Lining Your Pockets with Thailand’s VAT Refund!

During our first two months of living in Thailand we bought a GoPro camera and an expensive new laptop, and were excited to receive our VAT refund for the additional value added tax we were charged on each item. Seeing as our first 60 day Thai tourist visas were coming to an end, we took an international flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to renew our multiple entry visas. We knew this would be the opportune time to give the VAT refund process a shot, and by taking two steps in addition to our normal routine, we were able to put some money back into our pockets.

For anyone visiting Thailand on a tourist visa and who has purchased an item worth 2000 baht or more that will be taken back to his/her native country, he/she may be eligible for a 7% VAT refund on the purchased item. In fact, many countries provide a VAT refund program for international tourists with varying tax refund percentages.

In order to get Thailand’s VAT refund, there are two major steps to complete. First, a VAT refund form (p.p.10) must be requested and filled out at the store of purchase and paired with the original itemized receipt. Second, seeing as VAT refunds are given only at participating international airports only after passing through immigration, it goes to say that an international departure flight is a must. Thai airports that have a VAT refund office include Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Don Mueang (DMK), Chiang Mai (CNX), Hat Yai (HDY), Krabi (KBV), MaeFa Luang-Chiang Rai (CEI), Phuket (HKT), Samui (USM), Udon Thani (UTH), Ubon Ratchathani (UBP), and U-Tapao (UTP) International Airports.

An original itemized receipt and respective VAT refund form, courtesy of TriptoAsia.ru

We purchased a GoPro and a laptop and met all the requirements to obtain the VAT refund. Some of the major requirements included having a tourist visa at time of purchase, purchasing the items within sixty days of leaving Thailand via an international flight, and completing a VAT refund form that was supplied by the store of purchase. For a complete list of refund requirements for eligible purchases, check out this article, Tips for Tourists: Who Can Claim a VAT Refund?.

How We Applied for the VAT Refund at Chiang Mai International Airport:

• Arrived at airport with our itemized receipts, completed VAT tax refund forms (p.p.10), and all purchased items that were to have the VAT refunded. We made sure to have enough room in our carry-ons!
• Had customs officials inspect our purchased items against the original receipt and stamp the VAT refund form.*
• Checked into flight, obtained boarding passes.
• Passed through security scanners.
• Passed through immigration and received departure stamps.
• Before going to the departing gate, we went to counter that said “Apply for VAT Refund” and handed over the two itemized receipts and the respective VAT refund forms.
• Received refund, less 100 baht processing fee.

NOTE: For a list of reasons that commonly result in being denied a refund, visit Thailand’s VAT Refund for Tourists’ website.

Copy of refund invoice.

The entire refund process took about five minutes once we got to the VAT refund office. The clerk handed our refund over in cash (baht), although there is an option to have it refunded in US dollars. Our refund was a whopping 3807 baht ($130 USD)! This was well worth the extra effort in requesting the VAT refund form while at the store and going to the VAT tax office at the airport before our flight took off.

We urge everyone to apply for a VAT refund for any large purchase in Thailand!

NOTE: At Chiang Mai International Airport, we were not able to find customs officials to inspect our goods and stamp our VAT refund form before going through immigration. In fact, several employees directed us to go through immigration and to go straight to the VAT refund office. We later read other accounts of people have similar experiences in which nothing was inspected and no forms were stamps… but only at Chiang Mai International Airport!