Balikbayan Box From Thailand to the Philippines: Who Qualifies, the PHP 150,000 Limit and Sending by Air
Balikbayan box means a box of personal and household effects. The box is exempt from duty and tax when a Filipino abroad sends it to family and it is not for sale. It may be sent anytime but only three times a calendar year. Each sender is limited to PHP 150,000 value per calendar year. This applies whether you are sending from Thailand or from anywhere else in the world.
Who can send a balikbayan box tax-free from Thailand?
Any Filipino abroad can send a balikbayan box including first time senders and non-OFWs. This includes workers on contract, students and tourists. The box is for your family only, up to the fourth civil degree (parents, grandparents, siblings and their children).
For purposes of this CAO, the term OFW includes Filipinos working abroad under job contracts who do not require a certification from the DOLE or the POEA.
Source: Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2018, Section 3.20, Bureau of Customs, via the Supreme Court E-Library.
Balikbayan Privilege can only be used by natural persons. Companies including cooperatives are not eligible for the Balikbayan Privilege. Sending a box to a friend or a colleague is also outside the privilege.
What are the limits: PHP 150,000, three times a year, and the box size?
A sender can use this privilege three times a calendar year. Total FCA value: PHP 150,000 per sender across the year. Each box up to 200,000 cubic centimetres. Three times is not three boxes: one consolidated shipment counts as one availment, however many boxes you send on that shipment.
4.2 Balikbayan boxes shall contain personal and household effects only and shall neither be in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire, and that the total FCA value for all Balikbayan Boxes per sender in any calendar year shall not exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php150,000.00).
Source: Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2018, Section 4.2, Bureau of Customs, via the Supreme Court E-Library.
Rule | Limit | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
Who sends | A qualified Filipino while abroad; no companies | CAO 01-2018, Sections 3.20 and 4.3 |
Who receives | Family or relatives up to the fourth civil degree | CAO 01-2018, Section 3.10 |
How often | Up to 3 times per calendar year | CMTA Section 800(g); CAO 01-2018, Section 4.1 |
Value | PHP 150,000 FCA in total per sender per calendar year | CAO 01-2018, Section 4.2 |
Box size | Up to 200,000 gross cubic centimetres, any shape | CAO 01-2018, Section 3.2 |
Above PHP 10,000 | The shipment counts as one availment | CAO 01-2018, Section 4.1 |
Above the allowance | The excess pays duty and tax | CMTA Section 800(g) |
Sources: Republic Act No. 10863 (CMTA); Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2018, Bureau of Customs.
The box can be up to 200,000 cubic centimetres which is about 58.5 cm a side. Boxes carried as baggage, sent by post or express also count towards the three. The law tells the Secretary of Finance to adjust PHP 150,000 every three years. Please check the current figure on the Bureau of Customs website before sending a large box.
What can and cannot go in the box?
The box can contain clothing and personal items, new or used, as well as personal accessories, electronic devices, toiletries etc. You cannot send items for resale, in large quantities or for barter, hire or rent. If you sell an item without paying the import duty it is subject to forfeiture.
Food, medicine, cosmetics: they need clearance from the Philippine FDA. Fresh or frozen unprocessed food: it needs Department of Agriculture clearance. Stock for resale: declare it as a commercial parcel, as the pasabuy guide explains.
Guide: pasabuy from Thailand to the Philippines
Does the tax-free privilege apply to a box sent by air courier?
There is no Philippine customs rule that specifically mentions if the Balikbayan Privilege applies to a package sent via courier. The Balikbayan Order CAO 01-2018 covers consolidated shipments only. Boxes brought in by other means fall under a different order, and the express shipment order has no balikbayan procedure.
Section 1. Scope. This covers consolidated shipments of Balikbayan Boxes entered through any port of entry sent to families or relatives by Qualified Filipinos While Abroad. Balikbayan Boxes brought in through means other than consolidated shipments shall be covered by a different CAO.
Source: Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2018, Section 1, Bureau of Customs, via the Supreme Court E-Library.
Consolidated shipments go through a consolidator abroad and a deconsolidator in the Philippines. The sender signs an Information Sheet that acts as the packing list and puts the first copy inside the box. The sender adds proof of Filipino citizenship such as a copy of their passport page. This is required for customs clearance in the Philippines.
Is tax free the same as tax included? No. Tax free: Under the Balikbayan Privilege the law exempts the box from duty and tax. Tax included: A duty and tax inclusive courier pays the duty inside its fee before the box leaves Thailand. In both cases the family pays nothing at the door, but the reason behind it is different.
What happens to the box at the Philippine border?
On the consolidated route your box is X-rayed and if it looks suspicious it will be opened. The law allows the officer to open any box on reasonable cause. If you declare your box as balikbayan but have something else inside it's considered misdeclared and can be seized.
Section 8. Misdeclared Shipments. Shipments declared as consolidated Balikbayan Boxes but are found to be otherwise shall be considered as misdeclared and subjected to seizure and forfeiture proceedings.
Source: Customs Memorandum Order No. 18-2018, Section 8, Bureau of Customs, customs.gov.ph.
If the declaration is wrong, there is a 250% surcharge on the duty and tax due, under Section 1400 of the CMTA. The safe box has each item declared individually, every product named.
How Dragon Courier ships a family box to the Philippines
We clear customs in Manila ourselves, your family pays nothing when the box arrives. We send only by air, no sea freight, containers or pallets. Duty & VAT is included in the fee we charge in Bangkok. Door to door tracking. Any questions call our team on +66 2656 9019.
Weight to Metro Manila | Price, duty and tax included |
|---|---|
5 kg | 1,181 THB |
10 kg | 2,163 THB |
20 kg | 4,128 THB |
30 kg | 6,093 THB |
Source: Dragon Courier Philippines price list of 3 August 2026.
We can send up to 30 kg generally. For packages over 30 kg per box please contact our team for specific details. We require the contents of the package and the receiver's full name, address and contact number. Please write the actual content of the package on the declaration, not "Gift", and the parcel keeps moving. If you need any assistance please message our team.
We don’t send religious items, batteries or anything illegal to any country. Please check the box against that list before packing. Insurance is required on every shipment and covers loss. Drop off until 5pm Monday to Saturday, Bangkok office Sukhumvit Soi 4 or Chiang Mai office Viangbua Road. Pickup in Bangkok and Pattaya.
Guides: shipping from Pratunam to the Philippines and the UAE, Philippines page
About Dragon Courier
Dragon Courier is a family owned Bangkok courier with more than 30 years in logistics. We send more than 20,000 packages a month to over 200 destinations. We offer door to door delivery by air, all duties and taxes included in our prices.
Contacts and drop-off
We need the contents of the box and the weight to give you an accurate quote. Please message Justin on LINE or WhatsApp +66 6-5937-0812 or email info@dragoncourier.com.
You can drop off until 5pm Monday to Saturday, our Bangkok office is on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (217/3 Crystal Garden Building, 3rd floor, Klongtoey 10110). For pickup please provide a date and time that suits.
How much can I send in a balikbayan box tax-free?
A qualified Filipino abroad can send personal and household effects worth up to PHP 150,000 in FCA value free of tax in one year, three times a year. Each box can be up to 200,000 cubic centimetres. Anything above is subject to duty and tax. Items for sale are not covered.
Can I send a balikbayan box from Thailand?
Yes, if you are a Filipino abroad: non-resident Filipinos, OFWs, or Filipinos temporarily in Thailand as students, investors, or tourists. The box goes to family or relatives up to the fourth civil degree. Companies, cooperatives, and sole proprietorships cannot use the privilege. A box to a friend is outside it.
What cannot go in a balikbayan box?
Goods in commercial quantity, or intended to sell, barter or rent, cannot go in a balikbayan box. Goods sold without paying duty may be forfeited. Food, medicine and cosmetics are under the Philippine FDA. Fresh or frozen food requires Department of Agriculture clearance. Declare all items individually as a misdeclared box can be seized.
How much does it cost to send 20 kg from Bangkok to Manila with Dragon Courier?
On the Dragon Courier price list of 3 August 2026, from Bangkok to Metro Manila 20 kg is 4,128 THB and 30 kg is 6,093 THB, including all duties and taxes. Your family in the Philippines pays nothing on arrival. For more than 30 kg per box please call our office first. By air, door to door.
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