No, you don’t have to declare all your valuables before leaving Thailand

[TSF]

Seems like they sit around all day long wracking their brains trying to come up with ways to F' over foreigners. 

[KonKorat]

4 hours ago, macgver said:

According to Thairath,  the requirement is not new and has actually been in place since in 1926.

 

I didn't know that laptop already existed 1926????

Yes because Thai’s can time travel

[Calover]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

 

A recent flight into Thailand CIQ to a regional airport and every single international bag was being xrayed by customs, clearly the intent to screw over people coming into Thailand with items in luggage is being gradually tightened. 

Or they are doing their job and looking for contraband or amounts over the duty free allowance.  Such as alcohol, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, items in mass quantity being used for resale.... The list goes on and on.

[snoop1130]

Customs allays fear of stricter check of outbound, inbound passengers

 

 

The Customs Department has allayed concerns over the enforcement of two regulations requiring air passengers to declare valuable items being brought into and out of the country.

 

Customs Department’s deputy director general Chaiyut Kumkun said the two regulations, which came into force on Feb 26, were the old regulations that had been re-announced to the public following the promulgation of the 2017 Customs Act which replaced the 1926 Customs Act.

 

Under the regulations, outbound passengers who intend to take along with them high value items such as luxury watches, video cameras, cameras or notebook computers, will have to declare these items to customs officials posted at departure gates.

 

Moreover, an item purchased at duty-free shops and not for personal use will be taxed if the item exceeding 20,000 baht in value.

 

Full Story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/customs-allays-fear-stricter-check-outbound-inbound-passengers/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-3-8

[bristolgeoff]

Does anyone really bring valuable things when traveling.i do not I imagine many do the same

[Dukeleto]

4 hours ago, connda said:

Another great idea for creating 500 meter long lines at the airport. 

Where do I find a line that short!!! Tell tell tell...

[RandG]

It used to be a common process, not requirement, in Europe, decades ago.

[Crossy]

36 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

Does anyone really bring valuable things when traveling.i do not I imagine many do the same

 

Lappie over a grand US, phone something like 700, very easy to exceed the stupidly low numbers when traveling on business.

 

All my technology was purchased in Thailand, I have receipts stored on OneDrive. That said, nobody has ever asked.

 

[YetAnother]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The measure was intended to prevent problems for passengers when returning to Thailand with expensive items.

how does that figure ? inventory by supposedly qualified personnel at Both exit and entry;

only problem with decision-makers here making laws/policies is lack of a brain

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

The stupidity of some these schemes never ceases to amaze me.

 

It may be stupid from our point of view, but not necessarily from their point of view.

 

Because, their interest is to be able to tax/duty people with expensive items bought abroad. And, if they were to get everyone outbound to declare their valuables, then obviously, anything more they have on their return trip would be proven as having been purchased abroad.

 

But the really strange part is, I've been flying internationally into Thailand for more than a decade, and I think in all those many trips, I've only been checked at arriving Customs ONCE, and that was many years ago. Every time I go out thru Customs, they're either checking someone with lots of boxes, or more often, just standing around and watching people walk past.

 

[Krataiboy]

. . .watches. . . 

 

Now we know why the plan has been squashed.

[Emster23]

My family jewels seem to have turned to paste over the years. Do I need to declare them anyway?

[DrTuner]

Have to love it when some paper pusher digs up archaic laws and it gets all the way through to press. Or to immigration and they actually implement it.

[anon789561]

47 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

It may be stupid from our point of view, but not necessarily from their point of view.

 

Because, their interest is to be able to tax/duty people with expensive items bought abroad. And, if they were to get everyone outbound to declare their valuables, then obviously, anything more they have on their return trip would be proven as having been purchased abroad.

 

But the really strange part is, I've been flying internationally into Thailand for more than a decade, and I think in all those many trips, I've only been checked at arriving Customs ONCE, and that was many years ago. Every time I go out thru Customs, they're either checking someone with lots of boxes, or more often, just standing around and watching people walk past.

 

that's exactly what it's meant for. you wouldn't need to declare if you didn't want to but if say you had a 1 million baht rolex and a few other items and you wanted to prove that you already owned it before you left thailand then you could declare it so as not to get hit for tax on it on the way back in. as i said earlier, a lot of thais go abroad to buy designer stuff for themselves and friends, family members and colleagues and often come back with suitcases with louis vuitton hand bags and rolexes hidden inside to avoid the tax and they have been bought at way below the thai price already. they are the people that these rules were supposed to target. not trying to rip off the farang as some on here seem to think. the world doesn't evolve around farangs 555

[YetAnother]

this has nothing to do with this mind-numbing initiative failing;

what it illustrates is a mindset here;

an uber-controlling mindset which means Zero good for all of us

[JAG]

7 hours ago, macgver said:

According to Thairath,  the requirement is not new and has actually been in place since in 1926.

 

I didn't know that laptop already existed 1926????

Must have been jolly good fun, arranging for two photos of everything before leaving 1920s Siam!

[Patje55]

8 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Oooh, can you tell us some more 1920s suggestions that aren't required by law? I do love volunteering my time to my very own detriment. 

During that time laptops, camera's, cell phones  and other valuable items were real hot items, hence the law !! 

[chama]

An effort by the government to control customs violations or further probe into everybody's business to put those with money on their radar? There is likely more to this than what it first appears....but is it (the reason) for the good or is it bad for the Thai people?

[chuang]

Three weeks ago going overseas from chiangmai airport I was asked to have my wallet yes my wallet x-rayed. 

[stanleycoin]

You just can't believe some of the thinking behind these ideas some people  have.

This gentleman would be so proud.

 

 

 

 

[anon537687643]

Ah! You can’t buy these better quality and less expensive items overseas,


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Lupatria]

First Test run was conducted with the leave of the Panther hunter.

[alant]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

high value items such as luxury watches,

This, I wonder, is the critical issue! Luxury watches, have they not featured in the news of late?

This is what it's about surely...

[mindfulness]

... ?????????

 

yet another ill thought out plan concocted by moranic logical reasoning. 

 

Beggers belief to even make such a proposal ! 

 

Man ! O’ Man what next ? 

[elgenon]

23 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Not a problem at all. If you bring something expensive in from overseas, just say you borrowed it from a friend. If they ask for the friend's contact info, just tell them he's dead. Simples. 

Do you mean, for instance, borrowing watches from friends  8 ^)

[tifino]

so... anywhere else in the world, Customs goes thru Inbound bags... just as LOS does anyways

 

anywhere else in the world - Outbound; is when you declare your Receipts, to get some Local VAT etc type Taxes refunded, from purchases

 

 

Seems to me the LO$ $pin Doctor$ are working overtime?

Is it that time of year for the Annual Staff Evaluation??

Edited March 9, 2018 by tifino

[Baerboxer]

Well off Thais like to holiday abroad. With the kids, all their computers, tablets, smart phones, etc and the missus with all that gold, diamond jewelry, the odd pearl necklace here and there and dad's nice watch, rings and chains. 

 

Now imagine the queues, the queue jumping, arguments, massive amounts of paperwork etc if all these middle class and hisos at to declare all this on departure, including forms and 2 photos of everything. And then presumably check it back in again when they came back. 

Off course, the alternative might be a quick gratuity to use the VIP channel. 

 

Ludicrous, or someone looking for another earner? But as usual ill though out and immediately back tracked when challenged by the "right" people. 

 

 

[trianglechoke]

go kcuf yourselves T.L.

[Thian]

Laptops, designer clothes/handbags/shoes, jewelry almost everything is cheaper overseas without VAT.

 

That's not the main issue though, my wife hates the arrogant Thai sales in the expensive shops so we like to go shopping in Singapore or Tokyo, Tokyo is perfect because the sales are very professional and they give you the VAT-refund straight away in the shop before you pay.

 

Thai salespeople are always so unprofessional, rude, annoying and dumb that i agree with my wife, shopping overseas is much more fun.

[chama]

Must have been worried about a certain Toad having his minions bringing in massive quantity of luxury watches for "his personal use".