🇹🇭 Thailand vs 🇯🇵 Japan
Side-by-side customs reference: duty-free allowance, de minimis, VAT, restricted and prohibited categories, and customs authority.
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Customs authority | Thai Customs Department | Japan Customs (Ministry of Finance) |
| VAT / GST | 7% | 10% |
| De minimis (USD) | USD 29 | USD 91 |
| Cash declaration (USD) | USD 15000 | USD 9000 |
| Duty-free alcohol (L) | 1 | 3 |
| Duty-free cigarettes | 200 | 400 |
| Duty-free personal goods (USD) | USD 430 | USD 1820 |
| Prohibited categories | Narcotics and psychotropic substances; Pornographic materials; Pirated goods; Counterfeit currency; Products from endangered species (CITES) | Stimulant drugs (kakuseizai — including many cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine above personal limits); Narcotics and psychotropic substances; Counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property; Pornographic material (obscene publications are prohibited); Firearms without proper licensing |
| Restricted categories | Medicines and pharmaceuticals (prescription required; quantity limits); Firearms and ammunition (import permit required); Certain agricultural products (phytosanitary certificate required); Gambling devices; Certain electronic devices (NBTC type approval required) | Firearms and swords (Firearms and Swords Possession Control Act — strict permit required); Certain prescription medications (allowances for personal use, 1–2 month supply); Over-the-counter medicines (up to 2 months supply without import notification); Certain foods and agricultural products (plant quarantine and animal quarantine inspections); Endangered species products (CITES permit) |
| Known scams | Unofficial 'Thailand Pass' / 'eVisa' sites charging extra fees. Use only the official Thai government domains (.go.th). • At Suvarnabhumi: rare reports of 'planted item' airport extortion claims, mainly historical. Keep receipts for high-value items and use checked-baggage scanning where available. | Unofficial Visit Japan Web clones charging an 'application fee'. The official tool is free; the URL is always vjw-lp.digital.go.jp. • Narita airport transport scams by unlicensed taxi solicitors outside arrivals. Use only the official taxi rank or Airport Limousine Bus. |
Detailed pages: Thailand • Japan
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