I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you.

I doesn't matter if you brought it in or not, what does matter is that you are in possession of goods which are subject to an excise tax, which has yet to be paid. Therefore you are the person then liable to pay for it, or be fined/punished.

At that location it makes sense. Once they have been out in the public area, it doesn't.

Why not? The excise department operate around the entire country, taxing illegally imported cars, motorcycles and anything else which excise tax is levied on. They can't be expected to do everything from inside an airport, so why would you make the exception for just cigarettes and alcohol?

Edited March 15, 201214 yr by madjbs

You're not concentrating.

Pull your head in with that shit.

The men in the little black box in the public area are 'Excise' men, not 'Customs' men. They operate as two separate departments in Thailand and they don't get on with each other well. By the way; this is Thailand and rules used in other countries don't apply. Anyway; in Britain for instance, Customs and Excise have more search powers than the Police do and can pursue you into any public area in the land, including your home. Would imagine they would have similar powers in the US as well.

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

You clearly have no idea how things work in Thailand. "Burden of proof" and similar western concepts don't apply here.

Why do you think he was fake? Little paranoid are we?

"A guy dressed in a black uniform with gold epaulettes" sound more like a hotel Doorman or limousine tout, than an official in "Thai Official Brown", hence we call them lovingly BiB.

If he was wearing a "Uniform" why did he not have a name tag like everyone in the airport, from Immigration, Customs, Shop assistants right down the ranks to Toilet Cleaners.

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

"Burden of proof" pshaw - You obviously have no clue about how things operate on the ground in Thailand. The only purpose of "laws" here is to allow officials to line their pockets by arbitrarily "enforcing" whatever catches their fancy. Imagine the government being run by the mafia and you'll begin to get the picture.

Whether you've actually broken any "law" or not isn't relevant, simply how much they want from you, you're willingness to hand it over, and your realpolitik power and willingness to use it relative to theirs. Mess with the wrong people and they'll get back at you in a way that you never have any idea where it came from. Farang die or disappear here all the time and rarely are the true reasons known by anyone except the perpetrator.

Why do you think he was fake? Little paranoid are we?

"A guy dressed in a black uniform with gold epaulettes" sound more like a hotel Doorman or limousine tout, than an official in "Thai Official Brown", hence we call them lovingly BiB.

If he was wearing a "Uniform" why did he not have a name tag like everyone in the airport, from Immigration, Customs, Shop assistants right down the ranks to Toilet Cleaners.

If you ask for ID they open their jacket and show you their name tag on their shirt. They are plain clothed Excise Officers and I've never met one wearing Epaulettes.

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

"Burden of proof" pshaw - You obviously have no clue about how things operate on the ground in Thailand. The only purpose of "laws" here is to allow officials to line their pockets by arbitrarily "enforcing" whatever catches their fancy. Imagine the government being run by the mafia and you'll begin to get the picture.

Whether you've actually broken any "law" or not isn't relevant, simply how much they want from you, you're willingness to hand it over, and your realpolitik power and willingness to use it relative to theirs. Mess with the wrong people and they'll get back at you in a way that you never have any idea where it came from. Farang die or disappear here all the time and rarely are the true reasons known by anyone except the perpetrator.

The tin foil hat crowd is really out in force today...

If you ask to see his official ID as a customs officer and he cant/wont produce it, just tell him to do one and mind his own business.

Fake customs officers DO operate @ BKK.

Be careful with that,I've read a topic that there is on around who slaps you on the ears if you ask his ID.

They'd want make their first slap a very good one.

You're not concentrating.

Pull your head in with that shit.

The men in the little black box in the public area are 'Excise' men, not 'Customs' men. They operate as two separate departments in Thailand and they don't get on with each other well. By the way; this is Thailand and rules used in other countries don't apply. Anyway; in Britain for instance, Customs and Excise have more search powers than the Police do and can pursue you into any public area in the land, including your home. Would imagine they would have similar powers in the US as well.

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

hard to argue that when it doesn't have a tax stamp on it.

I had a simular experience about 2 yrs ago. They checked my bag to see if I had excess cigarettes, which I did not, and he was a nice guy just doing his job in the end. No issue really

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

"Burden of proof" pshaw - You obviously have no clue about how things operate on the ground in Thailand. The only purpose of "laws" here is to allow officials to line their pockets by arbitrarily "enforcing" whatever catches their fancy. Imagine the government being run by the mafia and you'll begin to get the picture.

Whether you've actually broken any "law" or not isn't relevant, simply how much they want from you, you're willingness to hand it over, and your realpolitik power and willingness to use it relative to theirs. Mess with the wrong people and they'll get back at you in a way that you never have any idea where it came from.

Farang die or disappear here all the time and rarely are the true reasons known by anyone except the perpetrator.

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

"Burden of proof" pshaw - You obviously have no clue about how things operate on the ground in Thailand. The only purpose of "laws" here is to allow officials to line their pockets by arbitrarily "enforcing" whatever catches their fancy. Imagine the government being run by the mafia and you'll begin to get the picture.

Whether you've actually broken any "law" or not isn't relevant, simply how much they want from you, you're willingness to hand it over, and your realpolitik power and willingness to use it relative to theirs. Mess with the wrong people and they'll get back at you in a way that you never have any idea where it came from.

Farang die or disappear here all the time and rarely are the true reasons known by anyone except the perpetrator.

If you ask to see his official ID as a customs officer and he cant/wont produce it, just tell him to do one and mind his own business.

Fake customs officers DO operate @ BKK.

Be careful with that,I've read a topic that there is on around who slaps you on the ears if you ask his ID.

He actually slapped another employee round the ears - not a traveller. Still let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story eh?

Obviously a joke, but you didn't catch it..EH..??

Edited March 18, 201214 yr by dighambara

If you ask to see his official ID as a customs officer and he cant/wont produce it, just tell him to do one and mind his own business.

Fake customs officers DO operate @ BKK.

The many reports on this topic in TV seem to suggest that this can be a profitable scam which attracts both real and fake excise officers, all operating in league with the police. Some people have actually been taken downtown to Excise Dept HQ and fined with an official receipt but the vast majority are taken to the local police station for the more usual Thai style unreceipted shake down. It is like the Nigerian letter scam when those scammed can't complain because they were willing to steal millions from the Nigerian govt. It is outrageous behaviour by the Excise Dept but those who are genuinely guilty of smuggling don't have much leg to stand on in making a complaint.

If you ask to see his official ID as a customs officer and he cant/wont produce it, just tell him to do one and mind his own business.

Fake customs officers DO operate @ BKK.

Be careful with that,I've read a topic that there is on around who slaps you on the ears if you ask his ID.

He actually slapped another employee round the ears - not a traveller. Still let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story eh?

Obviously a joke, but you didn't catch it..EH..??

Didn't look like a joke to me - just an ill-informed Chinese Whisper.

If you ask to see his official ID as a customs officer and he cant/wont produce it, just tell him to do one and mind his own business.

Fake customs officers DO operate @ BKK.

The many reports on this topic in TV seem to suggest that this can be a profitable scam which attracts both real and fake excise officers, all operating in league with the police. Some people have actually been taken downtown to Excise Dept HQ and fined with an official receipt but the vast majority are taken to the local police station for the more usual Thai style unreceipted shake down. It is like the Nigerian letter scam when those scammed can't complain because they were willing to steal millions from the Nigerian govt. It is outrageous behaviour by the Excise Dept but those who are genuinely guilty of smuggling don't have much leg to stand on in making a complaint.

Exactly right. There is no rule of law. Most of the scammers need to register with airport security or they will get busted.

Edited March 18, 201214 yr by pauljones

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Hmmm, terrible Thailand, corruption, cops in league with scammers etc.

Where the excise guys hit you up is not really relevant. Does anyone who reads this forum have an actual first hand account (not "I heard of this bloke") of being charged ilegally for bringing in anything that is permitted?

I don't care what other countries do. I have never mentioned any. But if they approach you in a public place, there has to be some burden of proof that what you are carrying was brought into the country by you. Just having something in a bag in a public place isn't enough. If that is how they do it at BKK, then it is a stupid way and prone to situations where someone can reasonably argue that what is in their possession isn't subject to excise.

"Burden of proof" pshaw - You obviously have no clue about how things operate on the ground in Thailand. The only purpose of "laws" here is to allow officials to line their pockets by arbitrarily "enforcing" whatever catches their fancy. Imagine the government being run by the mafia and you'll begin to get the picture.

Whether you've actually broken any "law" or not isn't relevant, simply how much they want from you, you're willingness to hand it over, and your realpolitik power and willingness to use it relative to theirs. Mess with the wrong people and they'll get back at you in a way that you never have any idea where it came from.

Farang die or disappear here all the time and rarely are the true reasons known by anyone except the perpetrator.

Do you really believe that the more you repeat your words they are slowly becoming the truth?