Taking tobacco into Thailand

[VBF]

Hello,

A friend has asked me to bring him a "250 g box of golden Virginia" tobacco when I go to Thailand at the end of January.

Oh and I'm travelling on Emirates, changing aircraft in Dubai.

 

There are many threads about cigarettes and tobacco on TV which i usually ignore as I'm a non-smoker, hence my questions

Wishing to remain 100% legal and avoid any "issues", can anyone answer the following for me please:

 

Can I take a 250 g box of golden Virginia bought in a UK store into Thailand? (Often cheaper than Duty Free, I beleive)

If so can I pack it in my checked baggage or should i hand carry it? (I want to be in a position where if they X-Ray my case, i have no problems)

 

 

OR

 

Can I take a 250 g box of golden Virginia bought in Duty Free into Thailand?

 

Very basic questions i know, but as I say, being a non-smoker, I just don't know the answers 

 

Thanks in advance

 

VBF

 

 

[tonray]

I believe you can bring up to 250 grams of tobacco without paying duty. Does not matter if hand carried or in checked baggage as you will see customs after you retrieve your luggage anyway. Just declare it properly and no issues.

[VBF]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

I believe you can bring up to 250 grams of tobacco without paying duty. Does not matter if hand carried or in checked baggage as you will see customs after you retrieve your luggage anyway. Just declare it properly and no issues.

Thank you.

So i have to declare even 250 grams - not just walk through the "Nothing to Declare" channel? I only ask because amounts within the DF allowances do not need to be declared in Europe so i'm a little surprised.

Edited January 4, 2018 by VBF

[Lamkyong]

buy in Dubai duty free much cheaper 

[sanemax]

16 minutes ago, VBF said:

Thank you.

So i have to declare even 250 grams - not just walk through the "Nothing to Declare" channel? I only ask because amounts within the DF allowances do not need to be declared in Europe so i'm a little surprised.

Just tell them that you have it , to make sure its legal

[VBF]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

Just tell them that you have it , to make sure its legal

So go through the "Goods To Declare" channel?

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, VBF said:

So go through the "Goods To Declare" channel?

If you are not sure whether its legal or not .

There should be signs up in the airport showing what is and is not allowed

[VBF]

20 minutes ago, sanemax said:

If you are not sure whether its legal or not .

There should be signs up in the airport showing what is and is not allowed

Thanks @sanemax hopefully someone will appear here and tell me for sure if it is - tbh I'd rather know before i travel - it's not that big a deal but "nice to know" 

 

 

[Hutch68]

Just fill your bag up and smuggle it in...... You'll be fine.

[Hutch68]

Can you bring me 1000 embassy no1 3 bottles of Jack Daniels and one of those huge toblerone's they have in Dubai?

Edited January 4, 2018 by Hutch68

[VBF]

36 minutes ago, Hutch68 said:

Can you bring me 1000 embassy no1 3 bottles of Jack Daniels and one of those huge toblerone's they have in Dubai?

As long as you're waiting for me to pay my fine and serve my sentence, why ever not?

Ditto to your previous post too, mate! 

[KMartinHandyman]

Thanks [mention=262748]sanemax[/mention] hopefully someone will appear here and tell me for sure if it is - tbh I'd rather know before i travel - it's not that big a deal but "nice to know" 
 
 

Checked or duty free go through nothing to declare.

[VBF]

Just found this https://www.tourismthailand.org/About-Thailand/Custom-Immigration

and 

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/en/1002-suvarnabhumi-customs-services

 

Looks like my question is answered. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by VBF

[nisakiman]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

Just found this https://www.tourismthailand.org/About-Thailand/Custom-Immigration

and 

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/en/1002-suvarnabhumi-customs-services

 

Looks like my question is answered. 

I didn't check your link, but I'm assuming you're fine to bring in 250g. (It's the amount I always take in with me.) In which case, do not buy it in UK - the tax makes it horrendously expensive. Buy it in duty free Dubai, and you'll pay a fraction of the UK price. Golden Virginia is actually available in Thailand. The touristy bits of Sukhumvit, most 7/11 stores sell it - I think I paid a bit over 400 Baht last March, but I can't remember if it was for 30g or 50g.

[VBF]

1 minute ago, nisakiman said:

I didn't check your link, but I'm assuming you're fine to bring in 250g. (It's the amount I always take in with me.) In which case, do not buy it in UK - the tax makes it horrendously expensive. Buy it in duty free Dubai, and you'll pay a fraction of the UK price. Golden Virginia is actually available in Thailand. The touristy bits of Sukhumvit, most 7/11 stores sell it - I think I paid a bit over 400 Baht last March, but I can't remember if it was for 30g or 50g.

Indeed it is - both sites state 250g is the maximum as long as you don't take any other tobacco products.

 

I think the answer is Dubai, as you say.

 

According to my friend for whom i'm buying the baccy, "the gold Virginia you buy in Thailand for some reason is just not quite right...."

As I said in my OP,  I'm not a smoker so have no idea, so please don't shoot the messenger! 

[gjoo888]

6 hours ago, KMartinHandyman said:

Checked or duty free go through nothing to declare.

Correct. If you have 250 grams or less, you do not have to declare the tobacco. You only have to declare over 250 grams of tobacco. You can go through the "nothing to declare" channel as far as the tobacco is concerned. 

[Nurseynutcase]

Dear VBF 

 

I regularly bring tobacco into Thailand.  I buy in Dubai - they will only let you buy 250g anyway - it is about one eighth of the UK price - do not buy it in a UK airport - too expensive.

 

I keep mine in the plastic carrier bag they give you in Dubai and sling it on top of my carry on lugage and walk through the green corridor in customs.

 

Of course it does depend on what else you are bringing in what chanel you go through.

 

cheers and enjoy your holiday here.

[Langsuan Man]

1 hour ago, Nurseynutcase said:

I keep mine in the plastic carrier bag they give you in Dubai and sling it on top of my carry on lugage and walk through the green corridor in customs.

 

Displaying a Duty Free bag is an invitation to be called over for a chat in either the airport or outside on the street 

[Cranky]

40 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

Displaying a Duty Free bag is an invitation to be called over for a chat in either the airport or outside on the street 

I did that once, a long time ago to Don Muang - as you say, outside on the street, walked through customs no problem - and got fined 18k baht for bringing in 5 cartons, didn't even know there was a limit!  And they confiscated all 5, not even let me keep the limit of one.  Quit smoking soon afterwards

[timendres]

Your friend can buy Golden Virginia here in Thailand, in case he was not aware...

[VBF]

1 hour ago, timendres said:

Your friend can buy Golden Virginia here in Thailand, in case he was not aware...

If you bother to read the thread.......see #15

[VBF]

3 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

Displaying a Duty Free bag is an invitation to be called over for a chat in either the airport or outside on the street 

Seeing as that is the only item of tobacco I shall be carrying (no alcohol or other DF purchases) is that really a problem?

Apparently, (my mate has emailed me) ......."what people do not realise is that the details of the purchase are entered on the boarding card, this in turn is entered into the computer and is available to the customs authorities in Thailand before an individual arrives."

 

So presumably I may as well carry it openly or put the Dubai DF bag in my carry-on bag ready to show it at BKK if asked?

That make sense?

Edited January 5, 2018 by VBF

[timendres]

32 minutes ago, VBF said:

If you bother to read the thread.......see #15

Ah, yes, I see it now. The absurd linear threading of TVF, as opposed to a proper hierarchical presentation like Reddit, makes it impossible to read these threads thoroughly. Just don't have the time to flip through many pages to ensure I have seen every possible reply to a given posting.

[VBF]

1 minute ago, timendres said:

Ah, yes, I see it now. The absurd linear threading of TVF, as opposed to a proper hierarchical presentation like Reddit, makes it impossible to read these threads thoroughly. Just don't have the time to flip through many pages to ensure I have seen every possible reply to a given posting.

Point taken.....

[Mac98]

14 hours ago, KMartinHandyman said:

Checked or duty free go through nothing to declare.

Could you answer a question for me on this topic: Good pipe tobacco impossible to find in LOS. Were I to arrive with 1500g, do I pay duty on the other 1000 or do they confiscate some or all? Thanks.

[Langsuan Man]

1 hour ago, Mac98 said:

Could you answer a question for me on this topic: Good pipe tobacco impossible to find in LOS. Were I to arrive with 1500g, do I pay duty on the other 1000 or do they confiscate some or all? Thanks.

Just like if you want to bring in more alcohol or prescription medicine than allowed, you would have to have a licence, which would have to be obtained before you arrived in Thailand

 

So for practical purposes you cannot exceed any allowances without a lot of trouble , if at all !

[KMartinHandyman]

Could you answer a question for me on this topic: Good pipe tobacco impossible to find in LOS. Were I to arrive with 1500g, do I pay duty on the other 1000 or do they confiscate some or all? Thanks.

I’m no expert and would stay with the 250 grams of tobacco products allowed per Thai customs website. I smoke and bring one carton with me mostly to give a few packs to Thai relatives as I kind of enjoy the L&M si daeng box here.