Two South Koreans arrested for smuggling used smartphones

[Thaivisa News]

Nong Khai:- Two South Korean men were arrested in the northeastern province of Nong Khai Saturday evening when police found 50 refurbished smartphones in their bags, which they declined to declare at the Mueang Nong Khai border checkpoint.

Chunsic Jeong, 40 and Jongpil Kim, 41, were arrested by Nong Khai immigraiton officers on charge of smuggling controlled goods without properly declaring them to customs officials.

The two were brought to an interrogation room of the Nong Khai Immigration office at 7:30pm. They were interrogated by Pol Maj Gen Chartchai Iamsaeng, commander of the Immigration Police Division 4 and Pol Col Pallop Suriyakul, commander of the Nong Khai Immigration Office.

Presented along the suspects in the interrogation room were 30 used Samsung Note 2 phones and 20 used iPhone 5 phones. The seized used smartphones with accessories were worth about Bt700,000.

The two were arrested on the Vangvieng-Udon Thani bus when it passed the border checkpoint at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

When passengers on the bus were asked to get down the bus to pass through the immigration counters at the checkpoint, officials checked the bus and found two bags hidden under two seats. After the two South Koreans returned to their seats, police asked them to open the bags and found the smuggled phones.

The two told police that they are phone repairing technician and they bought the used phones from their friend who has a shop in Vientiane. They said they planned to deliver the phones to a customer in Malaysia.

They admitted that they declined to declare the phones for fear of being arrested. They were handed over to the Mueang Nong Khai police station for prosecution.

[namatjira]

Maybe not so smart to smuggle these smart phones

[Pomthai]

Since when are used phones even fairly high end ones worth 14k a piece?

[BudRight]

Since when are used phones even fairly high end ones worth 14k a piece?

Yet again the Thai periodical didn't bother to check this.

[stoli]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

[jonw8uk]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

Import tax

[stoli]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

Import tax

On used items? Do they tax your clothes that you bring with you? 30 shirts? I would not think that would be the case, but I can be wrong.

[Kees5555]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

Import tax

On used items? Do they tax your clothes that you bring with you? 30 shirts? I would not think that would be the case, but I can be wrong.

IMPORT TAX !!! As said before. It is amazing that you don't know about this.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/travellers/arriving+in+thailand/arrivinginthailand

Duty Payment

If you are bringing in with you the items with total combined value more than 10,000 baht, these items are subject to import taxes and duties. A flat rate of duty will be applied on the dutiable items provided that:

• The dutiable items are intended for personal use;
• They are at a reasonable quantity and not intended for commercial use, business, or trade purposes;
• The total value is not exceeding 80,000 Baht; and
• Passengers are able to pay taxes and duties in cash on the date of arrival.

[jasonsamui55]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

Import tax

On used items? Do they tax your clothes that you bring with you? 30 shirts? I would not think that would be the case, but I can be wrong.

IMPORT TAX !!! As said before. It is amazing that you don't know about this.

http://www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/travellers/arriving+in+thailand/arrivinginthailand

Duty Payment

If you are bringing in with you the items with total combined value more than 10,000 baht, these items are subject to import taxes and duties. A flat rate of duty will be applied on the dutiable items provided that:

• The dutiable items are intended for personal use;
• They are at a reasonable quantity and not intended for commercial use, business, or trade purposes;
• The total value is not exceeding 80,000 Baht; and
• Passengers are able to pay taxes and duties in cash on the date of arrival.

So does this mean any time I enter with my watch, wallet, clothes on my back, laptop and two smart phones and a couple of suitcases filled with clothes, any one of the above is worth over 10000 thb, I'm supposed to declare that? Just the obvious things an average western tourist carried with them anywhere they go might well be worth over 100,000 thb, 10x the limit, especially the well heeled ones headed to the four seasons of intercontinental or similar 4 and 5 star hotels. Are they all unknowingly risking arrest by taking a holiday to Thailand and not entering with rags on their back and none of their usual possessions?

[mike324]

I don't understand the seizure, or why the used phones would be a problem. Can you turn a smartphone into yaa baa? What harm did these phones pose? What if they were 50 used kitchen pots? Need to be declared at a border? Why?

Import tax

On used items? Do they tax your clothes that you bring with you? 30 shirts? I would not think that would be the case, but I can be wrong.

obviously no one needs or uses 50 phones, so quite oblivious they brought it in for business purposes not personal use, why do you still need to argue that point?

[maidee]

thai import tax, would make them many times more costly than new one's

thai logic, no need to try to break your head

[Nemesis7]

Welcome to thailand.

[lostinisaan]

Maybe not so smart to smuggle these smart phones

I don't think that the smart phones, that the not so smart guys wanted to smuggle were that smart.Mostly cheap copies.

[h90]

Since when are used phones even fairly high end ones worth 14k a piece?

Note 2 was high end when? I give it a 2000 Baht.