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In December 2021, exports from Singapore to Thailand grew to a substantial S$1988.82m from S$1714.80m in November. In the previous year, exports were made up largely of electrical goods which were valued at S$6.99b, followed by machinery at S$2.92b and precious stones at S$1.34b.
Evidently, many Singapore businesses are exporting a significant number of products to Thailand. We’ve put together key information about Thailand customs regulations and how you can get your products through.
When you send a parcel or a shipment of packages from Singapore to Thailand, it must clear customs at the country — this starts with duty and taxes. You will need a receipt of payment for import duty and import-related taxes. If your shipment with CIF(cost, insurance and freight) are worth less than the de minimis value of THB1,500, you can avoid paying import tax in Thailand.
The de minimis refers to the price threshold below which no duties or taxes are charged. The de minimis accounts for the shipment's cost, insurance and insurance value. It is worth noting, however, that this exemption only applies to items shipped by air.
If you’re looking to save on import taxes, consider how the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement may benefit your organisation. Both Singapore and Thailand have ratified this trade agreement, which offers preferential trade for members, supported by lower import taxes in certain areas.
Prior to RCEP exemptions, import duties ranged from 5% to 30% and a VAT of 7%. The exact amount is determined by the HS Code of your goods. For example, a vacuum cleaner with HS Code 8508 will incur an import tax of 10% in addition to the 7% VAT, bringing the total duties and taxes to 17%. With the RCEP, certain goods will incur discounted taxation rates, so check to make sure you're paying the right tax on items shipped from Singapore to Thailand. You may start by viewing the preferential rates on the Enterprise Singapore website.
To ensure your products pass Thai customs regulations, they should not be classified as a prohibited item on the Thai customs declarations form. Prohibited goods include narcotics, fake currency, and reserved or endangered animals. These will not pass Thai customs clearance and will incur heavy penalties.
Restricted goods include plants, animals, vehicle parts, food and cosmetics, guns and firearms. As the name suggests, these goods are subject to heavy conditions for import. If you’re looking to import a restricted good, make sure it adheres to current customs regulations to avoid having the parcel withheld or returned to you.
To pass Thai customs regulations, you must have the necessary documents available at pick up. This differs depending on who collects the goods. They may be the consignee themselves, someone authorised by the consignee or a juristic person such as a company or limited partnership designated as the consignee.
Typically, the documents involved are:
Notification letter — bill of lading/waybill
Identification card of Thai national/Passport of foreign consignee in Thailand
Invoice
Import licence (if required)
Other documents as requested, dependent on the nature of shipment
You may visit the Thai Customs website to understand the specific documents required upon collection of goods to avoid the unnecessary inconvenience of withheld or returned goods.
Adhering to Thailand’s import regulations will help smoothen the shipping and customs clearance process. In addition, choosing a reliable logistics partner for the streamlined delivery of your goods makes the experience better.
DHL Express is a world class international door-to-door delivery provider you can rely on when shipping from Singapore to Thailand. We offer an array of shipping options:
Our time-sensitive express shipping allows your package to arrive at a convenient time specified by the sender.
Our day-sensitive shipping is a more economical option which ensures your package arrives within a certain number of days.
For urgent shipping, our same day delivery makes sure that your parcel gets priority door-to-door shipping within 24 hours.
Alongside these shipping options, we offer tools to improve your logistics experience. MyDHL+ makes it easy to ship online, get quotes, schedule pickups, find locations and track shipments. Sign up for our business account and join thousands of businesses that have DHL Express as their preferred logistics provider!
