Thai Govt Relaxes VAT Refund Rules for Tourists From Dec. 1

Thailand’s government has eased rules on refunding value-added tax for tourists from Friday as part of its plan to boost tourism and the overall economy.

• Revised rules include raising value for purchased products required to declare at customs to at least 20,000 baht from at least 5,000 baht, according to the Finance Ministry’s statement Thursday.
• Value of nine items, such as jewelry, gold ornament, watches, smartphones and laptops, required to declare to officials has also been raised to at least 40,000 baht from at least 10,000 baht.
• Eased rules will help reduce the number of tourists requiring to show their ...