Duty Free Allowances Have Changed,.

[scorpio]

How many cigs can i take out of l.o.s. Also if i buy in dubai on the way in say 50 cartons and if thai police seize them how much of a fine do i pay. While im on the subject, anyone know where i can buy cheap cigs in bkk or pattaya, cheers

[Bangkokhatter]

They will probably let you buy as many as you like at the airport duty free, but good luck where ever your going to. You can only bring in 200 cigarettes into Thailand.

2 years ago my friend ( non-smoker ) bought 3000 on offer at Dubai on his way here. Got caught at customs, they shipped him off to some place, about 6 hours later he had to pay a fine of around £600 and the fags were confiscated. So his idea to make some money selling them on ended up costing him a fair bit.

Fags are cheap enough here, no reason to try and smuggle a few extra in.

[scorpio]

Ok advice taken, maybe better i cross into loas or cambo and post them to uk from there. Im a very heavy smoker btw :-)

[Spoonman]

Ok advice taken, maybe better i cross into loas or cambo and post them to uk from there. Im a very heavy smoker btw :-)

You can take as many as you like out of Thailand, customs here wont give a rats ass. bringing them in though, that will have your ass raped without lube so just post the ciggies from here.

I though you UK guys could take as many as appeared reasonable for persoannal consumption (10,000 ciggies would not be considered reasonable), Ive been over there a few time for work trips and all times I took atleast 5 sleeves with me and had no issues with the UK customs.

[dean999]

Ok advice taken, maybe better i cross into loas or cambo and post them to uk from there. Im a very heavy smoker btw :-)

You can take as many as you like out of Thailand, customs here wont give a rats ass. bringing them in though, that will have your ass raped without lube so just post the ciggies from here.

I though you UK guys could take as many as appeared reasonable for persoannal consumption (10,000 ciggies would not be considered reasonable), Ive been over there a few time for work trips and all times I took atleast 5 sleeves with me and had no issues with the UK customs.

Coming from an EU country to the UK, you can bring as many as you want within reason for personnel use. Price is almost the same now so no point.

Coming from outside the EU you would probably get away with 600.

I posted cigs from Bahrain to the UK and they got taken by customs. They were good enough to send a letter saying, i could have them if i just poped down to there office and pay the tax.

[dean999]

Tobacco allowances

You can bring in one from the following list:

• 200 cigarettes
  
• 100 cigarillos
  
• 50 cigars
  
• 250g of tobacco
  

Or you can combine these allowances. For example, if you bring in 100 cigarettes (half your full allowance) you can also bring in 25 cigars (half your full allowance). This would make up your full tobacco allowance. You can't go over your total tobacco allowance.

You cannot combine alcohol and tobacco allowances.

Alcohol allowances

You can bring in either, but not both, of the following:

• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume
  
• 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or any other alcoholic drink that's less than 22 per cent volume
  

Or you can combine these allowances. For example, if you bring in one litre of fortified wine (half your full allowance) you can also bring in half a litre of spirits (half your full allowance). This would make up your full allowance. You can't go over your total alcohol allowance.

In addition you may also bring back both of the following:

• 16 litres of beer
  
• 4 litres of still wine
  

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm

[Bangkokhatter]

When I used to come here on holiday I would only bring 200 in, but flying back to the UK I would pack maybe 200 LM in my suitcase and then buy another 600 at duty free at swampy , luckily never got stopped, but have been told if you get stopped for a first offence , it's a warning, but the fags are still taken.

Posting is a total lottery, good luck with that, am a heavy smoker too so I feel your pain !

[sezze]

I bring in EU ( Amsterdam ) every time 4 box , or 800 sigs . I got stopped about 4 times now , and i have to pay roughly the same amount as the sigs would cost me in EU . Last time i was stopped a man next to me was unloading a huuuuge amount ( i counted at least 18 boxes ) and some fake watches etc . On multiple occasions i asked the officer how much before real trouble starts ... last time it went up to about 10 boxes . Then your fine will be BIG , and you will face a judge .

You are allowed to have 1 box , or 200 sigs a person . 1 box extra , in general ( meaning nothing else etc ) they will not hassle you . After that they start counting , and fines increase .

You can try sending them by mail ... but i think you will be caught soon as these packages will be intercepted and you will have to pay the tax + extras ..

[pattayadingo]

As I have said in another topic in Pattaya forum, you can get away with more than 200 cigs going into the UK from outside the EU. A lot depends on your attitude when stopped.

I have and often do go back with 200 - 400 cigs and 10 packs of tobacco. When searched I simply tell them I smoke and they are for personal use. Do NOT forget to smile and be polite.

**Note

A great many people going into the UK from Thailand will be searched. They are looking for drugs mainly and weapons also. So expect to be stopped. And if you have that many cigs that you mention, they will be taken.

There is often some leeway but your amount would be taking the piss as far as they are concerned and you could be in more of the brown stuff.

**Note 2

IF you post them, do NOT send them in their cartons!! Break open the cartons and pack them into a different size and shape so they do not look like cartons of cigs

[drum]

As I have said in another topic in Pattaya forum, you can get away with more than 200 cigs going into the UK from outside the EU. A lot depends on your attitude when stopped.

I have and often do go back with 200 - 400 cigs and 10 packs of tobacco. When searched I simply tell them I smoke and they are for personal use. Do NOT forget to smile and be polite.

**Note

A great many people going into the UK from Thailand will be searched. They are looking for drugs mainly and weapons also. So expect to be stopped. And if you have that many cigs that you mention, they will be taken.

There is often some leeway but your amount would be taking the piss as far as they are concerned and you could be in more of the brown stuff.

**Note 2

IF you post them, do NOT send them in their cartons!! Break open the cartons and pack them into a different size and shape so they do not look like cartons of cigs

surely a waste of time every package gose thru x ray,

[pattayadingo]

As I have said in another topic in Pattaya forum, you can get away with more than 200 cigs going into the UK from outside the EU. A lot depends on your attitude when stopped.

I have and often do go back with 200 - 400 cigs and 10 packs of tobacco. When searched I simply tell them I smoke and they are for personal use. Do NOT forget to smile and be polite.

**Note

A great many people going into the UK from Thailand will be searched. They are looking for drugs mainly and weapons also. So expect to be stopped. And if you have that many cigs that you mention, they will be taken.

There is often some leeway but your amount would be taking the piss as far as they are concerned and you could be in more of the brown stuff.

**Note 2

IF you post them, do NOT send them in their cartons!! Break open the cartons and pack them into a different size and shape so they do not look like cartons of cigs

surely a waste of time every package gose thru x ray,

Then why do so many get through (the post) this way if it is a waste of time.

[theoldgit]

I bring in EU ( Amsterdam ) every time 4 box , or 800 sigs .

One thing worth remembering is that the "unlimited" allowance for personal allowance from an EU country has to be tax paid and not purchased in a Duty Free Shop.

I put the word unlimited in quotes because HMRC do set an arbitrary limit as to what they consider reasonable for personal use, not sure what it is though.

[Soutpeel]

Given up on the laundry business idea in Pattaya Scorpio....getting into tobacco smuggling now...??

To answer part of the question...you can take as many cigarettes as you want out of Thailand...duty has been paid in Thailand....its getting them in the other end thats the problem

[Soutpeel]

I bring in EU ( Amsterdam ) every time 4 box , or 800 sigs .

One thing worth remembering is that the "unlimited" allowance for personal allowance from an EU country has to be tax paid and not purchased in a Duty Free Shop.

I put the word unlimited in quotes because HMRC do set an arbitrary limit as to what they consider reasonable for personal use, not sure what it is though.

Pretty sure if you tried to walk in with 50 cartons as the OP wants to do, HMRC will have something to say about it...

[pattayadingo]

I bring in EU ( Amsterdam ) every time 4 box , or 800 sigs .

One thing worth remembering is that the "unlimited" allowance for personal allowance from an EU country has to be tax paid and not purchased in a Duty Free Shop.

I put the word unlimited in quotes because HMRC do set an arbitrary limit as to what they consider reasonable for personal use, not sure what it is though.

30 cartons of cigs from EU country for personal use. But you are limited to doing this twice a year (if caught). More than that and you are classed as smuggling. I used to do it a lot from Belgium / Spain / Portugal.

[theoldgit]

As a matter of interest how much do cigarettes cost in The UK these days?

[Soutpeel]

As a matter of interest how much do cigarettes cost in The UK these days?

About the same price as a small family car...

[SimonD]

As a matter of interest how much do cigarettes cost in The UK these days?

£6+/20 for the cheaper brands, £7+ for most others if shop bought. Big market for 'grey' tobacco though...

[scorpio]

Yes southpeel, hands in all pies now, i dont give a rats ass about bringing cigs into uk, the more the merrier. think i,ll look into sending large amounts from laos, cambo etc. As i say im a very heavy smoker :-)

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[theoldgit]

i dont give a rats ass about bringing cigs into uk, the more the merrier. think i,ll look into sending large amounts from laos, cambo etc. As i say im a very heavy smoker :-)

I'm not having a go, and you will make your own mind up, but I would urge caution, if you were convicted of smuggling, attempted smuggling or even conspiracy you could face a jail term.

On the bright side I think they have a laundry in The Scrubs.

The Treasury are losing a lot of revenue through cigarette smuggling and have introduced some pretty punitive measures, for instance if you drive through Dover and are believed to be smuggling, they can confiscate your car even if it's a hire car, they don't need a court order to do so, in fact you need to go to court if you want to get it back. This clearly wouldn't affect you flying into the UK or posting cigarettes in, but I honestly don't think you would get away with it.

[scorpio]

Done it on a big scale few years back, eastenders run. Got caught three times, last one with a van load, im still here, still cutting corners, well the government do it dont they?

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[welbymd]

I have a friend who is married to a Thai. They arrived from Dhubai a few months back with 5 cartons of smokes. After 2 hours of being held in a back room, they got away with only having to pay $980, and had to leave 4 cartons of smokes behind. Friend has since moved out of Thailand, with his wife and kid.

And yes I believe him. He would never lie about something like this. Good luck.

[PattayaParent]

Duty Free allowances are only valid for goods carried personally over the border.

Anything sent by post is subject to duty.

[lomatopo]

How do they know you have extra cigarettes? Does the x-ray machine in the green channel pick them up? I usually return every 60 days from the U.S. with a large box and a large bag. While I bring in a varied assortment: pc components, foodstuffs, household items, my bag/box are rarely requested to be x-rayed. I do not bring in cigarettes or booze, but do but 1 litre on arrival. The few times my box is x-rayed it does not look like anyone is actually looking at the x-ray display.

[7by7]

Carrying more than your allowance into the UK through the green channel; might get stopped, might not. If stopped, expect confiscation of the ciggies and a fine. Gaol only if excessively large amounts.

Posting them from Thailand or elsewhere; might be found, might not. If found then HMRC will certainly be visiting the recipient, and a gaol term is probable if large amounts.

That you did it before and got away with it is no guarantee that you will again. As the OG says, HMRC have tightened up considerably on this. See here.

Smuggling is a crime, discussion of how to commit a crime is against the forum rules; closed.