Getting Your VAT Back: Thailand’s Tourist Refund, Step by Step

Thailand charges 7 per cent VAT on most goods. If you are a visitor taking those goods home, you can claim some of it back. The scheme is run by the Revenue Department and handled at international airports. It works well if you follow the steps in the right order. If you miss one, usually the customs stamp, the claim fails. This guide covers who qualifies, what to ask for in the shop, and what to do on departure day.

Is it worth it?

VAT is included in Thai shelf prices. At 7 per cent it makes up about 6.5 per cent of what you pay. The refund you actually receive is smaller than that. The Revenue Department works out refunds from a published table, and a 100-baht processing fee (about £2.25) applies. Expect a modest sum on everyday shopping, though a worthwhile one on larger purchases such as electronics, designer goods or a good camera.

The VAT rate stays at 7 per cent until at least 30 September 2027, under a royal decree published in August 2026.

Who can claim

According to the Revenue Department, you are eligible if you are:

• not a Thai national;
• not a permanent resident of Thailand;
• not an airline crew member departing on duty;
• leaving Thailand by air, from an international airport.

The department’s FAQ adds that refunds are not given to people who live in Thailand or whose stay exceeds 180 days. If you leave by land or sea, you cannot claim.

What qualifies

• Goods, not services. Hotel bills, restaurant meals and tours do not qualify. Anything you use up during your stay does not qualify either.
• Bought from participating shops. Look for the “VAT Refund for Tourists” sign. Many department stores and larger shops in the main tourist cities take part.
• At least 2,000 baht (about £45), VAT included, per shop per day. Each refund form must show at least 2,000 baht. Because the rule is per shop and per day, purchases at the same shop on the same day can count towards the minimum together. Ask the shop to put them on one form.
• Taken out of Thailand with you within 60 days of the purchase date.

Step 1: In the shop

On the day you buy, show your passport and ask for the VAT refund form (P.P.10) with the original tax invoice attached. Some shops issue an electronic version. Before you leave the counter, check that your name and passport number are correct. The Revenue Department warns that forms with the wrong name or passport number are very likely to be rejected.

Keep the forms, receipts and goods together. Customs may ask to see the goods.

Step 2: At the airport, before check-in

On the day of departure, not the evening before, go to the customs VAT refund inspection point before you check in your luggage. Customs inspection is required if your total purchases are 20,000 baht (about £449) or more. Show the goods, the forms and the original invoices, and customs will stamp the forms. This threshold rose from 5,000 baht on 1 December 2023.

This step matters most. A missing customs stamp, where one was required, cannot be fixed later.

Step 3: After passport control

Once you are through immigration, take the stamped forms and invoices to the VAT Refund for Tourists office in the departure area.

Some items must be shown a second time here. Keep them in your hand luggage:

• Luxury goods worth 40,000 baht (about £897) or more per item. These include jewellery, gold, watches, glasses, pens, phones, laptops and tablets, handbags, wallets, purses and belts.
• Any other item worth 100,000 baht (about £2,243) or more that you carry on board.

How you are paid

Each method carries a 100-baht fee. Drafts and card credits also carry bank charges and postage, which are deducted from your refund. If you take cash, you will be holding baht as you leave. Spend it in the departure lounge or keep it for your next trip.

If there is no time at the airport

If the queue is long, you can post the documents to the Revenue Department instead, or use the drop box by the refund office. You will still need the customs stamp where one was required. For a postal claim, the department asks for:

• the stamped forms and original invoices;
• copies of your passport photo page and your Thai entry and exit stamps;
• a copy of the credit card you want the refund paid to, in the same name as the claim.

Where you can claim

The Revenue Department lists refund offices at ten international airports:

• Suvarnabhumi
• Don Mueang
• Chiang Mai
• Phuket
• Hat Yai
• U-Tapao
• Krabi
• Samui
• Surat Thani
• Mae Fah Luang–Chiang Rai

If you fly out internationally from Chiang Mai, claim there. If you are on a domestic flight to Bangkok, you claim at Bangkok, where your international departure is.

There are also authorised downtown refund points in Bangkok, which can pay you before you reach the airport. You must still have your goods inspected by customs when you depart, and the agent will explain the conditions.

A short checklist

• Shop where the sign is displayed. Spend 2,000 baht or more per shop per day.
• Get the P.P.10 form and original invoice on the day, and check the passport number.
• On departure day, go to customs before check-in if your total is 20,000 baht or more.
• Hand-carry luxury items worth 40,000 baht or more per item, and anything else worth 100,000 baht or more.
• Claim at the refund office after immigration.

None of this is complicated. It simply has to be done in order. For more on where the money goes on a trip, see our guide to what Thailand really costs in 2026. Card refunds are paid in baht and converted by your card provider. Our guide to Thai ATM fees explains why that conversion is worth understanding.

Sources

All checked 17 October 2026.

• Revenue Department: VAT Refund for Tourists conditions, including the 2,000-baht minimum, 60 days, the 20,000-baht customs threshold, the 40,000/100,000-baht luxury rule and trip-by-trip claims. vrtweb.rd.go.th/81.html
• Revenue Department: eligibility. rd.go.th/english/56333.html
• Revenue Department: refund payment methods and fees. vrtmap.rd.go.th. The Thai version is at rd.go.th/55922.html.
• Revenue Department: FAQ, covering services not eligible, residents and stays over 180 days, the ten airports, departure-day inspection, postal claims and wrong-name forms. rd.go.th/63040.html. Some thresholds in the FAQ are pre-2023 figures; we have used the current conditions page instead.
• Government Public Relations Department: revised criteria effective 1 December 2023. thailand.prd.go.th
• Revenue Department: downtown VAT refund service points. rd.go.th/63054.html
• Thai PBS: VAT rate held until 30 September 2027 (Thai). thaipbs.or.th
• Exchange rate: Xe GBP/THB mid-market, 17 Oct 2026, 08:39 UTC (15:39 UTC+7).