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

[Excel]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

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

Possibly because Thais eat anything and the government's lip service only indicates it does not care whether there is any risk to humans or animals whereas in Australia they are more responsible and take duty of care seriously..

[JimTripper]

Anyone know at what point checked bags are flagged for inspection and if it's just a physical mark?

 

It's done before you get to the customs counter. Some kind of mark is put on the luggage so the exit officers know who to pull over when you are exiting.

 

I had an officer look at the front of my luggage for a mark, it appeared to be a mark visible to the naked eye, unless it was ultraviolet and they had lamps pointed across somehow to make it visible as you walk through.

Edited May 25, 2022 by JimTripper

[Guest truthman]

19 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

They were doing their job, that's the point.   "Shakedowns", which suggests illegal activity, do not provide official Customs Dept. receipts!

They do in Thailand.

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

My belt is made out of a plutonium-enriched 78C 9.ab/5 compound that is considered priceless throughout the galaxy.

 

What tax will I pay on priceless?  

Brace yourself.

[Purdey]

If the jewelry was still in the original boxes maybe they were intended for sale here. If she was wearing jewelry there is no reason to confiscate it. 

Thai women married to foreigners do like to show off their wealth but when this story is reported abroad, all of Thailand's boasts about being a tourist paradise will turn to dust in their mouths.

[happydreamer]

22 hours ago, shackleton said:

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

You must enjoy being taken advantage of.  

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Thai women married to foreigners do like to show off their wealth but when this story is reported abroad, all of Thailand's boasts about being a tourist paradise will turn to dust in their mouths.

 

Only the former peasants,

 

Why would anyone abroad care about this story?

 

Not sure why so many here care.

[Bluespunk]

12 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

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

Very...and from the way the OP was written I think there were more than one pair of shoes being imported as gifts.

 

https://www.vestiairecollective.com/women-shoes/chanel/

Edited May 25, 2022 by Bluespunk

[RafPinto]

22 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I often wear watches valued at well over a million Baht.... but if I have bought them outside Thailand I mail the boxes and papers back here and wear the watch through Customs with my G-Shock I wore going out in my bag.

Me too.
Have to impress the ladies and be on time for the various dates. For each lady, one specific high end watch.

[Liverpool Lou]

14 hours ago, cliveshep said:

On 5/24/2022 at 12:18 PM, 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.

It doesn't matter if they were her "personal effects" which they were, or "her wardrobe".  Over the allowances, anything that was purchased outside Thailand that she was importing was subject to assessment for import duty.   If she disputes the assessment of duty she can appeal it.  Apparently she isn't "angry" enough to do that, wonder why?

[Liverpool Lou]

22 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Just goes to show the so called well heeled tourists do nothing for the Thai economy.

How does it show that?

[happydreamer]

Ya but let's not make heros out of customs guards.  These guys are out there looking for anything and anyway to make money and squeeze you.  Your best bet right now is to just play by the rules

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, jonclark said:

21 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It'd take a lot more than you to upset me!

 

"sorry didnt realise you were an admin on here - Neeranam and I were just having a pleasent side discussion".

You had been responding to my comments so it wasn't just "you and him"...and, this is a forum.   

If you want to get cosy with him, to the exclusion of other members of this forum, perhaps you should PM him!

no mate you butted into a discussion we were already having!

Thai is a public forum that you were having a public discussion on. "Butting in" on a public forum is not possible, conversations are open to anyone!

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, bluejets said:

So if I bring my iPhone in, I am over...??

 

Is there some way to show these items are coming in and would leave with you and hense avoid any misunderstanding?

If it clearly your only personal phone that is used as that and not a new one you will have no problems.

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, Gwen1234 said:

Okay so tou purchase in the uk pay tax, go on holiday to thailand pay tax on them again, fly back to the UK pay tax on them again, the following year come again and pay tax ? What an idiotic system and supporters of such a system

"What an idiotic system..."

What a ridiculous "understanding" of the regulations. 

[Liverpool Lou]

20 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!   

I can smell horsesh1t.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

20 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

It's not like all other countries. Australia has no import duty on personal items like jackets, shoes and bags. Dutiable items like jewellery are only if they are new and individual item is more than $950 (24,000 baht)

 

[not the ridiculous 20,000 baht total for all items like Thailand]

 

The regs may not be the same but all countries do have import duty laws.

[Liverpool Lou]

20 hours ago, Mark17AA said:

Hope this story hits the world press and on turn bites TAT on the rear.

A story about legitimate import duty that a woman is complaining about because she hoped to avoid paying it?  Jesus...  It'll have no effect whatsoever on tourism.

 

"Hope this story ... bites TAT on the rear".

This is nothing to do with TAT but, regardless, why would you want it, so earnestly, to affect Thailand adversely?

Edited May 25, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, Molly Malone said:

Is this some NEW sting they have conjured up? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. ... BEHAVE your selves TAT!

Nothing to do with TAT.

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

In which other countries are tourists charged tax for their own belongings or gifts to friends & family ??? 
 

 

If they're over the allowances (and are not just reasonable personal items likely to be just for the holiday) and they were bought outside Thailand and they are now importing those items, ever country can do that.  "Gifts" aren't exempt!

Edited May 25, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, Flink said:

In the end I had to pay 200 quid (this was back in the 80's) so I paid by cheque, went through to arrivals, found a phone and reported my cheque book and Access card stolen so they never got a penny.

So they accepted a cheque that the bank returned unpaid and, even though they would have known your address, UK Customs didn't follow up on your fraud?    No, that did not happen.

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, pixelaoffy said:

Thai customs . What else to expect. I was charged custom taxes once for my notebook computer because it 'looked new' and I had no proof it wasn't new . Low life money grabbers. Law unto themselves 

How could that happen when laptops are zero-rated?   Maybe you were charged VAT on the new computer, but not import duty.

[Liverpool Lou]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

They admitted one item was a gift…

,,,and, therefore, assessable for import duty.

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

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

ah the almighty corruption indices where the West is the Best and everyone else is suspect. thanks for putting me back on The Right Path, I'd lost my way for a bit there /s

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

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

Well over the personal allowance.

[Liverpool Lou]

14 hours ago, Thunglom said:

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

That must be why visitor numbers are increasing every day.

[Liverpool Lou]

12 hours ago, joecoolfrog 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?

"...because of all the rich people ... not paying taxes?"

A daft theory that has been debunked as nonsense many times.

[aussiexpat]

49 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The regs may not be the same but all countries do have import duty laws.

So you've put out 16 posts in a row telling everyone they're wrong except you!

 

You're missing the main point. It's not about countries having import duties. It's about the ridiculous low amount that Thailand can charge you tax on. 20,000 baht total personal belongings. About US$590 or £470.

 

Most people would have more than that amount on them with their carry on luggage and what they wear through customs, so most people's suitcases are fair game.

 

Tell me one country that will tax you on your used personal belongings if they are over a total value over 20,000 (any one of my suits costs more than)

 

Edited May 25, 2022 by aussiexpat

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

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. 

Really?   With the exception of motor vehicles, which goods attract 400% import duty?   Have you ever looked at the import duty rates shown on the Customs Department website for items such as those in the OP?

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours 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?

Not if it can be shown that it was purchased in Thailand.