Thai Customs Department

When a shipment arrives in Thailand, importers are required to file a Goods Declaration and supporting documents for the imports with a Customs officer at the port of entry. Imported cargo are not legally entered Thailand until after the shipment has arrived within the port of entry, delivery of the merchandise has been authorized by Customs, and applicable taxes and duties have been paid. It is the responsibility of an importer to arrange for examination and release of the imported cargo.
In addition, depending on the nature of the imports, and regardless of value, the importers may need to obtain a permit to facilitate clearance of the imports. Some, not all, of the goods requiring permit, and the relevant permit issuing agencies, should be contacted prior to the importation.
DOCUMENTS
The minimum documents required for the clearance of imports consists of:
(1)    Import  Declaration (Electronic Document)
(2)    Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill
(3)    Invoice (Electronic Document)
(4)    Packing List
(5)    Import License (if applicable)
(6)    Certificates of Origin (if applicable)
(7)    Other relevant documents such as catalogue, product ingredients, etc.

DECLARATION  &  CLEARANCE  PROCESS

Under the e-Import system, there is no need for relevant parties to submit paper documents as all data is transmitted electronically from an importer computer system to a Customs computer system via a Gateway Provider.

Generally, declaration and clearance process include 4 stages:

1.    Transmission and/or Submission of a Declaration: The first stage of import clearance process is to complete an Import Declaration and transmit it to Customs. Prior to the arrival of cargo or upon the arrival of cargo, a shipping company/agent forwards a ship arrival report, and manifest to the Customs’ computer system. If there is no error, the ship arrival report number is automatically generated by the system and the response message is forwarded to the shipping company/agent.  When the cargo arrives at the port or place of entry, an importer or a Customs broker forwards an Import Declaration to the Customs computer system.


2.    Check and Verification of the Declaration: The second stage is the check and verification of the Declaration and all supporting documents made by an importer. Again, the Customs computer system validates the given data and issues a Declaration and Payment Numbers within a minute in conjunction with the e-payment. In addition, the selectivity profile system will validate the transmitted data and classify the Goods Declaration into two categories: Green and Red Lines.  

3.    Payment of Import Duties and Taxes: The third stage is payment of applicable duties and taxes and/or guarantee. There are currently 2 options for the payment of import duties and taxes: payment at the Customs Department, and payment via e-Payment system.  

4.    Inspection and Release of Cargo: The last stage is to inspect and finally release cargo from Customs custody. An importer submits the verified Declaration together with the payment receipt at appropriate warehouses for the release of goods. At this stage, cargo data is screened against predetermined selectivity criteria in order to indicate whether the Declaration is under a Red Line (requiring thorough physical checking) or a Green Line (permission of release). A Green Line Declaration is cleared within a minute. Then, the cargo status is electronically forwarded to both the Port Authority and the importer/Customs broker. However, in cases where the predetermined selectivity criteria indicates that the cargo is subject to the Red Line, the Port Authority removes the cargo container for physical inspection by Customs before the release of the cargo.


CONTACT

For further inquiry and information, you may contact the Customs Call Center at Tel. 1164  or the Customs Clinic at Tel. 02-667-7880-4, Fax. 02-667-7885, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Additional information may also be obtained from Customs ports of entry/exit.  Please consult our telephone directory for a Customs office near you.  The listing can be found under the “CONTACT US” section.