The Customs Department has issued a new policy to facilitate the opening of the country. Do not search for tourists using brand-name products

[webfact]

 

by THE STANDARD TEAM

 

Phanthong Loykulnan, Deputy Director General of the Customs Department, revealed that the Customs Department has now issued a policy to facilitate tourists in welcoming the country open. They will not search the tourists who enter the country. even if there is a high-value item

 

The policy to facilitate tourists entering the country is the policy of Patchara Anantasilp, Director General of the Customs Department. wishing to facilitate not create a burden for tourists traveling to Thailand Therefore, the customs officers will not search for tourists entering Thailand.

 

Even if that tourist is carrying an expensive luxury bag worth hundreds of thousands of baht. Or wearing a luxury watch that is worth millions of baht If it is worn for personal use Not imported for commercial trade, such as not boxed, etc.

 

Full story: https://thestandard.co/thai-customs-new-policy-060266/

 

-- © Copyright THE STANDARD 2023-02-07

 

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[ukrules]

If they didn't know not to do this anyway then there is no hope for them.

 

[geisha]

If you have the receipt of object bought , you wouldn’t get stopped anywhere, except your own country of residence. How would they manage in France for example with every Tom Sue and Harry wear luxury items all the time ? If you come home  to France with a 5000€ bag from,Dubai, then you pay the missing VAT if they catch you. So it should be only Thais who get searched for luxury items when entering Thailand.

[jaywalker]

39 minutes ago, ukrules said:

If they didn't know not to do this anyway then there is no hope for them.

 

Huh? What? We can't be mafia anymore???

--------

I recall 20 years ago, being on a boat tour to "Monkey Island"

 

We (bought) and took some bananas.

 

Sammy The Bull Gravano-monkey took charge.

 

I was beating them off with my flip-flops.

 

Wish I could do the same with Thai cops and not get shot.

[ukrules]

11 minutes ago, geisha said:

If you have the receipt of object bought , you wouldn’t get stopped anywhere, except your own country of residence. How would they manage in France for example with every Tom Sue and Harry wear luxury items all the time ? If you come home  to France with a 5000€ bag from,Dubai, then you pay the missing VAT if they catch you. So it should be only Thais who get searched for luxury items when entering Thailand.

You know quite a while back you had to fill out a customs declaration prior to landing and it demanded that expensive items like laptops were declared.

 

I don't think you need to fill that same form out but they definitely were interested in 'high value' items carried by tourists which most likely would have in fact been relatively cheap laptops costing 50 to 100k Baht equivalent.

 

I was surprised to learn that many countries want VAT / DUTY payments to drive across the border in foreign vehicles, temporary import paperwork and all sorts of shenanigans. Greedy furcks every one of them

 

[Andycoops]

If it's one bag or one watch it will most obviously be a personal item.

 

If it's several of each of those items then it would be reasonable to assume smuggling for profit was taking place.

 

Has Thai customs finally joined the rest of the world, we shall wait and see...

[Iron Tongue]

Mental note:

Next time I fly to BKK, bring 10 kilos of cocaine in Gucci bag.

[jaywalker]

14 minutes ago, Iron Tongue said:

Mental note:

Next time I fly to BKK, bring 10 kilos of cocaine in Gucci bag.

That'd probably work if you had a Louis Viotton bag (my wife can spell Loius' name better than me)

 

Who is Looey anyhow? All I know is he desrves a firing squad.

[Tropposurfer]

I hail from a nation with arguably some of the worlds toughest Customs regulations ... for both citizens as well as visitors, and I have never seen or heard of anyone in all the years of my frequent international travel being coat-hangered by Customs for singular personal luxury items (except those that contravened regulations e.g. animal products, too many ciggies, too much booze) as happens at Swampy airport. Another BS action by LOS ning-nong's 'shoot-nation-in-the-foot'.  

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Even if that tourist is carrying an expensive luxury bag worth hundreds of thousands of baht. Or wearing a luxury watch that is worth millions of baht If it is worn for personal use Not imported for commercial trade, such as not boxed, etc.

So you visit Thailand for a holiday, you're wearing your everyday expensive watch, your missus is carrying her luxury bag that she's had for a year and Thai customs promise not to charge you?

Jezzzzzz.

[BritScot]

2 hours ago, geisha said:

If you have the receipt of object bought , you wouldn’t get stopped anywhere, except your own country of residence. How would they manage in France for example with every Tom Sue and Harry wear luxury items all the time ? If you come home  to France with a 5000€ bag from,Dubai, then you pay the missing VAT if they catch you. So it should be only Thais who get searched for luxury items when entering Thailand.

I looked into this and you are off a bit. You can loss the item if above a few hundred pounds for not declaring it. Lucky if you just get hit with import and vat etc... its crazy that they sell high value items in supposed duty free outlets.... 

[Spilornis]

Going forward watch out for local tax on imported phones. Indonesia has a system that foreign phones can't connect after around 90 days unless you pay the local import tax. Same in Pakistan.

They use the phone's IMEI number.

All done electronically so once set up the system is a good revenue raiser

[Tarteso]

Great day of Hope and Happiness for Ladyboys ????

[jeffriesbkk]

3 hours ago, jaywalker said:

Huh? What? We can't be mafia anymore???

--------

I recall 20 years ago, being on a boat tour to "Monkey Island"

 

We (bought) and took some bananas.

 

Sammy The Bull Gravano-monkey took charge.

 

I was beating them off with my flip-flops.

 

Wish I could do the same with Thai cops and not get shot.

I honestly thought you were talking about visiting the new Thai parliament building on the river.

Its easy to get confused here.

[ignore it]

 " I could have my Patek Philippe on
I could carry my Mouwad’s ‘1001 Nights Diamond Purse
But even with nothin' on
They aint gonna look...

 

Mr. Immigration Officer where is the closest Chinese money laundry?

 

(With no apologies to Meghan Trainor's popular song)

[ikke1959]

20.000 THB seems a lot of money for Thai people, but Westerns often have more valuable items.. A luxury watch and bag, gold and diamond rings and necklace etc... They should raise the amount to 50.000THB or so...

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, Andycoops said:

If it's one bag or one watch it will most obviously be a personal item

Or it could belong to a dead friend, or two. 'I have Nothing to Declare, honestly Sir '.

[mikebell]

Let's celebrate!  Every year on my return trip from UK I surreptitiously smuggle in as many roll-on deodorants as I can carry to off-set the ludicrous prices charged by Thai supermarkets.

[tomazbodner]

I have nothing to declare, Madam. These belong to a dear deceased friend of mine...

 

[Xonax]

The rich quality tourists would have to carry an additional bag, if they should bring the receipts for all expensive contents in their luggage.

[Caldera]

I've never been questioned or searched by Thai customs officers anyway, and they don't exactly look very alert whenever I walk past them in the green lane. Half asleep or playing with their phones, more like. 

[bamnutsak]

Confusing policy as the law remains 20,000 baht limit.

 

I guess I'd like to see this newly revealed policy in writing.

 

I understand the intent, at least I think I do, but would like to see the rules in English, and some examples.

 

For instance, have other tourists been detained prior to this new policy? Were they "shaken down"?

 

 

[KannikaP]

5 hours ago, geisha said:

If you have the receipt of object bought , you wouldn’t get stopped anywhere

If you do not get stopped, how could you show them the original receipt?

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

You know quite a while back you had to fill out a customs declaration prior to landing and it demanded that expensive items like laptops were declared.

 

I don't think you need to fill that same form out but they definitely were interested in 'high value' items carried by tourists which most likely would have in fact been relatively cheap laptops costing 50 to 100k Baht equivalent.

 

I was surprised to learn that many countries want VAT / DUTY payments to drive across the border in foreign vehicles, temporary import paperwork and all sorts of shenanigans. Greedy furcks every one of them

 

You have to remember that NO Government, anywhere, has any money. It is all gleaned from the populace any way they can.

[John Drake]

And watch the triads' cash filled suitcases walk right on in.

[bamnutsak]

7 minutes ago, John Drake said:

And watch the triads' cash filled suitcases walk right on in.

One assumes that the RTP VVIP service, which included a jetway greeting, escort through Imm, help with bags and a walk-through at Customs, might have been a  good way to avoid pesky limits?

 

 

[sambum]

"Therefore, the customs officers will not search for tourists entering Thailand."

 

TAT has spend a fortune persuading tourists to visit Thailand, and here we have a Government Department who seem to have been spending their time trying to find them! ????

 

Maybe their time might be better spent searching for human traffickers or illegal immigrants? ????

[herfiehandbag]

3 hours ago, Spilornis said:

Going forward watch out for local tax on imported phones. Indonesia has a system that foreign phones can't connect after around 90 days unless you pay the local import tax. Same in Pakistan.

They use the phone's IMEI number.

All done electronically so once set up the system is a good revenue raiser

Well yes, but after using the phone for 90 days it is perhaps not unreasonable to assume that you have imported it.

 

This is, reportedly, the closing down of a "shakedown" procedure which targeted tourists - closing down such operations is very much flavour of the month.

 

No doubt a less controversial and more lucrative manoeuvre has been instituted to replace/reinforce income streams.

[Sydebolle]

Good news then for Prawit ........... who would better be dressed as a tourist then, it seems! 

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

worth millions of baht If it is worn for personal use

So, a diamond studded tiara worn by a wife/girlfriend is okay??

(value is 1.3 million US$)