Customs Vs Pocket Knife

[CrazyKid]

Anyone have any trouble with Customs when putting a Mini Folding Kinfe in checked baggage?

[Dancealot]

@ Milan airport i forgot to throw away a similar device before embarking and after it was confiscated i was allowed to fly nevertheless

[manarak]

OP asked for checked baggage.

Answer: no, knives are no problem in checked baggage.

[whybother]

It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going. A swiss army type pocket knife should be no problem.

[endure]

If you're worried about carrying something on a plane then don't and buy one when you get where you're going. If you can't buy one where you're going then you shouldn't think of carrying one on a plane to your destination.

[CrazyKid]

Thank You guys, that answers my question. I'll pick something up AFTER I arrive.

[TommyTucker]

You will have no problems if the knife/knives are/is in the checked in baggage, ie bags that go in the hold of the plane. I have flown with my diving knives many times in and out of the UK and Thailand - as long as they are not in your hand baggage!

[Impkenai]

I had no problems packing my fishing and camping knives in my checked luggage. Even when customs x-ray my bags, they allow the items into the country that I visited.

One exception is South Korea did not allow any kind of guns or gun replicas, even toy guns, into the country.

[moe666]

I took back two of the bush wacker knives from Thailand last year no problem in my checked luggage. I did lose a knife I had for 40 years forgot it was in my carry on, they didn't catch at Chiang mai but at swampy they caught it the boss got a good K-bar and my mistake to forget.

[Ticketmaster]

If you're worried about carrying something on a plane then don't and buy one when you get where you're going. If you can't buy one where you're going then you shouldn't think of carrying one on a plane to your destination.

That is not exactly true. I have always carried a pocket knife and use it practically every day. You cannot buy a decent pocket knife in Thailand, or, if you can, I have never found it. I had a nice, but fairly expensive, USA made Buck pocket knife (as opposed to their Chinese made models), then, woe to me, lost it. I ordered two more over the Internet and had my sister send them over. I would feel naked without my pocket knife. I use it for cutting strings and the omnipresent rubber bands I use it for opening those impossible shrink wrapped packages. I use it for cutting kefir lime leaves off the tree for cooking. Etc. A cheap one won't hold an edge and is more often than not too dull to cut a piece of string. A razor sharp pocket knife, on the other hand, is a pleasure to have and use.

And yes, you can check it in your checked luggage.

[CrazyKid]

Checked bagage it will fly. I don't want a poor quality knife. Thanks for the reminder. Now if I could just spell

[Gonsalviz]

I carry knives in and out all the time. I doubt a foot and a half knife would get through but a pocket knife up to 4.5 inches will be fine.

[chris1dna]

I just loaded up on a bunch of those cheap switchblade type knifes and the brass knuckle knifes and a steel baton and a flashlight/stun gun and ten fake Rolex watches. Packed em in checked luggage with my dive gear. Flew from Swampy to San Francisco. No problems. Declared them on my customs/arrival form entering the US. As, costume jewelry and tools. Under $800 max personal for gifts and no problems. Gave all away as gifts. Given the police state at US ports of entry, I was pleasantly surprised. I fully expected and was prepared for confiscation.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[OldSalty]

Just watch out if you fly to Australia, because even a pocket knife in your checked baggage you have to declare as a weapon on the custom form. I once had that problem at Darwin airport and a two hour delay before I was allowed to leave the airport.

[spiritrace]

I brought 4 cleavers from Thailand with no problem. (Checked Baggage) They probably use a bit of logic when they look at this stuff. I hope.

[LongTimeLurker]

I took back two of the bush wacker knives from Thailand last year no problem in my checked luggage. I did lose a knife I had for 40 years forgot it was in my carry on, they didn't catch at Chiang mai but at swampy they caught it the boss got a good K-bar and my mistake to forget.

Used to be that the knife would be put o the 'plane and you picked it up at the other end. Happened to me with a Swiss Army knife I was carrying in my pocket many years ago.

Edited February 3, 2013 by LongTimeLurker

[sprq]

It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going. A swiss army type pocket knife should be no problem.

This is nonsense.

Checked baggage: any knife is OK, even a samurai sword.

Carry-on baggage: no kind of knife or sharp instrument, even a nail file or tiny scissors, is allowed.

Period.

[whybother]

It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going. A swiss army type pocket knife should be no problem.

This is nonsense.

Checked baggage: any knife is OK, even a samurai sword.

Carry-on baggage: no kind of knife or sharp instrument, even a nail file or tiny scissors, is allowed.

Period.

"It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going".

You can't take a samurai sword into Australia, carry on, checked or anything.

[impulse]

I keep a Swiss Army Knife with about a 3-1/2" blade on my keychain. Last time I left Thailand, I forgot to pack it into my checked baggage. Rather than be caught with it on x-ray, I handed it to the nice lady at security. She looked at it carefully, gave me a puzzled look, showed it to several others in security, then handed it back to me.

I have traveled hundreds of times with that Swiss Army Knife in checked baggage with no problem, to China, Japan, USA, Canada, Korea and, of course, Thailand. Had to give it up once in 20+ years when I went into a US Federal Building, forgetting to leave it in the car.

I have had tiny mini-pliers, drill bits and fingernail clippers confiscated from carry-ons.

Edited February 3, 2013 by impulse

[RabC]

It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going. A swiss army type pocket knife should be no problem.

This is nonsense.

Checked baggage: any knife is OK, even a samurai sword.

Carry-on baggage: no kind of knife or sharp instrument, even a nail file or tiny scissors, is allowed.

Period.

Flying El Al to Eilat, my diving knife was in my check-in bag and it was removed, placed in an envelope and handed to the crew................Go figure

[utalkin2me]

If you're worried about carrying something on a plane then don't and buy one when you get where you're going. If you can't buy one where you're going then you shouldn't think of carrying one on a plane to your destination.

I dont agree with this at all; and I bet there are some chefs out there that would be in staunch disagreement as well.

[Baerboxer]

If you're worried about carrying something on a plane then don't and buy one when you get where you're going. If you can't buy one where you're going then you shouldn't think of carrying one on a plane to your destination.

That is not exactly true. I have always carried a pocket knife and use it practically every day. You cannot buy a decent pocket knife in Thailand, or, if you can, I have never found it. I had a nice, but fairly expensive, USA made Buck pocket knife (as opposed to their Chinese made models), then, woe to me, lost it. I ordered two more over the Internet and had my sister send them over. I would feel naked without my pocket knife. I use it for cutting strings and the omnipresent rubber bands I use it for opening those impossible shrink wrapped packages. I use it for cutting kefir lime leaves off the tree for cooking. Etc. A cheap one won't hold an edge and is more often than not too dull to cut a piece of string. A razor sharp pocket knife, on the other hand, is a pleasure to have and use.

And yes, you can check it in your checked luggage.

Good knife shops in Fashion Island and JJ Malls - worth a look. Imported pocket and fixed blade knives. I find some of the local non-central BKK markets often have some quite well made good bladed knives too. Not found any real Berger's here though, but plenty of genuine and copy Swiss Army. Like you, I always like a good pocket knife.

I've packed various knives into my checked in luggage over the years and never had a problem either coming in or going out of Thailand. Don't carry anything in hand luggage - even the tiniest Swiss Army knife will be confiscated.

[Baerboxer]

It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going. A swiss army type pocket knife should be no problem.

This is nonsense.

Checked baggage: any knife is OK, even a samurai sword.

Carry-on baggage: no kind of knife or sharp instrument, even a nail file or tiny scissors, is allowed.

Period.

"It may depend on the type of knife and where you are going".

You can't take a samurai sword into Australia, carry on, checked or anything.

Agree. Most countires x-ray baggage when it's unloaded and mark things of interest for customs. A samurai sword would arouse interest!

[Baerboxer]

Just watch out if you fly to Australia, because even a pocket knife in your checked baggage you have to declare as a weapon on the custom form. I once had that problem at Darwin airport and a two hour delay before I was allowed to leave the airport.

It's the old prison colony security mentality!

[Baerboxer]

I just loaded up on a bunch of those cheap switchblade type knifes and the brass knuckle knifes and a steel baton and a flashlight/stun gun and ten fake Rolex watches. Packed em in checked luggage with my dive gear. Flew from Swampy to San Francisco. No problems. Declared them on my customs/arrival form entering the US. As, costume jewelry and tools. Under $800 max personal for gifts and no problems. Gave all away as gifts. Given the police state at US ports of entry, I was pleasantly surprised. I fully expected and was prepared for confiscation.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I thought switchbakdes (flick knives) were illegal in the US? Not sure about the other items. Having said that I bought a really nice quality one here several years ago (odly from a Temple market). It's been on several fiights and into and out of several countries as we moved about. Never any problem - always in checked in luggage.

[chris1dna]

Yeah, I thought so too. But either they didn't catch it? Not likely. Or, they didn't care because it not illegal? Not sure, but am pleased with the outcome

I just loaded up on a bunch of those cheap switchblade type knifes and the brass knuckle knifes and a steel baton and a flashlight/stun gun and ten fake Rolex watches. Packed em in checked luggage with my dive gear. Flew from Swampy to San Francisco. No problems. Declared them on my customs/arrival form entering the US. As, costume jewelry and tools. Under $800 max personal for gifts and no problems. Gave all away as gifts. Given the police state at US ports of entry, I was pleasantly surprised. I fully expected and was prepared for confiscation.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I thought switchbakdes (flick knives) were illegal in the US? Not sure about the other items. Having said that I bought a really nice quality one here several years ago (odly from a Temple market). It's been on several fiights and into and out of several countries as we moved about. Never any problem - always in checked in luggage.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Hawaiian]

Sure a far cry from the old days. In the 80's I remember boarding gates in the Philippines had boxes with signs reading, "Please deposit your weapons here." This was at airports in the provinces. In Hawaii, I once bought 3 rifles in Honolulu and checked them in their original cardboard boxes. The boxes were even had pictures of the guns.

As for the OP's original question, never had a problem with utility knives in checked baggage in and out of Thailand.

[breadbin]

Friends have reported that customs at Swampy are putting a lot more bags than before through the x ray machines.

The same friend (Thai) and her husband (farang) were stopped and had all bags searched. No issues but unsettling just the same.

[OZEMADE]

Just watch out if you fly to Australia, because even a pocket knife in your checked baggage you have to declare as a weapon on the custom form. I once had that problem at Darwin airport and a two hour delay before I was allowed to leave the airport.

It's the old prison colony security mentality!

You cant carry them on board on a domestic flight in OZ, let alone an International flight.

[gk10002000]

Sadly, I finally had gotten around to buying one of those "leatherman" multi purpose travel knives that had some handy screwdrives, with it. Seemed like a great thing to keep in my carry on bag that doubles for a backpack. I never check that in, but of course since 911 can't carry any significant tool or knife on carryon. Crimps my style. I hate checking baggage and I travel lite.