Thailand VAT Refund 2026: Tourist Tax Refund Guide

Thailand charges 7% VAT on most goods, and visitors can claim it back on shopping they take home. The scheme is run by the Thai Revenue Department itself rather than by private refund companies, so the process is the same at every participating shop: get the form when you buy, show the goods at the airport, collect the money after passport control.

Thailand VAT Refund Calculator

Enter what you plan to spend to see the VAT inside the price.

Shopping in

Total spend (shelf price)

VAT inside your purchase · 7% rate

THB 1,963reclaimable

Revenue Department (official)set refund table
GoodVat app90% of the VATTHB 1,766

Minimum spend in Thailand: THB 2,000, same store, same day. Thailand refund rules

GoodVat is coming to Thailand. Be first in.

The GoodVat app handles your tax-free claim automatically, with no refund-desk queue, and pays out 90% of the VAT. 1,300+ refunds issued so far. It's in private beta, and Thailand is next. Join now to get in first.

Private beta members get their first refund fee-free. We'll only email you about the beta. Privacy

See how the app works

Estimate only. Uses the standard tax rate and a typical operator commission; your refund depends on the goods, the retailer and the refund operator.

Who Can Claim a VAT Refund in Thailand?

You are not a Thai national and have been in Thailand for less than 180 days.
You are leaving by air from an international airport. Land and sea departures don’t qualify.
You are not airline crew on duty.
The goods are for you and are leaving Thailand with you. Services such as hotels and meals don’t count.

Minimum Purchase Amount

You need to spend at least ฿2,000, VAT included, at the same store on the same day. Several receipts from one store on one day can be added together. Receipts from different shops can’t.

The shop must display the “VAT Refund for Tourists” sign. Some guides also mention a ฿5,000 minimum across your whole trip, which was an older rule, so ask at the refund counter if your total is small.

Step 1: Get the P.P.10 Form When You Buy

Show your passport and ask for the VAT refund form, called P.P.10, on the day you buy. The shop fills it in and attaches the original tax invoice. It can’t be issued later, so don’t leave without it.

Step 2: Show the Goods to Customs Before Check-In

At the airport, go to the customs VAT refund inspection desk before you check in. Have the goods, the P.P.10 forms and your passport ready. Smaller claims are often waved through without an inspection, and the cut-off has been raised more than once, so don’t rely on a figure you read online. Keep the goods out of your checked bags until customs has seen them or told you they don’t need to.

Carry high-value items such as jewellery, watches, pens and electronics in your hand luggage. You may be asked to show them a second time at the refund office after passport control.

Step 3: Collect Your Refund

After immigration, take the stamped forms to the VAT Refund for Tourists office. You can be paid in cash in baht, to a credit card, or by bank draft. The main refund offices are at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok, and at Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Koh Samui and Hat Yai.

How Much You Actually Get Back

VAT at 7% is 6.54% of the price you pay. On a ฿30,000 purchase that is ฿1,963.

You don’t receive all of it. The Revenue Department pays refunds from a set table rather than to the exact baht, and a processing fee of roughly ฿100 is deducted depending on how you are paid. Most visitors end up with somewhere between 4% and 6% of what they spent.

Deadlines and Common Mistakes

60 days. The goods must leave Thailand within 60 days of purchase.
Forgetting the P.P.10 at the shop. No form, no refund.
Checking bags before customs. Once the goods are in the hold, you can’t show them.
Leaving overland. Crossing into Malaysia, Laos or Cambodia by road doesn’t qualify.
Shopping at a store outside the scheme. Markets and small shops usually aren’t registered.