Customs tightens up inspection of parcels

The Customs Department has tightened up inspection of parcels of goods sent from abroad to supposedly pre-order business operators to make sure that the imported goods are properly taxed, said customs chief Kulis Sombatsiri over the weekend.
He pointed out that several pre-order business operators had taken advantage of lax inspection of parcels by ordering goods from overseas producers and having them parceled to them and then sold to their clients who placed the orders for such goods.

Through this unfair trade practice, the customs chief noted that pre-order business operators could sell products to their customers at much cheaper prices than ordinary traders and still could make fat profits which is unfair to the traditional importers.

This unfair trade practice, said Mr Kulis, has rendered the state loss in import tax which should have been collected.

As part of the tightened inspection, he disclosed that X-ray machines would be installed at luggage conveyor belts to look for brand-name products loaded in passengers’ luggage which will be taxed.

Customs Department, data analysis centre reported that in the first five months of the 2017 fiscal year, the amount of imports has increased, but import tax collection has dropped about 5 billion baht below target which is a mismatch.

Thai PBS

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