Warning Suvarnabhumi Customs Crackdown On Cigarettes

[gosompoi]

You bring in more than you are allowed, you get caught, you pay the fine.....

Hardly "extortion".....

I declared them, passed through customs and the border entry without troubles. I got in my car and a customs officer assigned tobacco enforcement knocked on my window told me to return to customs.

[QED]

Why wold anyone bring cigarettes into Thailand?

They are so cheap to buy here

Poor planning on their part

but the large fine sucks

The guys I know who do it, do so because they cannot get their particular brand here.

I was surprised too - if it were me I would switch brands....

[Briggsy]

Previously many of those caught were caught by the Excise Dept after clearing customs usually in the arrivals area. They were processed at an office or police station outside the airport.

I think the OP is saying these fines are being issued by Customs at the airport.

[Wallaby]

Has anybody else noticed that anti-smokers tend to be rude, uncouth, intolerant prohibitionists? (And I make the difference between non-smokers and anti-smokers here - the majority of non-smokers don't believe all the propaganga pumped out, and adopt a rational live-and-let-live approach to life). I know that the type has always been with us, but the fact that some (several billion) people like smoking seems to have escaped them, and the subject of smoking really does bring them out of the woodwork. I can honestly say that I have never read such bigoted, intolerant rantings as those the anti-smokers deploy. Not on any other subject have I seen such ad hominem attacks and spiteful vitriol. And I get around a lot of blogs, forums and online newspapers.

Big Pharma has done its job well.

Get over it moe666 (666?). Some people enjoy tobacco, and it is not in your gift to impose your own particular brand of morality on them.

As long as the majority of smokers continually break the law (there are even tips on this thread on how to do it! It is called smuggling.) then I will remain an anti-smoker. It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant. This is not "your own brand of morality" This is the law. If criminal smokers do not like it - then leave.

Stop winging and burn your money in the privacy of your own home without trying to kill innocent people.

Smuggling? That's a good one. Luckily the powers that be don't think of it the same as you otherwise these 'smugglers' would all get life in prison.

So if smokers didn't 'smuggle' cigarettes into Thailand you would actually be pro smoking. Strange. If it is illegal to smoke in a bar etc then I'm sure the bar owner can quite easily ask the person to put the smoke out or leave. Perhaps your grudge should be with the owners and not the smokers.

There are a lot of things against the law in Thailand, how many of the laws do YOU break? I can't believe you could ever visit a place with so many criminals. Best you just lock yourself in your room for the duration of your boring life.

[abhaya]

Hi Endure, If you declare anything, it will be confiscated. Without an import license you cannot bring anything over the allowance. Have you ever been to Thailand??? 25 years :jap:

I don't know if you are right or wrong all I know is that I bring in wine all the time go through the red channel, show them a bottle of wine they scratch there heads and let me through with the other three bottles in my bag, and like I said worst case secnario is they keep the wine. BTW here is what the regulations say verbatim according to their website. Penalties for Failure to Declare

It will lead to a fine amounting to four times the value of undeclared items plus tax and duty, or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both. Such undeclared items are confiscated.

This has been my experience in Bangkok, possibly other ports of entries have more energetic officials.

[oggie911]

The plastic bag doesn't matter they tend to send passengers from Gulf flights to the xray. It is always advisable to check out the country you are travelling too for the first time. It would have saved your friend close to a thousand dollars if they had done a bit of reading. No sympathy for smokers though obnixious breed.

what smokers do is our buiness and none of yours,smart hole mind you own buiness we dont buy them for your plesure

[champken]

You bring in more than you are allowed, you get caught, you pay the fine.....

Hardly "extortion".....

Really ? I wonder how the customs officers arrived at the figure of 28,000 baht for an extra carton of fags.....the threat of being locked up and and other nasty consequences if the money was not paid ? ...That is indeed extortion in my book.

[rgs2001uk]

Has anybody else noticed that anti-smokers tend to be rude, uncouth, intolerant prohibitionists? (And I make the difference between non-smokers and anti-smokers here - the majority of non-smokers don't believe all the propaganga pumped out, and adopt a rational live-and-let-live approach to life). I know that the type has always been with us, but the fact that some (several billion) people like smoking seems to have escaped them, and the subject of smoking really does bring them out of the woodwork. I can honestly say that I have never read such bigoted, intolerant rantings as those the anti-smokers deploy. Not on any other subject have I seen such ad hominem attacks and spiteful vitriol. And I get around a lot of blogs, forums and online newspapers.

Big Pharma has done its job well.

Get over it moe666 (666?). Some people enjoy tobacco, and it is not in your gift to impose your own particular brand of morality on them.

As long as the majority of smokers continually break the law (there are even tips on this thread on how to do it! It is called smuggling.) then I will remain an anti-smoker. It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant. This is not "your own brand of morality" This is the law. If criminal smokers do not like it - then leave.

Stop winging and burn your money in the privacy of your own home without trying to kill innocent people.

"It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant"

Yet another ill informed poster.

" If criminal smokers do not like it - then leave."

Where do you suggest the Thai criminals as you call them go?

[UKJASE]

That fine is taking the p*ss!!

i wonder if they had refused the fine, or asked to face the judicial process, what would have happened to them??

surely they couldnt have been deported for 200 too many cigs??

i imagine the fine in court for that would have no more than 1,000B

i know someone who went to court for possesion of a small amount of ganja, and the fine was less than 1,000B

[Microwave]

"cigs are cheap in thailand anyway,so why would u bother bringing them in bulk."

Duty Free cigarettes often use tobacco from the USA (for USA brands) whereas the locally sold cigarettes of the same brands use all Thai tobacco or a mixture of Thai/USA grown tobacco. The "Made In USA" marking is appealing to many smokers because the quality of the tobacco is usually considered better than the Thai tobacco used in cigarettes sold in Thailand.

I'm not a smoker, but this is what I've been told by friends who do smoke.

[ukrules]

Duty Free cigarettes often use tobacco from the USA (for USA brands) whereas the locally sold cigarettes of the same brands use all Thai tobacco or a mixture of Thai/USA grown tobacco. The "Made In USA" marking is appealing to many smokers because the quality of the tobacco is usually considered better than the Thai tobacco used in cigarettes sold in Thailand.

The Marlboro that you buy in the local stores appear to be manufactured in the Philippines under license to Phillip Morris. I can't say I've ever inspected any of the duty free variants.

[keestha]

Read so many scary reports about this, I always buy a carton of cigarettes at the tax free, and before arrival throw away the half full or so packet of cigarettes in my pocket.

[theoldgit]

"It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant"

Yet another ill informed poster

Not an ill informed poster at all, it's certainly against the law to smoke in a bar or restaurant in Thailand, and in fact in many countries.

In Thailand a smoker who chooses to flout this law is liable for a fine of 2,000 Baht, with the establishment being liable for a fine of 20,000 Baht per smoker.

I'm sure countries around the globe have introduced these laws for a reason.

[rgs2001uk]

"It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant"

Yet another ill informed poster

Not an ill informed poster at all, it's certainly against the law to smoke in a bar or restaurant in Thailand, and in fact in many countries.

In Thailand a smoker who chooses to flout this law is liable for a fine of 2,000 Baht, with the establishment being liable for a fine of 20,000 Baht per smoker.

I'm sure countries around the globe have introduced these laws for a reason.

Yet another ill informed poster, but seeing as you are an "oldgit" I will cut you some slack.

If you both had added the rider, in a bar or restaurant that is air conditioned, I would agree.

I also believe if the bar or restaurant has one side open its not against the law.

No mention of the many open air bars or restaurant.

But dont let your ignorance get in the way of a good rant.

[theoldgit]

Not a rant at all, I couldn't care less what you do, but neither am I being petty.

[nisakiman]

I'm sure countries around the globe have introduced these laws for a reason.

They have indeed, that reason being that the pharmaceutical companies have invested millions funding the anti-smoking lobby groups with a view to getting bans enacted worldwide. The NRT and smoking cessation products market is potentially huge, and the more bans there are, the more money Big Pharma makes. It's nothing to do with health. That's why they are banning E-cigs too. No money in them for Big Pharma.

[transam]

This is excellant news for non-smokers.

This is not a crack-down, It is just following the letter of the law. The limit is 200 cigerettes duty free. Any more than that - pay the fine.

From these comments, it seems that some smokers try to smuggle in more than the duty free allowance. Tough. Go to jail for smuggling. A fine is not enough.

And as for the person that wrote " i have heard of many instances where Thai customs have used their authority to extort money out of incoming passengers that bring in excess tobacco". I am gob-smacked. How can it be extortion if you are over your limit?

What a complete green twonk you are .

[terryq]

"It is against the law in Thailand to smoke in a bar or a restaurant"

Yet another ill informed poster

Not an ill informed poster at all, it's certainly against the law to smoke in a bar or restaurant in Thailand, and in fact in many countries.

In Thailand a smoker who chooses to flout this law is liable for a fine of 2,000 Baht, with the establishment being liable for a fine of 20,000 Baht per smoker.

I'm sure countries around the globe have introduced these laws for a reason.

Yet another ill informed poster, but seeing as you are an "oldgit" I will cut you some slack.

If you both had added the rider, in a bar or restaurant that is air conditioned, I would agree.

I also believe if the bar or restaurant has one side open its not against the law.

No mention of the many open air bars or restaurant.

But dont let your ignorance get in the way of a good rant.

Might be wrong but I believe that from 2010 smoking in banned in all places selling alcohol as per Ministry of Health Notice (Volume 19) of 2010, of course this may have been superseded. Haven't personally seen any problems at open air bars, however, it is coming up to new year so there could be a demand for "donations"

Further info about where smoking is banned in Thailand at http://www.tobaccoco...ry/Thailand#sfo It doesn't seem like there's anywhere you can smoke if you complied fully with the list.

[champken]

This is excellant news for non-smokers.

This is not a crack-down, It is just following the letter of the law. The limit is 200 cigerettes duty free. Any more than that - pay the fine.

From these comments, it seems that some smokers try to smuggle in more than the duty free allowance. Tough. Go to jail for smuggling. A fine is not enough.

And as for the person that wrote " i have heard of many instances where Thai customs have used their authority to extort money out of incoming passengers that bring in excess tobacco". I am gob-smacked. How can it be extortion if you are over your limit?

What a complete green twonk you are .

Yes he is although i wouldn't have used the name "twonk"

How is it extortion? ...Under Thai law, the maximum amount you can be fined per extra sleeve of fags is approximately 4000 baht, so how to you think the customs officers managed to "persuade" the guilty party to pay a fine of 28,000 baht for his extra sleeve of fags? its called extortion !

[impulse]

They have indeed, that reason being that the pharmaceutical companies have invested millions funding the anti-smoking lobby groups with a view to getting bans enacted worldwide. The NRT and smoking cessation products market is potentially huge, and the more bans there are, the more money Big Pharma makes. It's nothing to do with health. That's why they are banning E-cigs too. No money in them for Big Pharma.

I'm a little skeptical since the money to be made in treating smoking related illnesses dwarfs the market for smoking cessation products. But I'm open to any information that may change my mind. Perhaps end-of-life treatment for healthy folks that just get old is a better market than treating smoking related diseases?

But I digress... Now the real reason for my post- Does the way you dress and behave make a difference in the way Thai customs officials treat you? I'm asking because I don't know.

I've only flown into Thailand a few times and never even been looked at. And I hate to be a bigot, but I've seen drunken folks stumbling off the international flights looking like they were dressed as hobo's for a costume party- and pretty impolite to boot. I suspect that would affect the amount of "consideration"- good or bad- a passenger may expect at immigration and customs.

I'm wondering if any long time Thai residents have noticed a difference they'd care to comment on?

Edited December 14, 2011 by impulse

[madjbs]

Under Thai law, the maximum amount you can be fined per extra sleeve of fags is approximately 4000 baht,

Link please.

Edited December 14, 2011 by madjbs

[sbk]

moving to Suva forum

[JimsKnight]

in Vietnam the premium smoke is Vinataba @USD0.73 per pack and I useta carry in 2-3 cartons in the checked luggage every trip to either to the UK or to Thailand...gotta be careful these days and watch yerself coming off of a flight from the Gulf area where the smokes are cheap at the duty free...the customs somchais have got your number...

Somchai aint daft, the biggest mistake most people make is rocking up with their Dubai duty free bag in plain sight.

Much better to put whatever you have in your hand luggage and discard the Dubai duty free bag, these duty free bags are like a magnet to Somchai and his mates.

The other thing is breaking up the cigs from the cartons and stashing them all over the bag. Small amounts here and there etc.

Fine and the confiscation is strange, used to be one or the other...

[nisakiman]

They have indeed, that reason being that the pharmaceutical companies have invested millions funding the anti-smoking lobby groups with a view to getting bans enacted worldwide. The NRT and smoking cessation products market is potentially huge, and the more bans there are, the more money Big Pharma makes. It's nothing to do with health. That's why they are banning E-cigs too. No money in them for Big Pharma.

I'm a little skeptical since the money to be made in treating smoking related illnesses dwarfs the market for smoking cessation products. But I'm open to any information that may change my mind. Perhaps end-of-life treatment for healthy folks that just get old is a better market than treating smoking related diseases?

"In 1991, the US government approved the sale of nicotine patches on prescription and it was in that year that the Johnson foundation began funding anti-smoking projects. Since then it has given $450 million to anti-smoking projects including $84 million to the Centre for Tobacco-Free Kids, $10 million towards a campaign to raise the price of cigarettes and $99 million to the Smokeless States initiative. "

From here:

http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2010/10/anti-smoking-movement.html

And that's just the USA.

Read the whole article. It's an eye-opener.

[smokie36]

They're not out today....full your suitcases!

[avalokita]

How about mini cigarillos? Are they considered cigarettes or are the rules possibly even more strict for them?

[bubba]

Better to declare. I bring a few bottles of wine since it is so expensive here along with the reciept from where I buy them, worst case scenario is they tax you 100% on the value, which is still a lot cheaper than buying them in Thailand. Since they can't fine or extort you as you are being all legal like, they wave me through as it is too much paperwork for them to do. Also the guys who inspect the bags through the "nothing to declare" channel are different than the real customs guys/gals in white uniforms in the "something to declare".

You cant just declare a few bottles of wine, to import alcohol you need a special import license.

Exactly. Last year I had two bottles of wine given to me in Hong Kong for a Christmas present as I was being sent off to the airport. I thought all I would need to do on arrival was to declare the extra bottle and pay a duty. So I went through the red channel and declared them. The Customs officer told me that I needed a licence to bring in more than one bottle, so I would have to leave one bottle. After saying sorry, explaining politely that they were given to me as presents as Xmas presents as I left from Hong Kong and I really thought I could just declare the extra bottle and pay the tax, he smiled and said "ok this time, but remember, it's only one bottle and don't do it again". Very reasonable I thought, and that's the last time I attempted to bring in more than one bottle.

[Shurup]

Exactly. Last year I had two bottles of wine given to me in Hong Kong for a Christmas present as I was being sent off to the airport. I thought all I would need to do on arrival was to declare the extra bottle and pay a duty. So I went through the red channel and declared them. The Customs officer told me that I needed a licence to bring in more than one bottle, so I would have to leave one bottle. After saying sorry, explaining politely that they were given to me as presents as Xmas presents as I left from Hong Kong and I really thought I could just declare the extra bottle and pay the tax, he smiled and said "ok this time, but remember, it's only one bottle and don't do it again". Very reasonable I thought, and that's the last time I attempted to bring in more than one bottle.

Don't they go by the volume? Bottles come in all shapes and sizes, from under 0.3L to over 2 L

[camtractom]

when you buy a carton of smokes in Aus, they usually come as 10 packets of 25, thus giving you 250 fags in the carton. How do you think you would fare with this. Just curious.

This is excellant news for non-smokers.

This is not a crack-down, It is just following the letter of the law. The limit is 200 cigerettes duty free. Any more than that - pay the fine.

From these comments, it seems that some smokers try to smuggle in more than the duty free allowance. Tough. Go to jail for smuggling. A fine is not enough.

And as for the person that wrote " i have heard of many instances where Thai customs have used their authority to extort money out of incoming passengers that bring in excess tobacco". I am gob-smacked. How can it be extortion if you are over your limit?

[Jerry555]

Last week on a visatrip to Cambodia (Haat Lek) no problem bringing in 4 cartons of cigs and 2 bottles of whisky .

Officials told me 4 cartons for a farang and 2 for a Thai .

Few months before on another checkpoint i was only allowed to bring in 1 carton and 1 bottle .

Amazing Thailand .