Bringing Food To Thailand - Is It Legal ?

[ukrules]

I'm flying into Bangkok in about a month and I'd like to know about any regulations regarding bringing food into Thailand.

I'm talking about food for my own personal consumption, nothing commercial and it isn't for resale. For example I want to bring some microwavable 'pouches' of soup and a couple of other things including meat products which are handy to have around the apartment in case I need to eat in a hurry without having time to order and wait for delivery from the restaurants.

If it's not legal then does anyone know what the penalties are ? For example I heard you can get hit with some large fines for taking food into Australia, and they take it off you too.

[Jingthing]

Meat products? Do you mean SPAM? Anyway, I have never heard of anyone getting into any trouble for bringing in food for personal use so I wouldn't worry. There is a limit on how much booze you can bring in though.

[ukrules]

Meat products? Do you mean SPAM? Anyway, I have never heard of anyone getting into any trouble for bringing in food for personal use so I wouldn't worry. There is a limit on how much booze you can bring in though.

There's a company in the UK called 'Look What We Found' which makes these kind of foods, they're pretty good quality, the tomato soup with cheese is real good. They do meatballs, stews, etc. You don't need to refrigerate them and they last for months, microwave in three minutes - great if you're in a hurry and urgently need a meal. You can get microwave pasta too so the whole thing takes about 5 minutes from cupboard to plate !

http://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=34

[Naam]

Bringing Food To Thailand - Is It Legal ?

it is NOT legal but basically customs care a sh...

[darhut]

A bit like taking sand to the beach.

Sorry couldn't resist, never heard of restrictions, only tobacco, liquor etc as mentioned.

If you take food to Australia just declare it. Most processed foods are fine. No fresh fruit, veg, meats etc. My Mrs always brings certain foods into Oz without a problem.

[noise]

Except for maybe brands, you can find all of that stuff in the markets here. Just yesterday I was looking at different dehydrated pasta with sauces, macaroni and cheese, soups, tuna mix packaged with crackers, TV dinners.

[lazygourmet]

I came back last week with a suitcase (20kg) containing only food: mainly cheeses, cold cuts, smoked fish and chocolates.

This time, at the custom before the exit, they just passed it through the Xray without open it.

Last year, they opened the bag and had laugh asking me if I don't like Thai food...

Apparently, you will encounter no problem as soon everything is in vacuum and well sealed.

[ukrules]

Thanks for the replies, I'll be bringing plenty of food with me.

[bonobo]

My experiences echo lazygourmet's.  I bring back 210 pounds on each trip, and the bulk of that is food. I have had my bags x-rayed, and I had one bag searched when they thought I had three bottles of booze in it (only one, but I did have olive oil which might have caused the search.)  Even in the search, where I had lots of food, nothing was done.  They waved me through when they saw I had only one bottle of wine.

[bkkjames]

I came back last week with a suitcase (20kg) containing only food: mainly cheeses, cold cuts, smoked fish and chocolates.

This time, at the custom before the exit, they just passed it through the Xray without open it.

Last year, they opened the bag and had laugh asking me if I don't like Thai food...

Apparently, you will encounter no problem as soon everything is in vacuum and well sealed.

LG, if you have too much of the afforementioned and are worried that it will spoil before you have a choice to consume, please PM to help you with your problem

[lazygourmet]

I came back last week with a suitcase (20kg) containing only food: mainly cheeses, cold cuts, smoked fish and chocolates.

This time, at the custom before the exit, they just passed it through the Xray without open it.

Last year, they opened the bag and had laugh asking me if I don't like Thai food...

Apparently, you will encounter no problem as soon everything is in vacuum and well sealed.

LG, if you have too much of the afforementioned and are worried that it will spoil before you have a choice to consume, please PM to help you with your problem

If you organize -quickly- another TV piss up, I might be able to bring some of these...

Otherwise, everything will be gone fast as we are suddenly having a lot of unexpected visiting friends!

[Jingthing]

I know that some restauranteurs here bring in key ingredients in their suitcases.

[PoorSucker]

No problems.

I have friends bringing me Scandinavian food all the time.

Especially things you can't get here like lingonberries, real mustard, pickled herring and salty licorice.

[JusMe]

Mmmmmm. licorice allsorts. Jujubes. Twizzlers (both Cherry & Strawberry)

Packed in vacuum sealed bags as my hoard for the months here before I go back for another vacation.

Even my jars of Polski Ogorki made it through safely.

[Patsycat]

My experiences echo lazygourmet's.  I bring back 210 pounds on each trip, and the bulk of that is food. I have had my bags x-rayed, and I had one bag searched when they thought I had three bottles of booze in it (only one, but I did have olive oil which might have caused the search.)  Even in the search, where I had lots of food, nothing was done.  They waved me through when they saw I had only one bottle of wine.

210 pounds?!! That's 100 kilos!!

[syd barrett]

Fresh meat and dairy products are not supposed to be brought into Thailand. There is an announcement on some flights stating a 20,000 baht fine if caught.

Tea bags, tinned food and all other foodstuffs are O.K. though.

I very rarely even have my bag scanned so the chances of being caught with bacon and sausages and black puddings is still very small.

I can't recall reading on this forum of anyone fined for meat & dairy....yet?

[bonobo]

My experiences echo lazygourmet's.  I bring back 210 pounds on each trip, and the bulk of that is food. I have had my bags x-rayed, and I had one bag searched when they thought I had three bottles of booze in it (only one, but I did have olive oil which might have caused the search.)  Even in the search, where I had lots of food, nothing was done.  They waved me through when they saw I had only one bottle of wine.

210 pounds?!!  That's 100 kilos!!

WHen I go to the US, I put one suitcase inside another and carry a woven propylene bag, so I only check in one bag.  On my way back I get 3 suitcases of 70 lbs each.  The night before I am on and off the scale weighing them, and I always have to leave something behind, even stuffing some of that excess in my carry-on.  . 

[ukrules]

WHen I go to the US, I put one suitcase inside another and carry a woven propylene bag, so I only check in one bag.  On my way back I get 3 suitcases of 70 lbs each.  The night before I am on and off the scale weighing them, and I always have to leave something behind, even stuffing some of that excess in my carry-on.  . 

That's a lot of luggage to haul around !

[sbk]

How do you get that bonobo? Business class? I only get two bags 50 pounds each bag. And yes, I have my limit and yes there is some food in there too.

[bonobo]

How do you get that bonobo? Business class? I only get two bags 50 pounds each bag. And yes, I have my limit and yes there is some food in there too.

I am a United 1K, so I get the extra weight.  

On my next trip, though, I have a Lufthansa to Germany, then a United to Chicago and Hawaii and back to Germany.  THen back to BKK on Lufthansa. .  This is on two different tickets.  So I don't know if my 3 bags on United will transfer to Lufthansa. and I am getting low on supplies!

[PoorSucker]

Oh I get it Bonobono.

Check in with Metric system on a US flight?

I am a United 1K, so I get the extra weight.

We know that from your avatar....

[cardholder]

My case is packed ready for my return in 2 weeks time. 24 kg.

3kg of clothes, the rest comprises 6 packs of blue cheese, 500 tea bags, Colmans mustard, Branston pickle, TESCO Yorkshire Pudding mix (20 packets), 6 large plastic bottles of HP sauce, 4 mint sauce and malt vinegar.

Oh, and a (well protected) bottle of Bushmills wrapped in Christmas paper that I will claim is a present for Papa if stopped.

[jazzbo]

I bring back 210 pounds on each trip, and the bulk of that is food. Yes ... and for how long has this condition persisted?

We now have an eating-disorder orthorexia nervosa (non-DSM-5) which is an unhealthy obssession with healthy food; maybe there will be a condition for persons living in a foreign culture who have an unhealthy obssesion to eat food from their native country.