Bringing Wine To Thailand

[h90]

Bring as much as you can in your luggages as they won't find your bottles...

Until they x-ray your bags in the green channel that is, are you prepared to take the risk??

Remember if you get caught there could be a world of hurt for smuggling or they may like your face and let you go. Up2U.

Why would anyone x-ray bags in a green channel ? Surely no customs officer is expecting bottles of wine sown into the lining ?

Bags are frequently screened for contraband before they are even picked up by passengers, but that doesnt extend yet to wine !!

they are doing it sometimes, they checked my luggage and messed around with my dirty underwear...nothing found, no sorry

[SimonD]

Once, I was pulled-up after going through the green channel. Having been on a direct flight from London I hadn't had a cigarette for about 15 hours and I was gasping. As I hugged my GF in the 'meet & greet' area I said "Let's go outside, I need a cigarette."

Some eagle-eared official overheard this and I was compelled to go back into the green channel and my hand luggage was searched and I think they x-rayed my hold luggage. They found only the one carton of duty free ciggies and let me go. Just what I didn't need after a long haul!

I also know one guy who is regularly searched at customs (80% of the time in his words), both at Swampy and in the US, but that could be because his appearance is a bit...er...unorthodox.

Edited December 4, 2011 by SimonD

[Gippy]

I haven't flown into Swampy very often but have had my bags x-rayed twice. One time was a random stop the other they were checking every single bag, it took ages to get through the customs section. The officer was walking up the line saying they were looking for whiskey, one bottle only etc.

[lazygourmet]

You're entitled to import 1 litre of alcohol. That's it.

... or two bottles of wine.

[Crossy]

You're entitled to import 1 litre of alcohol. That's it.

... or two bottles of wine.

NO! The rules state 1 litre of alcohol, there is no mention of wine (unless something has changed vary recently).

Do you have an official link verifying this statement please.

[Old Croc]

The official limit is 1 litre.

Don't know about Thailand, but a lot of Customs Services worldwide have an unofficial tollerance limit of 2 x 750 litre bottles as it is sometimes difficult to get 1 litre bottles.

[rahi]

These restrictions are really shame due there ain't that much good wines at reasonable prices and availability.

[nocturn]

Nobody but nobody has ever experiened or seen this, but as a moderator states it everybody else must shut up or be deleted from membership ??.

Er, excuse me but where did a moderator make this statement? I'm posting my personal experiences here as a normal member and regular traveller.

must be nice to be able to switch hats at will

[PattayaParent]

You're entitled to import 1 litre of alcohol. That's it.

... or two bottles of wine.

Not true.

All the signs in the baggage hall warn that the allowance is 1 lite only, spirits OR wine.

[PattayaParent]

Ok guys you win.

On average 20% of people walking through the green channel are screened/x-rayed on a daily basis.

Nobody but nobody has ever experiened or seen this, but as a moderator states it everybody else must shut up or be deleted from membership ??

No problem-I'll shut up.

I've experienced it.

Every time I go through by myself I'm stopped but hardly ever when I'm with my family so 20% sounds right.

Also every time I've been though the airport I always see someone being stopped and having to put their bags through the x-ray machine.

Frequency might depend on volume of passengers arriving but with numbers down in the foreseeable future you're more likely to be stopped.

[sparebox2]

Do a wine run. BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK-SIN-BKK.

1 bottle each run.

Pile up your FF mileage at the same time.

[sparebox2]

These restrictions are really shame due there ain't that much good wines at reasonable prices and availability.

Exactly. You answer your own question.

[needforspeed]

Difficult to hang a percentage on the people been checked at the airport.

I traveled true Bangkok airports for over 260 times and only ones been checked.

While i have a colleague working with me he been checked the last 6 month each time he traveled true Bangkok airport.

So if you look at our records for the last 6 months 50% been checked .

Whatever the percentage may be, i would not take any risk and enjoy a nice beer.

[simon43]

... but that could be because his appearance is a bit...er...unorthodox

In what way? Dirty underpants on his head? Wearing a tutu? I'm intrigued to know, in case my normal appearance fits into a similar category

Simon

[craigt3365]

We travel through Swampy 2-3 times a year. Always with 3 suitcases each...and always with 3-4 bottles of wine or spirits. I've never been through without being xrayed. Never. But have never had a problem either...knock on wood!

Could be we have all the bags on one trolley. I'm guessing it raises eyebrows? Maybe if you come through with only a carryon you'd be OK????

[WinnieTheKhwai]

We travel through Swampy 2-3 times a year. Always with 3 suitcases each...and always with 3-4 bottles of wine or spirits. I've never been through without being xrayed. Never. But have never had a problem either...knock on wood!

Could be we have all the bags on one trolley. I'm guessing it raises eyebrows? Maybe if you come through with only a carryon you'd be OK????

They key-word here may be 'WE'. the limits of one liter alcohol is per person. So as soon as you're with someone then three regular wine or spirit bottles (700ml each) is already pretty much okay.

And I'm indeed never checked, but it does matter where current flights come from, and I usually only have a carry-on bag. (Stuffed full of all kinds of sh*t, but okay.)

[SimonD]

... but that could be because his appearance is a bit...er...unorthodox

In what way? Dirty underpants on his head? Wearing a tutu? I'm intrigued to know, in case my normal appearance fits into a similar category

Simon

Imagine a 6 foot 4 in. tall Father Christmas lookalike in a scruffy singlet and shorts, hair in pony-tail, loud voice and more bling and tattoos than you could shake a stick at and you're on the right track... He looks like a beach bum and still doesn't understand why he gets stopped so frequently.

Simon (different one)

[tombkk]

These restrictions are really shame due there ain't that much good wines at reasonable prices and availability.

The duties and taxes on wines are indeed in the region of 400%. This included import duty, excise tax, interior tax, tax for Ministry of Health, broadcasting tax, and VAT. (Did I forget one?)

Why do you think the taxes are so high? There may be a purpose... And that's why the restrictions on alcohol import by tourists make a lot of sense.

[tombkk]

Am sorry but theres not one other TV poster in existance that has had this experience-none.

I've had my bags X-rayed a couple of times.

So have I. In fact, it looks like they pick the next person for X-Ray when the previous person's bags are in or through the machine. Since the machine is slow, there are always several people who pass in the meantime without being X-Rayed.

For a long time (several months?), I have not gone through the Green Channel without seeing people's bags being X-Rayed. I fly in and out of the country twice a month on average.