Duty-free Retailer Told To Respect Regulations

[Thaising]

The Excise Department has warned King Power Group to stick to the rules limiting the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol for travellers entering the country. A department source said the agency was worried about violations of the regulation as it had found that foreigners entering Thailand and also Thai citizens returning from overseas trips were allowed to buy cigarettes and alcohol beyond the limit, despite warnings to duty-free shops.

The duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi airport are run by King Power.

Thailand allows people entering the country to buy only 10 packs of cigarettes and no more than one litre of alcohol.

The source said the department will put up signs at shop check-outs to warn staff and visitors about the restriction and was considering fining violators. Those who break the rule would be taxed and fined up to twice the tax amount.

King Power chairman and chief executive officer, Vichai Raksriaksorn, said he was surprised by the warning and denied his firm was breaking the regulation.

He said staff had been ordered to stick to the rule or they could be fired.

Bangkok post

[rak sa_ngop]

The Excise Department has warned King Power Group to stick to the rules limiting the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol for travellers entering the country. A department source said the agency was worried about violations of the regulation as it had found that foreigners entering Thailand and also Thai citizens returning from overseas trips were allowed to buy cigarettes and alcohol beyond the limit, despite warnings to duty-free shops.

The duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi airport are run by King Power.

Thailand allows people entering the country to buy only 10 packs of cigarettes and no more than one litre of alcohol.

The source said the department will put up signs at shop check-outs to warn staff and visitors about the restriction and was considering fining violators. Those who break the rule would be taxed and fined up to twice the tax amount.

King Power chairman and chief executive officer, Vichai Raksriaksorn, said he was surprised by the warning and denied his firm was breaking the regulation.

He said staff had been ordered to stick to the rule or they could be fired.

Bangkok post

Very interesting. Here are King Power selling bottles of "illegal to be imported" substances to arriving guests of Thailand ie. spirits with an alcohol content of over 40 percent (e.g. Bombay Sapphire Gin 47 percent by volume purchased on entry to Thailand 3 weeks ago by a friend arriving from Viet Nam) and the chairman and chief executive officer of King Power is surprised by the warning.

Obviously he doesn't seem to know much about the business he is supposed to be in charge of. Maybe he should fire himself?

[billd766]

When I used to come back into the country especially from certain countries that alcohol was not available I always used to buy stuff on the way to customs and sometimes I even forgot to tell them.

[Gumballl]

Thailand allows people entering the country to buy only 10 packs of cigarettes and no more than one litre of alcohol.

Just one litre? Most bottles of liquor are 750ml. That pretty much means that only one bottle (of anything) can be purchased, unless there happens to be a 250ml bottle of something. There were times that I would buy a bottle of whiskey and another of wine. I guess that won't be taking place again.

[Fielder]

I normally buy a 1.75 litre of bourbon at duty free in Australia when I come to Thailand. This suits my wife and I for our stay.

I don't know whether customs will split that over both of us, or allocate to just one of us and hit us with a horrendous fine?

In most countries, I found that duty free goods are divided over the travelling party, but now in Thailand????

[scn]

I normally buy a 1.75 litre of bourbon at duty free in Australia when I come to Thailand. This suits my wife and I for our stay.

I don't know whether customs will split that over both of us, or allocate to just one of us and hit us with a horrendous fine?

In most countries, I found that duty free goods are divided over the travelling party, but now in Thailand????

I entered Thailand on 7th Nov and went to duty free shop, asked the person there how much the duty free alcohol was i allowed to take in? they said 2 - 1 litre bottles. Picked up two bottles and walked straight through the green channel. No problems at all. Was I just lucky?

Edited December 25, 2006 by scn

[xbusman]

I arrived a few weeks back and went to the duty free before immigrations to purchase cigarettes. There were none to be had, I mean none. When I asked, the clerk looked both ways and slid open a drawer with a few cartons... only 750 baht which is only slightly more expensive than Tesco. I politely declined and took the elevator up to departures to buy a few cartons. There they were, I grabbed two cartons and proceded to checkout. They asked for my boarding pass which I gave them and when they realized I was an arriving passenger, they refused to sell me any at all!

The King Power/customs thing sure seems to be through the looking glass at the moment.

[ovenman]

There they were, I grabbed two cartons and proceded to checkout. They asked for my boarding pass which I gave them and when they realized I was an arriving passenger, they refused to sell me any at all!

The King Power/customs thing sure seems to be through the looking glass at the moment.

This all makes me wonder what's really driving this current crackdown. For years, the King Power shops have sold any quantity of whatever to arriving passengers. Why the sudden hassle? I really doubt the the Custons Dept. is suddenly overwrought with concern about the possibility of travelers slipping extra cartons of cigs or bottles of booze into the kingdom. More likely that King Power is not greasing the outstretched, upturned palms in a manner that keeps the recipients happy, or the Customs Department has simply decided that they can make an awful lot more baht fining inbound passengers than whatever tea money they were/are receiving.

[geaussie]

Thailand allows people entering the country to buy only 10 packs of cigarettes and no more than one litre of alcohol.

Just one litre? Most bottles of liquor are 750ml. That pretty much means that only one bottle (of anything) can be purchased, unless there happens to be a 250ml bottle of something. There were times that I would buy a bottle of whiskey and another of wine. I guess that won't be taking place again.

Not sure where you do your duty free shopping,but all the spirit bottles I have bought in the last 5 years in Australia, Thailand. Laos, and Cambodian duty frees have all been 1 litre.