Gold Allowance for Travellers to Thailand (2026)

Duty and VAT on gold entering Thailand

Every traveller can bring in personal belongings in reasonable quantities worth up to THB 20,000 in total free of duty, as long as they are not prohibited or restricted. New gold jewellery counts towards that figure. If your goods are worth more, Thai Customs calculates the import duty and 7% VAT at the red channel. The 7% VAT rate has been extended to 30 September 2027. For personal, non-commercial goods worth up to THB 200,000 you pay at the airport, in cash or by card, and take the goods with you; above that, or for goods for sale, a formal import declaration is needed.

Gold itself carries no import duty, and gold that has not been made into jewellery is exempt from VAT if its gold content is at least 96.5%. Thailand does, however, subject imports and exports of unwrought gold (bars, ingots and granules) to licensing, so a traveller carrying bars should declare them and keep the invoices and assay certificates.

Declaring gold at Thai customs

Passengers with nothing dutiable, prohibited or restricted use the green channel. Use the red channel, marked Goods to Declare, if your goods are worth more than THB 20,000, if you carry gold bars, or if you are unsure. Show your passport and receipts so the officer can value the goods.

Thailand's cash rule is separate. You must declare foreign currency or negotiable instruments over US$15,000, Thai baht over THB 450,000, or a mix of the two worth more than THB 450,000. Taking more than THB 50,000 in Thai banknotes out of the country (THB 2 million to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam or Yunnan) needs permission. These rules cover money and negotiable instruments only; they do not mention gold.

Taking gold out of Thailand and the VAT refund

Thailand publishes no limit on gold jewellery you take out for personal use. Bars and other unwrought gold fall under the export licensing rules, so ask Thai Customs before you leave with them, and keep the shop's tax invoice for any jewellery bought in Thailand.

Tourists can claim back VAT on goods bought from shops showing the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, if they spend at least THB 2,000 per shop per day, leave by air from one of ten international airports and take the goods out within 60 days. Have the goods checked by Customs before check-in. Jewellery, gold ornaments and watches must be hand-carried and shown again to Revenue officers after passport control; since December 2023 this applies to items worth THB 40,000 or more. Plain gold jewellery made in Thailand is charged VAT only on the making charge and price spread, so the refund on it is small; gold bars are VAT-exempt and give no refund.

Thailand to India, Malaysia and Singapore

Gold bought in Bangkok's gold shops is often taken home by visitors from South and South-East Asia. Keep the invoice showing weight and purity, because your destination values the gold from it. India gives returning passengers a duty-free jewellery allowance and charges duty on bars and coins. Malaysia and Singapore have value-based allowances. Travellers to China, Hong Kong or the UAE should check those pages before buying.

Changes in 2026

In September 2026 Thailand's Customs Department said it was studying an import tax on gold after imports rose 53% to more than THB 901 billion between October 2025 and August 2026; no decision has been made. From 8 October 2026 the Bank of Thailand requires banks to obtain supporting documents for every gold-related foreign-exchange transaction, whatever the amount. Customs is also active at the airports: on 1 October 2026 officers at Suvarnabhumi seized 1.3 kg of gold hidden in a speaker.

Practical tips

Wear or hand-carry jewellery and keep receipts, including for jewellery you owned before the trip. Declare anything you are unsure about. Rules on gold may change if the proposed import tax goes ahead, so check with Thai Customs before you travel.