Customs Department to increase duty treshhold for tourists

[h90]

Why not use the correct duty rates, on many things it is 10 % + VAT. On others it is 1 % or 0 % + VAT

Make it a 40.000 and above you pay the correct rates.

[mango66]

So a tourist who lives in Europe and comes on holiday to Thailand and brings his expensive digital camera, let's just say worth 50000 THB, would be expected to pay an import tax of 30% of 50000-10000 THB just for the "privilege" of bringing his own camera to Thailand on his holiday? That's ridiculous! Who would ever impose such a tax or expect to be taxed on such a thing?

please read the article:

Tourist to thailand are not Thai tourists coming back to Thailand;

Personal items and gifts are differ !!!

will you bring a dig camera worth 50.000,- as gift ? dont beleave,

it would be an order and you will get compensated for it !

So this is trade and due to tax import,

as in every country in the world;

( ok, some country this limit is 5.000,-$ for personal items - mostly in Africa where a poor one only see the plains in the sky,

as they even not allowed to enter an Airport !!

[rickudon]

How many farang TOURISTS have ever been made to pay this tax? If you counted laptops, phones, cameras, watches etc. nearly all tourists would be over 10,000 baht worth but i have never met anyone who has been stopped arriving in Bangkok and asked to pay. It is not a farang rip off scheme (yet). The issue is more the ambiguous nature of what counts.

On the other hand, unaccompanied baggage, imports of personal affects and parcels are jumped on quite harshly.

[mango66]

I wish they would examine the customs department. Like transparency! That they keep talking about. After the B.I.B. this is most corrupt area.

I totally agree. When a friend forgot a pc of luggage on the luggage belt at BKK and wanted to go back the customs officer asked for a bribe of THB 500 to collect the baggage otherwise he would not let us in that area. After long procedures with other airport staff we could retrieve the luggage finally without any payment . I hate this system of corruption so I refused the bribe. Bureaucracy and corruption are an evil pair reduceing development and wealth.

Congratulation !

I would have paid the 500,- for my stupidy not to check my lagguage,

but propably you tried to copy the Chinese chilling in the airport :-)) !

But sometimes I pay 800,- thb,

than i dont worry for the lagguage,

I go by electro car to immigration ,

and my lagguage will be put in the taxi without that i tuch it :-)))))

[thefactoryoutlet]

All the BS that they keep repeating but that nobody listen to, especially Thai who also think that so high tax rates on luxury goods is just a scam !

[Anon999]

Many Thais coming back from overseas trips are met at the airport by their friends and family who just happen to be wearing their police/military/civil service uniforms so their goods are not subject to import duty.

How would that work Briggsy---you do not see any of the public (or them see you) until after you have cleared the customs station........Are you fantasizing again...??

Not true, you see many people who obviously have "friends" in high places, in the baggage collection area meeting friends and/or family, so Briggsy is spot on with his comment!

Remember, all these government employees, customs, police, immigration are as corrupt as they come and as thick as thieves!

Don't tar everyone with the same brush. Furthermore you have no evidence to support your claim whereas I have evidence to prove you are wrong.

[Anon999]

How many farang TOURISTS have ever been made to pay this tax? If you counted laptops, phones, cameras, watches etc. nearly all tourists would be over 10,000 baht worth but i have never met anyone who has been stopped arriving in Bangkok and asked to pay. It is not a farang rip off scheme (yet). The issue is more the ambiguous nature of what counts.

On the other hand, unaccompanied baggage, imports of personal affects and parcels are jumped on quite harshly.

Imported a 20 foot container full of personal effects including a host of electrical and electronic items and was charged a nominal amount.

[outboard]

How many farang TOURISTS have ever been made to pay this tax? If you counted laptops, phones, cameras, watches etc. nearly all tourists would be over 10,000 baht worth but i have never met anyone who has been stopped arriving in Bangkok and asked to pay. It is not a farang rip off scheme (yet). The issue is more the ambiguous nature of what counts.

On the other hand, unaccompanied baggage, imports of personal affects and parcels are jumped on quite harshly.

never seen a customs agent at Phuket, last time I came in I had a few bottles of red wine with me that I was prepared to pay duty on and there was no one to pay, that was after I had been waved through the vip counter for passport checks without paying too, I guess I have an honest face or something

[AZBill]

My wife's friend (thai) got nailed for her own personal Chanel bag she was wearing over her shoulder and it was not a new bag.

[ToddinChonburi]

You guys mist the real story here , the lady had a suite case full of purses and was bringing them back to copy and sell for her business there was an earlier story on this. Patent infringement i think it is called. One camera you look like a tourist, five cameras something is wrong. And if your here for work then were is your work permit.

[Briggsy]

Many Thais coming back from overseas trips are met at the airport by their friends and family who just happen to be wearing their police/military/civil service uniforms so their goods are not subject to import duty.

How would that work Briggsy---you do not see any of the public (or them see you) until after you have cleared the customs station........Are you fantasizing again...??

Not at all.

People like you and I are plebs. We get our bags from the carousel and then go through the red and green channels.

Wealthy Thais have arranged it all ahead, letting everyone know who they are. One of the ways they do this is by phoning their friends (police/military, etc.) who phone their friends who asked them to be put through the VIP channel and ask to be allowed airside to meet them. Also, wealthy Thais tend to travel in larger groups than farangi who often arrive as a solitary male.

I know this because I used to work at an importing firm in Bangkok and they always used this tactic and went into great detail explaining it to me. I am not talking about importing drugs here, I am talking about importing new goods they had bought in America often as gifts for customers, family and friends.

I don't know you but I will guess you are here on a retirement extension. That can limit your horizons here as you usually don't see any other sides of life in Thailand. If that is the case, I can understand why you think I am making this up but I am not. You might be a bit jealous that wealthy Thais can evade import duty but you and I can't.

[HerbalEd]

Many Thais coming back from overseas trips are met at the airport by their friends and family who just happen to be wearing their police/military/civil service uniforms so their goods are not subject to import duty.

Since they can only be met "after" going thru immigration and customs, what good does that do?

[mikebell]

I have a Thai neighbour who works at Swampy & sells me 'confiscated' booze at knock-down prices. A nice little earner for both of us.

[JAS21]

HerbalEd, on 24 Feb 2015 - 10:17, said:

Briggsy, on 23 Feb 2015 - 17:00, said:

Many Thais coming back from overseas trips are met at the airport by their friends and family who just happen to be wearing their police/military/civil service uniforms so their goods are not subject to import duty.

Since they can only be met "after" going thru immigration and customs, what good does that do?

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children ... he is a 'little' important and lives in a province not too far away from BK. So the above is not completely correct, is it!

[tharae]

Within reason, a few gifts for the poor family back in Issan our wherever should be overlooked. Many of the Thai ladies coming back on vacation to visit the family are charitable and good on them. Now I will say on my own experience Thai customs have been the best of anywhere else that I have traveled. Anytime that I have come to Thailand have never had a bag opened and the only time that I have ever had a bag put thru x-ray was when the baggage was odd and not your normal tourist luggage, even then a couple of questions without opening the bag and a wave on. Hopefully, this is not the start of a new shake down.

We were nabbed at Swampy in late December with nine bottles of wine - for the first time, via a luggage X-Ray. We had five bottles in our luggage and another four duty free. They wanted 3 bottles from our luggage. The Mrs played the "gifts for poor Issan family" card. The guy then said OK 2,000 Baht, which I was happy to pay and get out of there. Mrs then wanted a receipt, because she knew it would go into is pocket otherwise. After some further discussion with the guy and a few other Customs Officials, her demand was met.

I don't think they ever noticed the four duty free bottles in the top tray of the luggage trolley.

Edited February 24, 2015 by tharae

[hawker9000]

I have a Thai neighbour who works at Swampy & sells me 'confiscated' booze at knock-down prices. A nice little earner for both of us.

And thank-you for being part of the problem...

[oxo1947]

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children ...

he is a 'little' important and lives in a province not too far away from BK.------------JAS21

Do you know how completely farcical that sounds JAS21-?

I mean a plane with 300+ passengers arrives, everyone is fighting to get their hand luggage & get hell off of it, & ...."You Know A Guy" that walks on against this tide of human traffic ----just to say hello to his wife and children.

How often do his wife and children have to leave Thailand without him anyway..?

Have I missed something here....?..is it who can tell the biggest Porkie Pie day or something ?

.

I really don't know what you guys are smoking ---- but please PM me where I can get some of it.

[sanuk711]

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children /JAS21

I have a friend, that knows a man, that knows a girl ...who danced with the prince of Wales.

I think we are all in agreement that most Government departments in Thailand are not 100% Kosher.

(ThaiVisa has requested we do not use the "C" word to often) but some of these Tall tales do just distract from relating real happenings.

Edited February 24, 2015 by sanuk711

[JAS21]

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children ...

he is a 'little' important and lives in a province not too far away from BK.------------JAS21

Do you know how completely farcical that sounds JAS21-?

I mean a plane with 300+ passengers arrives, everyone is fighting to get their hand luggage & get hell off of it, & ...."You Know A Guy" that walks on against this tide of human traffic ----just to say hello to his wife and children.

How often do his wife and children have to leave Thailand without him anyway..?

Have I missed something here....?..is it who can tell the biggest Porkie Pie day or something ?

.

I really don't know what you guys are smoking ---- but please PM me where I can get some of it.

OXO ... you are quite naïve ...have you never seen anyone enter the plane after landing before people are allowed to get off. Or at least stand at the exit.

His children studied in England at that time and his wife lived there looking after them. So once a year they came home. We knew them because my wife taught the children Thai Grammar.

[JAS21]

sanuk711, on 24 Feb 2015 - 17:48, said:

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children /JAS21

I have a friend, that knows a man, that knows a girl ...who danced with the prince of Wales.

I think we are all in agreement that most Government departments in Thailand are not 100% Kosher.

(ThaiVisa has requested we do not use the "C" word to often) but some of these Tall tales do just distract from relating real happenings.

Did you know that there is an option to turn left when you get on the plane .... I have a friend, that knows a lady,.... maybe ...Nay couldn't be the same one could it!

Wake up to the real world sunshine ............

[oxo1947]

OXO ... you are quite naïve ...have you never seen anyone enter the plane after landing before people are allowed to get off. Or at least stand at the exit--JAS21

Sorry JAS21, no as I said I am in the unfortunate position of having to fly into Swampy every 8 weeks for the last 2 1/2 years , I must have missed these guys walking on the planes to greet their wives & children.

I noticed from your last 2 posts that rather than boarding the plane as first stated...= he could "at least stand at the exit."

to sanuk,, or "there is an option to turn left when you get on the plane"

You turn left into Business class, which is what I fly---these people disembark first & are are all standing by the door when it opens.

I would stop digging now JAS21 I think the hole is deep enough.

[JAS21]

You turn left into Business class, which is what I fly---these people disembark first & are are all standing by the door when it opens

Stop stuttering oxo ... the fact remains that the guy gets to the plane and he shouldn't be able to.

And if you want to be pedantic ... they can't all be standing by the door can they.

Have the last word if you like ... but just join the real world after..... enjoy

[sanuk711]

sanuk711, on 24 Feb 2015 - 17:48, said:

Well I know a Thai guy who goes onto the plane to meet his wife and children /JAS21

I have a friend, that knows a man, that knows a girl ...who danced with the prince of Wales.

I think we are all in agreement that most Government departments in Thailand are not 100% Kosher.

(ThaiVisa has requested we do not use the "C" word to often) but some of these Tall tales do just distract from relating real happenings.

Did you know that there is an option to turn left when you get on the plane .... I have a friend, that knows a lady,.... maybe ...Nay couldn't be the same one could it!

Wake up to the real world sunshine ............

Thanks for the advice JAS, but I think I would rather wake up to your world.

It seems a lot more colorful than the real one.

Edited February 25, 2015 by sanuk711

[saakura]

I would hope someone in authority, who wants to maintain or increase tourism will take into account that many come with a cultural belief in fairness. In this day of instant social communication, stories reporting accurately the low allowance for personal use items will have an almost immediate affect of sending tourists to other countries.

Yes, very soon most tourists would stop coming to Thailand. Just like we have been predicting ever since this forum was started.

[oxo1947]

I would hope someone in authority, who wants to maintain or increase tourism will take into account that many come with a cultural belief in fairness. In this day of instant social communication, stories reporting accurately the low allowance for personal use items will have an almost immediate affect of sending tourists to other countries.

Yes, very soon most tourists would stop coming to Thailand. Just like we have been predicting ever since this forum was started.

Your probably right saakura----& if they do come, they wont be able to get off the plane with all of JAS21 "Very high ranking friends" blocking the aisle so they can say hello to their wives...............