Import/Export

**jambone** · 02-07-2006, 11:12 PM

Anybody have any direct experience of setting up an import/export business here in Thailand? What is involved and what sort of restrictions would one have to overcome regards duties. Say for example I wanted to send a lot of silver jewellery to England for a buyer who is waiting to pay. Unfortunately though not in cash

. How can I do this legally?

Any other import/export experiences welcome

**Marmite the Dog** · 02-07-2006, 11:31 PM

A friend of mine imports silver to the UK.

He comes here, buys it, takes it home, pays the duty at the airport, gets it essayed at the Birmingham Essay office and then sells it, still making a nice profit.

It really is that simple. Otherwise, the shops here will package it and mail it for you, but then your customer will have to sort out the duty in the UK, unless you've got someone else there.

**jambone** · 02-07-2006, 11:40 PM

Thank you. The thing with this deal is receipts and accounting.

Needs to have a receipt from a Thai company. I don't know too much about it but I think can do quite well with it in the long run.
Company formation here do the trick you think? Or will I run into my own accounting problems this side?

**Marmite the Dog** · 03-07-2006, 10:02 AM

Just invent a company and write whatever you want on the invoice. The money can be easily transferred into a personal Thai bank account (if that's what you want to do). The Thai side of things don't care where the money is coming from.

**friscofrankie** · 03-07-2006, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Just invent a company and write whatever you want on the invoice. The money can be easily transferred into a personal Thai bank account (if that's what you want to do). The Thai side of things don't care where the money is coming from.

It's what I do.
If the silver is "Hill-Tribe" type stuff you might even try shipping it as handicraft. Not sure about the UK but "handicrafts" are duty free in the US.

**forreachingme** · 03-07-2006, 11:14 AM

European countries are duty free as well for Thailand if you provide the

FORM A ,

this is the certificate of origin, it will cost you roughly 1500 thb to produce it... if the shipment is small, you better check the weigth of the goods and look for the custome duty to compare with the Form A paperwork expenses,

and if bigger amount and weigth is involved just ask this paper from your freigth agent...

Any shipping agent can do you all of your needs, they ship in one name they have, if you do not have a company, make form A for you...

What's the price of a kg of silver over here actually ?

**friscofrankie** · 03-07-2006, 11:58 AM

hmm gettng competition I see....
Prices are up right now. depending on spot prices you can buy jewelry in bulk, for between 10 and 14 baht a gram. Some places charge a per-piece price. Earrings are always per-piece and more expensive on a weight for weight basis. Asking price right now (last month) is about 14.5 per gr (92.5 silver) in small quantities (<= kilo). This is from large wholesalers. by heading into the hills and purchasing from co-ops/factories you may be able to shave a baht or so off the price. Some of the Hilltribe stuff is (claimed)98% + silver, this is usually the same price from the makers but it may have a higher cost in shops that sell it.

**mrsquirrel** · 03-07-2006, 01:43 PM

This is interesting.
D
MTD does your mate just buy a block of sliver or silver jewlery.

What happens if I just walked thorugh customs with 10 ounces of gold and didn't pay the duty on it?

**jambone** · 03-07-2006, 01:49 PM

No direct competition I don't think. My pal is a distributor and will pay me for job lots of silver jewellery (small commission of course

). This could become a regular thing for me. I'll be taking home in luggage when I go for holiday. Approx 5000 uk pounds in value.

Will I get through with this amount, if so what would likely amount of duty be?

I live in Thailand and have a longterm g/f. Would a company formation be a good idea? I'm happy for her to own the majority stake. New to this and don't want to make any mistakes or land up in bother at Muang or Heathrow. Marmite the Dog, this sounds similar to what your friend does?

**Marmite the Dog** · 03-07-2006, 02:08 PM

There is absolutley no need to set up a company.

My mate just takes his silver home in a big, heavy bag and pays customs on arrival. He used to buy his silver from Khao San Road (I'm not sure if he still gets it from there or not) and it's all made up jewellery.

I've no idea how much duty he pays.

Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

What happens if I just walked thorugh customs with 10 ounces of gold and didn't pay the duty on it?

If you don't get caught, nothing.

**forreachingme** · 03-07-2006, 05:32 PM

If you declare it to export in Thailand, what you should do for your own good wallet , so they will give you back the 7 % VAT of your purchase !

What is allready good to get back out of 5000 PUK...

Just provide bill of purchase of it, ask it where you buy it...

And back in your country if you declare it and you have a FORM A, you will only have to pay for the VAT of your country ! if you do not have a Form A you will pay import duty, this is one amount calculated by the weigth of the goods and it's class of taxation + the VAT of the country...

If you do not declare anything in Thailand, you loose 7% and are not illegal or wrong at all, but in the country where you go in, they do not communicate each other, there you would be on the illegal side ...

14'000 thb per Kg for jewelry ! it was 12'000 thb per kg 15 years ago some times, so there is no big increase in this material yet, or it is cheap in thailand !!

You will get near 27 kg of this chains and bracelets, hope your on a silver card or better...

**kingwilly** · 03-07-2006, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

This is interesting.
D
MTD does your mate just buy a block of sliver or silver jewlery.

What happens if I just walked thorugh customs with 10 ounces of gold and didn't pay the duty on it?

run the risk of having it confiscated...!?

**kingwilly** · 03-07-2006, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by jambone

No direct competition I don't think. My pal is a distributor and will pay me for job lots of silver jewellery (small commission of course

). This could become a regular thing for me. I'll be taking home in luggage when I go for holiday. Approx 5000 uk pounds in value.

Will I get through with this amount, if so what would likely amount of duty be?

I live in Thailand and have a longterm g/f. Would a company formation be a good idea? I'm happy for her to own the majority stake. New to this and don't want to make any mistakes or land up in bother at Muang or Heathrow. Marmite the Dog, this sounds similar to what your friend does?

i think you'd be well advised to talk to your chamber fo commerce also (not that i'm usggesting that our frends here dont know wot they are takljing about!

) but the chambers are set up to do exactly this sort of thing! (advising you on businesses etc !)

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