Hi All
I've read somewhere that expat. living in Thailand with a retirement visa don't pay tariffs. Anyone know anything would be helpful.
Plan on relocating to Udon Thani in April. Will wait til i have a permanent address. Think you have be in Thailand for a period of time before you can get a retirement visa. Then have my car shipped
I learn a lot about Thai life from reading replies.
Thanks Gary Seattle Wa.

If relocating to Thailand on a "Non O" visa based on retirement than you are not tax exempt.

Nonresidents: Nonresidents may import the used/secondhand household effects acquired abroad tax and duty free if such household effects accompanied them in the change of residence and they are qualified under the requirements listed below:

1. Nonresidents resuming residents in Thailand must be granted a non-immigrant quota as shown in a passport or a Nonresident Identification Card; or
2. Nonresidents granted to work in Thailand will be regarded as resuming residents in Thailand provided they have a one-year non-immigrant visa issued by the Immigration Department. In case where the non-immigrant visa has not yet been granted, either of the following documents may be accepted:

(2.1) The letter from the Immigration Department certifying that the nonresidents shall be granted an annual temporary stay in Thailand; or
(2.2) The work permit from the Department of Labor to work in Thailand for at least one year.
3. Nonresidents entering Thailand as an expert, specialist, or under a contract of government agencies are required to present the letter from relevant agencies certifying that such nonresidents are granted a non-immigrant visa issued by the Immigration Department and shall work in Thailand not less than one year.

Note : Nonresidents entering into the Kingdom with a non-immigrant visa "code O" who wish to retire in Thailand or accompany spouses of Thai residents are not qualified for (1)

Quoted from the following link:

http://www.customs.go.th/Customs-Eng/Ho ... equirement

gary gries wrote:Hi All
I've read somewhere that expat. living in Thailand with a retirement visa don't pay tariffs. Anyone know anything would be helpful.
Plan on relocating to Udon Thani in April. Will wait til i have a permanent address. Think you have be in Thailand for a period of time before you can get a retirement visa. Then have my car shipped
I learn a lot about Thai life from reading replies.
Thanks Gary Seattle Wa.

You're planning to relocate here in April of this year? You clearly haven't done much research have you.

Anyway, you don't have to be here any period of time to qualify for a Non O-A visa (retirement). You can apply for a Non O-A before you depart the US.

The are other options available to you, I suggest you start here:

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

And good luck with the car import.

beer monkey wrote:And good luck with the car import.

Thank for your responses. I knew I can get non o visa in the USA. It still needs to change to retirement in thailand??????. I believe i was looking at my car as a house hold item. Is there no inexpensive way to get tansportation in thailand.
Gary

Gary,sounds like your not to experienced with Thailand!Get your OA or tourist visa,come over and take care of your transportation needs once you are here and settled.You might find no need for a car here,depending on where you live.If you do,you can pick something up here.Forget about the hassles involved!Relax and ''trip''on over

gary gries wrote:Hi All
I've read somewhere that expat. living in Thailand with a retirement visa don't pay tariffs. Anyone know anything would be helpful.
Plan on relocating to Udon Thani in April. Will wait til i have a permanent address. Think you have be in Thailand for a period of time before you can get a retirement visa. Then have my car shipped
I learn a lot about Thai life from reading replies.
Thanks Gary Seattle Wa.

I concur with the others on board here, Gary.

I will have made 6 to 8 extended-stay trips to Thailand before I finally settle permanently. All of those are probably not necessary, but it's a good idea to come over, look around, and ask around before you just jump into the rice field.

FWIW, after two trips and beginning my third, I have pretty much decided that I won't need a car in Udon. A motorbike, walking and public transportation suits me just fine.

Choke Dee!

Gary, Have you been to Udon or Thailand before? I ask prior to replying with things you probably already know if you have been here.

Thanks BBkSTAN
Sound like solid advice. Don't want the hassle. Never been in Thailand. Have traveled some. I know I'm in for a culture shock. Spent 2 yrs in that part of the world while in the
service. But not going to try and convince anyone that I'm a veteran traveler.

You guy got a good web site here. Udon is real easy to get information on.
You all take it easy. Gary G.

Some clear, helpful details regarding avoiding paying tariffs or duties when sending a container of goods to Thailand shortly after acquiring a non-immigrant retirement status would be most useful.

If I am eligible to send my goods duty-free, I want to take advantage of that privilege. What paperwork and procedures will be required accompanying shipment and upon pickup? Have you done this. How and to whom do I donate a large tip to expedite the procedures? Where can find reliable transportation?

The ususal opinion that I should give away all my possessions and buy replacements doesn't apply here. I've been vacationing in Thailand for the last twelve year and have been researching what is available here. I know it isn't practical to ship electronics, a car, etc.

I'm financially comfortable and would spend 100,000 baht to bring my collections and personal effects to Thailand to aid and comfort me. My library of a thousand or more books couldn't be replaced in Thailand. My family pictures could be digitized, but I want the albums. Most of my clothes would be donated but I still would keep more than would be easily packed for a plane flight. Most of my furnature would be given away but my father was a crafstman and there several nice pieces that he made that have great personal value. I might as well add two very comfortable club chairs to the group and pack it all in a container for shipment.

My point is that I want to and can easlily afford to ship a container to Thailand. I just do not want to be charged duties because I don't have the correct paperwork at a certain time and place. Should I find a professional importer to assist me?

Lessons learned of things that went wrong would also be useful.

Thanks.

TJ

TJ you are not eligible for duty free treatment of your personal effects if you send them to Thailand and you are coming here on a non-immigrant visa (so called "retirement visa")

Only Thai citizens who have been resident overseas for more than 12 months are entitled to some limited duty free concessions on returning to live in Thailand.

It really is luck of the draw as to how your container will be treated when it arrives in Thailand. Some have reported no or little duty payable - others have reported horror stories.

One consistent theme however is that people using a carrier (from their home country) who has a good agent at the Thai end seem to get more favourable treatment. This is put down to the agent having long established relationships with Thai Customs, thereby leading to more favourable treatment (ie less duty and/or tea money payable).

I used these people (who have worldwide coverage) when moving my personal effects from Oz to LOS, and was very happy with the service. Others have also reported good results with them on the ThaiVisa forum.

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/