Luggage Lookers: Major Thai airports to X-ray incoming items on baggage carousel

[webfact]

Luggage Lookers: Major Thai airports to X-ray incoming items on baggage carousel

By Coconuts Bangkok 

 

Photo: David McKelvey/Flickr

 

BANGKOK: -- Soon, the baggage carousels at the five major Thai airports will feature X-ray devices that scan all incoming baggage for items that are dutiable or not allowed, according to Kulit Sombatsiri, Customs Department director-general.

 

More than 20 X-ray machines will be placed on the carousels at Suvarnabhumi, while six more will be installed at Don Mueang, Phuket, Samui and Chiang Mai airports, reported Bangkok Post.

 

The machines should cost about THB2 billion. They will start to be installed next year and be up and running by 2018.

 

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/11/14/luggage-lookers-major-thai-airports-x-ray-incoming-items-baggage-carousel

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2016-11-14

[Mister Fixit]

Oh crikey, that's not going to be good for me when I bring back all my hard-to-get-here foods from the UK. My cheap tinned corned beef, fish and my fresh chorizo for next to nothing at home.  

 

That'll be fun.

 

 

[pookiki]

5 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

Oh crikey, that's not going to be good for me when I bring back all my hard-to-get-here foods from the UK. My cheap tinned corned beef, fish and my fresh chorizo for next to nothing at home.  

 

That'll be fun.

 

 

There is an allowable limit on items brought in -- I forget the amount.  Just keep your receipts.  IF the custom officials want to tally everything in a person's luggage, it will take hours to get out of the airport.

[JHolmesJr]

i thought they already scan bags before they hit the carousel…doe that mean they don't at present….thats mind-blowing.

[jpinx]

I think the current system is for you to be pulled from the exit and your bags xrayed.  If they start doing them all, even remotely, that's going to make for delays, perhaps as long as passport control sometimes :)

[dhream]

21 minutes ago, pookiki said:

There is an allowable limit on items brought in -- I forget the amount.  Just keep your receipts.  IF the custom officials want to tally everything in a person's luggage, it will take hours to get out of the airport.

Welcome to Australia!

 

[zaphod reborn]

The giks of the customs agents are demanding more gifts.

[dhream]

20 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

i thought they already scan bags before they hit the carousel…doe that mean they don't at present….thats mind-blowing.

Not x-ray, but they certainly have drug sniffer dogs down in the guts of the place, they then discreetly mark any suspect bags, and wait to see who collects... of course, in some ports, there are more drugs leaving than entering, but that's how it's done.

In Australia they almost routinely line up the entire jumbo jet load of passengers from South America, right on the airbridge, and have the drug dogs sniff every carry on bag, even the crew get the once over.

[lee b]

I'm shocked that this was not being done already. I have been through the airport in BKK 100's of times and not once have I been stopped by customs and told to have a bag x-rayed. Anything could have been in it.

[fruitman]

15 minutes ago, lee b said:

I'm shocked that this was not being done already. I have been through the airport in BKK 100's of times and not once have I been stopped by customs and told to have a bag x-rayed. Anything could have been in it.

 

This weekend on Don Muang i also saw them investigating open suitcases at the nothing to declare exit. 

[thai3]

what's not allowed, or chargeable  as far as food stuff goes then?

[Chicog]

Something we're well used to in the Sandpit.  And they pay as much attention there. On the odd occasion your suitcase comes out marked with a zip tie for inspection by customs, some judicious juggling of luggage on the trolley to cover it up usually does the job.

 

So it's just a question of finding out how they are going to mark bags for inspection and devising an appropriate response.

[AhFarangJa]

In Riyadh Every bag  including hand luggage, handbags, and children's bags go through x ray before leaving the airport.......But as Chicog said the attention span is not really there :)

[brain150]

Slaves being treated as slaves ... nothing more.

Do as the mighty say and you are fine.

 

Who ever agrees to this on what ever reasons should be aware that this is just the beginning of 100% total control of everything !!!

[AhFarangJa]

Wow, paranoia is alive and kicking... 

[Mickmouse1]

Oh my Pizza?how about real English Cheddar or Bath baked Scones or my Bristol Jamican Jerk Sauce...am <deleted>?

[phetphet]

I thought passengers bags were x-rayed before boarding at departure airports around the world.

 

Are they seriously going to be stopping, searching and charging tourists for that extra bottle of spirits, or carton of cigarettes on arrival. They really do seem keen to deter visitors.

[dotpoom]

3 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

Oh crikey, that's not going to be good for me when I bring back all my hard-to-get-here foods from the UK. My cheap tinned corned beef, fish and my fresh chorizo for next to nothing at home.  

 

That'll be fun.

 

 

And there was me thinking it was the Chinese alone who liked to do that.

[worgeordie]

They have spent 2 Billion THB on these X-Ray machines,so you can

bet they are looking for a return on the investment,in terms of fines

and confiscation of banned items,or anything the custom officer

thinks should be taxed.

 

If these machines were bought from China,expect things to be

back to normal,when they have all broken down.

regards worgeordie

[Caspersfriend]

They have been x-raying all checked baggage off international flights for at least two years at Chiang Mai. No red or green lane anymore, every checked bag goes through the machine before you can leave. No idea what they were looking for when I returned last month, I had food products and electrical appliances but wasn't stopped. Previous time they appeared to be singling out women bringing wholesale volumes of cosmetics and such.  

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

dutiable

Is that a word?

 

If so does it mean can cream even more money off any and every one coming here?

 

Or is that just the vibe being given off by those behind the policy?

Edited November 14, 2016 by Bluespunk

[kilt]

Two words.... "carry on"

[Bantex]

I regularly travel through Suvarnabhumi airport with suitcase, rucksack and computer bag. On three trips I've had one bag X-rayed, the last time this happened the staff operating the machine weren't even looking at the monitor but only glancing at it from time to time.

[Homburg]

My past experience of being pulled aside at customs whenever my luggage contains something likely to raise suspicions (but nothing illegal or over limits) means that I am quite sure that they already do this on all bags arriving at Swampy, but maybe they need an upgrade because the existing equipment is too slow. The last time I arrived from PNH (August) it took 55 minutes from exiting the aircraft to when the FIRST bag from the flight arrived on the carousel. On the other hand, maybe luggage delays are just Thai competence & the upgrade is happening because of the money involved.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, lee b said:

I'm shocked that this was not being done already. I have been through the airport in BKK 100's of times and not once have I been stopped by customs and told to have a bag x-rayed. Anything could have been in it.

I'm sure you'll also be shocked at how long it's going to take to get out of the terminal when they bring that in.

 

I'm also sure they x ray bags going ONTO planes to check for bombs etc, but this is supposed to be to pick up dutiable items.

 

The sanuk is leaving LOS even faster than before. If they keep it up, it will be a sanuk devoid country the equal of north Korea.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

In Riyadh Every bag  including hand luggage, handbags, and children's bags go through x ray before leaving the airport.......But as Chicog said the attention span is not really there :)

I spent a loooooooooooooong time waiting for them to review the VDO tapes I brought in.

If ever I feel down I just have to remember life in Saudi and then I cheer up because I'm not there anymore.

[waldroj]

"...for items that are dutiable or not allowed..."

 

Customs officials chasing shadows !!! 

[new2here]

I'm shocked that this was not being done already. I have been through the airport in BKK 100's of times and not once have I been stopped by customs and told to have a bag x-rayed. Anything could have been in it.

On level 1, where the baggage make up areas are located, there are x-ray facilities run by customs as well as security, but as a normal process, all incoming uncleared bags aren't put thru a screening by either customs or airport security.

To me, it makes sense from a customs perspective, as it reduces some of the bypass (for customs) goods that are either dutiable and/or prohibited, but aren't detected by customs at the green channel now due to the "bottleneck" of people/bags passing thru and the limited screening volume that now exists at the green channel exit area.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[AhFarangJa]

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I spent a loooooooooooooong time waiting for them to review the VDO tapes I brought in.

If ever I feel down I just have to remember life in Saudi and then I cheer up because I'm not there anymore.

 

Amen to that .....Same here !!!!

[GOLDBUGGY]

My Bag always got pulled out by the Sniffer Dog in Poland almost every time on my many trips a year their. A bit annoying after awhile as you go to a private room, empty everything out of your suitcase, and have a Customs Official do a close inspection on it and every thing else.

 

I have never carried anything like illegal drugs before and in this suitcase so I was puzzled why he always chose my bag. It got to the point that I knew the sniffer dog by name (Brutus) and he would smile at me every time he saw me.

 

The Customs Official was surprised by this to, as Brutus is seldom wrong, so after further investigation with his superiors, he concluded that my suitcase must have rubbed against another suitcase that did have drugs it it, on some other flight, and why Brutus could still smell it.

 

Amazing Dog and a sense of smell to detect something so small and so long ago. But he did cost me a new suitcase even though my old one was still like new. But Brutus still smiled at me and wagged his tail when I walked past him next time. But lucky for me I didn't have to stop for another visit.