Chong Mek Border Scam - Thai Excise Officials!

[vernthai]

Today at 1:15 pm a friend of mine (American living in Thailand, myself (American), and his Thai wife of 5 years were stopped by "Excise" officials.

Here are the facts -

About 1:00 pm we stopped at the duty free alcohol shop on the Laos side of Chong mek border crossing, intending to get some beer laos like we usually do, and also pick up a bottle of something stronger. We had heard that the law had changed recently since Thailand was now heavily taxing the harder liquors.

At the package store they explained to us (long-time customers) that we were allowed to take a case of beer each and 1 bottle of whisky each. This is what we did. We asked the owner of the store as well as the clerks. All were of the same opinion. We don't think that they would have scammed us by telling us the wrong amounts just so we buy more because we are in their store once every couple weeks buying over 2000 baht worth of goods each time.

We paid, got receipts and headed outside to find a guy with a pushcart to take the stuff to our car on the TH side. The store actually found us a guy to do it for 20baht.

We walked alongside him until the border and we took the footpath and he took the road where his push cart fit easily. A border agent checked what he had in the cart and let him through.

We kept walking and met him on the other side and walked to our car. Upon arriving at the car a man came right up to us to look at what was in the cart. He said that we had too much alcohol and that only 1 liter per person was allowed. I didn't understand as we had one 200ml bottle of red label, one 375 ml bottle of black label, and a 1.5 liter of baileys irish cream. We also had 1 case of beer laos dark (exceptional by the way), and 1 case of beer laos regular (both in bottles).There were 3 of us.

The guy was very low-key and had a tattered ID card - which i didnt believe. I insisted he call his boss and that we're not paying the 2000 baht he suggested...

As he left to go get the rest of the party, he told us to remain there. We did - waiting about 10 minutes. Then he came with 3 other guys. One had an "Excise" ID - #037/48... he was in charge. He explained that the guy at the border was "ARMY" and that he is under a different group of people. NOT the same. If the border guy said OK, it doesnt mean it's OK. He wanted to charge us 1000 baht excise tax on the liquor we had.

We argued a lot and tried to rationalize, when I realized and my friend did too, that they didn't want to budge. We'd have to pay them off. My friend reaches in his pocket to get 1000 baht and asked that we get a receipt for the "fine".

The excise official (ID - #037/48) said loudly that he couldnt take a bribe! So my friend repeated, no, no bribe, we're wrong, let us just pay the fine - give us a receipt and we'll go.

Well the guy was embarassed a bit now - or something wasn't going his way, so now he said we must go to the police station to do the paperwork. he was going to go to court against US because we were saying he is trying to scam us. He also said that if this happened, my friends wife would have to go to JAIL because she is the one behind all this. THEY NEVER LOOKED AT MY FRIEND'S OR MY PASSPORT AT ALL, just hers.

We tried to pay there and avoid the police station - because who knows what could happen there.

Reluctantly we went to the police station - we drove - main guy (ID - #037/48)came with us in back seat. It's close to the border - 3 minute ride. The main guy starts writing lots of accusations about my friend's wife. Calling her a smuggler and that when the court case comes up she'll be put in jail and they'll have to pay 20,000 baht to get her out. He is threatening her with a lot of things - making her very afraid. We weren't sure he wasn't going to put her in jail right there.

The jail was visible from the front of the building where we were standing at the desk he was filling out the paperwork. Two guys were standing - one was getting strip searched - i saw him strip to his underwear. There were 15-20 other men sitting and laying in the cell - who knows how long they had been there. I did not have a good feeling.

Before we left the car to walk up the police steps i had the sense to shut the trunk - as I didnt need these clowns planting yaba on us and upping the ante...

So, the guy berated my friend's wife and we continued to try to rationalize. They were having none of it and told my friend's wife if we keep pushing it - she'd go to jail.

She paid the 1000 baht. Got a receipt. The officer then said he needed to get into the trunk to get our alcohol! We were told before we left chong mek that we would keep the alcohol if we paid the 1000 baht "fine".

So a guy reaches in and grabs 4 beer laos and that was it. Shuts the trunk.

We drove off feeling screwed, and yet happy that she wasn't in jail and we weren't in jail for having some cigarettes or yaba or something else planted in the car.

What a ######ed up day at Chong Mek.

So, my question - what IS the law... we did not see a sign at the border that the Excise guy said is there. The people at the duty free store said they would refund us the 1000 baht AND give us 4 bottles of beer laos when we return (we called and they remembered us). They said that this same excise guy comes and buys 10 cases of beer and gets it across the border every now and then with apparently no problem.

We saw people get on the tour bus from Thailand with over 10 bottles of alcohol for ONE PERSON.

Advising everyone to be VERY careful here. And even if you are - LIKE WE WERE, you may still be had...

this IS Thailand - corruption is everywhere.

[hopeless]

Did you're lady friend not try to sort the mess out in the copshop?Normally if I have any problems in Los my companion is usually there to fix it!

$25 isnt too bad, ive heard the fine is 10x the price of the goods you smuggle back, or maybe thats just at the cambodian border?

[sriracha john]

Quite a harrowing experience sounds like.

Thanks for taking the time and giving all of us the head's up.

[vernthai]

No problem John.

Hopeless - yes, of course she tried to straighten it out at the police station. They singled her out because they weren't getting anywhere with both of us men and they knew they could put her in jail right then without any problem. They knew they could scare her - and us. In all, we talked to these guys for 30 minutes trying to explain, and they didn't care. They understood, and after a while we understood - the whole thing was a scam. It's not about if what we did was right - we were right... or the agent at the border that CHECKED the cart would have told us right there that we're not in compliance with the law. I'm sure they make quite a bit of money on a daily basis from this.

It happens all over, but I've been to Chong Mek about 12 times and this is the first I've had anything happen and I've never heard of anything happen from other expats in the area.

I think the one thing I've learned from it is that I shouldn't blow it up to be a big deal. It happens - a lot. I am a victim - yes. But, don't blow it out of proportion. When my friend and I started getting pissed and the main guy was losing face because I was embarassing him, he could have had a cop plant some drugs in the car and we would have been Féd bigtime. We're totally at their mercy even when we think we have a leg to stand on. I'm just glad it turned out the way it did...

[Dragonman]

No problem John.

Hopeless - yes, of course she tried to straighten it out at the police station.  They singled her out because they weren't getting anywhere with both of us men and they knew they could put her in jail right then without any problem. They knew they could scare her - and us.  In all, we talked to these guys for 30 minutes trying to explain, and they didn't care. They understood, and after a while we understood - the whole thing was a scam. It's not about if what we did was right - we were right... or the agent at the border that CHECKED the cart would have told us right there that we're not in compliance with the law.  I'm sure they make quite a bit of money on a daily basis from this.

It happens all over, but I've been to Chong Mek about 12 times and this is the first I've had anything happen and I've never heard of anything happen from other expats in the area.

I think the one thing I've learned from it is that I shouldn't blow it up to be a big deal. It happens - a lot.  I am a victim - yes.  But, don't blow it out of proportion.  When my friend and I started getting pissed and the main guy was losing face because I was embarassing him, he could have had a cop plant some drugs in the car and we would have been Féd bigtime.  We're totally at their mercy even when we think we have a leg to stand on. I'm just glad it turned out the way it did...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As is normal in Thailand you can get away with what you think is Ok on dozens of occasions until one official has a bad day, or lost money gambling

There is however no allowance for bringing beer into Thailand and it seems to have been rolled into the term "spirituous liquor". Not a good term really as there are different definitions in nearly every Country. I think you'd find a Thai Judge would rule on the side of "definition by exclusion". As beer is not mentioned in Customs regulations it would be taken as included within liquors.

You could have been fined 4 times the value of the beer, plus have it confiscated.

[udon]

Sorry to see you get screwed.

Your report is what makes tv a great asset.

Thanks again..

PS At Poipet the fine for extra cigs is 200 bt per fag.