Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

How pompous you are with all the others armchair book throwers. The fun starts when you will be taken for a shakedown.

Paz,

Pompous or not the law is the law. Whether you or others like it. You would be bleating like a lamb if some tires you bought on line from Bangkok turned out to be dodgy used imports from Sri Lanka.

Is pomposity worse than faux arrogance?

The seller is now trying to contact DHL to see if they can get the wheels back.

You mean the seller hasn't been paid? <deleted>!

Edited March 19, 201412 yr by VocalNeal

The seller is a friend and has been paid.

I want to clarify that at no point I tried to break the law like someone suggested. In fact, there was no law regarding tyres when I got my first sets of wheels.

The comparison with murder is a poor one indeed. If I would follow that logic, it would mean that the government approved murder till Sunday, Monday makes a new law and whoever gets caught on Tuesday gets the death penalty.

My OP was to vent my frustration and to make others aware of this new law. I didn't imagine I would be branded as a criminal.

Anyway, I don't take it too seriously.

No one is branding you as a criminal. You were simply unaware that the law has changed. But because it had your tires got stopped, sadly they were mounted on wheels which also got stopped.

If in Bangkok you might be able to go down there apologize profusely and stab the tires with a knife etc. to make them unusable or offer to remove them.? But maybe they have been seized as contraband and will go to the Customs dept auction. Unless a customs guy bids on them first.

Just one of those sucky deals that we sometimes need to suss out here.

If it were me I would go down in person. If your Thai language is not too good

just take someone with you to be translator.

In these deals it is a no win situation to get upset or even to threaten going higher up the chain.

Instead just smile with a lot of kor torts & I did not know about this law etc.

Explain the only reason the cost was so low was it is just shipping costs since it is basically a gift from a pal etc.

NVC = no commercial value or gift

Then explain nicely how you really need these wheels & what can we do to fix this

problem right now. Also the idea of abandoning the tires is a good one.

Simple to remove right there with two tire irons.

Of course you will probably be given a option in baht. You then may or may not be able to

deal it down a bit. In the end just decide if it is worth it to you or walk away.

You would not really want to send back to Germany anyway as it is probably pricing

it out of useful.

Hope it works out for you.

Good Luck

Edited March 19, 201412 yr by mania

So, today this little odyssey found a conclusion.

After 2 days of my wife calling customs and getting stone walled, I decided to take matters in my own hands and call them up. After some discussion they said I should go to Chaeng Wattana and talk to a customs official. Off I went on a 2 hours drive to Bangkok, rehearsing all the way what I should say and preparing my most endearing smile for them.

When I arrived, I just showed them the post notice, got a number and finally got directed to a customs official who had my wheels on her desk. Good sign, I thought.

I was waiting to let my rhetoric lose, but nothing came from her. She just checked the invoice, calculated what she had to calculate and presented me with a bill of 3.200Baht. Great!

No mention of my wheels being confiscated, no mention of the tyres being against the law....nothing.

Customs really work in mysterious ways....

Geez, that's two happy endings in one day!

Geez, that's two happy endings in one day!

you are the one talking about law.

so as you can see, it is law when it comes to foreigners, right?

so when needed, law is not law as you can see.

OP, did they give you a receipt?

Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

And I heard this piece of wisdom before and still can't agree with it

Try killing someone and say you didn't realise it was against the law and see how far that gets you.

Seriously, a reference to murder vs not knowing a recent law about second hand tire imports hahahaha, a little bit picky perhaps. The OP also stated he has done this before so could be forgiven for not checking the law every time he requests a delivery as it was legal last time. May you never fall foul to such tactics!

Geez, that's two happy endings in one day!

you are the one talking about law.

so as you can see, it is law when it comes to foreigners, right?

so when needed, law is not law as you can see.

OP, did they give you a receipt?

Yes, I got the receipt. It all looked proper.

The paperwork they had, had some red stamps on it and another red sticker attached, but I didn't have the time to decipher it, nor did I want to ask too many questions.

This time the 'law' was only against my wife. When she called (twice), the situation looked hopeless, but when I called, it was smooth sailing from there.

God knows what really happened...

God knows what really happened...

It happened that they got the money and that is all what matters here.

Glad you can continue with your project now.

I'm not looking for friends. I'm pointing out that ignorance of the law is no excuse. He broke the law and got caught. End of story.

With your attitude you must have stopped looking since a long time.

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

Some of the posts on here are very funny....I mean really - we are talking about laws and their enforcement....in Thailand....hahaha. Seriously, this is a motorcycle forum and I'd be surprised if any of the negative armchair experts even knew half the relevant road laws here.

Well done on getting your wheels back, seems most laws here require a special degree of interpretation and management.

And for what it's worth - I pay 450bt/kg for anything imported through the Thai post by using an 'agent'. I believe it would be pretty easy for a Thai person to locate one of these guys online.....just food for thought and it obviously works better with lighter, more expensive things.

Happy riding!

Some of the posts on here are very funny....I mean really - we are talking about laws and their enforcement....in Thailand....hahaha. Seriously, this is a motorcycle forum and I'd be surprised if any of the negative armchair experts even knew half the relevant road laws here.

Well done on getting your wheels back, seems most laws here require a special degree of interpretation and management.

And for what it's worth - I pay 450bt/kg for anything imported through the Thai post by using an 'agent'. I believe it would be pretty easy for a Thai person to locate one of these guys online.....just food for thought and it obviously works better with lighter, more expensive things.

Happy riding!

No its about whining when something gets confiscated that is against the law. Blaming customs for it while it is not their fault and thinking that they are responsible for him not knowing the law.

I don't think I know all laws and some are quite stupid and some i break and i dont moan or bitch when I am caught. I just pay up and am done with it.

double post deleted

Edited March 19, 201412 yr by OmegaRacer

I'm not looking for friends. I'm pointing out that ignorance of the law is no excuse. He broke the law and got caught. End of story.

With your attitude you must have stopped looking since a long time.

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

So you say you are a law abiding guy while you are driving at 160 kph per hour down the highway.

Law is law there too.

I really cannot understand these type of comments.

When it is someone else it is law. When it is you it is not?

So dont go from bridges, underpasses and ride from the left lanr only and then talk about law my friend.

Clearly, they just wanted the money of OP and you call it law.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

God knows what really happened...

It happened that they got the money and that is all what matters here.

Glad you can continue with your project now.

The few times I had to pay customs, I did so at my local post office, without having to drive 2 hours to Bangkok.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

Yet another sermon? Luckly of the short form this time.

OP got his items from a customs officer, including the "prohibited" used tires. Tell me now, who broke the law ?

How easily people forgets TiT, I can't believe.

Edited March 19, 201412 yr by paz

>>Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Chew on that.

Tell that to the customs dept, bibs, and every other gov't agency that bends and breaks the law for their personal financial gain. So it seems it depends on what side of the law you are on, the enforcing side, or the paying side.

I'm not looking for friends. I'm pointing out that ignorance of the law is no excuse. He broke the law and got caught. End of story.

With your attitude you must have stopped looking since a long time.

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

usually the customer pays the seller to arrange the shipping in the export country and thats suposed to be to your door

unfortunately the items get handed over to customs when they arrive in thailand

customs rape as much as they can by overestimating the value of everything

no delivery charges are paid by thai customs AFAIK

In ireland you are given the option to pay the postman at your address but i guess customs dont trust thai postmen enough to collect

the money

if your getting anything delivered put a thai name on it and even better in thai if the selller agrees copy /paste your thai name onto the shipping label , a box addressed to a farang in english has a much higher chance of being opened nd overvalued ive been told

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

usually the customer pays the seller to arrange the shipping in the export country and thats suposed to be to your door

unfortunately the items get handed over to customs when they arrive in thailand

customs rape as much as they can by overestimating the value of everything

no delivery charges are paid by thai customs AFAIK

In ireland you are given the option to pay the postman at your address but i guess customs dont trust thai postmen enough to collect

the money

if your getting anything delivered put a thai name on it and even better in thai if the selller agrees copy /paste your thai name onto the shipping label , a box addressed to a farang in english has a much higher chance of being opened nd overvalued ive been told

Here they deliver it to the post office and you pay there. Not a major problem only when there are real problems do you have to go to Chang Wattena. I have been there once when i imported something that was not legal. My mistake.. i was happy enough not to get fined. Can't blame them for doing their job. Sure there are a lot of corrupt officials.. but to blame that when your breaking the law yourself is funny.

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

So you say you are a law abiding guy while you are driving at 160 kph per hour down the highway.

Law is law there too.

I really cannot understand these type of comments.

When it is someone else it is law. When it is you it is not?

So dont go from bridges, underpasses and ride from the left lanr only and then talk about law my friend.

Clearly, they just wanted the money of OP and you call it law.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Mate I almost never drive that fast I did that once. Had i been caught I would not come online saying how unfair it was. I broke the law i was at fault. When i get caught for something I accept that I dont start to attack customs or police and blame them for my mistake.

I wont say go after drunks my doing 160 is nothing compared to that and moan and groan.. no i would face up and pay.

So any more funny stuff ?

If I would knowingly do something against the law and get caught, I most certainly wouldn't come here to 'moan and groan'.

If I unknowingly do something against the law and get caught, I don't moan as long as the penalty is in proportion to the 'crime'. In my case, I would have paid a fine if necessary. But confiscating the wheels as it appeared at first, was beyond what seemed to be fair in my mind. The anger and frustration came from that.

Enough said, over and out.

And I'm sure that all here who slag off the OP, knew that it was prohibited to import tires, and also know all the other laws of Thailand. Keep it up guys, see you soon in your own moaning thread.

I don't understand why you're picking on him, he's absolutely correct. Maybe his example with "killing someone" was a little over the top but as another, more sensible example, you have to know the drug laws of the countries you're traveling to. Some regular over the counter meds from one country maybe prescription only or plain illegal in another country. If you get caught, "I didn't know the law" will not get you out of troubles, period!

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

Indeed seems that most educated people seem to understand that not knowing about a law does not mean they dont apply.

Too bad for the guy but that is the risk he takes, same as i take when i import something. Cant expect Thai customs to pay for shipment and such.

So you say you are a law abiding guy while you are driving at 160 kph per hour down the highway.

Law is law there too.

I really cannot understand these type of comments.

When it is someone else it is law. When it is you it is not?

So dont go from bridges, underpasses and ride from the left lanr only and then talk about law my friend.

Clearly, they just wanted the money of OP and you call it law.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Mate I almost never drive that fast I did that once. Had i been caught I would not come online saying how unfair it was. I broke the law i was at fault. When i get caught for something I accept that I dont start to attack customs or police and blame them for my mistake.

I wont say go after drunks my doing 160 is nothing compared to that and moan and groan.. no i would face up and pay.

So any more funny stuff ?

Somehow I missed where OP said he rode at 160. Hopefully someone from the nuclear submarine can show me where OP stated this.

Somehow I missed where OP said he rode at 160. Hopefully someone from the nuclear submarine can show me where OP stated this.

That was II2 trying to have a go at me as i once admitted i did 160 on my bike. True enough anyway I would not have moane if the police had caught me as i broke the law. I also don't stay on the left with my bike (that law is debateable) but i just pay up when pulled over.

Point is if you break the law don't bitch about the problems it causes.

In case of the OP I understand his frustration as he did not know before, but that still does not mean customs has to correct his mistake. Would be nice of course if they did (and they did) but was not mandatory.

Anyway the OP got his tires so all is good.

I also don't stay on the left with my bike (that law is debateable) ....

I think you finally got to the crux of this thread.

Glad it is all done and dusted.

Does this mean we are going to see the beast with some new wheels then?

I also don't stay on the left with my bike (that law is debateable) ....

I think you finally got to the crux of this thread.

Glad it is all done and dusted.

Does this mean we are going to see the beast with some new wheels then?

Alloy wheels wouldn't look good on my tracker SR. These wheels are for a fellow SR rider.

Here's my baby...

A little update:

Got the second set of wheels (without tyres) today. Picked them up at the local post office. No custom fees or taxes.

I'm happy! :-)