Thai Customs Seize Untaxed Goods Worth Bt50 Million

[webfact]

Thai customs seize untaxed goods worth Bt50 million

BANGKOK, Oct 4 - Thailand's Customs Department seized untaxed goods with a street value of over Bt50 million, including an Italian sports car.

Director-general Benja Louischareon said a Ferrari sports car worth Bt19 million was confiscated from a house in Bangkok downtown.

She said other items seized included 70 new iphones believed to be smuggled from Singapore, while the rest were smuggled from China.

At the same time, a post office at Hua Lampong Railway Station also found smuggled 45kg of dry marijuana in parcel delivered from the northern province of Chiang Rai destined for the United Kingdom.

Officials at Suvarnabhumi International Airport also confiscated 4,214 methamphetamine pills, she said, adding that counterfeit cosmetics were confiscated at a house in a Bangkok suburb.

The total value of all seized items was estimated at Bt50.7 million, according to the chief of the customs department. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-04

[webfact]

Bt50m worth haul by Customs Dept

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Customs Department has seized around Bt50 million worth in smuggled goods, illegal drugs and products on which import tax had been evaded, department chief Benja Luisecharoen announced yesterday.

The illicit items, netted in seizures nationwide, included more than Bt21 million in cosmetic injections, alcoholic beverages, perfumes and methamphetamine pills.

Tax-evading goods worth Bt29 million included a Bt19-million Ferrari automobile, processed wood, liquid petroleum, the latest iPhones and brand-name handbags.

-- The Nation 2012-10-04

[cloghead]

When and where will theses seized items be auctioned? I want to get my bids in early for the meth tabs and boxes of weed.

Oh, and for the Ferrari too--as long as the Red Bull stickers have been removed...

[asiawatcher]

The small goods like the hand bags will be available at MBK within 24 hours of the photo shoot. The Ferrari - may need to take a bit longer and probably at one of the many prestige car dealers. Auction? What Auction...

[BookMan]

Looks like almost enough goods for a decent sized street stall

[KarstenBoAndersen]

There is no custom on mobile phones (if there is any is it under 5%) but when it is for sale, people have to remember VAT !

Sum num nar !

[cloudhopper]

I remember a luxury yacht auctioned off by customs in Phuket about 12 years ago. The sole bidder was a senior police officer who picked it up for a fraction of its value (yet curiously a huge multiple of his nominal annual salary).

[sjjmmi]

Copies not from Thailand

[Sayonarax]

People might actually want to pay tax if the customs department didn't act like criminals and do as little work as possible.

Why would educated people want to jump through your unrealistic hoops, when we can just smuggle the crap past you at the airport?

This is one department that needs EVERY OLD corrupt, lazy, worthless waste of space government cronie, that needs to be fired.

Send the TAX department to audit half the government, i wonder what they'll find?

Edited October 4, 2012 by Sayonarax

[coma]

More dildos ?

[asiawatcher]

The small goods like the hand bags will be available at MBK within 24 hours of the photo shoot. The Ferrari - may need to take a bit longer and probably at one of the many prestige car dealers. Auction? What Auction...

Just to elaborate on this, I had some goods imported as samples from Australia and Customs wanted a huge amount of Tea Money, more than the retail of the goods, so I told them to shove it. I was in MBK the following afternoon and there they were - on the shelf. I made enquires as to where these came from (knowing there was no way these were anyone's other than mine and was told the owner supplied them - she was just the seller. I picked up two of them told her I was taking them as evidence for a police complaint to which she just turned and started serving some other people, no complaint, no squealing for security - nothing. I did make the complaint of theft of my goods (I had them made so they were mine yes!) from Customs and never heard another thing - gee surprise surprise. MBK, Prathunam and so many other markets are just outlets for confiscated goods, no cost of stock and spit profits, no cash needed for upfront stock. Just another scam in the land of smiles

[kartman]

The small goods like the hand bags will be available at MBK within 24 hours of the photo shoot. The Ferrari - may need to take a bit longer and probably at one of the many prestige car dealers. Auction? What Auction...

Just to elaborate on this, I had some goods imported as samples from Australia and Customs wanted a huge amount of Tea Money, more than the retail of the goods, so I told them to shove it. I was in MBK the following afternoon and there they were - on the shelf. I made enquires as to where these came from (knowing there was no way these were anyone's other than mine and was told the owner supplied them - she was just the seller. I picked up two of them told her I was taking them as evidence for a police complaint to which she just turned and started serving some other people, no complaint, no squealing for security - nothing. I did make the complaint of theft of my goods (I had them made so they were mine yes!) from Customs and never heard another thing - gee surprise surprise. MBK, Prathunam and so many other markets are just outlets for confiscated goods, no cost of stock and spit profits, no cash needed for upfront stock. Just another scam in the land of smiles

So you got your samples tax/cost free were they a success.

[Cats4ever]

Customs - I recently bought a USD15 battery powered toothbrush duty free on Cathay Pacific. It didn't work so I sent it to Germany, as requested by the manufacturer. I asked for it to be sent to a hotel in Bangkok, where I would be staying. When I got there I was contacted by Fed Ex. I was to provide a photocopy of my passport and then they would advise me the amount of duty I would pay. Grrrrr. As far as I know it went back to Germany and may arrive in Oz sometime.

[Fgis]

You will find these items within few days sold in the street :-)

[Tchooptip]

Looks like almost enough goods for a decent sized street stall

"Your" street stall would probably be on the Guinness Record Book

[thequietman]

More dildos ?

Difficult to get in.

You can fit one up your arse. two at a stretch.

[Tanaka]

I wonder how that impounded Ferrari got through Customs without duty being paid? Is the owner a gov official? If not, he has paid a load of money to such a person.

[Sayonarax]

Customs - I recently bought a USD15 battery powered toothbrush duty free on Cathay Pacific. It didn't work so I sent it to Germany, as requested by the manufacturer. I asked for it to be sent to a hotel in Bangkok, where I would be staying. When I got there I was contacted by Fed Ex. I was to provide a photocopy of my passport and then they would advise me the amount of duty I would pay. Grrrrr. As far as I know it went back to Germany and may arrive in Oz sometime.

This the main reason most people are reluctant to want to shop online. Sometimes you need quality products shipped in and getting pass the goon squad at customs is a nightmare.

[jsflynn603]

A bit off topic, but maybe not.

A few months back I sent a birtday present package from the US to Chiang Mai using the US Postal Service. It never arrived.

It had two girls shirts (kids size) and a pediactric old stethoscope (the ten year old girl whom the gift was for is intrigued by doctors). I have no idea if it was stolen because of the stethoscope--perhaps someone thought it was valuable. It wasn't really even very functional since it was old and the head had a small crack in it. I guess maybe it was seized for lack of something....

[Thai at Heart]

Many years ago i got whacked for duty on a childs car seat despite there being none in the market that had any Certified model s here.

child equipment 30%, despite protests that it was to safeguard the life of a Thai citizen.

[londonthai]

these seizures happen yesterday or last month?

[HaleySabai]

I have suspected for years that some goods sold in Central and other major retail outlets are copies sold as "original",especially the 'Camel' brand of safari wear and god knows what else.

BUYER BEWARE!

[gk10002000]

So this article and others I have read seem to strongly suggest that getting things mailed to Thailand is very difficult. Buying online via Amazon or Barnes and Noble or whatever, won't seamlessly get through customs? How do retirees or long stayers get anything delivered?