Customs Information for Travelers

Introduction for Inbound or Outbound passengers

For Inbound Passengers

    * Green channel for passengers who have undutiable items
    * Red channel for passengers who have dutiable, restricted and/or prohibited items
    * Punishment if failure to declare
    * Accompanied Luggage Depository (Customs Bond)

Temporary Import/Export under ATA Carnet for product sample, exhibition
   etc. (more detail, please read “A.T.A Carnet” on the main page)

Currency limitation

    * For Outbound Passengers
    * VAT refund for tourist

 Household effect for domicile change (please read “Household effect” on the main page)

    * Personal vehicle ( please read “Personal vehicle” on the main page)
    * Privileges and charity ( please read “Export promotion and privileges” on the main page)
    * Imported items for international conventions (Under the Process of improving)

Introduction for Inbound or Outbound passengers

 Before your travel, you should prepare passport and involved documents, read and
   understand Customs regulations, Disease Quarantine, Immigration regulation, currency
   limitation, and exchange rate.
 Do not carry any things for other persons because if there is any illegal offence, you have
   to be responsible for the offence yourself.
 You must realize that Violators of laws related to illicit drugs, .e.g., having and holding for
   use, or being a producer, seller, or transporter are subject to the death sentence.
 

For Inbound passengers

       To facilitate and expedite the clearance of passengers, the International Airport Customs Offices all over the country provide Customs inspectors to assist passengers at both the “Red and Green Channels”.
Green Channel: Inbound passengers with nothing to declare walk through the “Nothing to Declare” exit (Green Channel); or
Red Channel: Inbound passengers with something to declare e.g. dutiable items, prohibited/restricted goods, etc. or you are unsure which exit to use go to the "Goods to Declare" exit (Red Channel).
If you need help clearing Customs, please do not hesitate to ask the Customs inspectors for assistance.

Green Channel

Nothing to Declare

For a passenger who has the following only:

     Personal belonging in reasonable amount for owner’s use and the total value not
       exceeding 10,000 baht.
       ( not restricted/prohibited items or provision)
     200Cigarettes or 250 gm of tobacco or cigars, or altogether weight not more than
       250 gm at the maximum
     1 liter of alcoholic beverage at the maximum

    the exceeding amount must be dropped in the Customs boxes to avoid being prosecuted.

    Note If you are uncertain about the status of your belonging, please kindly proceed to the Red Channel


Warning: Customs Bureau emphatically serve passengers’ convenience by not check all passengers through the Green Channel but randomly check in accordance with the international standard of customs system.

Red Channel

Goods to declare

1. Dutiable items
 items that you did not have when you left Thailand and their quantities are not reasonable
   for personal use or/and the total value of belongings is more than 10,000 baht.
 items that are intended for commercial use, business, or trade purposes e.g. molds

2. Prohibited items
       They are goods for which either the import into or export out of the Kingdom is prohibited, e.g.,
 Narcotics
 Obscene items, and publications
 Counterfeit goods and pirated items
 Counterfeit notes and coins
 Protected wild lives

       Violators of laws related to illicit drugs, .e.g., having and holding for use, or being a producer, seller, or transporter are subject to the death sentence.

3. Restricted items
       They are goods the import and export of which is restricted by law and therefore require a permit from the related government agencies.
The following examples require a permit from the government agency in order to lodge the Customs formalities:

Items
   

Controlling organizations

 * Buddha images, religious or ancient arts, and
   antiques
   

 Department of Fine Arts

 * Weapons, bullets, and explosive devices
   

 Office of National Police

 * Plants and planting materials
   

 Department of Agriculture

 * Live Animals, pets, and animals products
   

 Department of Live Stock Development

 * Food and drugs
   

 Food and Drug Administration

 * Automobile parts
   

 Ministry of Industry

 * Cigars, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverage
   

 Excise Department

 * Wireless transmitters and receivers,
   telecommunication equipments
   

 The National Telecommunications Commission

       If the total value of a passenger’s accompanied items is more than 80,000 Baht, the passenger is required to do the Customs formalities at Customs Formality section.
Punishment if Failure to declare!

       It will lead to a fine amounting to 4 times the value of undeclared items plus tax and duty, or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both. Such undeclared items are confiscated.

Accompanied Luggage Depository
(Customs Bond)

       If you are a transit passenger with accompanied luggage and you do not want to clear Customs, you are allowed to deposit your accompanied items at a Customs Bond under the following criteria:

     Passengers have an air ticket to the third country available;
     The deposit duration is not more than 2 months;
     The deposited items are not prohibited/restricted goods; and

       There is no suspect of Customs offences , smuggling , or prohibition restriction violation.When the items are deposited at the Customs Bond at the Airport, Customs officials will issue a Deposit Form (Form 466) with two duplicates. The original copy is given to passengers. The first duplicate is affixed to the deposited items while the second one is affixed to the Deposit Form Counterfoil.

       A daily fee at the following rates is charged for goods deposited in the Customs Bond:
If the gross weight per package
      (a) not exceeding 20 kgs.      40   Baht/package/day
      (b) exceeding 20 kgs. but not exceeding 40 kgs.      80   Baht/package/day
      (c) exceeding 40 kgs.     150   Baht/package/day

 
 

Temporary Import

ATA Carnet

       Under the auspices of the ATA Carnet agreement, a passenger who brings in goods temporarily
for    exhibition,
         scientific purpose  or
         sample
and will re-export the goods. The passenger is required to inform the Customs officer at the red channel for Customs clearance at the Passenger Service Division

       On the departure date the passenger must present the ATA Carnet document and goods for inspection; otherwise, the goods will be considered as not having been re-exported and Customs duties and taxes will be levied.

       For a temporary export, a passenger is required to do the same procedure.
 
Currency Limitation

For Thai currency, the amount of Baht 50,000 or more must be reported on departure to Customs, except those traveling to Lao PDR., Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are allowed to take out Thai currency not exceeding 500,000 Baht.
For Foreign currency, any person who brings or takes and aggregate amount of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000 or its equivalent out of or into the Kingdom of Thailand shall declare such amount of foreign currency to Customs. Failure to declare or make false declaration is a criminal offence.

For outbound passengers (leaving Thailand)

       Outbound Passengers with Expensive Items Intended for Re-Importation: If you are departing Thailand with certain items e.g. cameras, video cameras, laptop computers, tape recorders, etc. and you are intended to bring them back in Thailand, register these items- as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent, marking items- to Customs at the departure airport after checking in and receiving a boarding pass. The Customs officials will record the exportation of such personal items intending for re-importation. All items registered will be allowed duty free entry when you return to Thailand.

       Outbound Passengers with Jewelry: Outbound passengers carrying jewelry intended for export themselves are required to complete Customs formalities before their departure at the Customs Airport Office.

       Outbound Passengers with Goods under Tax/Duty Drawback Scheme: Outbound passengers carrying export goods under tax and duty compensation/drawback scheme or with “Re-Importation Certificates” are required to complete formal Customs formalities before their departure at the Customs Airport Office.

       It is illegal to take or send out of Thailand restricted and/or prohibited items e.g. Buddha images, protected wildlives, illegal drugs, faked notes and coins, obscene items, pornography etc. Customs will seize any of restricted/prohibited items. If outbound passengers convict any of these offences, you will be subject to fine and imprisonment. Moreover, please know the currency limitation.

VAT Refund

       Travelers will be qualified for a VAT Refund if you meet the following conditions:

     You are a non-Thai resident and not staying in Thailand up to 180 days in a current
       tax year;
     You are not a pilot or a cabin crews of any airline departing Thailand; and
     You leave Thailand via an international airport.


       Proof of export is required if you wish to claim a refund of the tax paid on eligible goods. To claim for a VAT refund, you should, first of all, contact Customs officials at the airport before checking in. The following documents must be available for inspection by Customs officials:

     A passport;
     VAT Refund Application Form (VAT Form 10);
     An original receipt; and,
     Goods that go with the original receipts.


       If the declarations for VAT refund are correct, Customs officials will sign and stamp the VAT Refund Application Form, affix a sticker to the luggage containing the eligible goods, and return every thing to you. You need to present the VAT Application Form approved by Customs to the Revenue officials after clearing immigration for a VAT refund. If you claim VAT refunds for small and expensive items e.g. jewelry, gold, watches, glasses, pens, etc., please have these items available for inspection at the VAT Refund Office again.

       Also please allow extra time at the airport to have your application stamped and eligible goods verified, keeping in mind that other passengers will also requesting these services. You should arrive at the airport even earlier than the time recommended by your airline to be at your boarding gate on time.