What To Do About This?

[agsnowdon]

Hey

Whilst out at the Airport Plazza my girlfriend was in the DVD shop on the ground floor and I spotted these 2 great DVD box sets 1 was for The Discovery Channel and the other for National Geographical these were the best of collection and both box sets consisted of about 100 DVDs in each as you can imagine the boxes for these sets were great elaborate boxes and really good packaging and I imagine the dimensions of these boxes were about H 50cm W 30cm D 12cm, and I must have them as they would cost probally a good 30% more in the UK.

So if you can imagine if I brought these 2 and tried to get them in my suitcase when I return home in a few months I won't be getting much else in there either.

How could I get these back to UK safely? I have come up with a couple of Ideas but wondering if there will be restrictions on both of them and am looking for your input.

Scenario

1) I could pack both the box sets (with the DVDs inside) in a box big enough to hold them both and then go to my local post office and send them home.

But would I have to pay customs anything would they arrive OK?

Scenario

2) Take the DVD's out of their box sets and put them in my suitcase and just send the box sets back to UK without the DVDs inside.

Or do you have any suggestions?

Cheers

Ash

Edited June 19, 2006 by agsnowdon

[mr_hippo]

Or do you have any suggestions?

Yes - never start a topic with 'Hey"

[agsnowdon]

Or do you have any suggestions?

Yes - never start a topic with 'Hey"

And why is that Mr Hippo?

As you have so much experience on Thai Visa with all of 5 posts so far. If you got a problem PM me.

I think you went a bit like I said PM me.

[ThaiPauly]

Mate.. have you played them yet to see if they are OK.?

I spent 1,200 baht on the boxed set of "Band OF Brothers" which I bought from Pantip.. and they are <deleted>.. absolute rubbish.. I tried to get a refund, ..but TIT, no joy

[agsnowdon]

Mate.. have you played them yet to see if they are OK.?

I spent 1,200 baht on the boxed set of "Band OF Brothers" which I bought from Pantip.. and they are <deleted>.. absolute rubbish.. I tried to get a refund, ..but TIT, no joy

Ain't got them yet want to see how I can get them home. Hope they do work.

U got any ideas as to my dilema?

[meadish_sweetball]

As a reminder, please keep the discussion off illegal territory. Thanks for your understanding.

[Mighty Mouse]

I buy DVD's in bulk and bring them back to Oz, each in a plastic sleeve, but not as many as 200.

200 DVD's won't weigh all that much but they will take up a fair amount of baggage space. You should be able to carry them onto your flight as cabin luggage, provided of course you have no other cabin luggage to take onboard. You will need to remove all packaging and individual DVD cases.

I don't know about British customs laws but I can't see any problem with them as you are bringing them home for personal use. Each DVD being different from the others there can be no suggestion that you are importing any one thing in bulk.

The other alternative is to pay excess baggage at the airport. Maybe not worth the effort of trying to save on the cost of buying the same goods back home.

[p1p]

Buy another suitcase.

[jackr]

I take it you're shipping them for the potential profit and thus need to take them with you? If not you could bung them on a mobile HDD, although I don't think they make them big enough to hold that much data yet.

[Tywais]

One possibility is to remove them and the cover inserts from the jewel case, put the CDs in a CD stack holder (the ones you get when you buy bulk quantity of CDs) and the paper inserts will flatten to a small stack and leave the jewel cases behind. Buy new jewel cases when you get home, they are cheap.

Just noticed MM implied this method already in his post.

Edited June 20, 2006 by tywais

[Maejo Man]

Personally I would pack the complete boxes well, and put them in as checked baggage. If you are flying out of Chiangmai, which I presume you are, I have found them extremely liberal with excess baggage.

If they are legitimate licenced CD's there is no problem, if not, you run the possible risk of having them confiscated by customs anywhere, considering the current climate on copyright.

[chanchao]

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you get a proper receipt from the store and bring it. Even better, rather than just the cash coupon, ask for a VAT bill made out in your name.

This may help you when explaining to the customs-gibbons that you can actually buy legal DVDs in Thailand.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[tigerbeer]

90 % of the boxed DVD's sold at ground floor pantip are not legal copies and sold at a premium price. They are all imported from china. so like chanchao mentioned, u might wanna be sure its legal before buying them.

at the ground floor of airport plaza. should be all legal though.

[cmsally]

I agree with Chanchao, safest is to get the receipt along with written receipt that has shop name incl Airport Plaza. Definitely keep them in the boxes to have loose discs doesn't look good.

I don't see how they can say anything about a packaged set bought at a large shopping mall.

Also check them out before you go to the trouble. I took some for friends only to find out English language wasn't an option on them. Yikes! brought back to Thailand.

[agsnowdon]

I take it you're shipping them for the potential profit and thus need to take them with you? If not you could bung them on a mobile HDD, although I don't think they make them big enough to hold that much data yet.

Not taking them home to sell, just seen a couple of large box sets that would be great to watch if I had nothing eles going on. I have a mobile HDD but 200gb is just not enough LOL.

[agsnowdon]

One possibility is to remove them and the cover inserts from the jewel case, put the CDs in a CD stack holder (the ones you get when you buy bulk quantity of CDs) and the paper inserts will flatten to a small stack and leave the jewel cases behind. Buy new jewel cases when you get home, they are cheap.

You mean the the CD Stack holder you get when you buy bulk CDR's at Com Plazza or somewhere similar?

I think you do and thats a good idea!

[p1p]

Box sets of 100 or so DVDs are generally just boxes containing the paper inserts and disks anyway. No jewel cases are involved. (I have purchased three or four of these sets in the past.)

My advice above stands. If you don't have room, just buy a new suitcase and pack them in it with some clothes. Take them back as checked baggage. My kids have done this frequently in the past.

[Mahseer]

I recently brought back more than 300 CD from UK. Dumped the cases and threw the lot into 4 CD wallets (case logic) that I bought in the night market (diagonally opposite from Suriwong hotel in front of the photo shop). The wallets held 84 CD each I believe and all combined was no great space or weight. Can't recall exact cost of the wallets but something like 140baht a piece when buying the 4.

[Puwa]

Don't forget to check to see if there is a region-specific coding on the DVDs. If the discs are encoded for Asia only, they may not work on a DVD player sold in another market. I have experienced this frustration firsthand, carrying a few movies all the way to the US only to find that I couldn't watch them.

[agsnowdon]

Box sets of 100 or so DVDs are generally just boxes containing the paper inserts and disks anyway. No jewel cases are involved. (I have purchased three or four of these sets in the past.)

My advice above stands. If you don't have room, just buy a new suitcase and pack them in it with some clothes. Take them back as checked baggage. My kids have done this frequently in the past.

P1P you mean like check in 2 bags? I know Thai Air only allow a maximum of 20kg per passenger but last time I went back to UK my bag weighed in at 30kg and the lady said thats the maximum any passenger can take even first class. She didnt even charge me for the extra.

So what would I do if my bags exceeded 30kgs? Do you or anyone know?

As to the comment about dvd regions if you by a cheap dvd player in your home country 99% it will be region free. I paid 30pound for my unknown brand and it played anything, but I lent a dvd to a mate who had a sony dvd that cost about 100pound it it was locked to UK region.

[Maejo Man]

Thai Air only allow a maximum of 20kg per passenger but last time I went back to UK my bag weighed in at 30kg and the lady said thats the maximum any passenger can take even first class. She didnt even charge me for the extra.

So what would I do if my bags exceeded 30kgs? Do you or anyone know?

Well she fibbed to you Thai Airways baggage allowance is 20Kg for economy, 40Kg for Royal Orchid Plus or business, and 60Kg for first class passengers.

I have always found them liberal with overweight cases, but having said that, if you waltz up with 50Kg you will probably get stuck for excess.

If you check in late you stand a better chance of not paying excess. At the check in counter they have a rolling total of all baggage loaded, and if you are one of the last to check in, and the plane is only at 80/90% of maximum baggage load, you most likely will not be charged.

[agsnowdon]

Thai Air only allow a maximum of 20kg per passenger but last time I went back to UK my bag weighed in at 30kg and the lady said thats the maximum any passenger can take even first class. She didnt even charge me for the extra.

So what would I do if my bags exceeded 30kgs? Do you or anyone know?

Well she fibbed to you Thai Airways baggage allowance is 20Kg for economy, 40Kg for Royal Orchid Plus or business, and 60Kg for first class passengers.

I have always found them liberal with overweight cases, but having said that, if you waltz up with 50Kg you will probably get stuck for excess.

If you check in late you stand a better chance of not paying excess. At the check in counter they have a rolling total of all baggage loaded, and if you are one of the last to check in, and the plane is only at 80/90% of maximum baggage load, you most likely will not be charged.

Just had a look at Thai Air website and got this info...

How much luggage am I allowed to check?

The luggage allowance for Royal First Class is 40 kg. (88 lbs.); for Royal Executive Class passengers: 30 kg. (66 lbs.); and for Economy Class passengers: 20 kg. (44 lb.).

Royal Orchid Plus Gold Card members are entitled to check an additional 20 kg. (44 lbs.). Royal Orchid Plus Silver Card members can check an additional 10 kg. (22 lbs.) of luggage.

Infants (not occupying a seat) are allowed 10 kg. (22 lbs.) excluding one fully-collapsible child stroller, pushchair, or infant-carrying basket.

Source?

and its 29 US$ per KG over your weight, but like you said MM the lady I just spoke to at Thai Air said just what you said

So maybe 2 suitcases is the way to go?

[Maejo Man]

The luggage allowance for Royal First Class is 40 kg. (88 lbs.); for Royal Executive Class passengers: 30 kg. (66 lbs.); and for Economy Class passengers: 20 kg. (44 lb.).

Royal Orchid Plus Gold Card members are entitled to check an additional 20 kg. (44 lbs.). Royal Orchid Plus Silver Card members can check an additional 10 kg. (22 lbs.) of luggage.

Infants (not occupying a seat) are allowed 10 kg. (22 lbs.) excluding one fully-collapsible child stroller, pushchair, or infant-carrying basket.

and its 29 US$ per KG over your weight, but like you said MM the lady I just spoke to at Thai Air said just what you said

I got my information from my "member's book" that arrived with my new card last week, websites here are notoriously out of date. However, smile, bow, wai, grovel, and if all else fails....CRY!! I have always find this ploy helps a lot Except with American airlines

[agsnowdon]

The luggage allowance for Royal First Class is 40 kg. (88 lbs.); for Royal Executive Class passengers: 30 kg. (66 lbs.); and for Economy Class passengers: 20 kg. (44 lb.).

Royal Orchid Plus Gold Card members are entitled to check an additional 20 kg. (44 lbs.). Royal Orchid Plus Silver Card members can check an additional 10 kg. (22 lbs.) of luggage.

Infants (not occupying a seat) are allowed 10 kg. (22 lbs.) excluding one fully-collapsible child stroller, pushchair, or infant-carrying basket.

and its 29 US$ per KG over your weight, but like you said MM the lady I just spoke to at Thai Air said just what you said

I got my information from my "member's book" that arrived with my new card last week, websites here are notoriously out of date. However, smile, bow, wai, grovel, and if all else fails....CRY!! I have always find this ploy helps a lot Except with American airlines

Looks like I shall be saying please please and Khap Khun Krap alot.

What is please in thai?

[meadish_sweetball]

When used as a single word imploring similar to English, the right word to use would be 'dai[falling] bprote[low]' ได้โปรด ... not too common though.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned the regional setting of the DVDs.

Can you play them in the UK?

[cobra]

Buy another suitcase.

Yes indeed,

Try as I may, I always end up buying another cheap bag just to carry my impulse items back,

Like how many carved elephant head / coaster sets does one need ..

Really, just get another bag and check it thru,

Cheers

[Maejo Man]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned the regional setting of the DVDs.

Can you play them in the UK?

Why don't you read the thread??

[cnxpat]

Hi, not sure if you have already left, but as you asked for suggestions, how about:

Pack them in a box and check at the post office how much it will be to send them by registered airmail. They will be happy to weigh it for you and give you the price for EMS shipping.

You can also find a calculator here: http://www.thailandpost.com/search_ems_en.asp

(I have no clue how much 200 CD's will weigh)

I use Thailand Post almost DAILY for overseas shipping (to Europe, US), it is cheap, efficient, safe, secure, and I have NEVER had any complaints about losses. Last time I send a package to the UK it took 4 days to arrive (if you decide to do so, send it from the postoffice at the airport, then it won't need additional handling, it will go from airport to airport to your postal address).

I am sure shipping will be less than a potential $29 for 1 kg overweight.

You might want to give it a try, good luck.

[agsnowdon]

Hi, not sure if you have already left, but as you asked for suggestions, how about:

Pack them in a box and check at the post office how much it will be to send them by registered airmail. They will be happy to weigh it for you and give you the price for EMS shipping.

You can also find a calculator here: http://www.thailandpost.com/search_ems_en.asp

(I have no clue how much 200 CD's will weigh)

I use Thailand Post almost DAILY for overseas shipping (to Europe, US), it is cheap, efficient, safe, secure, and I have NEVER had any complaints about losses. Last time I send a package to the UK it took 4 days to arrive (if you decide to do so, send it from the postoffice at the airport, then it won't need additional handling, it will go from airport to airport to your postal address).

I am sure shipping will be less than a potential $29 for 1 kg overweight.

You might want to give it a try, good luck.

No I'm still here.

Thought about it but was wondering if customs would charge anything in UK? Which would then defeat the idea of buying the DVD's cheap here.

Doyou know if they would?

Edited July 6, 2006 by agsnowdon