Immigration Arrests Aussie Smuggling Apple iPhones into Thailand

[drgoon]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Err Aussie ?

Nooo..  Canuk now lol

[michaellee]

4 hours ago, Upnotover said:

So when did they originally detain him, before he popped home and became Canadian?

Fake Canadian Passport

[bradiston]

4 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Banned???

Ok "Back in 2017, the iPhone 8 was not allowed to be sold in Thailand" according to the link I posted.

[michaellee]

4 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

Stolen iphone from Australia. Free money

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Good point! Could be he quickly skipped Thailand whilst on police bail and re-entered before the police processed his arrest warrant and input it into the immigration system?

Read the link I posted for heaven's sake!

[brianthainess]

[Dr B]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I would suspect he has duel nationality as I do, I am on my AU passport with my extension in that, but I am from the UK so could leave and reenter on that. 

You might find that, if you arrived on your Australian passport, then that is what you will need to leave on. Your UK passport will not show that you entered Thailand.

[Frankie baby]

The police then deployed around the area.

 

I wish they would deploy themselves on Nanai Road (Patong) and pick-up the dozens of motorbikes with the modified exhausts. It would be more to the publics advantage than somebody trying to flog a few phones. Maybe they need a tip-off.

[Will B Good]

10 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Ok "Back in 2017, the iPhone 8 was not allowed to be sold in Thailand" according to the link I posted.

 

I wasn't trying to 'make a comment'.....I was surprised and had just never come across the fact it was banned or not allowed.

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, Dr B said:

You might find that, if you arrived on your Australian passport, then that is what you will need to leave on. Your UK passport will not show that you entered Thailand.

Yep I missed a comer,,,, out. sorry if you too didn't understand my post.

[bradiston]

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

 

I wasn't trying to 'make a comment'.....I was surprised and had just never come across the fact it was banned or not allowed.

Nor had I. There was a lot missing from the TE post.

[Paulgo]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Err Aussie ?

Canadian or Aussie they are all the same Ex Convicts 🙂

[Daniel Cully]

16 minutes ago, drgoon said:

Nooo..  Canuk now lol

You spelt canuck wrong

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

4 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

Maybe those Iphones were hot.

[khunjeff]

41 minutes ago, bradiston said:

2017! In Thai Examiner:

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/08/24/bizarre-arrest-of-an-international-man-of-man-of-mystery-travelling-on-multiple-passport-in-bangkok/

 

Thank you - that article makes a lot more sense than the OP.

[tandor]

4 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

..maybe he didn't buy them in the first place!

[khunjeff]

15 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I wasn't trying to 'make a comment'.....I was surprised and had just never come across the fact it was banned or not allowed.

 

From the vague phrasing in the article, my guess is that Apple was not officially selling the phone in Thailand, and so it hadn't been registered with Thai telecom authorities (which I think is technically required, but often ignored by resellers). It looks like they were just piling on charges to be sure he would be convicted of something.

[tandor]

32 minutes ago, michaellee said:

Fake Canadian Passport

..maybe dual citizenship.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, khunjeff said:

 

From the vague phrasing in the article, my guess is that Apple was not officially selling the phone in Thailand, and so it hadn't been registered with Thai telecom authorities (which I think is technically required, but often ignored by resellers). It looks like they were just piling on charges to be sure he would be convicted of something.

 

Yes, just did a quick search ....all related to approvals being delayed......which immediately makes me think of brown envelopes.....no idea why

[arick]

Now this is the stupidest thing for today 

[Denim]

Should have originaly said :

 

I bought them as gifts for my meea noys . If one gets one they all want one.

 

The police could have related to that .....been there , done that , got the t shirt.

[mfd101]

Mule.

[sikishrory]

I feel like I could walk a donkey through the nothing to declare lane there and nobody would care.

Every time it just looks like 1 or 2 thais sitting around bludging, talkin crap or lookin at there phones.

[BusyB]

5 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

 

What I was thinking, but as someone further down has pointed out they could be stolen.

 

Edit: And it turns out the 8 version wasn't licensed in LOS in 2017.

 

 

Edited August 26 by BusyB

[Stocky]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

Err Aussie ?

Err stupid

[AndreasHG]

5 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

Too few information to understand how this scheme may work. Australia has a GST tourist refund policy in place (approximately 9% of the price paid).

But the phones may also be used or, most likely, stolen. If the latter case is true, then well-deserved jail time for the Aussi-Canadian felon.

[bradiston]

47 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Yes, just did a quick search ....all related to approvals being delayed......which immediately makes me think of brown envelopes.....no idea why

I was thinking maybe he handed out 4 or 5 of the phones to the IOs, and was released. Whereupon he scarpered. Stupid to come back, but I don't think back then they had finger printing or face recognition, but if he used the same name even with a different passport, well, asking for trouble.

[Matrosen]

5 hours ago, grain said:

Doesn't make sense. An iphone 16pro 6gb/128 retails in Thailand for 37,000 Bt. And in Australia sells for $1,849, which is approx 43,000 Bt. So he's smuggling iphones into Thailand to sell at a loss of 6000 bt per phone?

Unless they were stolen!?

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Still wearing a mask.  Has to be either Tug or a Canadian. 

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

especially focusing on crimes committed by foreigners.

Just a side note. Why would Thailand Immigration focus on Thai citizens? I'd think if a Thai citizen didn't declare import of certain foreign obtained property that it would be a direct matter for the Royal Thai Police and Customs.