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

[TigerandDog]

17 hours ago, JensenZ said:

What was nonsense? You should try reading a post before making a reply.

 

 

still kicking is right and your reply is wrong. Even if you did forget that the bananas were in your carry-on bag, as you claim, your memory would have been jogged when you were completing the arrival card. You obviously answered the question with regards to food as NO. So the treatment you received was what you deserved for FALSELY completing your arrival card.

[RandiRona]

12 minutes ago, watchcat said:

Sounds like a prostitute.

And what do you think these corrupt generals are? They pimp their own daughters to Falangs for the dollars and the western influence. They keep population poor and uneducated so that they can have uninterrupted supply of whores and conscription slaves.

[wensiensheng]

18 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 recall flying into Perth with a golf bag as I intended playing golf while there. The customs officer asked if I had golf shoes in my luggage, which of course I did. He then proceeded to check them, decided they were dirty with strands of grass and the like, and took them away to clean them.

 

he did an excellent job but didn’t seem so happy when I asked him if he could also clean my black leather work shoes ????????

[Twod0gs]

Lucky it wasn't sheeps ????

[dinsdale]

47 minutes ago, oldestswinger said:

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

 

Yes SA has a very long border but if you look at a map you will only see a few places where you can come in. At a guess SA is around 90% desert with very few atrerial roads leading into it. It is the only state I believe that does not have a major fruit fly problem although outbreaks do happen. These outbreaks are more than likely from people bringing infected fruit into the state.

 

[Cake Monster]

Instead of Fruit, they really need to take at good look at all the Fish and Animals that are smuggled into the Country for "Entertainment purposes "

[Adumbration]

I find it difficult to believe fruit is cheaper in Japan than in Thailand.  Don't cantalopes there cost like a month's salary??

 

Also there is absolutely no risk of fruits returning to Thailand from Korea.  Every single Thai person I know that has travelled to Korea is still there working illegally without a visa as a "little ghost".  My GFs older sister is still there and first arrived on a tourist visa just on 10 years ago.

[madmitch]

Just told the GF. She'd probably be doing a long stretch right now when taking to account the nober of cherries, strawberries and raspberries she's brought to Thailand from the UK!

[Snig27]

And yet it is fine for large Thai corporations with connections to the government to pump vast amounts of poisonous air across the borders continuously. 

[Snig27]

16 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

 

I find it difficult to believe fruit is cheaper in Japan than in Thailand.  Don't cantalopes there cost like a month's salary??

 

 

Those are boutique fruits, but standard fruits from the local stores are very cheap as are many foodstuffs.

[Colki]

As per usual with Thailand, I think the issues lies with lack of information. I regularly fly between pacific countries and on entry to those countries you are asked to sign a declaration in regard to specific items and as stated by others is a legal document.

 

I have flown into Thailand on many occasions but have never been provided with any written information or documentation advising on what I can or cannot bring into the country and advising  for example volume of alcohol permitted or regulations pertaining to number of cigarettes (I do not smoke). Maybe this would also be an oppurtunity to advise travellers re vaping regulations.

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, Colki said:

As per usual with Thailand, I think the issues lies with lack of information. I regularly fly between pacific countries and on entry to those countries you are asked to sign a declaration in regard to specific items and as stated by others is a legal document.

 

I have flown into Thailand on many occasions but have never been provided with any written information or documentation advising on what I can or cannot bring into the country and advising  for example volume of alcohol permitted or regulations pertaining to number of cigarettes (I do not smoke). Maybe this would also be an oppurtunity to advise travellers re vaping regulations.

My daughter was told by the travel agent in England that vapes are illegal, 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

My daughter was told by the travel agent in England that vapes are illegal, 

How many people use a travel agent these days ?....   

 

(The travel agent was correct BTW)...  but as with all laws in Thailand.. ‘there is no law, until there is law’... i.e. enforcement is so lax until at situation arises where it isn’t (i.e. attempted extortion of a Taiwanese actress which backfired on the BiB). 

 

As Colki wrote - the issue lies with lack of information and when there is information its somewhat vague, contradictory and circular - Lots of different websites need to be scoured to get an idea. 

 

This forum is possibly one of the best sources for information, even when members are getting into their ‘dIck fights’ because they never been / never encountered (xxxx subject here).

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

58 minutes ago, Snig27 said:

But, according to statements a few weeks back, foreigners bags were no longer to be searched anyway.

Statements from whom ??..  (any further link or info on this).

 

I very much doubt this is an official response from customs.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

43 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Thailand, with a land border of more than 4,800 Km, which is mostly porous, I think there are more important challenges at stake. Basically, its a click bait article.

The Air-borders always do things ‘better’ than the weaker more porous land-boarders... This is the case in the vast majority of countries...

 

 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, arithai12 said:

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.

How many other countries go out of their way to warn foreigners about bringing in fruit? It is not a reasonable law that irks. It is the constant threats from the toxic army goons. 

[itsari]

20 hours ago, dinsdale said:

This is why Australia is the most bio-secure continent/island/country in the world. If you think allowing bio risks in to possibly decimate agricultural industries then that's your opinion. South Australia has even more bio secruriy in place. Interstate travel into South Australia is guarded by customs for the same reasons. Fruit fly is a big one. 

Ah, the country that sprayed  incoming passengers .Very inteligent policies in white Australia policy politicans 

[dinsdale]

5 minutes ago, itsari said:

Ah, the country that sprayed  incoming passengers .Very inteligent policies in white Australia policy politicans 

Silly comment but yes planes are sprayed but NOT with passengers in them. These so-called "white Australia policy politicians" (happily the White Australia policy ended some 60 yrs ago so please try and stay up to date) more rationally known as bio-security is just that. Bio-security. Australia is one of if not the most bio-secure nation on earth and why shouldn't it be. It's a unique and beautiful continent, island and country.

 

[Goat]

19 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.

Mike, it isnt them that is clueless.

This piece has been translated from months old Thai news. The direction issued was for Thai tourists returning from other countries. It has been a problem for a while. Really, how many farang tourists would bother bringing their own fruit?

 

The translater left out that information and it has got you all worked up.

 

Calm down, Happy New Year.

 

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

[richard_smith237]

Wife and I went to NZ for long holiday about 10 years ago... 

 

Anyone who has ever travelled with a Thai knows how they can’t go anywhere without a suitcase full of Mama-noodles and other food items they’d either die without or not be able to take a comfortable poop !!! ????

 

Being mildly aware of the the biosecurity restrictions in NZ I ensured everything taken fell within regulations - Wife actually took a large Cardboard Box. Wife is also ‘Chinese looking’...  

Thus - Chinese look + Cardboard Box full of food is definitely going to draw some ‘profiling attention’ (especially after watching programs like ‘Border Security’ etc - where its nearly always Chinese visitors trying to carry in a Tigers Penis, or 5 kgs of Shiitake mushrooms wrapped in news-paper etc etc)... 

 

Of course - Customs immediately flagged the Wife...  And asked, any food items... Wife replied... 

“Yes, this box is all food items, all of it is dried food such as noodles, commercially packaged, dried flavourings, no fresh food”.....  

That was sufficient - Customs didn’t even want to look inside the box. 

 

 

Of course - this is very very different from the person to carried a Banana off a flight and was charged, which IMO is incredibly unfair treatment - There is differencing between bringing a box of food into country and accidentally carrying something in your hand-carry luggage. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DavisH]

21 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.

 

 

This isn't comparable. Australia wants to remain disease free (as far as possible). Hence it is for environmental reasons. Thailand has just about every disease under the sun. In the OPs case, it is purely to protect local fruit growing industries. 

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Why bring them into Thailand when they are already here?????? Hence why you won't find a link to an official source.

There will be an official source somewhere, there always is - we just can’t find it in English, either because there isn’t one, or its not online. 

 

The reason: No one in an official position accountable for ensuring Tourist have such information readily at hand. 

 

 

 

Embassy Websites Pass the buck with comments such as << For information regarding prohibited and restricted items to bring into Thailand, please visit Thai Customs >>

 

The Thai Customs website deflects and somewhat dismisses the issue with comments such as << For more information please contact. : Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Control Customs Office >>

 

 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

How many people use a travel agent these days ?....   

 

(The travel agent was correct BTW)...  

 

She got a superb deal, Flights Hotel 14 nights including Breakfast in a 5 star hotel in Phuket a lot cheaper than flight only then you have hotels still to pay for, 

[Mickmouse1]

23 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

 Tourists they face jail time

What about non Thais bringing fruit in over land borders?

Fine& jail for being stubborn or playing stupid 555

[Mickmouse1]

TOURISTS, WILL BE JAILED IN THAILAND FOR 1000S of petty things instead of being warned. How any tourist will know about this rule??

[Liverpool Lou]

23 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

 Tourists they face jail time

What about non Thais bringing fruit in over land borders?

"The director-general of the Department of Agriculture, Rapeephat Chantarasriwong, emphasized that both Thai and international tourists are subject to this law".

 

The law relates to the illegal importation of fruit, not the location, it applies at all borders.

[Liverpool Lou]

22 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?

As the OP, very clearly, stated, the law applies to Thais also and, obviously, at all borders.

[Liverpool Lou]

22 hours ago, JensenZ said:

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.

 "Just throw it in a bin and tell the tourist it's not allowed".

If you bothered to read the OP properly you'd know that that is what usually happens.

[cnx101]

I just flew in from Vietnam, glad I ate the banana I had in my bag before I arrived haha

[Liverpool Lou]

22 hours ago, anchadian said:

22 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?

Expand  

Exactly.  Another useless report.

Exactly, another AN member who cannot read the OP.   The law applies to Thais also, as the OP stated.