Fruitless: Tourists they face jail time for bringing fruits to Thailand, govt warns

[dingdongrb]

1 hour ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

The threat is the deterrent.

Doesn't appear to be working for all the burning going on!

[IvorBiggun2]

7 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

Doesn't appear to be working for all the burning going on!

Burning!!!!!! What burning?

[dinsdale]

53 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

I recall the United Airlines flight I was on back in early 2000 when the smell of durian hit the air after takeoff. An attendant came on the PA system asking for the person who brought the fruit aboard to declare it. I'm not sure if anyone did.

Ah! durian. Lovely smell, delicious taste.

[bje2000]

13 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This reminds me of my own experience back in about 1998. I was flying from US to Australia. I packed 2 bananas in my carry on bag which I intended to eat on board. I'd forgotten about them, and when I was picking up my bags at the Brisbane airport the sniffer dogs were getting excited at the smell of overripe bananas.

 

They did a full search and treated me like a criminal due to an obvious mistake. Wtf would anyone smuggle 2 overripe bananas (practically mush at this point) into Australia. Customs officers are not allowed to use common sense. The whole customs team was totally bamboozled and didn't know what to do. I was there for hours, waiting for a decision. Luckily they didn't arrest me and sent a fine in the mail.

 

This is no way to treat tourists... over fruit. A tourist is not importing fruit, but bringing something to eat. Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed.

 

 

exactly the same rules as the US mate

[Bim Smith]

I remember being pulled up for bringing an apple into Thailand that Thai Airways gave me on the flight. I know many Thais packing their suitcase with all sorts of fruit going into the UK my wife included. 

[Reigntax]

13 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This reminds me of my own experience back in about 1998. I was flying from US to Australia. I packed 2 bananas in my carry on bag which I intended to eat on board. I'd forgotten about them, and when I was picking up my bags at the Brisbane airport the sniffer dogs were getting excited at the smell of overripe bananas.

 

They did a full search and treated me like a criminal due to an obvious mistake. Wtf would anyone smuggle 2 overripe bananas (practically mush at this point) into Australia. Customs officers are not allowed to use common sense. The whole customs team was totally bamboozled and didn't know what to do. I was there for hours, waiting for a decision. Luckily they didn't arrest me and sent a fine in the mail.

 

This is no way to treat tourists... over fruit. A tourist is not importing fruit, but bringing something to eat. Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed.

 

 

Except that you signed a false declaration which in any civilised country is a criminal offence.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government issued a warning to tourists that it would be fruitless to bring fruits into Thailand unless they wanted to go to jail.

So a warning and maybe a small fine for bringing in fruits.

The threat of jail time... is just plain ridiculous.

 

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

They like to buy fresh fruits like persimmons and grapes, which are cheaper than in Thailand, to return to the country.

And there we have it.. 

[huyuli]

Entering Australia one has to sign a declaration whether food is being imported. Twice I declared I had no food, completely forgetting that I did. I was caught once and given a stern warning which was well-deserved. I wasn't detained or fined.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, Reigntax said:

Except that you signed a false declaration which in any civilised country is a criminal offence.

You might have read my post first - I was fined. I wasn't complaining about the fine, but the enept way they handled it and the way they made a huge deal about it... just as they are in Thailand. 

[zzaa09]

Dust off the guillotines. 

Dirty scoundrelous foreigners. 

[JensenZ]

57 minutes ago, huyuli said:

Entering Australia one has to sign a declaration whether food is being imported. Twice I declared I had no food, completely forgetting that I did. I was caught once and given a stern warning which was well-deserved. I wasn't detained or fined.

This was back in 1998. I'm sure they have changed their policy a bit after my incident. Brisbane had always been a difficult airport with attitude... much worse than Sydney or Melbourne. They have fewer incoming international flights, so more time to hassle people. When did your incident occur, and where?

Edited April 13, 2023 by JensenZ

[Michael Hare]

15 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This reminds me of my own experience back in about 1998. I was flying from US to Australia. I packed 2 bananas in my carry on bag which I intended to eat on board. I'd forgotten about them, and when I was picking up my bags at the Brisbane airport the sniffer dogs were getting excited at the smell of overripe bananas.

 

They did a full search and treated me like a criminal due to an obvious mistake. Wtf would anyone smuggle 2 overripe bananas (practically mush at this point) into Australia. Customs officers are not allowed to use common sense. The whole customs team was totally bamboozled and didn't know what to do. I was there for hours, waiting for a decision. Luckily they didn't arrest me and sent a fine in the mail.

 

This is no way to treat tourists... over fruit. A tourist is not importing fruit, but bringing something to eat. Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed.

 

 

You were very very lucky not to be fined. An Australian was fined over $2,000 for failing to declare a subway sandwich. 

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/aussie-traveller-hit-with-2664-fine-after-failing-to-declare-subway-sandwich-c-7516246

 

Hilary Swank was fined $200 for failing to declare an apple and a organge on arrival in NZ,

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/mar/31/filmnews.film

[cardinalblue]

16 hours ago, billd766 said:

Never mind the tourists.

 

How about the Thais who cross borders and bring fruit and veg back into Thailand without a licence?

Why don’t they have a drivers license?

[gejohesch]

15 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This reminds me of my own experience back in about 1998. I was flying from US to Australia. I packed 2 bananas in my carry on bag which I intended to eat on board. I'd forgotten about them, and when I was picking up my bags at the Brisbane airport the sniffer dogs were getting excited at the smell of overripe bananas.

 

They did a full search and treated me like a criminal due to an obvious mistake. Wtf would anyone smuggle 2 overripe bananas (practically mush at this point) into Australia. Customs officers are not allowed to use common sense. The whole customs team was totally bamboozled and didn't know what to do. I was there for hours, waiting for a decision. Luckily they didn't arrest me and sent a fine in the mail.

 

This is no way to treat tourists... over fruit. A tourist is not importing fruit, but bringing something to eat. Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed.

 

 

I had a similar experience some 10 years ago. I would like to make 2 points here.

 

1 - Australia is (after all) an island, and like all islands, it tries to control to the maximum what comes in and could upset the local eco-system. This is perfectly understandable. Australia even attempts to control what goes from one state to the other, which is also understandable given the size of the country.

2 - Having lived a few years in Australia, I observed multiple times a rather different attitude on part of the police forces and assimilated, when compared with other countries I know. An attitude that I am temped to call "carceral". It's easy to think that comes from the well-known fact that Australia was mainly settled (after the aborigines) by convicts, being considered as a penal colony by GB. (I'm not Australian, btw).

 

My experience then. Flying from Melbourne to Perth, me + wife went through the usual controls. The dog got excited sniffing around my wife's bag, and rapidly zoomed in to her toiletry bag. The lady officer asked what was in it, and as my wife could not think of anything out of the ordinary, the officer got very aggressive and threatening, with words like "we will find it, you can be sure of that!" - typical. After a good 5 minutes searching through the bag and further angry and threatening behaviour, she could still not find anything special, and she grudgingly had to let us pass.

One day later, in Perth, my wife found what the dog had been sniffing up. She had picked up small flowers she found lovely, while in Melbourne, and put them into her toiletry bag. There were 2 tiny wilted petals left in the bag when we flew to Perth!

[ChipButty]

Something else I'll have to let my daughter know is illegal, before she comes next month, 

[Peterphuket]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Utterly clueless. The lack of talent, vision, understanding and humility is astonishing, on the part of the officials here. Can they ever learn anything? 

It's only a matter of racism, nothing more nor less.

[Xonax]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

They like to buy fresh fruits like persimmons and grapes, which are cheaper than in Thailand

So how about removing that luxury tax on imported Grapes and Persimmons? I would never pay 600 baht (two daily minimum wages) for one kilo grapes and the local grapes are sour and filled with pits.

[arithai12]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The constant threats and declarations are surely enhancing tourism. Some of these officials are not only clueless, they have exceptionally big heads, accompanied by very small brains. The Thai army is nothing if not predictable. Without exception, they always pick from the bottom of the barrel, and consistently choose ministers with the least amount of talent possible. 

Why clueless? There are rules about importing fresh food in almost any country. But you are right, surely a tourist will decide not to come to Thailand if they can't bring in a banana.

[JimTripper]

Some countries have sniffing dogs for fruits and seeds in customs. I almost brought a bunch of dried seeds as snacks like they sell in all the markets once and was relieved I forgot to bring them.

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

In actual fact, it's you who are the boofhead as you fail basic reading skills.

 

It was a flight from Atlanta to Tokyo and on to Brisbane. Easy to forget over that long ride.

 

Read my post again, Boofhead - it was packed in my carry-on bag (backpack), not checked in with my luggage.

 

 Also, Mr Boofhead, it was not fruit by the time the sniffer dogs discovered it - it was garbage. A simple fine would have sufficed - not a 2 hour shakedown. 

 

You might want to get hold of actual law. I  don't think a forgotten piece of lunch fruit could be considered "importing". I'm sure this happens a lot.

Forgotten or not, its still potentially damaging. 

[jacko45k]

I hope an IO does not grab my plums.

[wavodavo]

16 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Yep. Amazing how many people try to get food in. <deleted>. Don't know if you know this stuff but I took some natto (japanese fermented soybeans that really smells but I like it) into Aus. I declared it, they didn't know what it was, I openned up one package and the customs officer took several steps back, looked like they were going to throw up and basically said "go for Christ's sake go now". Always declare food going into Australia.

DINNO is right when coming into Australia you must declare any food,plants seeds etc that you have even if you think it might be o.k. They will tell you if you can keep or they confiscate,no problems or penalty.

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, Goat said:

They are talking about Thai tourists bringing fruit back in after touring other countries.

Calm down. This isnt about "farang victimisation".

 

Months old news anyway.

https://www.khaosod.co.th/economics/news_7361767

Fairly common regulations that people would rather ignore.

 

"Since Brexit, you're no longer allowed to take certain foods to Europe like meats, fruits, vegetables, fishes, those kinds of stuff," the border guard explains to the lorry driver in the Dutch report.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2021/01/12/brexit-border-guards-seize-ham-sandwiches-from-lorry-drivers-according-to-dutch-report

[oldestswinger]

17 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Fruit fly is a big one. 

Bit difficult to stop them given the length of SA's border.

 

[owl sees all]

What about cheese? Is that still OK? Difficult to get a nice wedge over here, without paying well over the top..

 

A pal of mine had his Marmite confiscated at Swampy a few years back.

[owl sees all]

51 minutes ago, Xonax said:

So how about removing that luxury tax on imported Grapes and Persimmons? I would never pay 600 baht (two daily minimum wages) for one kilo grapes and the local grapes are sour and filled with pits.

In my area, the daily wage has jumped up to 350 baht.

[kcpattaya]

Great idea! People need to start realising that Thailand is ruled by a dictator.

"Authority abuse" can be expected.

So let's do everything we can to make visitors feel NOT WELCOME!

[kennw]

17 hours ago, JensenZ said:

This reminds me of my own experience back in about 1998. I was flying from US to Australia. I packed 2 bananas in my carry on bag which I intended to eat on board. I'd forgotten about them, and when I was picking up my bags at the Brisbane airport the sniffer dogs were getting excited at the smell of overripe bananas.

 

They did a full search and treated me like a criminal due to an obvious mistake. Wtf would anyone smuggle 2 overripe bananas (practically mush at this point) into Australia. Customs officers are not allowed to use common sense. The whole customs team was totally bamboozled and didn't know what to do. I was there for hours, waiting for a decision. Luckily they didn't arrest me and sent a fine in the mail.

 

This is no way to treat tourists... over fruit. A tourist is not importing fruit, but bringing something to eat. Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed.

 

 

You obviously did not read the many warnings or announcments about fruit, plants etc. not allowed to enter Australia due to bio-risk. Just get rid of it before you get on board. As an Island Australia is free from many bio problems and they are just trying to keep it that way. Just use your common sense.

[watchcat]

15 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Common , you just cant blame them for following their love-hate passion for falangs... love their money, hate their guts...

Sounds like a prostitute.