Thai woman with foreign husband furious at having to pay 54,000 baht on designer goods

[Lemsta69]

5 hours ago, JeezeLooeze said:

Reminds me of my experience arriving at Swampy with 6 bottles of wine in my suitcase required for a New Years Party to be held later that month. I chose the customs green lane. As chance had it my suitcase was selected to go through the customs x-ray and upon said suitcase exiting the machine there was a customs officer pointing to a sign that said only 1 liter of alcohol allowed duty free. The suitcase was opened there and then and the offending contents verified and removed. In broken English the officer attempted to advise me that as I didn't declare the goods I would have to pay 4x the duty and the goods would be confiscated and that I would need to go to the office to fill in some forms. I then proceeded to withdraw some THB from my wallet and started to speak fluent Thai to him - "bro can I pay the "instant" fine instead? His eyes lit up upon hearing this farang speak his language! This farang understands the system! Before I could say 'Beaujolais' the THB was snatched from my hand, bottles returned to my suitcase, and the officer was directing me to exit in the opposite direction to where his superiors were located. Welcome to Thailand!   

nice work player! ????

[Stargeezr]

Just how many travelers travel with lots of designer clothes and expensive jewelry for a

trip to Thailand?  It would look suspicious to me as well to see someone dripping with expensive 

stuff at the Thai customs. Good on immigration, for noticing.  

[cliveshep]

10 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The receipt that she was given refutes that wrong accusation.

Actually it does not, it merely shows the charges were paid and nothing in it would indicate if the charges were justified or invented or if the "designer goods" were in fact her personal effects and wardrobe, which is what she claimed most angrily.

 

When I moved here with my wife the law states that she is entitled to bring all her household goods and chattels in a container free of let or hindrance or venal customs officials. She could even bring the car if she wanted to free of charges. We actually bought our own licensed-to-ship shipping container and loaded our house into it. Venal customs officials in Lam Chabang then demanded not only 40,000 baht to release our furniture and possessions but demanded also that the container be returned to it's previous owner and not removed from the docks. Fortunately I had the purchase receipt for it.

 

They have it all sewn up in their favour and even with a receipt who's to say it is real if challenged? Can be easily denied. Sorry but I have met Thai corruption in many officials and I'm frankly cynical about anything they say.

[aussiexpat]

13 minutes ago, Stargeezr said:

Just how many travelers travel with lots of designer clothes and expensive jewelry for a

trip to Thailand?  It would look suspicious to me as well to see someone dripping with expensive 

stuff at the Thai customs. Good on immigration, for noticing.  

Lots of designer clothes and expensive jewellery?

 

OP says one jacket claimed as used, one bag and the jewelry is ear rings, wedding ring, one bracelet and 2 necklaces, hardly "dripping"

 

Who travels with such things, how about someone returning to see family and friends and wants to impress them by how successful they are. Otherwise why buy it in the first place?

 

(Yes, she had a pair of Chanel shoes in their box for a gift, how expensive could they really be)

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by aussiexpat

[dinsdale]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No, it’s not that at all….…. 
 

… otherwise every mixed couple would be complaining of getting stiffied, this is not the case… 

Girl got stopped at a random

check, that’s all I see here. 

Girl with farang. Yes or no? Yes. Every as you say mixed couple isn't bringing too much in. There's the difference. What I'm suggesting is Thais or Thai couples go straight through. 

[cliveshep]

Paying tax on the value of goods is one thing, but Thai Customs have another string to their bow.

 

I posted a parcel to my future wife from the UK, it contained 2 Tesco Valentine's Day mugs, cost 50 p each, along with some urgent documents.

 

Thai Customs held up the parcel until customs fees were paid, assessed on putative value of the 2 china mugs, plus postage and packing plus who knows what because the final customs bill was over 4000 baht in 2011. As my fiancees family didn't know what was vital or not in the parcel and I hadn't told them they meekly paid the money and were shocked at the contents low value.

 

But Customs make their own valuations and laws and that's it! Post something and Thailand Post will obey some faceless customs official taking the <deleted>, and refuse to deliver or release the package until the assessed duty is paid. 

 

Documents are NOT subject to import duty, and frankly two 50 pence mugs are way under the maximum exemption figure and 11 years ago 4000 baht was a lot.

 

Frankly they are incompetent criminals is my view and Liverpool Lou can defend them all she likes but they are as described.

[Hummin]

12 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

The problem is they don't live in Thailand. They shouldn't be penalized for having exorbitant taste when traveling. As mentioned above, this will be a warning to those of means thinking of traveling here to select a different destination. Like my dad always said, "Go greedy, get nothing."

Then when going back home with the same items, the custom will refund them with the money!? That's the logic conclusion.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Girl with farang. Yes or no? Yes. Every as you say mixed couple isn't bringing too much in. There's the difference. What I'm suggesting is Thais or Thai couples go straight through. 

A lot of farang here are paranoid. 

[Thunglom]

It's the inconsistency and apparent irrationality the will put people off coming to Thailand.

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

A lot of farang here are paranoid. 

Well there's paranoid, stupid, green behind the ears, aware etc. I've brought in quite a lot of food but never too many cigs (no point coming from Oz which has the most expensive cigarettes in the world), booze only what's allowed (if any) and gifts. That's it. Never had a problem because I know that there can be a problem to have. I'm always a bit worried when I bring in (well brought, covid put and end to that....thanks China and the WHO) 20 odd pies and other tasty stuff but it's all been fine. Food? If they try their luck getting money out of me I'll offer them some and if that doesn't work I'll crush the lot and bin it. As I say though it's always been fine.

[Hummin]

12 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

It's the inconsistency and apparent irrationality the will put people off coming to Thailand.

If you traveling home from Thailand, what is your limit? 
 

eu have 700 euro as limit value of goods if Im not mistaken. So if you bring one baht gold neckless, you are supposed to declare it in custom. Right?

[Neeranam]

8 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Well there's paranoid, stupid, green behind the ears, aware etc. I've brought in quite a lot of food but never too many cigs (no point coming from Oz which has the most expensive cigarettes in the world), booze only what's allowed (if any) and gifts. That's it. Never had a problem because I know that there can be a problem to have. I'm always a bit worried when I bring in (well brought, covid put and end to that....thanks China and the WHO) 20 odd pies and other tasty stuff but it's all been fine. Food? If they try their luck getting money out of me I'll offer them some and if that doesn't work I'll crush the lot and bin it. As I say though it's always been fine.

So it's alright for you to bring food here but we can't take it to Oz?

Fags come in packs of 30, maybe that's why they cost more.

 

I remember a thread here where a guy wanted to import kangaroos! 

 

[Thunglom]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

If you traveling home from Thailand, what is your limit? 
 

eu have 700 euro as limit value of goods if Im not mistaken. So if you bring one baht gold neckless, you are supposed to declare it in custom. Right?

You really don't seem to be commenting on my post - have you quoted from the wrong one?

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Thunglom said:

You really don't seem to be commenting on my post - have you quoted from the wrong one?

Not really, you say irrational and inconsistent which I believe you think western is targeted in Thailand? Im wrong? 

[joecoolfrog]

14 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

go elsewhere? what, like the UK or Europe or USA where the prices are through the roof because of all the rich people skimming off the top and not paying taxes?

 

oh I should add Australia to that list. ATO hounds poor people to pay their tax debts but lets Google et al get away with paying zero tax. or even giving tax refunds to some corporations.

 

if that's not corruption I don't know what is. Thailand is a minnow compared to the scam that the Western countries have been pulling on their citizens for centuries.

 

 

Oddly enough , the various corruption indexes , show your conclusions to be utter nonsense.

[Mac Mickmanus]

15 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

go elsewhere? what, like the UK or Europe or USA where the prices are through the roof because of all the rich people skimming off the top and not paying taxes?

 

oh I should add Australia to that list. ATO hounds poor people to pay their tax debts but lets Google et al get away with paying zero tax. or even giving tax refunds to some corporations.

 

if that's not corruption I don't know what is. Thailand is a minnow compared to the scam that the Western countries have been pulling on their citizens for centuries.

 

 

Governments give big Companies tax breaks so they move/stay in said Country and also a lot on money they generate gets taxed in salaries and things .

   Its nor a scam or corruption, just that's how business is done 

[garyk]

I had a lens shipped into Thailand years ago. Wow, that took almost two weeks to find and pay the taxes and get the lens.  

Learned my lesson... ugggg

[milesinnz]

well, this will go down well with the high quality wealthy tourists.. can you imagine the queue at immigration, as they have their wealth as in what they are wearing and carrying taxed .. only in Thailand... what a bunch of hypocrites..

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Then they were taken to a room where 8 or 9 customs officers surrounded them and went through their bags with a fine tooth comb.

No welcome mat?

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Officers reminded them that designer items were limited to 20,000 baht value per person

Ridiculous.

[mania]

6 hours ago, natway09 said:

Come on guys & gals,

Just coming for a holiday, bringing as much back to sell as they thought they

could get away with.

 

That does happen & I have seen it but, In this case it seems not

That tray of jewelry is what she wore & was not excessive

 

Looks like one pair of shoes each ( a male & female pair shown)

Other than that what? some sun glasses & a bag?

 

When they bust those trying to import for free or buying for rich friends it doesn't look like this

Instead it is like 4 of same bag, 3 of same watch etc etc

 

Quote

Officers reminded them that designer items were limited to 20,000 baht value per person. 

If they are now going to extort tourists if they can find they have in their possession more than 20k baht/$600 USD of designer items

it sure throws a BIG wrench into their constant whining about how they want "Quality Tourists"

 

 

[bristolgeoff]

From what i know it has has always happened with designer goods and many thais have being caught with paying.Even thou you can get fake designer stuff from burma  and thailand and the thais love the designer handbags

[Andycoops]

Another shot in the foot for the policy of encouraging high value tourists, long stayers etc.

Left doesn't know what the right foot is doing as is typical in the bureaucratic fiefdoms in Thailand.

[SAFETY FIRST]

19 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Then foreign tourists will come here on shopping trips and spend a fortune in the Thai malls

Looking at the quality of recent tourist walking down soi Buakhao now boarders have reopened, I doubt they're coming here to spend a fortune, most of the guys I see look penniless and angry, looking for a fight rather than a Gucci. 

 

 

[RJRS1301]

7 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Lots of designer clothes and expensive jewellery?

 

OP says one jacket claimed as used, one bag and the jewelry is ear rings, wedding ring, one bracelet and 2 necklaces, hardly "dripping"

 

Who travels with such things, how about someone returning to see family and friends and wants to impress them by how successful they are. Otherwise why buy it in the first place?

 

(Yes, she had a pair of Chanel shoes in their box for a gift, how expensive could they really be)

 

$1,000

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by RJRS1301

[Time Traveller]

20 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

If you can afford genuine designer goods then you can afford the customs charges

19 hours ago, shackleton said:

If you can afford to pay for original Designer goods then you can afford the tax enough said 

Yes, the comments from the peanut gallery who don't realize that luxury goods taxes in thailand can be up to 400% of the value of the goods.  That's possibly 4 times more than what they have already paid for the goods.

So all you jealous people don't be complaining when your food all goes up by 5 times as well.

[NightSky]

out of curiosity does anyone know if one can be scammed taxed upon entry with Thai gold jewelry..

 

..even i it was exported from Thailand in the first place?

[aussiexpat]

1 minute ago, NightSky said:

out of curiosity does anyone know if one can be scammed taxed upon entry with Thai gold jewelry..

 

..even i it was exported from Thailand in the first place?

No tax if you have the receipt to prove you bought it in Thailand

[Excel]

15 hours ago, Excel said:

You pay well over 35 - 45,000 baht for a smartphone ( i-phone) and that tells us you too have more cash then brains ????

Some idiots even pay for so -called special editions at mega bucks

https://www.goldgenie.com/gold-iphone-13-pro-max-range/

Edited May 24, 2022 by Excel

[dinsdale]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

So it's alright for you to bring food here but we can't take it to Oz?

Fags come in packs of 30, maybe that's why they cost more.

 

I remember a thread here where a guy wanted to import kangaroos! 

 

Yep. As for cigs as I said Oz has the most expensive in the world. Yes packets of 30, but also pk of 20 and pk of 40 and pk of 50. Not sure what a pk of 20's cost now but I would guess around bt800. As for kangaroo it's delicious but you have to cook it right.