Thailand is a Southeast Asian country and is known for its tropical beaches, ancient ruins, and splendid royal palaces. All these sightseeing places along with its strong foothold in the automotive, electronics, and agricultural sectors have helped Thailand emerge as one of the best tourism and trade hotspots in Asia. Naturally, a place booming with tourism also needs a reliable courier service for shipping essential commodities and other goods. This is where DHL Express can be of utmost help to you. With its on-time, efficient, and door-to-door delivery service, shipping from Singapore to Thailand is now a breeze.
Here’s a complete guide with all the dos on how to ship a parcel from Singapore to Thailand, along with the necessary details on its customs rules.
Customs rules and regulations for Thailand
Chemicals, non-hazardous
- For sending chemicals, liquids, and non-hazardous substances, an import and export services license is needed along with the composition sheet and MSDS.
Drugs: prescription
- For importing prescriptions, it can be only done under an authorized importer with an import license from the Ministry of Public Health. If it is for personal use, then only a reasonable quantity is allowed with an affidavit letter to explain that the items are not for commercial use. Additionally, an original doctor’s prescription (from a Thai Doctor) is needed to confirm that the patient was examined and prescribed with such medication.
- Supplement for personal purpose only allows quantities for 1 month’s consumption and must be cleared as formal clearance. Drugs for pharmacy is unacceptable.
Medical equipment
An import license is required for medical equipment like massagers, personal test kits, any gadgets that can measure blood pressure or heart rate and etc. Only one item is allowed for personal use and would require a doctor’s certificate (from a Thai doctor) to confirm the patient needs this equipment for well-being.
Note: COVID Test Kit and COVID vaccine is prohibited to import by individuals.
Cosmetics
- If you are shipping cosmetics, then a license or approval from the Food & Drug Association (FDA) is needed. If it’s for personal use, then only six pieces are allowed.
Foodstuffs
- For foodstuff including grain, an import license from the Department of Public Health is needed. For personal purposes, only a reasonable quantity is allowed.
Importing cosmetics, medicines, supplements, personal medical equipment, and foodstuff by individuals requires a license to import and approval from FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and must proceed through the Formal Customs clearance channel only. Prior to any Customs formalities, all consignees must register with the Thai Customs Department and nominate DHL Express (Thailand) Ltd as their customs clearance broker.
To speed up the registration process, the consignee is recommended to personally present with original passport/ID to Thai Customs at Suvarnabhumi Airport Cargo Clearance Customs Office, otherwise, the registration process may take up to 3-4 days. For non-Thai Nationals FDA also requires a work permit and the latest entry stamp visa.
For personal use purposes, all above commodities are required to get the FDA exemption approval to import. Due to procedural requirements, the clearance lead time can be a minimum of 7 days. An affidavit letter explaining that the items are not for commercial use is required. Due to pandemic, the exemption approval process may take between 10 – 15 days.
Shipments exceeding the above-stipulated limits require an import license. Shipments without the required license/ FDA Exemption or shipments in the custody of the DHL customs bond for more than 30 days will be abandoned as per the Thai Customs Law.
Alcoholic beverages
- An import license from the Excise Department is needed for alcoholic beverages over 10 litres or if it’s for commercial purpose prior to the shipment arrival. Please know that alcoholic beverages are subjected to excise tax and import duty.
Communications equipment
- Communications equipment or mobile devices, modem, electronic network, satellite device, and television box needs an import license from the NBTC (Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commissions). A 3D printer needs a license from the Ministry of Commerce.
Computer software
- If you are sending any computer software, then a copyright or license fee must be clearly stated on the invoice for customs valuation.
Electronic equipment
- For importing any electronic equipment like a drone with a camera, an import license from the NBTC (Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commissions) is needed. License must be secured before shipping from the origin country, but it is considered a prohibited item for transit in Bangkok.
Duties, VAT and Other Customs-Related Charges
Effective 5th July until 31st Dec 2024, goods entering Thailand with a value equal to or below THB 1,500 will be subjected to 7 % Value Added Tax (VAT) upon import into Thailand.
If the shipper has pre-selected the option to pay for the Import Customs Duties, VAT, and other Customs-related charges, then no further payment is needed from the receiver prior delivery. If the shipper has NOT pre-selected the option to pay for the Import Customs Duties, VAT, and other Customs-related charges, then the receiver will be charged prior delivery.
If a shipment requires an import license and arrives in Thailand without one, the following option applies: Obtain the license and pay the fine and penalty of 20% of CIF or 20,000 THB maximum. If you do not, or cannot obtain the license you need to pay the said fines and shipment will be confiscated (Customs process is started) or not pay the fines and abandon the shipment (customs process is not started). Shipment cannot be Return to Origins without license. Thai Customs assess penalties on all import infractions but holds the importer responsible for under-declared value and inadequate or inaccurate description of the goods. Penalties can be up to 4 times the value.
Shipments for Exhibition in Thailand, copy of consignee’s passport as per waybill is required in before shipment`s arrival for earlier registration for paperless and customs clearance purpose.
Documents required to support B2C (Business to Consumers) Clearance:
1) Paperless Registration: Thai ID card or Passport to register as import with Customs.
2) An affidavit for FDA to declare items are not for commercial purpose.
3) Certificate from a Thai Hospital as to why medicines/equipment are needed.
4) For Non-Thai nationals: FDA requires Work Permit and latest entry stamp or visa.
Your complete shipping dos from Singapore to Thailand
Creating a DHL Express air waybill (AWB) is a must regardless of what you’re sending from Singapore to Thailand. Apart from AWB, your shipping invoice is also another vital document needed to clear the customs for your parcel to reach Thailand safely. After you’ve successfully made the shipment’s AWB and shipping invoice, move on to packing your own parcel. Whatever the commodity is that you’re shipping, the responsibility of packaging solely relies on you.
Finally, arrange for the parcel collection. The best part about this process is that you can arrange for your shipment collection at your convenience. You can select the time and date of pick-up and then call our customer service for shipment collection. You can also schedule a pick-up from MyDHL + shipping tool or self-deliver it to any DHL Express retail store near you.
Paperless registration with Thai customs is a must prior to ship out the shipment to Thailand and requires the consignee to add DHL express as their broker otherwise shipments will be delayed in clearance 1-2 days. To register, the consignee must personally present themselves with original passport/ID to any Thai Customs office in Thailand. The shipper must declare the correct name of the importer on AWB. Otherwise, shipments will be delayed in clearance for 1-2 days due to Thai customs requires to have correct importer names in the customs declaration.
Benefits of using DHL Express to ship a parcel from Singapore to Thailand
Knowing Thailand’s customs duty charges for each and every type of goods will prevent delays in the shipping process and reduce the risk of any additional costs. So, trust none other than DHL’s Express shipping services and watch your parcel travel across the border easily and safely. The best part is that DHL Express does the tedious work of customs clearance and the completion of declarations on your behalf.
So, here is a handy list of its advantages:
- The shipping process from Singapore to Thailand is super easy and safe thanks to the availability of DHL Express’s shipping tools such as MyDHL+, MyBill, and ODD (On-Demand Delivery)
- DHL Express provides flexible delivery options to customers that help them decide where and when their shipment should be delivered
- Customers get to decide the package collection time as per their choice
- Its door-to-door shipping service makes international shipping easy
- DHL Express also enables customers to know their shipment’s clearance status through real-time updates
- And the best part is that its network is spread over 220 countries and territories
With an aim to improve your global shipping experience, DHL Express continuously strives to provide customer satisfaction to the fullest. So, throw away your international shipping woes and hand over your package to us. Also, know more about the wide range of DHL Express optional services.
