According to the new rules, a tourist who wants to return part of the funds under the VAT Refund program will not need to unpack and show the goods to employees if their value does not exceed $580. Equivalent in national currency — 20,000 baht. The previous limit was set at $145.
Since January, the minimum value of consumer goods that must be demonstrated to customs officers has been quadrupled. Before the innovations, the tourist was required to present items from the category of gadgets, electronics, jewelry, accessories, for example, a trouser belt and bags, with the exception of travel bags, if their amount exceeded $290. Now the bar has been raised to $1150. In Thai baht these are 10,000 and 40,000 respectively.
The Thai authorities have also revised the maximum cost of goods that a passenger is allowed to take on board an airplane. The most expensive items, the purchase of which cost up to 100,000 baht or $2900.
, can be handled as hand luggage.
By adjusting financial rules, the Thai government pursued a simple goal: to reduce queues of tourists declaring purchases before departure. Innovations will reduce the number of such passengers by four times — from 120 thousand to 30 thousand vacationed guests of the country.
