Illegal booze and cigarettes "flooding across borders" in wake of proposed tax increases

[webfact]

Illegal booze and cigarettes "flooding across borders" in wake of proposed tax increases

 

Picture: File photo

 

BANGKOK: -- Sources have said that the cross border trade in illegal spirits and cigarettes is increasing after the announcement of changes in the way tax is calculated.

 

Sanook.com reported that there are more buyers than ever for whisky and cigarettes being sold that has not been subject to proper excise tax.

 

Much of the spirits are fake products but they said that people buying up the supplies don't care - they are only concerned that the products are 20 to 30% cheaper than the real thing.

 

They quoted a source that said smugglers were doing a roaring trade since the tax announcements that are to begin to take effect within the next six months or so.

 

Chaiya Chanasit an official in charge of the border at Satun was quoted as saying that authorities are on the watch out and they expect an increase in smuggling but that no official figures are available yet.

 

Sanook said that illegal products were pouring over the border in the north, south and east of the country and that demand was at a high right now.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-28

[jackinthebox]

I would not dare to drink illegal spirits - I fear (methanol) . Look what it does in eastern europe or in Russia: it kills hundreds.  And thousands loose their eyesight. What a horrible thinking to wake up blind after a binge-drinking-party with smuggled booze.

[Moonmoon]

Good time to stock now n sell it at slightly lower price later to make  a killing hehehe.

[ezzra]

I'd venture an opinion that if tomorrow as if by magic, there will be no

booz or cigarettes and similar vices , the world will be a

better place to live in....

 

[ukrules]

This has absolutely nothing to do with proposed increases which will come towards the end of the year.

 

Are we really supposed to think that they're buying them now to stockpile for the next 8 months or so ? I don't think so.

[quadperfect]

Its just rediculouse. No one knows how much the actual price hike will be. They talk about it not effecting the drinker. Lies but still.

No one pays 20 or 30 percent less for a known fake whiskey.

Come on man this is just fake news to try to stop this from actually happening. In 6 months.

Langkawi is no longer duty free.

Well it is but its not.

You can buy 5 litere per month per passport.duty free

So where is this cheap stuff comming from then?

 

 

 

[juice777]

I would not dare to drink illegal spirits - I fear (methanol) . Look what it does in eastern europe or in Russia: it kills hundreds.  And thousands loose their eyesight. What a horrible thinking to wake up blind after a binge-drinking-party with smuggled booze.

My ex bought me a bottle of Jim Beam back form Cambodia. It didn't taste quite right and someone else agreed with me. I still drunk quite a bit of it and round about the same time I had a Hives attack.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[juice777]

Dose anyone have any ideal how much a beer will actually cost after the tax rise .

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[fruitman]

The price is not 30% cheaper but MUCH more.

 

Cigarettes in the no-man's-land between cambodia and thailand costed 130 baht for a carton of 10 packs.

 

Fake alcohol also was much cheaper there.

 

I don't want to drink that stuff,  one can get blind from it. If thai bars sell it als the real thing they deserve a severe punishment for it...Making people blind is worth some years in jail imo.

[khwaibah]

There are farangs that can show you how to do this at the Chong Sai Takoo checkpoint in Buriram. Just saying.

[chrisinth]

Sigh, copies aren't what they used to be. The bottle on the right in the first picture looks a bit dodgy though...............

 

 

 

[darksidedog]

I noticed he didn't have any evidence to back his comments up. No vans full of cigarettes and alchohol stopped by customs.

Given the price of alchohol and cigarettes here compared with the neighbours, it is hardly surprising though.

I have a friend here who makes a very good living selling fags and booze and suspect he will do even better if and when more increases come.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, juice777 said:

My ex bought me a bottle of Jim Beam back form Cambodia. It didn't taste quite right and someone else agreed with me. I still drunk quite a bit of it and round about the same time I had a Hives attack.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Must have been the honey infused Jim Beam!

 

I'll get me coat!

[ChrisY1]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'd venture an opinion that if tomorrow as if by magic, there will be no

booz or cigarettes and similar vices , the world will be a

better place to live in....

 

No sex either??..........

No religion would be much better!

[AGareth2]

"They quoted a source that said smugglers were doing a roaring trade since the tax announcements"

As are "others" taking their cut

[Toshiba66]

I have seen bottles of spirits on shelves in Bangkok Bars that I know you can only purchase duty free and not from local suppliers. So where they come from and whats in them is anyone's guess.

 

In some of the cheap Bars if I drink my favourite spirit I can feel my lips burning. I suspect this is blended methanol or similar. It makes me sick the next day if I stupidly drink too much of it. Never happens with the good stuff.

 

Does anyone know if there's a way to test to methanol? A test kit maybe? 

 

 

[Wilsonandson]

Here's an interesting photo from the UK. Very helpful if I were going to buy whisky in Cambodia today.

 

[hobz]

Not sure if the smuggling increase already happening. But it will surely happen once there's a big tax increase. 100% predictable. Happened in sweden too back in the 90s when they made a big tax increase on cigarettes. All of a sudden every little mom&pop store had smuggled cigarettes.

[hawker9000]

That pesky law of unintended consequences...   They're rewriting the definitive book on it here.  Get a pinhead who wants to just ban all vice to write the Intro.  And then one who wants to ban all religion to write the epilog. (Wasn't all that roughly Pol Pot's agenda?)

 

[Cisco]

9 minutes ago, hobz said:

Not sure if the smuggling increase already happening. But it will surely happen once there's a big tax increase. 100% predictable. Happened in sweden too back in the 90s when they made a big tax increase on cigarettes. All of a sudden every little mom&pop store had smuggled cigarettes.

Same thing in Canada years back on cigarettes. Priced so high that smuggling broke out everywhere. Cross border Native reservations were particularly adept. Chinese restaurants always seemed to have under the counter cigarettes. They coupled the tax increase with harsh new penalties which ended up clogging the courts with these relatively petty prosecutions. Not long after they reduced the taxation back to near previous levels. The prices are back to where they were, but it has been a gradual rise.

[Wilsonandson]

I bought some gold marlboro lights original at Poipet and I coughed my guts up for 2 weeks trying to smoke them. Must have been fake.

[rotorbreeze]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'd venture an opinion that if tomorrow as if by magic, there will be no

booz or cigarettes and similar vices , the world will be a

better place to live in....

 

Same with healthy people...our society is based on sick people for our system to work economically... same with war imposed on other nations... arms dealing manufacturing in supply both sides with arms. Oh should I say environment and no oil drilling or coal use... Booze and cancer causing additions like smoking keep the population in check and employee people in supporting the making, treatment and oh yes the government tax. Brings us back to the beginning of choice...use or abstain... your choice.

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by rotorbreeze

[manarak]

1 hour ago, Wilsonandson said:

Here's an interesting photo from the UK. Very helpful if I were going to buy whisky in Cambodia today.

 

LOL

 

who needs this kind of useless details when the bottle is labeled "Johnnie WORKER" "Black LABIAL" ???  55555

[kiwikeith]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

This has absolutely nothing to do with proposed increases which will come towards the end of the year.

 

Are we really supposed to think that they're buying them now to stockpile for the next 8 months or so ? I don't think so.

Nothing new here, the fake spirits and fags have been plied for years. I wonder if they tax Viagra the copy trade in that will increase as well.

[Classic Ray]

44 minutes ago, manarak said:

LOL

 

who needs this kind of useless details when the bottle is labeled "Johnnie WORKER" "Black LABIAL" ???  55555

Easy for fluent English readers to spot, not so easy for Thais or other customers for whom English is not their first language. They deserve protection as much as others from the bad effects of low-quality fake products.

[Wilsonandson]

46 minutes ago, manarak said:

LOL

 

who needs this kind of useless details when the bottle is labeled "Johnnie WORKER" "Black LABIAL" ???  55555

Not you obviously.

[sahibji]

how tragic that people are chancing their lives for petty savings - a more suitable alternative will be reduce the drinking amount to offset the rise in costs. shady products can harm lives - sooner we understand that the better.

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, jackinthebox said:

I would not dare to drink illegal spirits - I fear (methanol) . Look what it does in eastern europe or in Russia: it kills hundreds.  And thousands loose their eyesight. What a horrible thinking to wake up blind after a binge-drinking-party with smuggled booze.

well said, jackinthebox, but there are people who are people who for economic reasons, are prepared to risk their very lives for the brief enjoyment.

[Toshiba66]

48 minutes ago, sahibji said:

well said, jackinthebox, but there are people who are people who for economic reasons, are prepared to risk their very lives for the brief enjoyment.

But how do we know we are not getting this in the Bars here. They top up the real bottles with the fake stuff out back I've been told.

 

Is there a way to test your drink at the Bar before consuming?

[Buckwheat Flour]

2 hours ago, Toshiba66 said:

I have seen bottles of spirits on shelves in Bangkok Bars that I know you can only purchase duty free and not from local suppliers. So where they come from and whats in them is anyone's guess.

 

In some of the cheap Bars if I drink my favourite spirit I can feel my lips burning. I suspect this is blended methanol or similar. It makes me sick the next day if I stupidly drink too much of it. Never happens with the good stuff.

 

Does anyone know if there's a way to test to methanol? A test kit maybe? 

 

 

Add 1 liter of sample product to your petrol tank. Thereafter, if you notice an improvement to your vehicle's n acceleration response, it is probably Methanol based booze.