Dry Herb Vaporizer - to bring on inbound flight or not.

[coldmike]

There are a lot of opinions and interpretations here of the legality of carrying dry herb vaporizers into Thailand (Pax, Crafty, Mighty etc).  Most are leaning towards it being illegal under customs laws.  I very rarely have any bag inspected on entry, so I think the risk of discovery is very low.   Does anyone have any actual experience getting ‘caught’ bringing one in and what were the consequences?

[Jingthing]

New or used?

[coldmike]

My thought was to bring new.  No chance of residue, especially if transit thru Japan or other weed-unfriendly country.  

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, coldmike said:

My thought was to bring new.  No chance of residue, especially if transit thru Japan or other weed-unfriendly country.  

Well a weed unfriendly country might have laws against paraphernalia. I've had the experience of my carry on bag being inspected in a transit airport. The checked would presumably be x-rayed. I can't offer you a legal opinion, but I will say there is no way i would risk that.

[coldmike]

I doubt much issue going thru Japan if no drugs, but, I agree, not worth the risk if it is an issue.   I’d like  to know if anyone tried to carry a vaporizer and got caught.  What happened?

[bamnutsak]

I'd just pack it in my checked bag. I've brought back a few, small pipes, 510 batteries, etc. from the U.S. Have not been caught.

 

How long are you in Thailand for? If longer term just buy a dry-herb vape here, widely available but price is marked up quite a bit.

 

A Taiwanese actress got caught in country with a ecig vape. She had a bit of hassle. Paid a "fine" of 27,000 THB.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-police-admit-extorting-money-from-taiwanese-actress

 

Usually at clubs Thai's aren't hassled by the police for vapes.

 

 

[coldmike]

36 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I'd just pack it in my checked bag. I've brought back a few, small pipes, 510 batteries, etc. from the U.S. Have not been caught.

 

How long are you in Thailand for? If longer term just buy a dry-herb vape here, widely available but price is marked up quite a bit.

 

A Taiwanese actress got caught in country with a ecig vape. She had a bit of hassle. Paid a "fine" of 27,000 THB.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-police-admit-extorting-money-from-taiwanese-actress

 

Usually at clubs Thai's aren't hassled by the police for vapes.

 

 

I understand that I should not pack anything with lithium batteries in checked bags - fire.  Don’t want to draw attention to anything.  I’ve never really worried about carry-on bags, but Thailands strong anti vape stance appears to extend to dry vapes the same as tobacco juice.
 I’m in and out of Thailand several times a year, but will likely retire there soon. Current cannabis laws led to my question about vaporizers as I prefer that for health reasons. No interest in ecig tobacco vapes.  Seems prices for legit dry herb vapes are about double what I can get in the US.  Probably I’ll roll um until I bite the bullet for a Thai sourced vaporizer

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, coldmike said:

I understand that I should not pack anything with lithium batteries in checked bags - fire.  Don’t want to draw attention to anything.  I’ve never really worried about carry-on bags, but Thailands strong anti vape stance appears to extend to dry vapes the same as tobacco juice.
 I’m in and out of Thailand several times a year, but will likely retire there soon. Current cannabis laws led to my question about vaporizers as I prefer that for health reasons. No interest in ecig tobacco vapes.  Seems prices for legit dry herb vapes are about double what I can get in the US.  Probably I’ll roll um until I bite the bullet for a Thai sourced vaporizer

Well you can buy dry herb vapes in Thailand but you won't have the full choice of brands and models. 

[bamnutsak]

I bought this unit here, from this source.

 

It's a great unit.

 

https://www.greenlungsth.com/product/Xvapefogpro/99?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=19

 

 

Like other units this one has a removable 18650 battery. So if sourced in the U.S. simply pack the vape and hand-carry the battery.

 

Or buy it here.

 

 

There is a huge variety available here, there have been some threads in this forum.

 

 

 

 

[wombat]

put it in your pocket 

[coldmike]

I still haven’t heard of anybody experiencing problems at customs with these units, but
I think it’s best to buy in Thailand until the vape laws are clearly changed.  Thanks.  

[thaichina]

I brought a mighty last time I came from Europe, and no one care, just put it in your carry on, and clean it with Iso alcohol if dirty. Dry herb vapes are openly sold in Thailand. I bought a mighty + here and a volcano hybrid, very easy just expensive.

 

I was asked once before a flight from samui to Bangkok when I did put it in my check in. I smiled and put it ion my carry on, no problem. No one is after that, just be smart and don t use it on sukhumvit road.

[thaichina]

2 minutes ago, thaichina said:

I brought a mighty last time I came from Europe, and no one care, just put it in your carry on, and clean it with Iso alcohol if dirty. Dry herb vapes are openly sold in Thailand. I bought a mighty + here and a volcano hybrid, very easy just expensive.

 

I was asked once before a flight from samui to Bangkok when I did put it in my check in. I smiled and put it ion my carry on, no problem. No one is after that, just be smart and don t use it on sukhumvit road.

also it was a direct flight, I would not bring it if I had a stop in Singapore for exemple.

[bluejets]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:11 PM, coldmike said:

 I very rarely have any bag inspected on entry, so I think the risk of discovery is very low.  

........... remember that when you are looking out at the world from behind steel bars.

Also might pay to remember or to be informed that Thai prisons are not like western countries "hotels".

 

Remember the Bali incidents, one with 20 years behind bars, the others were taken to an island and shot.

[ugghuggh]

I let aliexpress bring it in.. The unit cost 1500 baht delivered in 2 weeks 

[bamnutsak]

12 hours ago, ugghuggh said:

I let aliexpress bring it in.. The unit cost 1500 baht delivered in 2 weeks 

A lot of people have reported - both here and other platforms - that items like this are now being seized by Thai Customs (Lak Si), and not delivered to customers. In some cases Aliexpress do not even let you purchase the item for delivery into Thailand.

 

I was able to get a few units (Airis, AliExpress) in early 2022, from China. 

 

Not sure how resellers are getting units into the country now? I assume they have "connections" like those importing other unmentionables.

 

IMO/E it is better to let others bear the risk of importing these items, and then we as consumers pay extra for that "risk insurance".

 

 

 

 

[ugghuggh]

5 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

A lot of people have reported - both here and other platforms - that items like this are now being seized by Thai Customs (Lak Si), and not delivered to customers. In some cases Aliexpress do not even let you purchase the item for delivery into Thailand.

 

I was able to get a few units (Airis, AliExpress) in early 2022, from China. 

 

Not sure how resellers are getting units into the country now? I assume they have "connections" like those importing other unmentionables.

 

IMO/E it is better to let others bear the risk of importing these items, and then we as consumers pay extra for that "risk insurance".

 

 

 

 

Sorry forgot to mention mine was trio III mini 56 USD total (not 1500 baht) only last month.. 

Guess I was lucky 

[radiochaser]

On 7/30/2023 at 11:48 AM, coldmike said:

I doubt much issue going thru Japan if no drugs, but, I agree, not worth the risk if it is an issue.   I’d like  to know if anyone tried to carry a vaporizer and got caught.  What happened?

Not about vaporizers or drugs (that I know of).  

A good friend of my wife is married to an American and lives in Montana.   2 or 3 years ago they transisted through Japan.   I don't know how the Japanese found out that the husband had been convicted of a felony crime in the U.S. of A., but they did.   They fined him $400.00 and put him in dentention of some kind for being an ex felon entering Japan.   They kept him in detention until his scheduled flight to Thailand.    

[davb]

On 7/30/2023 at 11:48 AM, coldmike said:

I doubt much issue going thru Japan if no drugs, but, I agree, not worth the risk if it is an issue.   I’d like  to know if anyone tried to carry a vaporizer and got caught.  What happened?

Last month I had a stop in Japan on the way back to Thailand and they scanned my checked baggage and flagged the Pax 3. I was at the gate and security called me aside and searched the bag. The security person didn't know what it was, and I said for smoking tobacco. People were about to board the flight, so she shrugged and let me go. That's the first time I've ever been stopped because of something in checked baggage.

I would probably do it again, but like someone else said I would make sure it was thoroughly clean.

 

[Smilin in Thailand]

On 7/30/2023 at 12:24 PM, bamnutsak said:

I'd just pack it in my checked bag. I've brought back a few, small pipes, 510 batteries, etc. from the U.S. Have not been caught.

 

 

 

Were the pipes already used?   Did they have resin and weed tar crammed into the nooks and cranies?

 

Just curious, cuz I'm always paranoid of Weed Dogs sniffing it out.   So I dose mine with ethyl alcohol before I pack them in my carry on.

 

BTW.   did Bangkok to Phnom Penh with my Crafty in my carry on - zero problems at airport going in and same at the land border returning to BK.

 

 

[RSD1]

Don't bother. Or I should say, don't try it. Not worth the risk. You can buy all these things in Thailand. They may cost a bit more here, but it's by far the smarter way to go. Especially transiting through Japan with this stuff. Most likely there won't be a problem, but in Japan they don't have a sense of humor about these things. FAFO