Warning An English Man Gets A 70,125baht Fine For Bringing Cigarettes From Laos

[djc45]

Warning an English man gets a 70,125baht fine for bringing cigarettes from Laos

To-day at Nong khai an English man was stopped by three unmarked customs cars and had his car searched he and his 5 Thai passengers had 18 sleeves of cigarettes between them. They were taken to Nong Khai customs office and were told they would have to pay 88,100baht fine after five hours of questions and negotiations they reduced the fine to 70,125baht and were allowed three sleeves of cigarettes but the rest were taken from them. It would appear the taxi driver they used tipped off the customs officers a notice was given in English stating that anyone who brings in more than 200 cigarettes would be fined 560baht for every pack of 20 cigerettes

[Texpat]

Smoking's a dirty, filthy habit anyway.

He should thank the nice customs agent for improving his health.

[richard_smith237]

Smoking's a dirty, filthy habit anyway.

He should thank the nice customs agent for improving his health.

Picking your nose is a dirty, filthy habit - Smoking is unhealthy and anti-social..

I smoke by the way - only 1-5 a day though when I drink and only in the evening (although that doesn't excuse it)

For the record, I visited Vientiane a few months back, I purchased 200 cigarettes at duty free which I am by now quite certain are fake. Smoking as little as I do I feel quite a rush when I have a cigarette which is one of the reasons I enjoy it. But I get nothing from the cigarettes I purchased from the Duty free shops near the bridge and as a result I am quite certain they are counterfeit.

[Absingjul]

So some smugglers got busted and fined. Try the same nonsense entering Singapore and see what happens.

You get 1 carton and 1 litre. Ignorance is no excuse.

[theoldgit]

I bet they gave the taxi driver a nice tip.

If the fine is 560 Baht for a sleeve (200?) how did it equate to 80,000?

Why does any thread that has a mention of smoking always result in smokers being criticised?

[phetaroi]

I bet they gave the taxi driver a nice tip.

If the fine is 560 Baht for a sleeve (200?) how did it equate to 80,000?

Why does any thread that has a mention of smoking always result in smokers being criticised?

The deaths of most in my family were attributed directly or indirectly to smoking. And, except for a few that died early of heart attacks, they all said they wish they'd never started...as they struggled with emphysema or cancer. Maybe that's why.

[doggie888888]

I've heard of cartons and boxes of cigarettes...what is a SLEEVE ?

And why does the OP think it "appears" the taxi driver tipped off customs? It "appears" to me that this is a straightforward case of trying it on and getting caught. Tough luck, unlike another thread where some bloke brought contraband cigarettes into the EU and did not get caught.

[theoldgit]

Why does any thread that has a mention of smoking always result in smokers being criticised?

The deaths of most in my family were attributed directly or indirectly to smoking. And, except for a few that died early of heart attacks, they all said they wish they'd never started...as they struggled with emphysema or cancer. Maybe that's why.

I am a non smoker, in fact I have never smoked in my life nor do I like being in the vicinity of smokers.

This thread is about some people being scammed for illegally bringing excess cigarettes into the country not the rights and wrongs of smoking.

So, I ask again why does this thread which is about people being scammed, not the rights and wrongs of smoking, need to degenerate into smokers being criticised - they already know that it's a filthy habit that could kill them or at the least make them very ill, most would give up if they could.

I will leave it there

[torrenova]

The fine imposed used to be 10 times the actual duty which would have been payable. Thus, if the tax per packet was Bt56 and they had 18 sleeves, then the fine would have been 56*10*18*10 = Bt100,800.

It appears the fine now is Bt467.5 which gives Bt84,150

The fine paid of Bt70,125 is a fine on 15 sleeves of 10 packs each (467.5*10*15), allowing them a sleeve each from the 18 they were carrying.

The authority seems to be this document

http://www.thaidac.com/images/intro_114414...stoms%20law.pdf

Thai_cigarettes_limits_and_fines.pdf

Edited July 16, 2009 by torrenova

[QED]

If the fine is 560 Baht for a sleeve (200?) how did it equate to 80,000?

560 baht per PACK = 5,600 baht per sleeve. The numbers still don't quite add up though - should have been 84,000

I've heard of cartons and boxes of cigarettes...what is a SLEEVE ?

An English word for carton = 10 packs (200)

[doggie888888]

Thanks QED! A new word for me...albeit one that already means the long bits hanging off my shirt

[losworld]

I met an english taxi driver visiting Thailand an few years back and he told me when he returns home he fills a suitcase full of cigs and sells them out of his cab.

How the hel_l would he get this through customs in the West? Payoffs there too?

[sunnymarky]

So some smugglers got busted and fined. Try the same nonsense entering Singapore and see what happens.

You get 1 carton and 1 litre. Ignorance is no excuse.

What do they do ,deport you, Chop your Hands off

or a 5 year jail sentence?

A country will drastic laws for minor offences if ever there was one.

[redscouse]

I met an english taxi driver visiting Thailand an few years back and he told me when he returns home he fills a suitcase full of cigs and sells them out of his cab.

How the hel_l would he get this through customs in the West? Payoffs there too?

Not really, in the UK if you are found with excess the goods are taken off you or you pay the duty, many take the risk as the penalty is not harsh if you can show it's for personal use

[sunholidaysun1]

Bringing cigarettes in to Laos ?? Why ??

The cigarettes are cheaper in the shops in Vientiane than in the Duty free shops in Nong Khai or in Thai shops , and they are not fake.

[apetley]

Bringing cigarettes in to Laos ?? Why ??

The cigarettes are cheaper in the shops in Vientiane than in the Duty free shops in Nong Khai or in Thai shops , and they are not fake.

They were bringing them into Thailand FROM Laos.

[brynnis62]

Bringing cigarettes in to Laos ?? Why ??

The cigarettes are cheaper in the shops in Vientiane than in the Duty free shops in Nong Khai or in Thai shops , and they are not fake.

First He bringing 40 sleeve cigarettes in to Laos after buying it in Thailand, (u know, first time visit Laos) THEN He bringing the rest back in to Thailand for duty free profit. Next time he take the non smoking bus.

[ThaiEye]

Due to the possible heavy consequences, you wouldn't try to pull off a smuggling attempt in your country. So, don't try and do the same in Laos/Thailand.

Cigarettes are still, relatively, very cheap in Thailand - hardly any point in attempting to break the customs laws. The customs officers were only enforcing the law. Very very doubt the taxi driver was involved, why would he be?

[Junglejumbo]

tip is ask your thai or laos friend to drive the car through customs unless the girl looks too much like a bar girl.

[samran]

I am a non smoker, in fact I have never smoked in my life nor do I like being in the vicinity of smokers.

This thread is about some people being scammed for illegally bringing excess cigarettes into the country not the rights and wrongs of smoking.

So, I ask again why does this thread which is about people being scammed, not the rights and wrongs of smoking, need to degenerate into smokers being criticised - they already know that it's a filthy habit that could kill them or at the least make them very ill, most would give up if they could.

I will leave it there

the only scammer here is the English guy.

[phetaroi]

This thread is about some people being scammed for illegally bringing excess cigarettes into the country not the rights and wrongs of smoking.

So, I ask again why does this thread which is about people being scammed, not the rights and wrongs of smoking, need to degenerate into smokers being criticised - they already know that it's a filthy habit that could kill them or at the least make them very ill, most would give up if they could.

You're half right. The thread WAS about people being scammed (well, not really).

You then changed the thread by asking why topics about cigarettes degenerated into smokers being criticized. You asked that.

I answered.

[Texpat]

Anybody else notice a trend?

[QED]

Anybody else notice a trend?

No

Do you mean a silly hat trend?

[samui04]

Bringing cigarettes in to Laos ?? Why ??

The cigarettes are cheaper in the shops in Vientiane than in the Duty free shops in Nong Khai or in Thai shops , and they are not fake.

I can see a big market for fake cigarettes, if they are made with harmless vegetable

[samran]

Anybody else notice a trend?

Morons and idiots blaming others for their own foolishness.

Big white man right.

Little asian man, corrupt and scammer.

[khonkaen man]

In my early days here I had a friend (before cases like this one appeared) he was known to collect a bit of booze on this side. One day his contact drove him about 10 km from the bridge to a housing estate for a pick up. Entering the gate of a house to his utter horror a lady customs officer walked out of the house. Did you know adrenaline is brown and smells a lot like sh1t.

Quickly getting over his horror and trying to work out his excuses he notice she was carrying 1 of his cases of booze, then another and so on. Well u cant blame the officer, the wages are so cr4p.

B4 this he had a male officer bring everything in his pick up to their meeting point. Trouble was he got too greedy and his bosses found out he was not sharing the booty so they moved him to a post where he was not free to go back and too over the bridge.

So me personally feels sorry for the Brit who got caught, bcos when it suits those who protect and serve are bigger bootleggers than all of us farangs put together. Have you ever wondered why people 200 kms from a border cannot register(every 90 days) at their local police station. Well known in these parts about the little empire of corruption at Nong Khai that needs a steady suppy of farangs to maintain their profit margins

[purplehaze]

Cigarettes are cheaper here than the UK.And they call the Scots tight.

[budmak]

The Cheek Scots are not tight

I remember seeing my grandad who was about to check out of this world on his death bed and he uttered the emortal words

Muther are you hear yes jack son are you hear yes dad paul are you hear yes grandad there was a pause then he said

Well why is the bloddy landing light on

[djc45]

Well its sad to see some of the comments posted in this topic

I don’t know why some people don’t make their soap box statements in their own topic

For those who doubted that it was the taxi driver it was the customs officer who said it was the taxi driver who phoned them

For those who think smoking is a dirty filthy habit don’t do it and don’t forget it is legal

More people die from alcohol abuse, more crime comes from alcohol abuse including murders, drunk drivers causing road deaths, violence from drunks the list is endless

Drinking has a bigger affect on everyday lives and lives of others than smoking ever will

[britmaveric]

^smoking causes cancer for not just the person who smokes it, but for all the people around him sucking in that smoke filled air. Statistically smoking causes more death and medical costs. Anyways needless to say Thai Customs will hammer you for bringing in illegal smokes. You are taking a chance buying them in another country and then trying to bring them into thailand.