Taking Medication Purchased In Thailand Through Us Airport Customs

[Capealava]

I am returning to USA after 6 months here and I am thinking of taking a 90 day supply of heart medication- Approx. 400 pills through airport US customs Los Angeles. Anyone have any experience doing this?? The medication is so cheap here.

[Jingthing]

Yes, many times.

Under law you MUST report the value of the purchase on your customs form (but that does not mean you must itemize the purchase). I think you only need to itemize purchases if your imports go over a large dollar amount (personal use imports).

In other words if you spent 500 dollars on meds and 100 dollars on t-shirts, you are bringing in 600 dollars and must state that.

If you are NOT a US resident and will be consuming the meds during your visit, you do not report the value. In that case, you only report items you will be leaving in the US.

Technically, the meds must be accompanied by a prescription with your name on it. If not, and the officers examine your meds, they have the right to confiscate them. Whether they actually will do that, I cannot say, never happened to me.

Some meds are not allowed for import into the US. You are probably OK with the heart meds.

The biggest risk to you legally is NOT reporting the value of the purchase on your customs form.

As you can tell, there is some amount of risk you will encounter a problem if you don't have prescriptions for the meds.

Good luck.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[noahvail]

Having just returned from a trip to the US, I can say that it behooves you to mark "yes" on the card where it asks if you are carrying any drugs. Show that to the customs officer and explain they're just your prescription meds. Best to have a letter from your doctor on his/her letterhead listing the meds you're on, and life is easier if you have a pharmacy sticker instead of the little ziploc baggies that meds often come in. I entered the US through Chicago, declared the meds, and they wanted to see the bottles/boxes and dr's letter. No problems. On the way back to Thailand, I declared them again, explained they were my scripts - and when they saw the bottles written in Thai they just laughed and waved me on. Easy as pie if you do a little legwork before hand. I got some very good advice from the people on these forums.

[Jingthing]

Having just returned from a trip to the US, I can say that it behooves you to mark "yes" on the card where it asks if you are carrying any drugs

Is this a new item on the form? About drugs? Maybe you mean controlled substances, meds are not controlled substances. I doubt this is true. Lets see an image of that form. There is an item about FOODS. Last entry last year.

[Groongthep]

Having just returned from a trip to the US, I can say that it behooves you to mark "yes" on the card where it asks if you are carrying any drugs

Is this a new item on the form? About drugs? Maybe you mean controlled substances, meds are not controlled substances. I doubt this is true. Lets see an image of that form. There is an item about FOODS. Last entry last year.

You're right JT. Unless I missed it, there was no box on the US Customs form asking if I was carrying any drugs when I returned to the US 2 weeks ago. Of course, I only filled out the form for US citizens. The non-resident form may be different.

[Alwaysright]

Having just returned from a trip to the US, I can say that it behooves you to mark "yes" on the card where it asks if you are carrying any drugs

Is this a new item on the form? About drugs? Maybe you mean controlled substances, meds are not controlled substances. I doubt this is true. Lets see an image of that form. There is an item about FOODS. Last entry last year.

You're right JT. Unless I missed it, there was no box on the US Customs form asking if I was carrying any drugs when I returned to the US 2 weeks ago. Of course, I only filled out the form for US citizens. The non-resident form may be different.

Perscription required.

[Jingthing]

You're right JT. Unless I missed it, there was no box on the US Customs form asking if I was carrying any drugs when I returned to the US 2 weeks ago. Of course, I only filled out the form for US citizens. The non-resident form may be different.

If you are US citizen and also a non-resident, you fill out the same form ... My last trip I indicated I was non-resident and for the first time I did NOT declare the value of the meds I was taking for personal consumption. As a non-resident US citizen, the requirement is to declare the value of anything you plan to LEAVE in the US. I didn't think my waste products containing used meds qualified as leaving in the US.

Perscription required.

Technically true. But here lies the rub.

Say you have a US scrip for one med branded one way.

In Thailand, you buy a supply of a similar med (same chemical) but branded another way, OVER THE COUNTER, no scrip.

Whether customs would see that as having a scrip or not, I would think they would not, but on the other hand I don't think they are especially enthusiastic about depriving citizens of important medications. I just haven't been searched often enough to know what really happens if you are.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Jingthing

[Thanyaburi Mac]

You're right JT. Unless I missed it, there was no box on the US Customs form asking if I was carrying any drugs when I returned to the US 2 weeks ago. Of course, I only filled out the form for US citizens. The non-resident form may be different.

If you are US citizen and also a non-resident, you fill out the same form ... My last trip I indicated I was non-resident and for the first time I did NOT declare the value of the meds I was taking for personal consumption. As a non-resident US citizen, the requirement is to declare the value of anything you plan to LEAVE in the US. I didn't think my waste products containing used meds qualified as leaving in the US.

Perscription required.

Technically true. But here lies the rub.

Say you have a US scrip for one med branded one way.

In Thailand, you buy a supply of a similar med (same chemical) but branded another way, OVER THE COUNTER, no scrip.

Whether customs would see that as having a scrip or not, I would think they would not, but on the other hand I don't think they are especially enthusiastic about depriving citizens of important medications. I just haven't been searched often enough to know what really happens if you are.

I came through via Seattle a couple weeks ago, hadn't declared any meds on the Customs form, declared about $300 in general "gifts" and as a "non-resident." The walk-around guy just marked off my form and told me to head to the exit when my bags popped out of the chute.

BTW, no prescriptions included since the drugs were all OTC.

BTW II, no check-off box on the Customs form for "drugs" that I could find:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation...ration_form.xml

Back to Bangers 19 August.

Mac