What is Smart Card?

Customs Smart Cards are a credit-card-sized plastic card embedded with an integrated circuit chip. They are designed to prove an identity of Customs’ clients e.g. importers, exporters, owners of companies, etc. in processing Customs formalities, for appropriate types of smart cards that are categorized into;

(1) Gold Card for importers and exporters
(2) Licensed Customs Broker Card (Silver)
(3) Owner or Manager Card (Yellow)
(4) Attorney-In-Fact Card (Green)
(5) Customs Clearance Card (Pink)

Importing Used/Secondhand Household Effects

Thai residents who have been abroad for one year or longer, for the purposes other than touring are eligible to bring in household effects acquired abroad free of taxes and duties. In addition, nonresidents changing their residence to Thailand may import the household effects subject to the conditions stated below without payment of import taxes duties.

The term “household effects” includes all goods which are normally necessary to equip a self-contained home e.g. furniture, carpets, books, musical instruments, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings, etc. To be eligible for tax and duty free allowance, the importers are required to have owned, possessed, and used the household effects before they return to Thailand to resume residence. It is important that the importers meet the three requirements of ownership, possession, and use. For example, if they owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to regular taxes and duties.

Personal effects accompanied with the owner traveling into or out of Thailand, including any goods used or will be used commercially are not eligible as household effects cannot brought in tax and duty free as the household effects

NOTE: Motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded from this rebate.

Importing Personal Vehicles

Temporary imports

Temporary imports of personal vehicles are vehicles e.g. a motor vehicle, motorcycle, yacht, sports boat, or fishing vessel, brought into Thailand by residents of another country, usually for a maximum of six months, while remaining registered in its country of origin. Tourists/travelers may import personal vehicles into Thailand without payment of taxes and duties provided that they enter Thailand for a short visit and intend to take the vehicles from Thailand at the conclusion of the visit.

To facilitate tax and duty free entry of the personal vehicles, the tourists/travelers are required to place a cash deposit or bank guarantee covering the full amount of liable taxes and duties with Customs. The deposits will be refunded when the vehicles, all fittings and accessories imported with the personal vehicles are exported within the time limits of temporary entry.

Prior to importation, importers are required to closely follow Customs’ regulations and conditions on temporary imports of personal vehicles.

Permanant imports

Eligible Persons

The importers under the criteria listed below are eligible to import ONE used/ secondhand vehicles for personal use

1. Nonresidents: Nonresidents with non-immigrant visas issued by the Immigration Department and work permits issued by the Ministry of Labor to work in Thailand for at least one year at the time of importation.
2. Thai Residents: The Thai residents are divided into 2 categories:
   1. Returning Thai residents working/studying/living abroad: The permanent import of personal vehicles under this condition is allowed only when the vehicle is accompanied the owner on the change of residence and the importer have owned, possessed, and used the imported vehicles together with the valid driving license for at least one and a half year while staying abroad.
   2. Returning Thai residents marrying foreigners: It is required that the importer have owned, possessed, and used the imported vehicle while staying abroad for at least one and a half year, from the date of transferring of ownership to the date of arriving in Thailand. In addition, a Marriage Certificate and relevant evidence indicating the change of residence to Thailand must also be shown to Customs.

" Note: However, due to the difficulty and the incredibly expensive import duty normally we don't recommend any of our clients to bring in any kinds of vehicles. "