Airport Duty Free Sales

[Gonsalviz]

When I left Thailand in April, I was informed that no liquids are allowed under any circumstances on any flight to the USA.

Now maybe I am paranoid about my own country but it has to be that this was pushed by DUTY FREE merchants in the USA.

This has to be the largest scam ever perpetrated on the earth and somehow no one has fought this.

Can anyone explain this to me? Maybe I am just a simple f&&k but how can this not increase sales in the USA on booze and perfumes? Only the two largest sellers in the duty free market.

[whybother]

There are similar rules when flying to Australia, but it depends on which airport you are flying from.

They don't allow duty free liquids if flying out of (or through) Bangkok. If flying from Singapore, I believe you can purchase in Singapore, but can not carry it if you are transiting through Singapore.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This whole liquids business is getting a bit ludicrous right now in the way it's enforced. I stopped some time ago to put everything in clear plastic bags. I do mostly stay under 100ml but not everything (some toothpaste etc thats over), but it's all over my bag. Almost never do I get questioned about it anymore, ESPECIALLY not in the USA which you'd think would be the most strict. If I do get asked about it it's in places like Bangkok or Hong Kong. Last time I had a bottle of over-the-counter flying-rabbit brand stomach medicine which was much larger than 100ml, but when they saw the bottle in Bangkok they said it was okay; anything could have been in it, it's a thick milky liquid.

And then on flights to the US there are additional checks at the gate that are actually more strict than anything you see inside the USA. They tend to take water bottles off people, so last flight to the US when I grabbed some water bottles from the lounge for the flight I made sure I hid them under clothes and so on in my carry-on; they never found them even though I did get the check and was asked to open my bag: two mid sized water bottles.

And I sometimes bring weird stuff; weird in the sense that not many people would be travelling with a heavy steel coffee grinder in their carry on luggage, or several cans of corned beef. The meat tins got a proper inspection ONCE at some regional airport in the US where they did a chemical test on the exterior, but anywhere else I was either not questioned at all, or only a brief visual inspection.

While we're on the topic of beating the system, I also learned a super easy way to leave Thailand without passing through immigration. It's so easy it's unbelievable; anyone who would want to slip out undetected can very easily do so. (Not that this would be of benefit to me of course; it would only be of benefit to criminals and severe overstayers.)

Edited May 7, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[PattayaParent]

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

[zzaa09]

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

The whole scheme is rather paradoxical.

[Gonsalviz]

I

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

The whole scheme is rather paradoxical.

It's not offered on the flight and you can bet I will never buy from a US duty free shop.

Besides all that mixing liquid to make an explosive was discounted as a hoax anyhow.

[Gonsalviz]

Just don't buy any DF on arrival in USA and they won't benefit.

Can't you even buy on the airline though while in flight?

The whole scheme is rather paradoxical.

Only if you don't want to buy duty free booze or perfume.

[sirineou]

Now maybe I am paranoid about my own country but it has to be that this was pushed by DUTY FREE merchants in the USA.

This has to be the largest scam ever perpetrated on the earth and somehow no one has fought this.

I think the whole war on terrorism was devised for that purpose