Increased Vigilance By Customs At Suvarnabhumi?

[BusyBee123]

'Please be aware that, to avoid un-necessary delays for passengers, the Thai Customs Bureau does not check all passengers through the Green Channel but makes random checks in accordance with international Customs standards'

[infernalman7]

Well, at least they are not as bad as the Australian and the New Zealand customs. I am actually quite happy at how they do things. It's still their responsibility to "protect the borders" after all.

And sometimes they just sorta have to make it stricter depends on the instructions by their boss. Ahem, who's pretty much broke right now (the Thai Govt). Any more tax would do right?

[hippyted]

we will all have to remember, about our limits with duty free,, have any of you wonderfull people, tried having your little luxuries sent over by post???

i was wondering if this may be a better gamble ???

[gpdjohn]

Flew back into Soyouwannaboomboom from Amerika on Tuesday night and exited through the "nothing to declare" lanes. Customs was xraying bags but selective on who they were doing.

A woman was stopped in front of me and told to put her bags on the machine, the customs officer then just waved me through.

Hit and miss I'd say.

( I wasn't carrying anything that would get me into trouble )

[Smithson]

I am planning to return with second hand power tools. My visa is a non imm O and I have a work permit.

Does anyone know the rules on this? I thought personal possessions were duty free?

[syd barrett]

I am planning to return with second hand power tools. My visa is a non imm O and I have a work permit.

Does anyone know the rules on this? I thought personal possessions were duty free?

Don't worry about it. The customs just 'might' be interested in someone bringing a load of brand new and boxed tools/electronic stuff but there is no need to worry about some second hand unboxed and used stuff.

[LuckyLew]

Just declare 'em. ( or don't carry them ) It is in the rule book.

OK, and if we declare a a couple of extra bottles of wine, (1) do we get to keep them, and (2) if so, how much is it going to cost us?

I do not understand why people would need to exceed the legal limits

on bringing ciggy's and booze into LOS, prices for these items are

so cheap here already ... why bother?

Duty free carton costs 500 THB

10 packs at 7 -11 costs 750 THB

Why bother going over limit to save 250?

[needforspeed]

I've flown into Suvarnabhumi at least three times per month for the last 12 and last week was the first time I had to run anything through the scanner.....also the first time I had gone over on my wine supply....good thing no one was actually watching the screen.

Typical Thailand, all bagage true the scanner but no one watching the screen,

[londonthai]

lucku you (we).

the screen might be watched remotely by the supervisor as well as the software might stop the machine and rise an allarm if drugs, guns, radioactive are detected.

as I believe it's the software, which brings attention of the screening person by highlighting problematic items in different colours

[neverdie]

New Zealand must be one of the most anal ones about all this. I have a friend in Bangkok who took a business trip to Auckland and found out the hard way. He frequently tossed an apple into his computer case when he went off to work here in BKK for a quick snack in case he worked through lunch or something. Unfortunately for him, he forgot that he still had one in his case when he flew down to Auckland. NZ Customs found it, he told them that he was really sorry and had simply forgotten about it, but NZ Customs still found it necessary to punish him with a NZ$150 fine for a single undeclared appl. Absolutely silly.

You are right, it is Absolutely silly, your friend should of emptied his bag and checked it thoroughly before travelling, I would imagine there would of been times whilst he was in Thailand that the bag was left unattended and anything could of been in there.

People think customs is a joke, but its there for a reason, simple. This especially applies to countries like NZ & Aussie where the powers to be are trying to stop the spread of disease and things like that. Your friends careless actions could have had dire results on the NZ's apple industry if it had somehow introduced something new to the environment.

$150 is cheap, people like this should be dealt with firmly & of course in this day and age the old, "I forgot" excuse is utter <deleted>.

[needforspeed]

Arrived yesterday nothing was checked than, back to normal

[londonthai]

was screened at random (only the hand luggage) and told to proceed in the red corridor, as I had some cheap stuff for sale. The other 2 bags were opened and briefly counted, tax exactly 2000baht and now I can sell my stuff legally to the market stall traiders and smaller shops. The last time I was screened with an exactly the same stuff nothing was said, so looks like depends on the officer what is and what is not taxable.

[otisred]

Hello from Italy,

I need some info from people who knows Bkk airport better,

I will be in THAI, next month and would like to carry a netbook for my personal use and a second laptop (3 years old pc) for a young Thai boy of a family I knew last october.

In this case; ''Personal belonging in reasonable amount for owner’s use'',

is applicable or not?

What you suggest me? Green or Red corridor?.

Thanks for your help,

Giovanni

P.S. no other duty, cigarette or wine etc.

[londonthai]

take both as hand luggage and in bangkok put one of them to your hold luggage

[popshirt]

take both as hand luggage and in bangkok put one of them to your hold luggage

good advice, and if questioned say "old one for beach"

[wobblyjohn]

I am planning to return with second hand power tools. My visa is a non imm O and I have a work permit.

Does anyone know the rules on this? I thought personal possessions were duty free?

I brought in a brand new Bosch multi-tool 2 weeks ago and managed to get through the green channel

I was going to give them the excuse it was a present for my brother in-law,

after being quoted 12,000 baht at Home Pro I decided to get it in England for 60 quid and run the risk

[spidermike007]

What alot of farengs do not seem to understand, is that customs officers make a fortune at the airport. I was told that a medium level customs officer typically

pays about 4,000,000 baht (yes, about $135.000US!) to purchase a senior level position in the customs department. So, can you begin to imagine how much

money there is to be made, if a Thai family is going to invest that kind of money? I would estimate that less than 1% of Thai customs officers, and police officers

are NOT corrupt, and do not accept graft, and bribes. I would also estimate that less than 1% of all taxes collected by these Mafia men are paid to the state. So,

bear that in mind the next time to try to bring valuables into this country.