2 hours ago, FlorC said:

What about pills in the checked in luggage ? They don't check that again during a layover in Dubai or elsewhere. It's all in those airplane containers that go from one plane to the other. Just carry on bags will be checked again.

Yes,  yes, yes,.... this is all true, most probably. 

24 years in jail? Sorry,  "most probably" isn't good enough for me.

I did have some benzos in my transit luggage in Doha (original package,  and i had a prescription that meticulously followed Qatar regulations).

In Dubai, I wouldn't do it. 24 years is just too much.

3 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

something else that looks "bad" in the luggage and causes a search,

Exactly. 

I always have something suspicious in my luggage. 

Once, it was dumbbells - too dangerous,  I had to discard them. 

Another time medicine from Bumrungrad.

On my last flight,  something suspicious showed up on their screen,  I had to open my luggage, "oh, these are books!"

18 minutes ago, Lorry said:

On my last flight,  something suspicious showed up on their screen,  I had to open my luggage, "oh, these are books!"

Books are - or were - some of the most targeted items to carry.

 

Vietnam Customs disappeared 4 of my books when I entered the country some years ago, and when, out of curiosity, I asked which books they had confiscated, they refused to answer on the grounds of national security.

 

I worked out later that one of the books they had taken was "The Hunt for Red October", but whether they took it for ideological reasons or entertainment reasons, I don't know.

On 8/28/2023 at 3:28 PM, brianthainess said:

Thailand doesn't have sniffer dogs yet.

The last time I entered Thailand through Swampy was prior to the Covid shutdown. At that time, there were two officers with Beagles on leash, checking the luggage on the arrival carousels. 

But can a snifferdog smell pills tat are still in their blister package ?

I tend to bring pills , so thanks for the warning not to go through dubai.

9 hours ago, tweedledee2 said:

The last time I entered Thailand through Swampy was prior to the Covid shutdown. At that time, there were two officers with Beagles on leash, checking the luggage on the arrival carousels. 

Yes.. but can these 'sniffer dogs' in any country 'sniff out' a Xanax tablet ?

 

1 hour ago, FlorC said:

But can a snifferdog smell pills tat are still in their blister package ?

I tend to bring pills , so thanks for the warning not to go through dubai.

I very much doubt it - the dogs are utlised to sniff out narcotics and explosive substances. 

 

I suspect the only way a person is going to get caught for carrying a pack of Xanax etc is of they are actually stopped by customs in whichever country they are arriving in and all their belongings are searched in detail. 

 

I was once searched on arrival in the UK... they went into everything, checked toothpaste etc - in this situation if I had some medication they would have found it and questioned me.