lotus eater Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I am going to buy a laptop abroad next month. Would there be a problem with customs for me to arrive at Suvanaphumi with two laptops - my current one and the new? If so I guess I'll leave my current one here - but that will be a nuisance. Most grateful for any authoritave info or account of actual such experience at customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kan Win Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Hi "lotus eater", Worth reading this thread in the “Suvarnabhumi Airport Forum” http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...25&start=36 Post #36 Hope this helps you to make your mind up. Yours truly, Kan Win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OxfordWill Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I have been through with two twice and never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have been through with two twice and never had a problem. I assume that customs did know you had them. If that's right it is useful info. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nidge Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I've been through with 2 many times also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hi "lotus eater",Worth reading this thread in the “Suvarnabhumi Airport Forum” http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...25&start=36 Post #36 Hope this helps you to make your mind up. Yours truly, Kan Win Well, I've now read it & that's that. I can't take even a small risk of losing the laptop. Ah well, will have to tolerate the inconvenience for a few weeks. Thank you for the referral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 I've been through with 2 many times also Please see my query to OxfordWill. If you went through without declaring them it still leaves me with a risk I don't want to take. (See the referral above by Kan Win to the thread/post about quite a recent incident of a fine and confiscation.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorro1 Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 customs? what customs?? 1000 planes a day and the nothing to declare exit is open 24/7. Do not declare as this will wake up the officer who will then be angry and confiscate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OxfordWill Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 I walked through the green exit with one on each shoulder, very obviously sticking out. I made eye contact and smiled and a group of three officials who had nobody on their table. Maybe they just liked me? I will think twice next time, had no idea this would even be an issue. Ok just thought about twice, I will continue to walk confidently through the green exit and if they have a problem with my laptop I will win them over with charm and the art of confusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 The responses are now introducing doubt into my previous resolve. Is there any notice or prominent info to alert passengers that this is an issue? If not I suppose it wouldn't be hard to argue that the computors were necessary - for all sorts of reasons. Presumably it would be best to not have the bill for the new laptop on me. I have another week still to mull this over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nordlys Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) Last month I returned from Japan with two digital HD camcorders (one still new in sealed box) and was dutied on one of them but at minimal 500 Baht (import duty + VAT, on approximately 20,000 Baht worth of new camcorder). That was after I walked through green lane (nothing to declare) and an officer hand picked me among others to have all my baggage X-rayed. He threatened me with thirty something percent duty + VAT + fine and told me to proceed to the red lane (goods to declare) about 100 meters from there but in the end the officer at red lane charged me only 500 (and asked me if that's OK) and he issued me a receipt for that. He didn't even bother to open the box to inspect what make/model camcorder it was (still in amazon package). Edited April 21, 2008 by Nordlys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britmaveric Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Carried two many times as well - shouldnt have a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw25rw Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 I would imagine it to be cumbersome at security, but as long as they aren't in a duty free carrier bag, they shouldn't notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zpete Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 In umpteen trips to BKK, both Don Muang and Swampypool, I have always walked thru the green, never been pulled up. Curiosity, where are you buying the laptop, and where do you live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 In umpteen trips to BKK, both Don Muang and Swampypool, I have always walked thru the green, never been pulled up.Curiosity, where are you buying the laptop, and where do you live? With both laptops visible or declared to an officer? Trouble is that no-one who has come through with 2 laptops says that this was explicitly okayed by customs, or that there was an explicit allowance for this - the nearest was the 'eye contact' enjoyed by OxforWill. On the other hand there is a second hand report of fine/confiscation on Kan Win's post. But the predominance of opinion is that there's no real risk. I could always spin a tale of needing to do different sorts of work on the two laptops, or something of the sort. Should be able to carry both in a briefcase quite easily. I live in Chiang Rai. I intend to buy the new (apple) laptop in California, return via China where I'll spend a fortnight, thence back to Thailand/Suvarnabhumi. I want to take my current laptop with me - but at a pinch could leave it behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMA_FARANG Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 customs? what customs?? 1000 planes a day and the nothing to declare exit is open 24/7. Do not declare as this will wake up the officer who will then be angry and confiscate Two laptops...no problem. I once had 3 video-recorders (back when they were taxed) and tried to declare them at Don Muang. The customs guy looked around to see if any of his bosses were watching (they weren't) and told me to go thru the nothing-to declare line. I did once see a Singaporean guy trying to bring in about 10 video-recorders. The customs people asked him 3 or 4 times if he was sure he had nothing to declare. He kept saying no, nothing to declare. He had 3 porters with full baggage carts carrying the 10 recorders. They let hin go out thru the nothing to declare line, let him walk out to get half a dozen cabs to load the recorders in. Once again they asked him politely if he wanted to declare the recorders. He said no, so then they arrested him. The only time I've ever seen customs do that. I once brought 20 kilos of prime rib thru as my only luggage on arrival from Singapore. It was for a friend of mine who had a small guesthouse and was planning to serve prime rib dinners to his guests. Now that was unusual. The customs just didn't want to know, they just waved me through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdenner Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Hi "lotus eater",Worth reading this thread in the “Suvarnabhumi Airport Forum” http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...25&start=36 Post #36 Hope this helps you to make your mind up. Yours truly, Kan Win Well, I've now read it & that's that. I can't take even a small risk of losing the laptop. Ah well, will have to tolerate the inconvenience for a few weeks. Thank you for the referral. In writing that post I didn't add that both notebooks were still in their boxes being carried as hand luggage in duty free bags.I also have been through on 3 occasions with 2 notebooks (well used) but one was always placed in my check in bagage. No worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus eater Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Thank you for the further posts. bdenner's clarification is helpful. Must say this chap seems to have gone a bit far - unless he meant to sell them. As for the behaviour of the Singaporean with 10 vcr s - bizarre. I've been persuaded that it'll be OK to come in with my old and new laptops - no box/packaging of the new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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