Tailor Shipping Duty!!??
 

OK I think i will get couple of suits, a jacket, sport coat, etc. at either Rajawongse or Raja's Fashion (which i assume it's the one in Nana plaza in front of Nana hotle!) based on recommendations here; I have to decide on that! But my question is, if i ask them to ship it to me does anyone know if I have to pay custom when they arrive at my door in Canada??? Nobody has brought this point up yet!!

Thanks.

in the usa no, but canada charges for everything don't they....

rajawongse is on sukhumvit rd almost next to the landmark hotel....to the right of the hotel...

shipping is quite expensive....better to carry home with you as luggage...buy another suitcase

On our last trip to bangkok, I had my suits shipped home to the us. We did as bob suggested and brought two empty suitcases, but since my wife always buy so much crap when we travel, those 2 bags got filled fast!
Our tailor shipped them to me and on the customs tag he declared them as"laundry" so I didn't have to pay anything for them.
I got 2 full suits, cashmere jacket, 6 shirts, and 2 slacks, I think shipping was about $60.

For information on customs and duty rates for Canada, see http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/menu-eng.html. From my review of the site, Canada is different from the US in that your CAN$750 exemption applies to all goods whether or not they are with you when you return, i.e., the exemption DOES apply to items you ship back. I quote from the site " Except for tobacco and alcohol, goods you claim in your 7-day exemption (CAN$750) may be shipped to your home by mail, courier or other means of transportation."
To correct one item in the post above, a US resident shipping items purchased abroad back to the US DOES have to pay duty on those items, they are NOT included in the US$800 duty free exameption given to returning travellers. Only items actually carried back personally by hand or in luggage is part of the exemption. Anything mailed home is subject to duty. See customs.ustreas.gov/travel

These items often escapes duty becuase it can be labled as something else (laundry is a good one), but in thereory unless it is in an exempt category (books or handicrafts they are exempt from duty), it is sujbect to duty. Booze can virtually never been shipped, as most US states do not allow mailing of liquor.

wow, thanks for your efforts in looking into this. I've been spending hours and looks like I have to pay duty (not sure what percentage yet) because I'm sure I'll be exceeding my $750 exemption. UNLESS the LAUNDRY idea! I'm wondering how practical is that!? You mean I am shipping my laundry from Thailand! but why on earth??

It's always a risk to mis-label something that is shipped to you. If the customs agents check, you'll have a fine on top of the duty.

If you're shipping using a courier company, rather than mailing, the courier companies have started charging IMHO exorbitant fees for what they claim are brokerage fees for doing the paperwork to get things across borders.

I had to pay $90 in what they are claiming are duty and brokerage fees to ship boxes to S. Korea.

Jack shipped me about US$1,000 worth of clothes to the states. I got a bill for $23 from DHL.

Canadian import duty on suits and jackets from Thailand is typically 17%-18%. You should check with the Canada Revenue Agency website whether Canada or your province also imposes GST on personal imports. Many shipping agencies also charge a fee for handling all this bureaucracy

Assuming no-one lies (and most Customs agencies round the world are pretty good at telling the difference between laundry and new bespoke suits), you could be looking at a substantial bill from DHL before they'll release the goods.

It's your responsibility to understand this. The vendor won't know, and any assurances he might give are worthless. It's also irrelevant what the policy is in foreign countries like the US.

there is a special us customs program that excludes many items brought in from developing nations and thailand is one of those countries....GSP is the program name..

The question is about a Canadian. Canada's equivalent of GSP, GPT, does not apply to clothing. Canada does offer duty-free access for clothes from very, very poor countries - but Thailand's far too well off to qualify.

The US GSP system does not apply to clothing or textiles either.