2 bottles of champagne

[luk AJ]

 

Just landed in Suvarnabhumi airport, went swiftly through immigration and customs. I bought 2 bottles of Champagne in Dubai (75cl each both packed together in the same carton)

When I already passed customs and was in the arrival hall, I was stopped by a customs officer and had to follow him to the office.

They told me I was allowed only 1 bottle. So both bottles were confiscated plus fine approx 10.000 THB or 10 times the import tax.

I could talk my way out but I just wanted to warn TV members to be careful when you bring in alcoholic beverages. Even if you would go to the red line you are not allowed to take more than one bottle but you can avoid the fine by keeping 1 bottle but the rest will be confiscated.

 

 

 

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[KhunBENQ]

Thanks for the reminder and the attempted rip-off story.

Can't warn often enough.

Alc and tobacco/cigarettes are the money maker for customs.

And don't forget even if travelling (two) in a group: each to his own bag.

Never put stuff together.

Edited September 26, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[metempsychotic]

yes. that is the way it has always worked.

limits are clearly stated

[metempsychotic]

7 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Thanks for the reminder and the attempted rip-off story.

Can't warn often enough.

Alc and tobacco/cigarettes are the money maker for customs.

And don't forget even if travelling (two) in a group: each to his own bag.

Never put stuff together.

attempted rip off story?

he attempted to smuggle more than his limit into the country and was caught.

 

the 10x the duty is the stated fine

Edited September 26, 2019 by metempsychotic

[KhunBENQ]

8 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

the 10x the duty is the stated fine

And way over what is usual in western countries.

[metempsychotic]

14 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

And way over what is usual in western countries.

last i checked, Thailand was not a western country.

the limits and the penalties are clearly stated.

I wonder if a western country would have waived the fine and let him walk with his allowance had he been in the same situation.

what i am interested to know is if he walked through customs with the 2 bottles clearly displayed in their duty free bags of if they had been packed away in carry on. I suspect the former.

In which case he was just begging to be stopped.

[luk AJ]

Not a smuggle attempt, it was in a transparent duty-free bag hand carried. For me the rules are confusing. I thought it was 1L for alcohol such as whisky or vodka and 2 bottles if alc. content lower than 15%.
Most countries allow 2 bottles of wine. This was my honest mistake, so I wanted to inform others.


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[Farangwithaplan]

I'm suprised that the Dubai duty free let you purchase the incorrect amount. They usually pull you up and refuse the sale. Although once or twice I have advised the duty free sales team that I was willing to take the wrap if I was stopped at BKK with too much product. With my acceptance of the potential issues they let me purchase a 2 for 1 deal..

[luk AJ]

last i checked, Thailand was not a western country.

the limits and the penalties are clearly stated.

I wonder if a western country would have waived the fine and let him walk with his allowance had he been in the same situation.

what i am interested to know is if he walked through customs with the 2 bottles clearly displayed in their duty free bags of if they had been packed away in carry on. I suspect the former.

In which case he was just begging to be stopped.

It happened to me in another country long time ago, I paid tax plus reasonable fine and could keep the bottles.


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[luk AJ]

last i checked, Thailand was not a western country.

the limits and the penalties are clearly stated.

I wonder if a western country would have waived the fine and let him walk with his allowance had he been in the same situation.

what i am interested to know is if he walked through customs with the 2 bottles clearly displayed in their duty free bags of if they had been packed away in carry on. I suspect the former.

In which case he was just begging to be stopped.

If you read my story you would understand the 2 bottles were in one carton 75cl each so I was a whopping 0.5l over the limit!


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[metempsychotic]

1 hour ago, luk AJ said:

If you read my story you would understand the 2 bottles were in one carton 75cl each so I was a whopping 0.5l over the limit!


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i did read the story, and i admit its a <deleted> policy.  My response was more against the assertions that it was a rip off attempt by customs when, for once, the limits and penalty are remarkably transparent for thailand.

I have gone over the limit on many occasions myself, but understanding that limit and rolling the dice. 

if you had put that duty free in a carry on, you wouldn't have been stopped.

Edited September 26, 2019 by metempsychotic

[Crossy]

On 9/26/2019 at 3:23 PM, luk AJ said:

Not a smuggle attempt, it was in a transparent duty-free bag hand carried.

 

Dubai duty-free should not have sold you alcohol that was over the limit which is 1L of alcoholic beverage (even beer counts in the 1L).

 

http://www.customs.go.th/list_strc_simple_neted.php?ini_content=individual_160503_03_160905_01&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individual_submenu_01_160421_01

 

Alcohol and tobacco are easy pickings for the customs chaps, with clear limits and clear penalties.

 

[SteveK]

Someone's going to be pleased about getting 2 nice bottles of champagne!

[neeray]

Thanks for posting this OP. Other responses and @Crossy link just answered some questions for my next trip.

[ExpatOilWorker]

30 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Dubai duty-free should not have sold you alcohol that was over the limit which is 1L of alcoholic beverage (even beer counts in the 1L).

 

http://www.customs.go.th/list_strc_simple_neted.php?ini_content=individual_160503_03_160905_01&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individual_submenu_01_160421_01

 

Alcohol and tobacco are easy pickings for the customs chaps, with clear limits and clear penalties.

 

It doesn't state an age limitation on the customs link above. Are children below the age of 18 also entitled to bring 1 l of alcohol? 

[Crossy]

8 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

It doesn't state an age limitation on the customs link above. Are children below the age of 18 also entitled to bring 1 l of alcohol?

 

Good point. 

 

One assumes that since they shouldn't have been able to buy it, that there is no alcohol / tobacco allowance for under 18s.

[Tongjaw]

Domestic security are not allowing duty free to be hand carried into flights.

During our check in at Suvarnabhumi for domestic flight yesterday a young 30 year old western guy came back to check-in. He’s telling the girl at check-in he was stopped at domestic security with his duty free even though it was in sealed plastic bags from Europe. I later saw him in departures waiting on his flight to Udon Thani, he told me the girl at check-in ended up getting her supervisor. They managed to get his checked-in bags returned so he could pack the duty-free bottle of spirits and aftershave. 

[jaffas21]

there does seem to be confusion in dubai .. they are often trying to sell me two bottles of vodka, even back to the Uk and im sure thats over the limit as well .. but they say.. ok ok, they just want the money

[JWRC]

On 9/26/2019 at 2:53 PM, KhunBENQ said:

And way over what is usual in western countries.

If you haven't noticed, we are not in a Western Country.

[user305]

On 9/26/2019 at 2:34 AM, luk AJ said:

I could talk my way out...

How does this work?

[luk AJ]

How does this work?

Being nice helps


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[Salerno]

On 9/30/2019 at 1:15 PM, Tongjaw said:

Domestic security are not allowing duty free to be hand carried into flights.

They changed the rules a while back; enforcing the 100ml as per international.

[dirtybirty]

Bangkok duty free will sell ya whatever you want regardless of the arrival countries limits

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[luk AJ]

Bangkok duty free will sell ya whatever you want regardless of the arrival countries limits

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Yes correct see picture duty free Suvarnabhumi



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[Captain Monday]

On 9/29/2019 at 8:17 AM, ExpatOilWorker said:

It doesn't state an age limitation on the customs link above. Are children below the age of 18 also entitled to bring 1 l of alcohol? 

You don't think people have tried this?

Children are not given a tobacco or alcohol duty free allowance..

Edited October 6, 2019 by Captain Monday

[Guderian]

On 10/5/2019 at 6:14 PM, Salerno said:

They changed the rules a while back; enforcing the 100ml as per international.

Yeah, but he said it was still in the sealed duty-free plastic bags. You can get on a connecting international flight from Swampy with your duty free as long as it's still in the original package, so why not on a domestic flight?

[Lipoman]

My understanding of Thailand's Custom and Duty rules for airplane arrivals (simple example here): 

 

One Liter of alcohol may enter Duty-Free (Green Line).

 

Two liters (2 bottles) must be declared (Red Line), whereby the first liter is Duty-Free and the 2nd liter may enter after the owner pays Duty on it. 

 

Correct  or  Incorrect?  Thx. 

[NanLaew]

On 9/26/2019 at 2:53 PM, KhunBENQ said:

And way over what is usual in western countries.

I know Australia isn't physically IN the west, but...

 

What happens if I exceed the duty free limits?

If you exceed Australia’s duty free limits, duty and tax will apply on all items of that type (general goods, alcohol or tobacco), not just the goods over the limit.

If you have anything in excess of your duty free concession, declare the goods and provide proof of purchase to us for calculation of any duty and tax to be paid.

Failure to declare goods in excess of your concession could result in penalties, prosecution or your visa may be cancelled. The severity of the consequence will depend on the amount of undeclared excess tobacco, alcohol or goods found in your possession.

[NanLaew]

On 9/29/2019 at 6:27 AM, Crossy said:

On 9/29/2019 at 6:17 AM, ExpatOilWorker said:

It doesn't state an age limitation on the customs link above. Are children below the age of 18 also entitled to bring 1 l of alcohol?

 

Good point. 

 

One assumes that since they shouldn't have been able to buy it, that there is no alcohol / tobacco allowance for under 18s.

The days of loading up at duty free on some fanciful 'kids are passengers too' alcohol allowance is long gone. Everywhere.

[emptypockets]

On 10/6/2019 at 12:11 AM, dirtybirty said:

Bangkok duty free will sell ya whatever you want regardless of the arrival countries limits

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No, they won't. Tell them you are going to Australia and they won't sell you anything, as Australia has become anal about the 100ml liquid limit. You CAN get duty free purchases delivered in the departure gate area in a sealed bag however. I've seen a few people get a nice 100 dollar bottle of booze taken of them at the extra Aussie carry on checkpoint.