Tax-free guide · Asia

Tax-free shopping in Thailand

Yes. Visitors can claim back VAT (7%) on goods they take home through VAT Refund for Tourists. You need to spend ฿2,000 or more including tax per shop, per day, and you claim it when you leave the country. A refund is never automatic: customs has to confirm the export, and operators can deduct a fee.

Last checked 2 November 2026. Figures are estimates, not tax advice.

Thailand at a glance

StatusRefund available
SchemeVAT Refund for Tourists
Tax in the priceVAT, standard rate 7%
Not yet checked against an official source
Minimum spend฿2,000 or more including tax per shop, per day
At least 2,000 baht including VAT per store per day (P.P.10 form). No per-trip claim minimum: the Revenue Department's refusal list has only the 2,000 baht rule; the '5,000 baht' TAT cites was the old customs-inspection threshold.
Where you get it backWhen you leave, at the airport or port
Typical refundNot confirmed yet
Who can claimNon-residents of Thailand staying no more than 180 days in the calendar year; not airline crew.
DeadlineTake goods out within 60 days of purchase (purchase day counts as day 1). Purchases totalling 20,000 baht or more must be shown to Customs before check-in.
Prices on tagsShelf prices include tax
Not yet checked against an official source

What could you get back?

Here's the arithmetic on a ฿10,000 purchase. The tax inside a price that includes 7% tax is 7/107 of it, about 6.5%.

Example purchase

Thailand, standard rate

Price you pay, including tax฿10,000
Tax inside it (7/107 of the price)฿654.21
Estimated refundup to ฿654.21, less fees

฿10,000 is about US$296.21, €264.09, £220.73, A$422.66 at the mid-market rate for 2 November 2026.

An estimate, not a promise. Goods at a reduced rate get back less, and you only get a refund if customs and the operator approve your claim.

How to claim the refund in Thailand

Bring your passport. Shops need to see it to sell tax-free. Non-residents of Thailand staying no more than 180 days in the calendar year; not airline crew.
Spend enough in one go. Spend ฿2,000 or more including tax per shop, per day and ask the shop for the tax refund form.
Keep the goods unused and with you. Customs can ask to see them when you leave, so keep them in your hand luggage until the claim is done.
Validate the claim when you leave. Have the form validated by customs or at a kiosk when you leave Thailand. Take goods out within 60 days of purchase (purchase day counts as day 1). Purchases totalling 20,000 baht or more must be shown to Customs before check-in.
Collect the refund. The shop or refund operator pays you, usually by card or in cash, less any fee it charges.

Want the real cost of a price tag here? Try the refund calculator, and read why you should always pay in local currency.

Questions

How much is the tax refund in Thailand?

VAT is 7%, so the tax inside a price is 7/107 of it, about 6.5%. On a ฿10,000 purchase that's ฿654.21, and you could get back up to ฿654.21, less the refund operator's fee, which the official sources don't publish. It's an estimate: reduced-rate goods get back less and every claim needs approval. Last checked 2 November 2026.

What is the minimum spend for tax-free shopping in Thailand?

฿2,000 or more including tax per shop, per day.

Where do I claim the tax refund in Thailand?

When you leave, at the airport or port. Take goods out within 60 days of purchase (purchase day counts as day 1). Purchases totalling 20,000 baht or more must be shown to Customs before check-in.

Is it cheaper to buy things in Thailand?

Only if the price on your card, after any tax refund you'll actually get, beats the price at home. Convert the tag at the mid-market rate, add your card's foreign transaction fee (often around 3% on bank cards, 0% on travel cards), then take off the refund estimate, and compare. Always pay in the local currency, because the shop's conversion costs more. Priceglot does this for every tag you point it at.

Sources

Revenue Department - VAT Refund For Tourists conditions (checked 2 November 2026)
Revenue Department - VAT Refund for Tourists procedures (checked 2 November 2026)
TAT News - Thailand offers VAT Refund for tourists (2022) (checked 2 November 2026)
Revenue Department - Why the VAT refund are disapproved? (updated 11 Feb 2022) (checked 2 November 2026)

Last checked 2 November 2026.