Ban On Vitamins.

[pingping]

Hi,

I recently bought some vitamins (3 bottles total value $30.00) on line. I received a letter from Fed X in Bkk that the Thai FDA have now reclassified vitamins and supplements as medical supplies and I would need a permit to import. Has anyone else encountered these problem? Normally I get a letter from the local Post office to come and pick them up and usually pay about 30 percent tax.

I was wondering has this just happened because they were sent through Fed X and not normal Thai post.?

Any help on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[elektrified]

That's interesting. Just recently my doctor told me that it is completely legal to buy vitamin supplements over the internet and recommended I do just that as the ones I need aren't available in Thailand.

I would never use FedEx however. Use the post and ask the supplier to claim 'gift' and a low value (like 10 Euros) on the customs declaration and there won't be a problem. People should never use FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc. unless they are receiving important documents or something like that (or don't mind paying silly taxes of course).

[mcgriffith]

I'm going to just venture a guess that this has something to do with the huge pseudoephedrine/hospital/smuggling scandal.

The gov't reaction was to instantly ban all over the counter meds containing same (dumb) and heavily scrutinize any kind of med that gets shipped in. Even a package with 3 bottles of vitamins, apparently.

Meanwhile the pooyai are importing containerloads from China, South Korea, etc.

[Lobo4819]

There is also a movement in the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) in the States to get everything that isn't already, under their control. Natural foods, raw milk, vitamins and supplements. This is hand in hand with the effort there to make organic farming illegal. Perhaps Thailand by imitation or through coercion is trying to be like them. Thank you Monsanto.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

also a new regulation with USPS to not ship anything with a lithium battery.

Yet another substandard aspect of living in Thailand.

[PhotoJohn]

I just received my latest order of vitamins. I order a years supply at a time of the items that are either hard to find here or expensive here.

Last years order came to the main post office for me to pick up after paying the customs fee which was about 20%. No problem.

This time, I had to go to the customs office, next to the airport to pick up the package. They wanted two copies of my passport and a copy of the purchase order. Had lots of questions for me. There were offices on three different floors that I had to process paperwork at. Then I had to open the package in front of the customs officer for inspection.

The fee was 5% customs tax and 7% vat, which was less than I expected.

The whole process took 45 minutes. Quite an ordeal.

[playyer]

I got an order with vitamins via DHL a couple of days ago, it got though but there was a note from customs saying something in the line of you need to have a license to be able to import or they might confiscate the shipment. About 10-12 small bottles. I thought they took me for an importer but maybe there is some new law in the making. The shipment got through though.

[elektrified]

I'll pass this info on to the doctor. Sounds like it's something quite new. I was just about to make my order for the vitamins. Hopefully I'll get them via the post without much hassle.

[goforit]

I just received my latest order of vitamins. I order a years supply at a time of the items that are either hard to find here or expensive here.

Last years order came to the main post office for me to pick up after paying the customs fee which was about 20%. No problem.

This time, I had to go to the customs office, next to the airport to pick up the package. They wanted two copies of my passport and a copy of the purchase order. Had lots of questions for me. There were offices on three different floors that I had to process paperwork at. Then I had to open the package in front of the customs officer for inspection.

The fee was 5% customs tax and 7% vat, which was less than I expected.

The whole process took 45 minutes. Quite an ordeal.

Several years ago I ordered about 12 bottles of vitamins/supplements from a supplier I use in the US and ended up having to go to customs. When I got there they called a guy from the Thai FDA to come over and they opened the box in his presence. He said the order had to be returned to the supplier even though I offered to pay whatever duty customs tax there was. They sealed the box back up and told me that was it. I was fortunate enough the order eventually did get back to the company otherwise I would have been out $243.

After that I made smaller purchases that were delivered by FedEx. Then the supplier sent the last order I made by USPS and I had to pick it up at a post office that is not near where I live.. When I inquired to the vitamin company why the used the USPS they said FedEx told them there were new regulations in place that they did not want to deal with.

I was just about ready to put in another order for some more supplements but now I'm not sure if I should.

[Semper]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

[chuang]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

It must be super Vigra..55555...

[PhotoJohn]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules aren't available either. At least I haven't been able to find them. I don't like using the powder.

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, but it is much cheaper to order from the states.

Possibly the quantity I ordered aroused suspicion. Next time I might just order a 6 month supply.

[goforit]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules aren't available either. At least I haven't been able to find them. I don't like using the powder.

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, but it is much cheaper to order from the states.

Possibly the quantity I ordered aroused suspicion. Next time I might just order a 6 month supply.

Sounds like you were lucky you got to keep the last order. Next time you might end up either having your products returned or confiscated. There is no reason or rhyme how they do things in this country which makes living here the crap shoot it is.

[mcgriffith]

And as soon as we discuss this, the ad shown below appears at the bottom of the page:

I've also ordered nutritional supplements from the US, but it was about 4 years ago.

I got a notice to go to the Thai Post near Wat Phra Singh, and had to pay ~30% customs duty...

[elektrified]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

+1

That is what I need.

[hellodolly]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules aren't available either. At least I haven't been able to find them. I don't like using the powder.

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, but it is much cheaper to order from the states.

Possibly the quantity I ordered aroused suspicion. Next time I might just order a 6 month supply.

I know there is vitamin B3 B6 and B12 available here. I get them through my doctor.

I was wondering what Sublingual Vitamin B-12 was for.

I know that one of the B's helps the nerves in my feet and one the cholesterol in my blood not exactly sure of what the other does.

But I had never heard of Sublingual Vitamin B-12.

Always open to new ideas when it comes to my health.

One other thing is how do you know a good company from a company peddling Junk.

Edited May 20, 2012 by hellodolly

[Stubby]

It's almost impossible to know if the medication purchased in the industrialised world is the real deal nowadays with so much high-tech counterfeiting going on, so why anyone would trust any pill, potion, or wonder capsule from the internet is beyond belief, it really is!!!

And anyway, isn't it now common knowledge that so called multivitamins are nothing more than expensive urine? If you're lucky, very lucky, your body will absorb 15% from a vitamin supplement.

No, much better to get these things naturally through proper diet.

Stubby

Edited May 20, 2012 by Stubby

[uptheos]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules aren't available either. At least I haven't been able to find them. I don't like using the powder.

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, but it is much cheaper to order from the states.

Possibly the quantity I ordered aroused suspicion. Next time I might just order a 6 month supply.

I know there is vitamin B3 B6 and B12 available here. I get them through my doctor.

I was wondering what Sublingual Vitamin B-12 was for.

I know that one of the B's helps the nerves in my feet and one the cholesterol in my blood not exactly sure of what the other does.

But I had never heard of Sublingual Vitamin B-12.

Always open to new ideas when it comes to my health.

One other thing is how do you know a good company from a company peddling Junk.

Taking vitamin B12 sublingualy allows it to retain its nutrient density and makes those nutrients more readily available to the body. When vitamin B12 is taken via the traditional pill method, it has to go through the digestive process. During this process, it is altered and can lose a great deal of its potency. By skipping the digestive system, one is able to absorb the vitamin B12 with all of its nutrients intact

.

Edited May 20, 2012 by uptheos

[hellodolly]

What special vitamins are you guys talking about? Are they not available in the country?

Sublingual Vitamin B-12 isn't available here.

Psyllium Husk Fiber Capsules aren't available either. At least I haven't been able to find them. I don't like using the powder.

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, but it is much cheaper to order from the states.

Possibly the quantity I ordered aroused suspicion. Next time I might just order a 6 month supply.

I know there is vitamin B3 B6 and B12 available here. I get them through my doctor.

I was wondering what Sublingual Vitamin B-12 was for.

I know that one of the B's helps the nerves in my feet and one the cholesterol in my blood not exactly sure of what the other does.

But I had never heard of Sublingual Vitamin B-12.

Always open to new ideas when it comes to my health.

One other thing is how do you know a good company from a company peddling Junk.

Taking vitamin B12 sublingualy allows it to retain its nutrient density and makes those nutrients more readily available to the body. When vitamin B12 is taken via the traditional pill method, it has to go through the digestive process. During this process, it is altered and can lose a great deal of its potency. By skipping the digestive system, one is able to absorb the vitamin B12 with all of its nutrients intact

.

Thanks uptheos.

Not sure which one of the Bs was for my foot. Am now not taking it as the Doctor has said let us try a shot instead. So for this month that is what I am doing. She said I could come in for a booster shot after two weeks.

Am defiantly going to be talking to her about B12 sublingualy.

Edited May 20, 2012 by hellodolly

[Dante99]

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, ....

Please let us know where Saw Palmetto is available here. Thanks.

[kennalder]

It's almost impossible to know if the medication purchased in the industrialised world is the real deal nowadays with so much high-tech counterfeiting going on, so why anyone would trust any pill, potion, or wonder capsule from the internet is beyond belief, it really is!!!

And anyway, isn't it now common knowledge that so called multivitamins are nothing more than expensive urine? If you're lucky, very lucky, your body will absorb 15% from a vitamin supplement.

No, much better to get these things naturally through proper diet.

Stubby

Have you ever seen one of those replies to a forum, where the person starts out by saying: "I'm really not an expert on this and don't know much about this topic, but..."? Might have been a good place for you to start.

Don't get me wrong, This is not a personal attack. It's just that you are wrong on so many points. Your beliefs are not atypical, But ponder a few points...

Just what is that proper diet?

Fruits and vegetables picked green in order to spend the next 2 weeks travelling around the world? Looking almost as perfect as a model in a magazine, and with just as much substance. Fruits and vegetables often develop many of their nutrients in the last days on the vine or tree as they ripen. And they seldom look perfect.

What about the depleted soils these things are being grown in?

Talk about not trusting your supplier on the internet, you think you can trust your grower not to use banned pesticides and herbicides? And how natural is the food supply for meat? Cattle barely have room to fall over if they die after being force fed corn and soy products. Things they would never ingest in the natural state. Ever wonder why things have such a long shelf life? More chemicals and preservatives.

So on the one side of the coin you have a diet that does not supply the nutrients it should, but instead adds hundreds if not thousands of man mad chemicals. On the other side we have humans living in stressed conditions breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water.

Some of these vitamins, minerals and other nutrients go into making substances that are charged with removing toxins from the body. So we have more toxins and an impaired ability to remove them, than say just a hundred years ago.

I put together a spread sheet that listed all the vitamins and nutrients in the foods I commonly eat. For a couple of weeks I tracked everything I ate. I was consistently low on all of the following: Virtually all the B vitamins, including choline, calcium was marginal, vitamin E, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Omega 3's and zinc. My diet does include 4-5 veggies a day, often raw, and a variety of fruits. Most of what we need is available from the food supply, Not all, but most. Trouble is the quantity of food you need to eat to get it all will turn you into a blimp.

Yes, I know here in Thailand we often get closer to fresh fruits and veggies, and have fewer factory feeding operations, but we also have more chemicals that are poorly regulated, including some that are banned in most parts of the world. A trick I heard about on the internet was to soak fruits and veggies for 5 minutes in a solution of 2 Tbs of white vinegar per gallon of water to dissolve most of the chemicals from the surface. I know, from the internet, but I'll take my chances. I doubt many street vendors do anything beyond adding sugar and MSG, and cooking in bad oils.

Bottom line is there are too many people on earth to feed them all properly. Those that see this and adjust have a better chance at survival than those that don't. I will continue with my supplements and hope at 63 I haven't waited too long.

[TongueThaied]

Never, ever, import qanything through FedEd, UPS or DHL. Nothing but trouble EVERYTIME, and higher taxes, too. Use the post office. Like the guy above said, call it a gift.

[Stubby]

It's almost impossible to know if the medication purchased in the industrialised world is the real deal nowadays with so much high-tech counterfeiting going on, so why anyone would trust any pill, potion, or wonder capsule from the internet is beyond belief, it really is!!!

And anyway, isn't it now common knowledge that so called multivitamins are nothing more than expensive urine? If you're lucky, very lucky, your body will absorb 15% from a vitamin supplement.

No, much better to get these things naturally through proper diet.

Stubby

Have you ever seen one of those replies to a forum, where the person starts out by saying: "I'm really not an expert on this and don't know much about this topic, but..."? Might have been a good place for you to start.

Don't get me wrong, This is not a personal attack. It's just that you are wrong on so many points. Your beliefs are not atypical, But ponder a few points...

Just what is that proper diet?

Fruits and vegetables picked green in order to spend the next 2 weeks travelling around the world? Looking almost as perfect as a model in a magazine, and with just as much substance. Fruits and vegetables often develop many of their nutrients in the last days on the vine or tree as they ripen. And they seldom look perfect.

What about the depleted soils these things are being grown in?

Talk about not trusting your supplier on the internet, you think you can trust your grower not to use banned pesticides and herbicides? And how natural is the food supply for meat? Cattle barely have room to fall over if they die after being force fed corn and soy products. Things they would never ingest in the natural state. Ever wonder why things have such a long shelf life? More chemicals and preservatives.

So on the one side of the coin you have a diet that does not supply the nutrients it should, but instead adds hundreds if not thousands of man mad chemicals. On the other side we have humans living in stressed conditions breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water.

Some of these vitamins, minerals and other nutrients go into making substances that are charged with removing toxins from the body. So we have more toxins and an impaired ability to remove them, than say just a hundred years ago.

I put together a spread sheet that listed all the vitamins and nutrients in the foods I commonly eat. For a couple of weeks I tracked everything I ate. I was consistently low on all of the following: Virtually all the B vitamins, including choline, calcium was marginal, vitamin E, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Omega 3's and zinc. My diet does include 4-5 veggies a day, often raw, and a variety of fruits. Most of what we need is available from the food supply, Not all, but most. Trouble is the quantity of food you need to eat to get it all will turn you into a blimp.

Yes, I know here in Thailand we often get closer to fresh fruits and veggies, and have fewer factory feeding operations, but we also have more chemicals that are poorly regulated, including some that are banned in most parts of the world. A trick I heard about on the internet was to soak fruits and veggies for 5 minutes in a solution of 2 Tbs of white vinegar per gallon of water to dissolve most of the chemicals from the surface. I know, from the internet, but I'll take my chances. I doubt many street vendors do anything beyond adding sugar and MSG, and cooking in bad oils.

Bottom line is there are too many people on earth to feed them all properly. Those that see this and adjust have a better chance at survival than those that don't. I will continue with my supplements and hope at 63 I haven't waited too long.

Hi kennalder

What you wrote makes for a very convincing read, but it doesn't alter the fact that:

• You can't trust the vitamin supplements to be genuine (especially those sold online)
  

• If they are genuine, it is common knowledge (ask any nutritionist or health expert), that the body will only absorb around 15%, absolute max, of what the supplement boasts to include. The digestive system doesn't know how to properly process these supplements, so most of the 'goodness' gets rejected.
  

You can search the internet and find so called 'authority sites' arguing on both sides, but most of the websites, bloggers, and forums that highly recommend vitamin supplements are either just quoting from each other, or they are monetising their pages by promoting the sale of whatever supplement they are harping on about.

Prof. Rory Collins from the University of Oxford studied vitamin consumption in 20,000 people over 5 years and concluded that, "Vitamin pills are a waste of time. Over 5 years we saw absolutely no effect.

The Harvard physicians study group on 22,071 male physicians found that taking isolated supplements of beta-carotene was shown to be of no benefit.

People being people will believe what they want to believe, and there are some out there that genuinely believe that the moon is made of cheese, and that's all there is to it.

I've just posted what I believe, on a public forum that encourages interaction.

Good luck, and good health to you

Stubby

Edited May 21, 2012 by Stubby

[kennalder]

Never, ever, import qanything through FedEd, UPS or DHL. Nothing but trouble EVERYTIME, and higher taxes, too. Use the post office. Like the guy above said, call it a gift.

I have had 1 package that went through the postal service levied a tax. It was only 5%, and it was not labeled as a gift. I do have someone repackage them and send them from a residential address though. It may very well be we are in for more import duties in the future.

[PhotoJohn]

CQ-10 and Saw Palmetto are available here, ....

Please let us know where Saw Palmetto is available here. Thanks.

I've been buying it from Siam Drugs at Airport Plaza. The store at this location recently closed and I don't know where there is another. The brand name is Blackmores and the product is named "Proseren".

I found another product that is actually named Saw Palmetto made by the brand Sentinel. I don't remember where I got it though.

It should be easy enough to find. It's best to print the name on a slip of paper and show it to the druggist.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

As more general advice, it would also be good to not use FedEx for anything in-bound.

Secondly, there is no ban, because you can get vitamin supplements freely over the counter.

Import scrutiny not same same ban.

[kennalder]

Stubby wrote: "I've just posted what I believe, on a public forum that encourages interaction.

Good luck, and good health to you

Stubby "

Thank you for your civil reply and I apologize for starting mine on a somewhat inflammatory note. Obviously we could go back and forth for days on this topic as new things are discovered daily. However I am a little surprised the mods are not on us for getting off topic. If you want to start a topic about this I will engage, I'm sure we can both learn something.

[ripstanley]

I checked fedex web and they had the following

Effective 1st July 2011, all shipments containing restricted FDA (Foods and Drugs Administration) commodities, which are imported into Thailand without a license, may be destroyed.

According to Articles 27 and 27 bis of the Customs Act B.E. 2469, any restricted items imported into Thailand, including, but not limited to, medicine, food, drinks, supplementary products, vitamins, and cosmetics, must have an import license issued by the relevant government agency.

Non-compliant shipments may be subject to a customs fine upon arrival, or they may be destroyed unless permits and supporting documents are provided to fulfill FDA requirements.

I would not use Fedex or DHL.

[tfc]

I don't bother ordering anything through Fedex or DHL anymore.

[hellodolly]

It's almost impossible to know if the medication purchased in the industrialised world is the real deal nowadays with so much high-tech counterfeiting going on, so why anyone would trust any pill, potion, or wonder capsule from the internet is beyond belief, it really is!!!

And anyway, isn't it now common knowledge that so called multivitamins are nothing more than expensive urine? If you're lucky, very lucky, your body will absorb 15% from a vitamin supplement.

No, much better to get these things naturally through proper diet.

Stubby

Have you ever seen one of those replies to a forum, where the person starts out by saying: "I'm really not an expert on this and don't know much about this topic, but..."? Might have been a good place for you to start.

Don't get me wrong, This is not a personal attack. It's just that you are wrong on so many points. Your beliefs are not atypical, But ponder a few points...

Just what is that proper diet?

Fruits and vegetables picked green in order to spend the next 2 weeks travelling around the world? Looking almost as perfect as a model in a magazine, and with just as much substance. Fruits and vegetables often develop many of their nutrients in the last days on the vine or tree as they ripen. And they seldom look perfect.

What about the depleted soils these things are being grown in?

Talk about not trusting your supplier on the internet, you think you can trust your grower not to use banned pesticides and herbicides? And how natural is the food supply for meat? Cattle barely have room to fall over if they die after being force fed corn and soy products. Things they would never ingest in the natural state. Ever wonder why things have such a long shelf life? More chemicals and preservatives.

So on the one side of the coin you have a diet that does not supply the nutrients it should, but instead adds hundreds if not thousands of man mad chemicals. On the other side we have humans living in stressed conditions breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water.

Some of these vitamins, minerals and other nutrients go into making substances that are charged with removing toxins from the body. So we have more toxins and an impaired ability to remove them, than say just a hundred years ago.

I put together a spread sheet that listed all the vitamins and nutrients in the foods I commonly eat. For a couple of weeks I tracked everything I ate. I was consistently low on all of the following: Virtually all the B vitamins, including choline, calcium was marginal, vitamin E, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Omega 3's and zinc. My diet does include 4-5 veggies a day, often raw, and a variety of fruits. Most of what we need is available from the food supply, Not all, but most. Trouble is the quantity of food you need to eat to get it all will turn you into a blimp.

Yes, I know here in Thailand we often get closer to fresh fruits and veggies, and have fewer factory feeding operations, but we also have more chemicals that are poorly regulated, including some that are banned in most parts of the world. A trick I heard about on the internet was to soak fruits and veggies for 5 minutes in a solution of 2 Tbs of white vinegar per gallon of water to dissolve most of the chemicals from the surface. I know, from the internet, but I'll take my chances. I doubt many street vendors do anything beyond adding sugar and MSG, and cooking in bad oils.

Bottom line is there are too many people on earth to feed them all properly. Those that see this and adjust have a better chance at survival than those that don't. I will continue with my supplements and hope at 63 I haven't waited too long.

Hi kennalder

What you wrote makes for a very convincing read, but it doesn't alter the fact that:

• You can't trust the vitamin supplements to be genuine (especially those sold online)
  

• If they are genuine, it is common knowledge (ask any nutritionist or health expert), that the body will only absorb around 15%, absolute max, of what the supplement boasts to include. The digestive system doesn't know how to properly process these supplements, so most of the 'goodness' gets rejected.
  

You can search the internet and find so called 'authority sites' arguing on both sides, but most of the websites, bloggers, and forums that highly recommend vitamin supplements are either just quoting from each other, or they are monetising their pages by promoting the sale of whatever supplement they are harping on about.

Prof. Rory Collins from the University of Oxford studied vitamin consumption in 20,000 people over 5 years and concluded that, "Vitamin pills are a waste of time. Over 5 years we saw absolutely no effect.

The Harvard physicians study group on 22,071 male physicians found that taking isolated supplements of beta-carotene was shown to be of no benefit.

People being people will believe what they want to believe, and there are some out there that genuinely believe that the moon is made of cheese, and that's all there is to it.

I've just posted what I believe, on a public forum that encourages interaction.

Good luck, and good health to you

Stubby

Are you trying to say the moon is not made of cheese. What does the man in the moon eat then. Does he take supplements?