Visa Formalities / Customs
Prohibited Items
All kinds of narcotics (hemp, opium, cocaine, morphine, heroin), obscene literature, pictures or articles.
Firearms
Importation of firearms and ammunition can be done only after a permit has been obtained from the Police Department or local Registration Office.
Personal Effects
A reasonable amount of clothing for personal use, toilet articles, and professional instruments may be brought in duty free.
Cameras
One still-camera or one movie camera can be brought in duty free, as well as five rolls of still-camera film or three rolls of 8 or 16 mm movie-camera film.
Tobacco, Alcoholic Beverages
Cigarettes, cigars, or smoking tobacco each or in total must not exceed 250 grams (ca. one-half lb) in weight but cigarettes not exceeding 200 in quantity. One liter (a little over 1 qt) each of wine or spirits may be brought in free of duty.
Plants and Animals
The importation of certain species of fruits, vegetables and plants is prohibited. Detailed information can be obtained at the Agricultural Regulatory Division, Bangkhen, Bangkok, Tel 579-1581, 579-8516.
Permits for entry for animals coming in by air can be obtained at the airport. If animals are brought into the country by sea, an application must be made at the Department of Livestock Development, Bangkok, Tel 251-5136, 252-6944. Certificates proving that animals have been properly vaccinated facilitate the entry formalities for pets. Rabies is common in Thailand, and many countries impose long quarantines on animals brought out of the kingdom.
Export of Antiques & Art Objects
Buddha images, Bodhisattva images or fragments thereof are prohibited from being taken out of Thailand. Exceptions can be granted if the Buddha image is to be used for worshipping by Buddhists, for cultural exchange or for other reasons considered proper by the Thai authorities.
A license must be obtained from the Department of Fine Arts before any art objects or antique piece can be taken out of the country. The rule applies for originals as well as reproductions. That the rules also cover reproductions is a Thai particularity. A similar rule outright prohibits making reproductions of especially revered Buddha images such as the Emerald Buddha of Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaeo. The rule of prohibiting in principle the exportation of Buddha images as well as the copying of the country’s principal images is intended to prevent the country’s religion becoming commercial.
The art or antique object for which a permit to export is requested must be submitted to the National Museum in Bangkok (224-1370 and 224-1333) or the Chiang Mai National Museum (Tel 053 / 22-1308) or the Songkhla National Museum (Tel 074 / 31-1728) at least five days before the date of shipment or departure of the applicant. An application form must be filled in, and it must be accompanied by 2 front view post card size photographs of the object or objects in question (no more than 5 pieces in one photograph) and by a photocopy of the passport of the applicant.
Temporary Import of Vehicles by Tourists
It is possible for tourists to travel to and through Thailand with one’s own car or motorcycle. However, as the Thai government wants to avoid that this possibility is abused to smuggle vehicles into the country (for luxury cars there is a tax of several hundred percent), strict regulations have been implemented. They are relevant mainly for Malaysians and Singaporians who drive into Thailand for a vacation or a business trip.
If the vehicle is brought in through Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport or Klong Toey Seaport, either a bank guarantee must be shown or a cash guarantee must be placed. The guarantee must cover the approximate value of the vehicle in Thailand, plus 20 percent. If the entry is overland from Malaysia, a personal guarantee is sufficient. It is given in a prepared form which must be filled in and signed.
Permission to use a specific vehicle in Thailand is granted for up to 6 month. If an initial permit has been granted for just a short period of time, an extension can be applied for at the Customs Department.
The driver of a vehicle crossing the border into Thailand must be in possession of an international drivers?license. He or she must also bring registration documents for the vehicle or, in the case it is rented, an authorizing document from the owner.
Currencies
A brochure published by the Foreign Exchange Department of the Bank in Thailand states that effective since April 1, 1991, "there is no restriction on the amount of foreign exchange and Thai currency that may be brought into the country. Foreign visitors or persons in transit may freely take out of the country all foreign exchange which they had brought in without limit. However, they may not take out Thai currency exceeding Baht 50,000 per person except for trips to Thailand’s bordering countries where an amount of up to Baht 100,000 per person is allowed... Foreign tourists are freely allowed to take out gold ornaments."
Tax Clearance
According to the books, all visitors who have derived income in Thailand are obliged to pay tax. This is no different from practically every country in the world.
What used to be different was the bureaucratic procedure which was requested even from tourists who had stayed in the kingdom for more than 3 months in one calendar year. They had to get a tax clearance from the Revenue Department.
This regulation, however, was abolished in mid-1991. Tourists no longer need a tax clearance certificate, regardless how long they have stayed in Thailand. A tax clearance certificate is, however, still required prior to departure from non-immigrants who are or were employed in Thailand, as well as from foreign residents. The requirement for a tax clearance certificate can be extended to a person’s spouse and children.
Tax clearance certificates can be obtained either by paying an assessed tax or by giving the Revenue Department a bank guarantee for the value of one’s tax liability (minimum of 20,000 Baht). The Thai Revenue Department may elect to assess a person’s tax liability based on what the person would have to have earned to live in Thailand in a way considered likely for foreigners.
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