Custom At The Airport

[meyori]

My mother visits me here several time a year. Each time she brings suite case full of goodies (dry/packaged foods) for her own use and for me. Last few times, she was taken to the side at custom and told that she can not bring ANY food to Thailand. With very little English ability she has, she tried to say that she had no problem in the past and Thai embassy at her own country also said no problem to bring those kinds of foods to Thailand for personal use without paying any duty.

In the end and cut story short, she was basically asked to pay money under the table and could go through. Has any one have same/similar experience ? And any solution ?

[LivinginKata]

It that at Phuket Airport or Bangkok ?

[bikkalad]

Terrible..... No sooner landed and the milking begins.......

[JetsetBkk]

My friend was warned that he couldn't take Marmite onto the plane as hand luggage in England - had to put it in the hold.

In Thailand - Bangkok - he was sternly warned that he wouldn't be allowed to bring it in again, but they let him take it through.

Thank God for that - I don't like paying the rip-off prices at Villa Market.

[Shot]

My friend was warned that he couldn't take Marmite onto the plane as hand luggage in England - had to put it in the hold.

In Thailand - Bangkok - he was sternly warned that he wouldn't be allowed to bring it in again, but they let him take it through.

Thank God for that - I don't like paying the rip-off prices at Villa Market.

Marmite? Lucky he got off with a warning. Some doing hard time for that.

[Kimera]

They do have a scanning machine now at Phuket airport at the exit after collecting your luggage, I came though two months ago and was suprised to see it, I was stopped and the luggage seached seems a kilo of cheese triggered it, they looked and sent me on my way

[Kernow86]

Arrived back in Phuket after a visit home in June only to be ripped off at customs and then shown aggression at the metered taxi area when asking them to use the meter to take us to Chalong. He refused and we paid 500 - not too bad.

Customs tried to charge us 5000 THB. I argued that as the items were purchased in Thailand before we left they're not taxable - he wouldn't have any of it so eventually I said 'Okay, I'll pay. Get me a receipt please.' Then the amount changed to 1000! So I paid and left.

Really made me homesick. :-(

[patongphil]

Well I don't know I average about a flight into Phuket from Singapore every 2 weeks and have never been stopped by customs - must have an innocent face

[PattayaPhom]

But do u bring any foodstuff from Singers?

[Lannatyne]

When Air Asia did the KL - London flight, always used them and when we returned, always booked 30Kg baggage each. So, for my family of 3, we had 90Kg of baggage.

Now, at least half of this would be English foodstuffs. Packed in boxes, it made quite a pile on the trolley. Maybe didn't have food scanners back then, but was always stopped by officials asking about the boxes. Wife to the rescue, and she just says that "Oh, just come back from holiday and it's just a stock of that silly farang food my husband likes". Cue laughs from customs officials and waved on our way. Now, the fact that she likes Branston and pickled onions just as much as me has nothing to do with it, of course.

Lesson is that you can use Thai partner to good effect sometimes.

[dmitryspb]

My friend tried to bring some kind of ham and bacon last summer and finally LOST it! He offered some money, but no chance.. But he was allowed to bring cheese and smoked fish only. We always bring cheese wih us - no problem even in hand luggage.