Exceeding Duty Free Allowances

[TBWG]

Hi

When passing through Gatwick recently I was unlucky enough to be subjected to a random check.

Result 2,000 ciggies plus boss ladies Tuna and other edible smelly things confiscated!!

OK I knew the rules and a fair cop. However they took my passport away for 10 mins or so and said that they had noted my indiscretion on it and next time it would be harsher than a warning.

There is nothing that I can see noted in my passport but in this computer age I assume it is stored electronically.

So my question is when immigration swipe my passport through the barcode reader anywhere in the world will it say that I have had a warning?

TBWG ( ex international smuggler)

[Tim207]

Hi

When passing through Gatwick recently I was unlucky enough to be subjected to a random check.

Result 2,000 ciggies plus boss ladies Tuna and other edible smelly things confiscated!!

OK I knew the rules and a fair cop. However they took my passport away for 10 mins or so and said that they had noted my indiscretion on it and next time it would be harsher than a warning.

There is nothing that I can see noted in my passport but in this computer age I assume it is stored electronically.

So my question is when immigration swipe my passport through the barcode reader anywhere in the world will it say that I have had a warning?

TBWG ( ex international smuggler)

Although there may be some countries that share databases I highly doubt that countries like Thailand would have access. I would be cautious on your next couple of trips into the UK, EU,US, but other than that I think there is little chance of being singled out.

[Farma]

I have Brit friends who have been caught with excess ciggies going into the UK. They haven’t mentioned problems on their trips home since they were caught.

[TBWG]

I have Brit friends who have been caught with excess ciggies going into the UK. They haven’t mentioned problems on their trips home since they were caught.

Hi farma

It's not the UK i'm worried about it's just that I don't want the Thai authorities to think I am a dubious character.

I don't relish the thought of having an internal search by some butch immigration officer

TBWG

[Mahout Angrit]

There is nothing that I can see noted in my passport but in this computer age I assume it is stored electronically.

I suspect there is nothing on your passport, more likely recorded on the UK immigration computer for the next swipe but then how the immigration warn the customs that you've just entered I don't know. I suspect it will only come into force if customs stop you again and take your passport away again for a swipe.

Shame about the tuna

[mikethevigoman]

Hi

When passing through Gatwick recently I was unlucky enough to be subjected to a random check.

Result 2,000 ciggies plus boss ladies Tuna and other edible smelly things confiscated!!

OK I knew the rules and a fair cop. However they took my passport away for 10 mins or so and said that they had noted my indiscretion on it and next time it would be harsher than a warning.

There is nothing that I can see noted in my passport but in this computer age I assume it is stored electronically.

So my question is when immigration swipe my passport through the barcode reader anywhere in the world will it say that I have had a warning?

TBWG ( ex international smuggler)

nah, they take it away as routine to see if there are any current arrest warrants out for you ,i was with a friend , lets call him george ( as thats his real name ! ) travelling together through customs heathrow,small asian customs woman says to me " excuse me sir " i stopped, george also stopped in his tracks ( big mistake ) ,she says are you together, george says yes ( mistake number 2 ) and she beckons us both over, me like you , a little copy, 400 fags, she says to me, im sorry you cant bring in copy, i said well its under the allowance and i didnt know it was 200 cigarettes as i dont smoke they are for a gift, she says please wait here, she turns to george and before she can say anything he says " if you didnt like what he had youre gonna f@ckin hate what ive got ! " . ( hes a scouser ) , well with that she opens one of his family sized suitcases ( of 2 ) it is stuffed with cigarettes only, no dirty socks, pants, nothing, she unloads the fags onto the s/ steel counter and they are about a foot high . and they keep coming !, i actually didnt know and im thinking ,shit guilt by association ,. ,she now goes about lecturing george as to the limit ( 200 ) not 20.000 ! and she says ill be back im off to get a supervisor george says to me ,you might as well go home alone mike, this is the 3rd ive been nicked here and ill be off to jail ! gulp,. anyway ,a minute or 2 later she is back about 20 feet from us talking to her superior and hand gestures at me and george, comes back to us ,says to me, you can go, george to stay,. so anyway i pack my things and tell george il wait an hour just in case with my phone on, about 30 mins later he calls ,comes through to arivalls with no luggage at all, did the same to him again, checked him out, let him go, very odd but 100 per cent true ,.lucky or what !

[TBWG]

Shame about the tuna

Hi

To say the boss lady was upset is a MASSIVE understatement...you know thai's and their food.

Anyway seems as if I do not have too many worries with my minor misdemeanor.

TBWG

Edited June 6, 2007 by TBWG

[H2oDunc]

Hi all. The new british passports have an RFID chip in them. This is to store biometric data which in the future will be mandatory. You do not need to swipe these passports as they transmit a signal which is picked up when you pass through customs or wherever. Getting very big brotherish. All to combat terrorism of course and the old If you are innocent you have nothing to worry about crap. The customs people just seem bothered about smokes due to the loss of revenue. Good old Labour for you. The UK is now the most monitored places in the world. They are now introducing CCTV which has very senstive microphones so they can listen to you as well as watch, Scary

[backflip]

Yeah, very scary. I heard that, just last month, the "step-on-a-crack-and-break-your-mother's-back" mafai was responsible for 2200 injuries caused by family members wandering carelessly through the airport. Strangely, none of them had RFID tags.

[peter991]

Just in case you are wondering what the Duty Free Allowance is for visitors arriving in Thailand, here's the LINK. The official Thai Customs website (in English) is HERE - with a simple explanation.

Both of these pages SHOULD be compulsory reading for all travellers about to set foot in Thailand.

Peter

[peter991]

Also ... this bit shocked me. From Travel Puppy's Thailand page ... don't know the truth in this ...

Prohibited items

Drug smuggling, trafficking or consumption carries the death penalty in Thailand.

Non-prescribed drugs and all firearms and ammunition is prohibited. Gold must be declared on arrival and can be left at the airport of entry to be retrieved on departure.

Don't bring your gold to town!

Peter

[PhilHarries]

Also ... this bit shocked me. From Travel Puppy's Thailand page ... don't know the truth in this ...

Prohibited items

Drug smuggling, trafficking or consumption carries the death penalty in Thailand.

Non-prescribed drugs and all firearms and ammunition is prohibited. Gold must be declared on arrival and can be left at the airport of entry to be retrieved on departure.

Don't bring your gold to town!

Peter

I think they mean commercial quantities of gold not personal jewelry but Mr T (of A Team fame not Mr Toxin) would have to lighten up a little (well maybe both Mr T's).

At least I hope that's what they mean.

[onzestan]

HThey are now introducing CCTV which has very senstive microphones so they can listen to you as well as watch, Scary

Hi there 2,

What's scary to me is that there's a need for all these safety regulations.

Cheers

Stan

[torrenova]

But what is the duty if you are over the limits but declaring it at entry to Thailand ?

[Tim207]

But what is the duty if you are over the limits but declaring it at entry to Thailand ?

My experience on several occasions:

Walk up to something to declare desk. I am asked what I have (a few pounds of pipe tobacco, a couple computers or other assorted declarables). After I tell them they either wave me through or tell me to go to the "nothing to declare" exit. I have never been charged duty on anything. Of course if you try to get through with quantities of something that is obviously not personal use your experience may differ. Many people advise to just go through nothing to declare but I would rather not chance it for the small inconvenience of talking to the guys at the "something to declare desk" which never has any line waiting.

[PhilHarries]

But what is the duty if you are over the limits but declaring it at entry to Thailand ?

My experience on several occasions:

Walk up to something to declare desk. I am asked what I have (a few pounds of pipe tobacco, a couple computers or other assorted declarables). After I tell them they either wave me through or tell me to go to the "nothing to declare" exit. I have never been charged duty on anything. Of course if you try to get through with quantities of something that is obviously not personal use your experience may differ. Many people advise to just go through nothing to declare but I would rather not chance it for the small inconvenience of talking to the guys at the "something to declare desk" which never has any line waiting.

Be careful, there's at least one other thread in the forum about exceeding your allowances. Basically, if you are caught, they fine you something like three times the duty due on the goods, confiscate the goods and give you a couple of hours unpleasant experience.

Best to stick within the limits it's not like you are saving a vast fortune.