Customs Tobbaco Act

[colino]

Hi all

Just to add my two penny's worth

i have just flew back in to LOS and the shock this time was that customs officers were waiting at the end of the first long conveyor belt after getting from the plane and jumped on me and other passengers because we were carrying Doha duty free bags ,

on the four other occasions that i have been stopped all four times has been outside arrivals , and just like last time i showed them the 2 cartons of cigs and a bottle of whiskey , they were happy with that

[madjbs]

I got stopped by the excise guys in the arrivals hall, it wasn't a problem though as they were polite and didn't do anything more than unzip my bag and have a glance inside, no rummaging through everything or anything like that. As with everything though, I am sure there will be a few grumpy rude ones there as well.

Edited March 29, 2008 by madjbs

[jackspratt]

Again, and I'm getting sick of repeating myself here

So is everyone else

Do yourself, and us, a favour..............

[jackspratt]

Anyway, you're back on ignore because as usual you've got nothing helpful to add.

But not really - because I know you are still looking. Don't worry, it can be our little secret.

[Ricardo]

I'll continue to warn passengers arriving at Suvarnabhumi of potential encounters with these rogue Excise officials whether you like it or not.

Thanks for the heads-up, ET, I too have been through the experience, and was uncomfortable with it.

You're jet-lagged, after 24 hours of travel, and just want to make your connecting flight/bus home to see your family & friends. You've queued for an hour, to clear Immigration, because you use the same desk as all the tourists, despite living here. You've been relieved to be reunited with your luggage - never a sure thing. You've cleared Customs. You go through the doors, fighting off the taxi-touts, as usual.

And then someone in a uniform picks you out, drags you off to a quiet corner, and hassles you about smuggling. Which you're not doing. You don't know who they are, what authority they have, if it's yet another scam, or what. But it is intimidating & un-necessary, God only knows what the first-time tourists must think of it all, when they're just here for a holiday !

[bdenner]

A friend was tapped on the shoulder in the arrivals area last Monday, he was carrying 5 cartons purchased in Dubai on a stopover. He along with another carrying 2 NoteBook computers were transported to Bangkok and he was fined a total of 400 UK Pounds (He had no Baht, they accepted Sterling). That works out to about 5000 Baht per carton and the lot was confiscated. BE WARNED!

The other guy was heaverly fined and lost both NoteBooks.

[gosompoi]

So it's a no brainer really, if you declare they get confiscated, if you don't you can actually use your sigarettes

Ridiculous really, I mean I bring in more then the allowed quantity for personal use and because my brand isn't available in Thailand. At least if I get caught, I might offer them a little tea money, so I can keep the merchanidse.

My fix to the whole problem is to post them. You can mail 10 cartons to yourself if you mail them 1 carton to a package legally. Much cheaper than the tax at the airport or the fine getting caught.

[fongvin]

WITHOUT BORDERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear the main problem with contraband is in fact overland border crossings, the main culprits being Cambodia and Laos.

[eastbaybob]

I went through Kap Choeng and they were going through everyones bags. I was on my bike and they just asked if I had cigarettes with me. No.

It sounds like the best way to avoid the excise guys is not to violate the laws of Thailand.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I went through Kap Choeng and they were going through everyones bags. I was on my bike and they just asked if I had cigarettes with me. No.

It sounds like the best way to avoid the excise guys is not to violate the laws of Thailand.

Sounds more than reasonable.

[Thai at Heart]

Surprised to see 500g of tobacco listed. It's been 250g for as long as I can remember...

Which would equate far more closely to the weight of tobacco in a carton than 500g.

[Shah Jahan]

i think the moral of the story is to not bring anything in when coming or transiting through the M.E.

[astral]

Duty Free people told me only 1 bottle of wine allowed along with 1 bottle of spirits.

Duty Free where............

As far as understand the law it is one bottle of alcohol (wine to spirits).

[Shah Jahan]

A friend was tapped on the shoulder in the arrivals area last Monday, he was carrying 5 cartons purchased in Dubai on a stopover. He along with another carrying 2 NoteBook computers were transported to Bangkok and he was fined a total of 400 UK Pounds (He had no Baht, they accepted Sterling). That works out to about 5000 Baht per carton and the lot was confiscated. BE WARNED!

The other guy was heaverly fined and lost both NoteBooks.

this seems like a silly question, but in light of the country we are discussing - are you sure they were the real customs officers - and just some guys who flashed badges and shuffled you into a car? sounds like it could be a wind up.

look at this here

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...t&p=1914493

Edited April 23, 2008 by Shah Jahan