Moving to CM with 10 x 3TB external hard drives full of data?

[Spoonman]

Betting is if there is no porn on there they wouldn't give a monkeys anyway (and even then)...

Aside: how many people on planet earth with a computer do not have oodles of 'free' movies/music on there?

I suspect almost everyone has "Free" movies/music on their computer/laptop in some form and I reckon customs would hold little interest with an indivdual carrying a laptop with some pirated material on it but they might be suspicious of someone carrying 36TB of it.

[koo]

If they pick you for inspection and find the HDD:s, they will most probably ask what's on them. You will probably answer "work files, a couple of TV shows etc." and then the customs officer will give you a smile and ask "and a little bit of porn for just personal use?", and the smallest nod will mean they confiscate all the drives for a closer inspection, which may take from hours to months. Then they find no porn, exept an episode of "Cougar Town" with a little cleavage from Busy Phillips and determine that illegal and they confiscate that single drive for good and give you a 10.000 baht fine.

To be quite honest though, it must be a long shot for the officer to suspect you of bootlegging movies or bringing in porn for commercial distribution, so he will probably not be interested in it. Anyhow, the probability of a farang getting stopped at the customs is pretty low anyhow.

[worgeordie]

Really its best to enter at Bangkok as you can just walk through the green zone and

have a good chance of been OK. last time I was at Chiang Mai airport to meet my

daughter they were putting all the overseas arrivals baggage through the x-ray

machine, thats when they found a big set of drills (320) in metal case,had to pay

1,000 bht, but that was OK ,as its not easy finding good drill bits here.

If they do the same to you, 10 x 3Tb HDD are going to be very interesting to them,

1 they would not bother with, 5 10 they are going to want tax off you,and if you are

lucky thats all they will want.

A better Way might be to post a couple at a time to yourself,just ordinary air mail,

no couriers as they will rip you off.

regards Worgeordie

[kimincm]

Forget getting it in, how would watch 200gig of movies let alone 450 gazillion terrabytes,what's your plan lock yourself in a room and watch the computer.30,000hrs =3.4 years 24/7.

Hope you enjoy your time in CM.

[elektrified]

Forget getting it in, how would watch 200gig of movies let alone 450 gazillion terrabytes,what's your plan lock yourself in a room and watch the computer.30,000hrs =3.4 years 24/7.

Hope you enjoy your time in CM.

+1

Why bother coming? Why not just stay where you are and watch movies and television series all day and night? Chiang Mai has beautiful mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails, and endless outdoor activities. Guess you will be holed up watching television and miss all the sights.

I might watch a total of one hour of TV news every other day and a movie once a week, but to each their own.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Forget getting it in, how would watch 200gig of movies let alone 450 gazillion terrabytes,what's your plan lock yourself in a room and watch the computer.30,000hrs =3.4 years 24/7.

Hope you enjoy your time in CM.

+1

Why bother coming? Why not just stay where you are and watch movies and television series all day and night? Chiang Mai has beautiful mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails, and endless outdoor activities. Guess you will be holed up watching television and miss all the sights.

I might watch a total of one hour of TV news every other day and a movie once a week, but to each their own.

Why bother coming? Why not just stay where you are? I think you'll find he's free to do what ever he likes, wherever he wants with or without your permission. Remind me, what's it got to do with you exactly? I didn't see anything that said he wouldn't be visiting the waterfalls or going hiking. Try assuming the best of people rather than the worst, and being less judgemental, it's less stressful and more rewarding.

I watch about an hour or so of news a day too, and extremely rarely a movie. But that's me.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Chiengmaijoe

[puukao]

This video/audio file is owned by the (insert company name here). Any copying or distribution is prohibited without our express written consent.

So, the answer is easy.....go out and get an express written consent for each file.

and now crossing international borders? If an American, the FBI might become involved!!!!

If ONE file is not up to par, prepare to pay a fine up to $250,000.

oh wait....there is a knock on your door.

[muchogra]

There are a lot of cynical comments to the OP!

My advice is just distribute your hard drives in your suit case and your backpack. Walk through the "nothing to declare" section. If you are stopped, just show what you have. Hard drive is not that expensive nowadays. Just tell them you have movies, some videos and pics of your family in a polite manner. Worst comes worst, they confiscate your hard drives!

[LemonSqueeza]

just bring it. if you dont get stopped on the way out, you wont get stopped on the way in.

17 years of travel in and out of thailand and never once been stopped.

encrypt it if it makes you feel better, but that will just raise different alarm bells.

Edited October 29, 2013 by LemonSqueeza

[LemonSqueeza]

Really its best to enter at Bangkok as you can just walk through the green zone and

have a good chance of been OK. last time I was at Chiang Mai airport to meet my

daughter they were putting all the overseas arrivals baggage through the x-ray

machine, thats when they found a big set of drills (320) in metal case,had to pay

1,000 bht, but that was OK ,as its not easy finding good drill bits here.

If they do the same to you, 10 x 3Tb HDD are going to be very interesting to them,

1 they would not bother with, 5 10 they are going to want tax off you,and if you are

lucky thats all they will want.

A better Way might be to post a couple at a time to yourself,just ordinary air mail,

no couriers as they will rip you off.

regards Worgeordie

truly useful advice.

i don't know anyone who has been stopped walking through the green zone

[scottishjohn]

Nice phrase: "Massage rod". Perhaps customs were intimating that you can't get it up.

Or were they 'Fishing' for something with the 'rod'

[hellodolly]

Here another site here on Thai Visa you might want to check into. With your didgeridoo it might prove interesting.

Rate Topic I'm looking for folk music singers and players

Started by FolkGuitar, 2013-07-03 10:22

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#1 FolkGuitar

Super Member

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Posted 2013-07-03 10:22:26

The group that I'd been playing with for several years seems to have morphed into a 30's,40's, and pop music group while I was away. Nice music and nice people, but I'm a folk guitar player. I'm a 'minstrel' rather than a 'musician' despite playing guitar for the past 50 years. And I want to play folk music with other folkies. American folk and blues, British traditional folk tunes, sea chanteys, old camp songs sung around the fire, etc.

I don't care if you can only play 3 chords and sing with a range of half an octave. I can play more chords but I sure can't sing more notes... If you like folk music and want to get together regularly to play and sing, get in touch with me. Think "Kingston Trio," "Joan Baez," "Peter, Paul, and Mary," "Child Ballads," "Fairport Convention," "Pentangle," etc. and let's play!

[manarak]

OP, just walk relaxedly through the green line, if it fits in a suitcase, you won't get stopped (99% probability).

That's what I would do, just use a suitcase.

Some months ago, I walked through with a 28" inch monitor in its big original box. Nobody stopped me.

Ten days ago, I tried walking through with a 30 Kg laser color printer. I got stopped this time, and was requested to X-Ray the box. I was asked what was inside, I said "laser printer". they x-rayed it, then said "have a good stay sir!" I have no idea what they are looking for. Maybe really vibrators?

If you want to be totally safe, use ExpatOilWorker's advice and bring some stuff that's above the limit, two bottles of booze instead of the one allowed will be fine.

The idea is to distract the officers by triggering their standard behavior - they love to give orders and to feel important, so bring some more booze than allowed and let them push you around for the booze, and maybe leave one 10-dollar bottle at customs.

This will totally black out the rest of your luggage in the mind of the customs officer, he will be like "on rails" following his standard process.

[sustento]

OP, just walk relaxedly through the green line, if it fits in a suitcase, you won't get stopped (99% probability).

That's what I would do, just use a suitcase.

Some months ago, I walked through with a 28" inch monitor in its big original box. Nobody stopped me.

Ten days ago, I tried walking through with a 30 Kg laser color printer. I got stopped this time, and was requested to X-Ray the box. I was asked what was inside, I said "laser printer". they x-rayed it, then said "have a good stay sir!" I have no idea what they are looking for. Maybe really vibrators?

If you want to be totally safe, use ExpatOilWorker's advice and bring some stuff that's above the limit, two bottles of booze instead of the one allowed will be fine.

As has already been said - not a good idea. If you're caught Thai customs will confiscate them all and fine you 4 times the the duty you should have paid. To bring in more than the duty free allowance you need an import licence.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/570443-tobacco-declaration-rates/

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056626003

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader2006/reader2354.htm

[MadMac]

I wrote already you should use truecrypt. Google may help. Silly question afterall as you know they only like their local prawn in Thailand

[taotoo]

I suspect you'll be okay with the HDs - why would they care?

But the didgeridoo will likely attract an import duty (I think I paid about 20%), though that only applies if it's deemed to be a professional instrument. Maybe you know this already, hence the blanket rather than a proper flight case. Of course they might just wave you through...

[hellodolly]

OP, just walk relaxedly through the green line, if it fits in a suitcase, you won't get stopped (99% probability).

That's what I would do, just use a suitcase.

Some months ago, I walked through with a 28" inch monitor in its big original box. Nobody stopped me.

Ten days ago, I tried walking through with a 30 Kg laser color printer. I got stopped this time, and was requested to X-Ray the box. I was asked what was inside, I said "laser printer". they x-rayed it, then said "have a good stay sir!" I have no idea what they are looking for. Maybe really vibrators?

If you want to be totally safe, use ExpatOilWorker's advice and bring some stuff that's above the limit, two bottles of booze instead of the one allowed will be fine.

As has already been said - not a good idea. If you're caught Thai customs will confiscate them all and fine you 4 times the the duty you should have paid. To bring in more than the duty free allowance you need an import licence.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/570443-tobacco-declaration-rates/

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056626003

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader2006/reader2354.htm

+1

[SlyAnimal]

I don't know about the CM airport, but at BKK they don't usually xray your bags or anything, so long as you have nothing to declare.

I don't think I've ever had my bags checked at all there, maybe xrayed once in 10+ entries.

If you decide to take your hard drives back to farangland though, you'd probably get them seized by customs and put into quarantine for a while so that they can be checked for dodgey stuff.

[taotoo]

At the risk of getting modded again, may I just point out that the OP is clearly having fun with Snowden/NSA, and the didgeridoo is a not so subtle clue that we have so far failed to pick up on?

[RecklessRon]

Forget getting it in, how would watch 200gig of movies let alone 450 gazillion terrabytes,what's your plan lock yourself in a room and watch the computer.30,000hrs =3.4 years 24/7.

Hope you enjoy your time in CM.

Just to clarify: I'm 55 and retiring on a small pension. My father died at 95 and his mother at 92 so I could live another 40 years. With what I have on these hard drives I won't need to pay for internet or cable TV and that will help my budget. Heck I probably won't even get a phone!

Also I bought the digeridoo when I was living in Australia and gave it to my father who was a musician. He's past on and so this has become a keepsake.

FYI: If I have to pay a few thousand baht to get all my stuff into Thailand I'll pay it. My concern was having something done to me like they did to Kim Dotcom. American's scare the s**t out of me - at least agents of their corporations or government or religions do.

[RecklessRon]

Upshot: One of my bags got the handle broken and I stopped to complain and get the paperwork. By the time that was done everyone else was gone and only one 'guard' was left who didn't even look at me as I came through the 'green' zone well overweight and with a digereedo wrapped in a blanket that could easily have been a shotgun or a rifle. I'm sure they saw me over at the counter complaining and I don't think he want to hear my story or get my bad karma!

I could not have planned it better, eh!