Unacceptable Treatment

[Axel]

Axel,you may be loud and obnoxious, but I am not.

Good for you pampal, good for you. I do like people who treat the customs officers with courtesy and respect and don't think I said anything else, so what brings you to your assumption?

BTW, I am holding all necessary documentation, Owner and Manager Card etc. to do any customs procedures in Thailand in my own name or o/b of actual importers as a broker.

Now, you say:

Because the laws allow you to bring in more than the allowance as long as the duty is paid...

I would be interested to know where to find this law and based on which customs tariff to calculate duty.

The only stipulation I do know, Thai customs allows a duty free personal exemption for 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or smoking tobacco but seem not to mention anywhere that you are allowed to bring in more against payment.

Otherwise, yes you did the right thing, declaring in the red channel and the decision of the customs officer was clear, go ahead. Usually, they don't want to be bothered for small quantities, unless somebody does not show the necessary respect.

[pampal]

Axel,you may be loud and obnoxious, but I am not.

Good for you pampal, good for you. I do like people who treat the customs officers with courtesy and respect and don't think I said anything else, so what brings you to your assumption?

BTW, I am holding all necessary documentation, Owner and Manager Card etc. to do any customs procedures in Thailand in my own name or o/b of actual importers as a broker.

Now, you say:

Because the laws allow you to bring in more than the allowance as long as the duty is paid...

I would be interested to know where to find this law and based on which customs tariff to calculate duty.

The only stipulation I do know, Thai customs allows a duty free personal exemption for 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or smoking tobacco but seem not to mention anywhere that you are allowed to bring in more against payment.

Otherwise, yes you did the right thing, declaring in the red channel and the decision of the customs officer was clear, go ahead. Usually, they don't want to be bothered for small quantities, unless somebody does not show the necessary respect.

Axel,

It seems I misread your post on this thread. I thought you were saying I was rude to the customs officer. My mistake. But the truth is that duty free means just that. Anything more than the said duty free amount is subject to duty, hence not duty free. There are no laws prohibiting the import of more than

the duty free allowance, only limits to the duty free status of the aforementioned. If you know of any, please let me know.It would be next to impossible to fund my vacation in thailand through the importation of one carton of cigs. so there is no commercial value in the importation. customs has in the past attached (retail price) to cigs imports which are over the duty free amount, in order to assess duty. That's how they dealt with it in the past, although they used the retail value of the country imported from and not thai retail value. That's how they have done it historically here.

and please everyone be courteous to the customs as I was and they will overlook small amounts as axel has stated.

[pampal]

I would be interested to know where to find this law and based on which customs tariff to calculate duty.

axel,

the laws your are searching for and not finding in this case relate to commercial quantities imported for resale,

and as the thai tobacco monopoly owns this game, there will be no laws to find. at an tourist airport customs, usually the amounts are too small to be called commercial, hence there are no laws pertaining to said imports. Maybe completely at the discretion of the customs officer. So please let me know if you find something related.

[Donz]

Customs officers are <deleted> everywhere, comming back from Thailand to sydney the sydney officers were telling me i could be fined and jailed because I had a pencil in my bag and its made out of wood, after they had there giggles they let me go.

I believe many just do it to have a bit of fun and see who can anoy people the most.

[Fielder]

As customs is cracking down on duty free goods bought into the country, I would like some clarification on one point.

I understand that 1 Litre of alcahol can be bought in duty free. Now in the past my wife and I bring in a 1.25 litre bottle of spirits between us.

Under the current customs clampdown, do they consider this to be 1.25 litres to one passenger, or do the split it over both, as in other countries. I dont't want to offend anybody, I just want a calm peaceful time in BKK.

[Mighty Mouse]

I had a pencil in my bag......

You must have been the first bloke in history to re-enter Australia from Thailand with too much lead in his pencil.

[pampal]

As customs is cracking down on duty free goods bought into the country, I would like some clarification on one point.

I understand that 1 Litre of alcahol can be bought in duty free. Now in the past my wife and I bring in a 1.25 litre bottle of spirits between us.

Under the current customs clampdown, do they consider this to be 1.25 litres to one passenger, or do the split it over both, as in other countries. I dont't want to offend anybody, I just want a calm peaceful time in BKK.

Good Question. There are many grey areas in customs laws. Mostly discretionary, depending on the customs officer. Why not bring in 1 liter each? Just to be sure, but if you must bring in 1.25 liter bottle, declare it in the red line and 99% you will be waived through.

[jingjoe]

You must have been the first bloke in history to re-enter Australia from Thailand with too much lead in his pencil.

[Aujuba]

It's just Thai custom.

[dwwin]

Had a similar experience one in Singapore. At curb-side lit up and was approached by customs officers who identified themselves as such. Wanted to know how I can have a cigarette when I am not allowed to bring any into the country. Obviously they watched me on survey-cameras.

Sounds strange cos until yesterday you could bring fags into S'pore. Maybe you lit up in the wrong zone.

[Douggie Style]

An unfortunate life... experience.

It just underscores the requirement to stay cool when dealing with CO's (anywhere).

[Axel]

Had a similar experience one in Singapore. At curb-side lit up and was approached by customs officers who identified themselves as such. Wanted to know how I can have a cigarette when I am not allowed to bring any into the country. Obviously they watched me on survey-cameras.

Sounds strange cos until yesterday you could bring fags into S'pore. Maybe you lit up in the wrong zone.

You can bring cigarettes, if you pay duty and GST.

There is no GST relief and duty-free concession on cigarettes and other tobacco products. They may be brought in only on payment of duty and GST. http://www.customs.gov.sg/travel/travel1.h...ree_Concessions

There is no duty-free allowance on cigarettes and other tobacco products.

http://app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/dua...el.asp#dutyfree

Don't forget, Singapore once wanted to become smoke-free, although it does not seem to work.

[dwwin]

Had a similar experience one in Singapore. At curb-side lit up and was approached by customs officers who identified themselves as such. Wanted to know how I can have a cigarette when I am not allowed to bring any into the country. Obviously they watched me on survey-cameras.

Sounds strange cos until yesterday you could bring fags into S'pore. Maybe you lit up in the wrong zone.

You can bring cigarettes, if you pay duty and GST.

There is no GST relief and duty-free concession on cigarettes and other tobacco products. They may be brought in only on payment of duty and GST. http://www.customs.gov.sg/travel/travel1.h...ree_Concessions

There is no duty-free allowance on cigarettes and other tobacco products.

http://app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/dua...el.asp#dutyfree

Don't forget, Singapore once wanted to become smoke-free, although it does not seem to work.

I know that but the original post sounded like you can't bring cigarets which is not true. I lived there when the no-smoking got really off. They're good at it too. The laws are clear but there are ashtrays too. Not like here where they simply remove the ashtrays and then waiting behind the bushes to fine you.

Edited December 16, 2006 by dwwin

[pgs]

Singapore is such a *fun* place. One transfer there I had a basic plastic pen confiscated during the pre-boarding check. No problems getting on with it in Sydney, but Singapore customs obviously decided it was a terrible weapon. Maybe the pen really is mightier than the sword.

Never had a problem with COs in BKK - Sydney on the other hand... They make the GESTAPO look like a bunch of pansies.

Consider this: Can't import dairy products, but can bring in dairy milk chocolate... Yep, nothing like logic.

[dwwin]

Singapore is such a *fun* place. One transfer there I had a basic plastic pen confiscated during the pre-boarding check. No problems getting on with it in Sydney, but Singapore customs obviously decided it was a terrible weapon. Maybe the pen really is mightier than the sword.

Never had a problem with COs in BKK - Sydney on the other hand... They make the GESTAPO look like a bunch of pansies.

Consider this: Can't import dairy products, but can bring in dairy milk chocolate... Yep, nothing like logic.

It sure is a fun place, About 2 an'a half day and you've seen every thing. But what could I do? My company had sent me there to stay/live as service manager for Asia.

Hot tip. If you get too bored in S'pore (which shouldn't be too difficult unless you are for shopping the whole day) jump on a ferry (they call it speed boat) at the WTC and go to Batam island. Takes between 30 to 45 minutes depends on if the boat is from S'pore or Indnesia. Over there, real live, brown girls and cheap.

[Bisto]

Singapore is such a *fun* place. One transfer there I had a basic plastic pen confiscated during the pre-boarding check. No problems getting on with it in Sydney, but Singapore customs obviously decided it was a terrible weapon. Maybe the pen really is mightier than the sword.

Never had a problem with COs in BKK - Sydney on the other hand... They make the GESTAPO look like a bunch of pansies.

Consider this: Can't import dairy products, but can bring in dairy milk chocolate... Yep, nothing like logic.

One solid one liquid. Would not bring in a pint of milk. Then cheese is a solid. Can see where this will go.

[Rempler]

Holding the Kingdom of Thailand and all its institutions in very high esteem, I, nevertheless, sense that there is a non-decreasing number of "exceptions" to the rule of fair, honest and truthful officers at various governmental services and locations.

The amount of complaints about "curious" patterns of behaviour of certain (definitely not all) bodies of the Thai authorities has been discussed between my Thai family and me widely since many years. So, living in Europe (since long) my Thai wife initially had not been able to believe that over here there is (nearly) no corruption within police/customs/government offices and similar.

But my wife, every time, underlines that similar problems (like Customs affairs in the BKK airport) do happen to Thai people as well, if these were obviously not ready to fight against the authorities (which may be valid even for the majority of the middle class people in Thailand). And she adds: "While we (=Thai people) do not have the slightest chance to play a successful return (not to mention a "winner") in such situations, you (=falangs) do have a good chance to re-"act" in an efficient way by USING FALANG TV stations in falang countries, and work hard to make them report those issues in their holiday magazines !

By accident I hit this topic, while talking to a Spanish gentlemen in Phnom Penh a year ago and from him I understood that this seems to have been done in a very few cases already in the late nineties. The recorded program material had been sent to the corresponding Thai embassies in Europe, who were told to have shown an "unseen responsiveness" ( facing a threat to the touristic image) ... with impressive consequences for the targetted problem areas !!! Believe him or not: He stated: "Failures had been diminished ... "

Due to my limited Spanish language abilities I had not been able to understand the details and the concrete matters of these (BBC + French TV5 ?) reports but I did not see any reason to not trust his statements as such.

As we all know, there were loads of TV reports about LOS and its nightlife (several of them "inspired" by feminist groups and targeted to draw a pretty ugly picture of those males, who spend their holidays in Thailand or Phillipines, Brazil etc.).

But - given the actual media trends, I consider it realistic that those channels, who once were transmitting stuff like Pattaya-reports, today may also be potential adresses for such an approach. A journalist-peer indicated the feeling that ... if any group of Europeans would come up with 3-4 hard-fact and traceable stories, including the names of those, who were willing to testify in front of a TV camera, then there should be a solid (30-50%) chance for getting something into the typical "holiday"-program sections of various European, Australian, Canadian or South American TV stations....

But he stressed the fact that the channels most definitely would only report if the witnesses would be above any suspicion ..... as TV stations more than ever are afraid to be involved in costly lawsuits, especially with countries, with which they do have a loads of TV-plans for the future.

But imagine an English, Austrian, French or Spanish TV-team filming "in situ" at Suvarnabhumi ....

Well, I can easily anticipate that many will say something about "wasted energy". Up to you ....

I just consider this idea worth while several attempts, especially if you spend a considerable amount of time in the Kingdom.

P.s.:

a ) As you might have realized: I DO try to stay away from any generalisations, even though tempted in many ways ...

b ) Apologies for my bad English, I am just learning

Edited December 18, 2006 by Rempler

[libya 115]

As customs is cracking down on duty free goods bought into the country, I would like some clarification on one point.

I understand that 1 Litre of alcahol can be bought in duty free. Now in the past my wife and I bring in a 1.25 litre bottle of spirits between us.

Under the current customs clampdown, do they consider this to be 1.25 litres to one passenger, or do the split it over both, as in other countries. I dont't want to offend anybody, I just want a calm peaceful time in BKK.

Only attempt to bring one (1) litre of duty free spirits into Thailand.

I have mentioned this once, but will mention again that a friend of mine arriving from the U.K. via the Middle East bought a 1 litre bottle of blue label vodka.

During a random check at Thai customs, he thought he was clear, but ended up paying a huge fine, probably increased for arguing with customs.

Blue vodka is 50%, only 40% strength spirits are considered as 'duty free'.

Don't give customs any opportunity to fine you, stick to 200 cigs and 1 litre of spirits.

Those semi-officials outside are on commission, I imagine they share out the cigs and booze after their work shift finishes.

Edited December 19, 2006 by libya 115

[Spenthouse]

Just landed at Suvarnabhumi last night and was accosted at curbside while waiting for the limousine taxi. They sort of drifted away when I invited them back inside the terminal to inspect my bags. Those guys in jackets outside are not customs officers, but I would bet that they are working hand-in-glove with the real officers inside, as my bags were put through the x-ray when exiting from the customs area.