Buying Duty Free Cigarettes.

[BIGJIMMY]

I always buy Bensons at the airport before I fly to work, you could always buy as many as you want at the airport and leave Thailand, it was up to you, they never asked where your flying to and they still don't but when I flew in October I was told that I could only buy 6 sleeves per shop but could go to many different shops within the airport and buy 6 in each, as they are all the same company I just put it down to

T.I.T, when I flew the other week I was told by one shop that I could only buy 6 sleeves, I went to another shop (same company) and after he checked my boarding pass said that I had already brought 6 so can't buy anymore, I thought I'd try one more shop and surprise surprise they said I could buy a total of 10 and let me buy 4 more, I asked why the limit and they said new company rules, at no point was I asked where I was flying.

Jimmy

[oldsailor35]

The days of duty free cigarettes should be well and truely over. It only encourages people to continue with this filthy dangerous habit. In fact all cigarettes should be triple the price that they are. This might help smokers to get off the habit.

[BIGJIMMY]

Thanks for the lecture but not really the kind of response I was hoping for.

[Hedghog]

The days of duty free cigarettes should be well and truely over. It only encourages people to continue with this filthy dangerous habit. In fact all cigarettes should be triple the price that they are. This might help smokers to get off the habit.

Maybe change your name to Preacher man.

[MaiChai]

It used to cheaper to buy ciggies at the supermarket than duty free in Bangkok airport; is that still the case?

What's the price now for a carton?

I don't see them in the supermarkets any more; can you still buy them at Tesco's /big c?

I don't smoke but a mate has ask me to bring him some back.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 5.1 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[whybother]

The days of duty free cigarettes should be well and truely over. It only encourages people to continue with this filthy dangerous habit. In fact all cigarettes should be triple the price that they are. This might help smokers to get off the habit.

Australia now have a duty free limit of 50 cigarettes.

[Naam]

The days of duty free cigarettes should be well and truely over. It only encourages people to continue with this filthy dangerous habit. In fact all cigarettes should be triple the price that they are. This might help smokers to get off the habit.

Australia now have a duty free limit of 50 cigarettes.

Singapore's duty free limit is 0 cigarettes.

[moe666]

The eternal search for cheap cigarettes

[NeverSure]

The days of duty free cigarettes should be well and truely over. It only encourages people to continue with this filthy dangerous habit. In fact all cigarettes should be triple the price that they are. This might help smokers to get off the habit.

I agree totally. In fact make that quadruple the price.

While you're at it, do the same for anything that McDonald's sells. Go through the stores, identify anything that's junk food and quadruple the price to those unhealthy lard asses that buy the stuff.

Beer, wine and liquor need to be on that list. Oh wait, it already is in LOS.

Let's check out the soft drink section and machines and mark those up quadruple. First, people always litter with the containers, and second, is just isn't healthy. I'd say 1,000 baht per serving would be good enough to teach those idiots to not ever touch it.

Eventually we'll have people in authority over us telling us what we can buy and use in every aspect of our lives. There will be a government approved menu for your dinner tonight. After all, you need a good balanced diet with lots of fiber and vitamins and minerals.

Does that seem fair?

[MaiChai]

Thanks for answering my questions guys. Anyone fancy answering?

[BIGJIMMY]

You can buy 6 or 10 Benson & Hedges at the airport ( depending on the numpty serving) for 550 baht each. I've never brought them from Big C, I have brought Marlboro Light from a little wholesales recently for 860 per sleeve.

[MaiChai]

As of today, it's 600 baht for b&h at the airport and 860 at tesco's. So it is cheaper at the airport as the duty is so high. I was going to buy another carton for my friend, but the gruesome photos put me off and I probably did my friend a favour by not buying them.

[BIGJIMMY]

You could buy Bensons at Tesco?

[Sayonarax]

Purchasing and Importing excessive amounts cigarettes will only result in a hefty fine.

You are asking us how to break the law and cheat customs. Not really a quality topic.

[GrantSmith]

Purchasing and Importing excessive amounts cigarettes will only result in a hefty fine.

You are asking us how to break the law and cheat customs. Not really a quality topic.

No laws are broken if the OP is purchasing Duty Free cigarettes at Swampy and travelling to a country that doesn't have a limit...

[kevinc]

I used to be able to buy 8 cartons of Bensons from King Power in Suvarnabhumi and get 2 free, (getting 10 in total) then i would buy 5 boxes of Golden Virginia in the same transaction using my boarding card, i did this for 6 years, 4 times per year then 2 years ago they stopped it and i was only allowed 6 as a maximum on one boarding card.

Then about 9 months ago i was able to buy 6 with my boarding card on a credit card and then another 4 with cash. I think that the rule is 6 maximum but depending on the staff (as many things in Thailand) you can buy more at different places, For nearly 2 years they were very strict but they seem to sell them to me now (with a bit of a nod and a wink) i can again buy 10 cartons.

I have never been able to buy Bensons or Embassy etc in Pattaya or Bangkok in Tesco or the wharehouses, (yes the wharehouses, not whorehouses.. ha ha).

On the other side of the coin, my friend (who smokes like a trooper) flew into Suvarnibhumi 3 years ago for a months holiday with 5 cartons from duty free in his suitcase from England and customs stopped him and he was promptly marched off and fined a £1000, (60,000thb or $1500usd at the rate then).

So try not to fly in with anything is my advice.

As for the limit, i am pretty sure that its a maximum of 6 cartons to buy at King Power power per trip, the use of your boarding card could be that the customs in your country of destination reads the information on the computer and is sat comfortably waiting for you when you arrive??

[pattayadingo]

It used to cheaper to buy ciggies at the supermarket than duty free in Bangkok airport; is that still the case? What's the price now for a carton? I don't see them in the supermarkets any more; can you still buy them at Tesco's /big c? I don't smoke but a mate has ask me to bring him some back. Sent from my i-mobile IQ 5.1 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Often they are tucked away in a cupboard so it is worth asking if they have a carton, or use sign language like I do

Surprising how often the shops are out of cartons though.

[pattayadingo]

I used to be able to buy 8 cartons of Bensons from King Power in Suvarnabhumi and get 2 free, (getting 10 in total) then i would buy 5 boxes of Golden Virginia in the same transaction using my boarding card, i did this for 6 years, 4 times per year then 2 years ago they stopped it and i was only allowed 6 as a maximum on one boarding card.

Then about 9 months ago i was able to buy 6 with my boarding card on a credit card and then another 4 with cash. I think that the rule is 6 maximum but depending on the staff (as many things in Thailand) you can buy more at different places, For nearly 2 years they were very strict but they seem to sell them to me now (with a bit of a nod and a wink) i can again buy 10 cartons.

I have never been able to buy Bensons or Embassy etc in Pattaya or Bangkok in Tesco or the wharehouses, (yes the wharehouses, not whorehouses.. ha ha).

On the other side of the coin, my friend (who smokes like a trooper) flew into Suvarnibhumi 3 years ago for a months holiday with 5 cartons from duty free in his suitcase from England and customs stopped him and he was promptly marched off and fined a £1000, (60,000thb or $1500usd at the rate then).

So try not to fly in with anything is my advice.

As for the limit, i am pretty sure that its a maximum of 6 cartons to buy at King Power power per trip, the use of your boarding card could be that the customs in your country of destination reads the information on the computer and is sat comfortably waiting for you when you arrive??

The last 3 times back to the U.K. I was stopped after buying over the limit in Abu Dhabi. Made me wonder if the boarding card was the reason. Same customs woman each time too

On the other hand, being polite, declaring when asked and stating they were for my own use, I was allowed through with them.

[Chicog]

On the other side of the coin, my friend (who smokes like a trooper) flew into Suvarnibhumi 3 years ago for a months holiday with 5 cartons from duty free in his suitcase from England and customs stopped him and he was promptly marched off and fined a £1000, (60,000thb or $1500usd at the rate then).

Sounds like he was ripped off, I had 1,000 cigarettes and over a hundred Golden Virginia pouches (Phuket had run out!) and it only cost me Bt25,000. They even let me keep the cigars.

[iian23]

The tills in the shop are hooked up to a computer system that will only let you buy 6 cartons in 1 transaction. If you then go to another shop, or even the same shop, you should be able to buy another 4 cartons. However on some occasions the system will not allow the extra 4, nobody seems to know why. If you want more than 6 or 10 you have to find a member of staff that knows how to by pass the system. Simply go into the different shops and tell the staff what you want to do and eventually you will find one that will sell you what you want. You are better off visiting the little shops where the staff are not constantly being watched by the management.

[h2o]

flew out 27th may got 8 cartons and was asked if i would like 2 more as the maxium was 10 cartons per boarding pass