Liverpool Lou

This is a discussion about Customs officers, not Immigration officers, isn't it?

"Have you any evidence to support that "they obviously did?" Yes, obviously; I read the op, did you? If they hadn't exceeded the personal allowance they wouldn't have been taxed. "Can you prove that some of it........ or most of it........ was NOT things that shouldn't have been charged duty, as the travelers claim; personal possessions that will LEAVE Thailand when they go home (therefore not "imported?")" I don't have to prove anything, the Customs officers who issued a receipt have to. If she disputes the charges she can appeal. Imported items that may be taken out of the country are not exempted from duty. That she has the ability to take them out of Thailand does not mean that they were "not imported" into Thailand. And, if she does take them back to Korea she may find that she's hit with Korean import duty if she doesn't have receipts for everything! "If the item is just passing through Thailand, it is NOT an "import." Yes, it is. The items were being imported into Thailand, by definition...they were being brought into the country. A Thai citizen would have a hard job justifying your "passing through" theory. "The couple admitted that at least one item was a gift for someone in Thailand---the shoes---and would rightly be called an "import." Every item they brought into the country from another country was an import.

Me? Not at all. No, jonclark.

Laptops are not subject to import duty, they are zero-rated and I don't think that any Customs officer would be daft enough to try to impose duty on a visitor's personal phone (unless you've got a case full of them).

Surely getting rid of the bent immigration officers is a better solution?? Are you accusing the Customs officers in this case of being "bent"?

Odd how opinions and accurate observations that don't fit some (most) Thaivisa posters' narratives are characterised as argumentative and justification for insulting others! What have "Toxteth pubs" got to do with this? This thread is about import duty, not "luxury tax", but you don't seem to be able to understand that.

IMO its a cash grab. If customs wants to be fair then they could have recorded the items in question and once the travelers check in to leave Thailand and return home then a check of those items could easily be made. At that point anything item that wasn't present would be taxed. That's why I side with the travelers. That's not the way that importing goods, and their being taxed, works, though, that's just an idea of yours! Siding with the woman, against all the Customs Dept regulations is a pointless waste of time. If Customs were not being legitimate, they would not have provided an official receipt and if the woman wants to she can appeal the duty she had to pay and open an investigation.

Yes, probably. So, the next question would be........... Did the things that fell into THAT category exceed the 20,000 baht allowable? The shoes alone almost certainly wouldn't. (Could, but probably not! 555) "Did the things that fell into THAT category exceed the 20,000 baht allowable?" Very obviously, they did. If they did not, she will be able to use the official Customs receipt to appeal the import duty charge.

Seems that some posters don't know the rules about importing goods to Thailand and legitimate import duty. Seems, also, that while they're happily bashing these Thai Customs officers, they're forgetting that the Customs officers of their own countries do exactly the same thing.

They were doing their job, that's the point. "Shakedowns", which suggests illegal activity, do not provide official Customs Dept. receipts!

Yes, you are. If you import dutiable items, used or otherwise, they can be taxed.

Yes your right, but when it's specifically Thailand customs I would in this case believe the travelers 100% What do you mean "believe them", what has to be "believed"? They imported dutiable items, duty was levied and a receipt was provided.

Quite right too, wearing them does not exempt them from import duty.

Even if they were used, or being worn, that doesn't affect whether duty has to be paid.

It doesn't matter what you wager, import duty is a legitimate tax here on imported goods, just as it is in every other country, including yours. It doesn't matter if you're wearing them or if they're in your baggage.

But isn't that the point - she paid tax when she purchased them in Korea. It is the point. She did not pay Thai import duty when she purchased the goods, that is what she has to pay to import these items.

No, used cars cannot be imported personally now!

She's a Thai, not a foreigner.

So, in effect they were being imported into the country... That's right, but not just "in effect", in actuality they were importing dutiable items.

That's not the problem, they were not "penalised for having exorbitant taste". The problem was that they expected to not have to pay import duty on dutiable items when they imported them!

"Any hyperbole to the contrary, is just a smoke screen, intended to deceive the most naive amongst us". The receipt that she has refutes all that naïve hyperbole of yours.

The receipt that she was given refutes that wrong accusation.

Definitely not a scam, she got a receipt. Some Thaivisa posters can't help themselves.

This not about "silly luxury taxes" (whatever they are), it's about import duty on items brought into the country, just like in every other country.

Or the desperation of those as soon as they step off the plane who spend large amounts on luxury items overseas and then expect to avoid legitimate import duty when they bring them into the country!