Fined 10,000 baht for not returning customs form

[MonkeyLoo]

Hi all

I hope this post gets a useful reply or at least serves as a heads up to others.

About a year ago I took my car across to Laos for a few days having obtained a passport for it and completed all the paper work at the border.

All went well and I returned to Thailand getting the passport stamped as I expected.

I thought all was well until a month later I went to cross the border again and was told that I had to pay a 10,000 baht fine for not returning a customs form on my last trip.

Anyway, I explained that the passport was stamped but I didn't recall any form being with my paper work or being asked for at re entry.

The officer insisted on 10,000 baht or the car couldn't cross.

My first thought was that it was a scam and I just said I don't have 10 k I will get the bus and park the car on the Thai side.

After no hearing anything for a year I just received a demand for 10k through the post.

 

Has anyone had experience of this? Does anyone know any way around it?

It seems harsh as the car passport was clearly stamped at re entry.

 

Thanks for any advice

 

ML

 

[bangkokairportlink]

Wow, 10000 is way too much, and even if I would receive an official document I would still not believe it.

 

 

[snowgard]

I would say: "I give it to you and you stamped the car pass. Looks like YOU lose it!!! Maybe the fan made to much wind that it fly from your desk?" :-)

Better is it to call to the: 

 

Legal Affairs Bureau
Customs department 1 Suntornkosa Road, Klongtei Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Telephone number : +662-667-6000

 

[Sydebolle]

It's stamped on the form. Said form is actually used for temporary IMPORTS INTO THAILAND, i.e. if you don't export your car within a given time limit (usually one month = 30 and not 31 days) then you pay THB 1'000/day but max. THB 10'000. 

For absolutely unknown reasons the very same form is used for exports - which does not make sense at all but that's the way it is. And yes, if you do not return back to Thailand within a month, then your Thai registered, Thai taxed and Thai insured car is being fined as per the above key. 

If, and I mean IF you have the following stamp in your ITP (international transport permit) then you can insist that the customs on arrival back to Thailand must have lost the form, otherwise they would not have stamped the ITP in the first place. The stamp is marked with a green little indication hand in the enclosed example of my ITP. 

Good luck; if you don't have this stamp then you have to bite the bullet and be more attentive next time. 
 

[MonkeyLoo]

Thanks for the detailed replies.

I made sure the transport permit was stamped upon re entry just as I would my personal passport.

Picture below.

I agree. Why would they stamp the passport if they didn't have the form.

I will update this thread when I have spoken to customs once again.

[Offroadlanna]

Yes, it is stamped on the form (see the sample below) - the fine for not bringing the car back into Thailand within 30 days after you took it over the border is 1000 Baht with a maximum of 10000 Baht. 

 

[natway09]

Great way to make a few bucks.

Lesson to others,,, leave your car on this side

[NoshowJones]

It just looks as if this is just another case of "This is Thailand".

[asimraza]

I had to specifically tell the staff at Sadao border while returning from Malaysia on my motorbike to receive this paper back from me or else I'll be fined later. They appeared to be unaware what does it do.

I then walked to custom counter by myself and talked to their senior officer explaining them to take it back from me as required by law.  

[MonkeyLoo]

Update;

I went to talk to customs once again at the border. Showed the letter, car passport and my own passport.

They were very helpful. Called an officer who spoke very good English and he looked at the documents saying I was missing a blue entry stamp like the one detailed above by Sydebolle.  And that this indicated I hadn't returned the form.

However, he agreed that the car had not overstayed as the passport stamps showed a 4 day stay.

He asked for 1000 baht which I paid and he gave a receipt.

 

This officer was very helpful and polite as we're his colleagues. 

I took his mobile number in case of issues next time.

So all in all it was a fairly good result.

Perhaps it was my error. I can't remember as it was over a year ago now.

 

 

[Briggsy]

There is a form in triplicate. I forget which one you hand back on return to Thailand, the green one or the yellow one. However it is very important that you do as you have found out.

 

I have taken a vehicle to Laos a number of times and sometimes have had to go to great lengths to seek out the Customs officer to take back the temporary export copy. Beung Kan was the worst.