how much I would need to pay in duty etc? Can I contact UK (or relevant country) customs directly? What's the procedure? I don't need to pay anything to Thai customs, do I?

Tax: Assuming it takes off (big assumption!) would tax be paid in UK or LOS?

Legality: Is exporting things permitted by farang (if not manufacturing yourself)?


Basically, my first step (as I see it) is buying some samples & sending them to UK where Mum & friends can approach suitable independent retailers to see if they're interested. But to cost the items, I need to have an idea of all 'extras' (p&p, duty etc).


Any help or thoughts at all would be greatly appreciated.

[Thetyim]

Customs duty and VAT will be payable to UK customs before they release your goods, so an invoice should be included in every parcel.

I have always found that postage is the killer.
Surface mail is cheaper but nowhere near as cheap as a container

[Smithson]

Hi NR,

I'll try and answer your questions.

Regarding taxes/duties, I would google, the relevant dept in the UK should have the info on their website. How you write the invoices will make a difference to the rates you pay, for example children's, women's and men's clothing are often charged at different rates. It's quite a complicated area that differs for each country.

Taxes would be paid in the UK.

Farang can export, but to be completely legal you need a WP. Thousands of ppl visit LOS every week, buy stuff and export it home. Technically they are working here without a WP.

Regarding the visit to retailers, besides knowing full costs, you will also need to have info on lead times, min quantities and what type of alterations (different colors, sizes etc.). There's a good chance that they will try to find your product online or from one of their regular supplies.

Before doing anything I would search ebay to see if you product is available there and if so for how much (incl postage).

[Norton]

Legality: Is exporting things permitted by farang (if not manufacturing yourself)?

It is. You may be required to have a Thai registered company to do so and a WP as Smithson points out. Better check this out. Will let the experts elaborate. William?

[Thetyim]

Samples and gifts are usually tax free.

For your first two parcels you should be able to include an invoice stating FOC samples .
Don't abuse the system, they ain't stupid

[Smithson]

It's also worth pointing out that there are hundreds of ppl selling from Thailand on ebay. Many are Thais who are happy to earn 10k+ and the farang sellers probably don't bother with WPs and companies.

They ship directly to the customer, cutting out the middleman and not paying taxes/duties.

[EmperorTud]

eBay is expensive and becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.

I'd recommend your own website or another solution (Buy It Sell It, Auctiva Commerce etc) if you are serious about eCommerce.

Farang can export, but to be completely legal you need a WP. Thousands of ppl visit LOS every week, buy stuff and export it home. Technically they are working here without a WP.

You don't need a work permit to source products here.

Business visa is all you need.

[EmperorTud]

Basically, my first step (as I see it) is buying some samples & sending them to UK where Mum & friends can approach suitable independent retailers to see if they're interested. But to cost the items, I need to have an idea of all 'extras' (p&p, duty etc).

If you are retailing items in the UK then you would need a UK registered business to comply with the legal and tax implications of that country. Obviously you might want to consider that further down the line once you have assessed the market and got up and running.

As I mentioned before, sourcing products for export in Thailand is not working and does not require a WP. Technically you would probably need a Non-Immigrant B as you are in Thailand for business purposes but that won't be an issue. A Thai company will be shipping the items for you and they will have an import/export license to that takes care of the legal obligations in Thailand.

You are selling the products in the UK, making money in the UK then you don't need a WP in Thailand.

If you need any assistance in this area I'll be happy to help.

[melvbot]

I'd recommend your own website or another solution (Buy It Sell It, Auctiva Commerce etc) if you are serious about eCommerce.

I wouldnt bother with Auctiva Commerce, an absolute nightmare. Auctiva are now charging for almost everything, its changing how and what it does very rapidly an fucking most of it up.

[Smithson]

^ NR is talking about exporting while living here (I think), not just sourcing, technically it's considered work, but so is just about everything. She also hasn't mentioned e-commerce. Prices on ebay and other sites are low, this is what she'll be competing with. There is some money to be made exporting, but it's tricky these days if you're not manufacturing.

[EmperorTud]

NR is talking about exporting while living here (I think), not just sourcing, technically it's considered work, but so is just about everything

Technically she's not exporting. She's sourcing the products and a Thai company, with an import/export license as I've already explained will be doing the exporting.

The products are being sold in the UK, so there are no legal obligations to fulfil in Thailand other than having a business visa, and as I've explained, for this sort of business, hardly necessary.

If she was selling directly from Thailand for example, then that could be considered running a business in Thailand and would likely require a work permit, Ltd. company and tax returns etc.

NR - UK Customs website has the rates for all goods imported into the UK from outside the EU.

[Nawty]

How much does a 40 container cost to Oz....

[kingwilly]

How much does a 40 container cost to Oz....

About $7500 I think....

[Nawty]

How big a stamp do I need ?

[Smithson]

Also costs a heap to get it unloaded in Oz

[kingwilly]

How big a stamp do I need ?

a BIG FUCK OFF stamp!

[Panda]

How much does a 40 container cost to Oz....

About $7500 I think....

That sounds close. A 15 tonne refrig container Bris to Bk was around $5,000 5 years ago. "Freight forwarders" are the way to go if you are doing bulk stuff. They do all the paperwork and get cut rates on shipping. They can do it cheaper than you can yourself and with a lot less work. All you got to do is tell them where the stuff is and where you want it to go to; -- virtually door to door, anywhere in the world.

freight forwarders - Google Search=

[Panda]

Also costs a heap to get it unloaded in Oz

A reputable freight forwarder will quote you a door to door price, harbour fees, customs duty, shipping. The lot. Thats their job.

[Panda]

Best have a look around the Thai Board Of Investment (BOI) site first NR.
○ BOI : The Board of Investment of Thailand

[November Rain]

Cheers for all the replies. I don't really want to go into what the product is until I've gone a bit further down the road (to see if it's workable), but luckily it's light (weightwise) and small, so hopefully shipping won't be the worst cost.

Thanks so much especially to ET and Smithson. You've both given me some stuff to think about & research. Could I maybe pm either of you later if I go further with the idea?

[Smithson]

^ That's fine.

[tsicar]

Cheers for all the replies. I don't really want to go into what the product is until I've gone a bit further down the road (to see if it's workable), but luckily it's light (weightwise) and small, so hopefully shipping won't be the worst cost.

Thanks so much especially to ET and Smithson. You've both given me some stuff to think about & research. Could I maybe pm either of you later if I go further with the idea?

rain:
i beenderedunnat. i screwed up and just about made my money back. the way you are going about it is the correct way: send over the samples, get orders, and preferably:GET A DEPOSIT WHICH WILL COVER YOUR TRANSPORT, PURCHASE COST AND DUTIES.
there is a whole lot of shit in thailand with laws and crap thet you will not even notice and can ignore easily with your first container or two, but you may get a bit of flack once you get noticed doing a few containerloads a month.
if you are just sending over a boxload or two a month by air, i would not even do any enquiries thai side or you will probably be scammed into paying something to somebody for someshit that is bullshit.
duties will vary according to the type of goods, some being duty-free and some attracting 100% or more.
contact a good few forwarding agents, get them to tell you up front what the duty payable is,(they will know and will advise you) and compare their rates (they can vary greatly).
decide if you reqally need the insurance, which could push up the price considerably, and often can force you into having the agents do the packing, thereby nearly doubling what you are going to pay.
make sure you get an itemised quotation, so you can compare prices properly
sometimes changing the wording slightly of the description of the goods can make a huge difference in the duties payable. obviously you can't push your luck too much, since the uk customs officials could check, so don't label your load of marijuana as oreganum, or you could get the stuff confiscated.............

oh, and you have to make sure there is a good market for your product before you blow all your bucks hoping for the one-off big hit, for instance, i doubt there is a market for mangy soi-dogs over there!

wish you all the best with the new venture, let us know how it goes.

[Agent_Smith]

but luckily it's light (weightwise) and small, so hopefully shipping won't be the worst cost.

Puppies?

[November Rain]

i doubt there is a market for mangy soi-dogs over there!

Puppies?

You can both rest assured that it's absolutely nothing to do with dogs. Totally different. Not even anything to do with the other sort of puppies...

[Agent_Smith]

Not even anything to do with the other sort of puppies...

You can test market those here, just to be sure.