Thailand VAT Refund: THB 2,000 Per Shop Per Day

You get VAT back on goods worth at least THB 2,000 from one participating shop in one day, with a P.P.10 form made at the shop. Take the goods out by air within 60 days. A Customs stamp is needed only when all your forms total THB 20,000 or more.

Shop at a store with the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, keep the original tax invoices, and claim at the airport on the day you fly. You get VAT back if you spend at least THB 2,000 in one shop on one day. Ask for the P.P.10, the tax-refund form the shop fills in with your passport, and finish the rest at the airport on the day you fly.

Is it worth the queue? For one big purchase, yes: THB 10,000 of goods returns THB 500. For a single THB 2,000 purchase you get back THB 80, so skip it unless you are already passing the counter.

Who can claim

You qualify as a traveller leaving the Kingdom who is not of Thai nationality and not domiciled in Thailand. Living or working here rules you out, so refunds are not granted if you reside in Thailand or your stay exceeds 180 days. That includes DTV and LTR holders who shop as tourists. Goods are covered and services are not, so hotels, restaurants and anything consumed during your stay carry no refund.

At the shop

Buy from a store displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign. The floor is THB 2,000 including VAT from each supplier per day, and each P.P.10 form must show at least THB 2,000. You then have 60 days to take the goods out, with the purchase day counted as day one.

Make the form on the purchase day: show your passport, ask the sales assistant to complete the P.P.10 form and have the original tax invoices attached. Check the name and passport number before you walk out, since forms with a different name or passport number are very likely to be rejected.

At the airport

There are three steps, and the order matters.

1. Get the P.P.10 or e-P.P.10 and original invoices at the shop.
2. On the departure date, declare the goods, forms and invoices at the Customs Office for an inspection stamp before loading your luggage.
3. After Immigration, submit the forms and original invoices at the VAT Refund Office.

You only need the Customs stamp when all your forms total THB 20,000 or more. Below that you are exempt from the Customs procedure and go straight to the refund office. Do the Customs step on the day you fly, because the inspection should not be done in advance.

Forget the stamp above that total and the claim ends there. Below it, a forgotten stamp does not block a claim and you can mail the forms.

Expensive single items get a second look. Jewellery, watches, phones, laptops, handbags and belts worth THB 40,000 or more per item count as luxury goods, and you declare them twice: at the Customs inspection office before check-in, then at the VAT Refund Office after Immigration. Carry the item with you for the second look.

Which airports count

The scheme is for air departures, and refund offices sit in 10 international airports. They are Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, U-Tapao, Krabi, Samui, Surat Thani and Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai. Leaving by land or sea means no claim, and a ticket for a domestic flight does not qualify, so claim at the airport your international flight leaves from. See Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang for getting to the two Bangkok airports.

How you get paid

Up to THB 30,000 you receive Thai baht cash or an e-wallet payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay. Above THB 30,000 the money goes only to a Visa, MasterCard, Diners or JCB card account.

A processing fee comes off the amount, and it now slides with the value of your goods instead of the old flat THB 100. Some sample rows:

Read the table as what lands in your hand per band, not a percentage of the tag price.

If you have already left

You can still request the money by mailing the stamped forms to the VAT Refund for Tourists Office. Send the P.P.10 or e-P.P.10 with the original tax invoices, a copy of your passport showing photo, name and passport number, and a copy of a Visa, MasterCard, Diners or JCB card. The claimant and cardholder names must be exactly the same. Address the envelope to the Revenue Department, 90 Soi Phaholyothin 7, Bangkok.

Paperwork that sinks a claim

Most rejections are paperwork: the P.P.10 was not prepared on the date of purchase, the original tax invoices were not attached, or the goods came from a shop outside the scheme. Ask the shop to re-read the form with you at the till, because fixing a name at the counter is far easier than at the airport.

↑ Contents

Not confirmed: The rate table in the Department's fee notice dates from 2013. Check the final amount on the form at the refund counter before you decide on a close purchase. The downtown service points are listed by operator name only. Ask the shop before you rely on one.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not financial or tax advice for your situation. Rules and fees change; confirm with your bank, the Revenue Department or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

Spotted an error? Report it.