Customs crackdown at Suvarnabhumi?

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, misterphil said:

Fedex just charged me 37% on some car parts. 

 

37% on top of the UK invoice. 

FedEx and DHL are ones to avoid due to this.  But, I just got some stuff from China.  Big box via DHL and no tax!  Yes!

[pgrahmm]

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

One would thing that an Elite Card member would include girl friend upon arrival...

[pgrahmm]

16 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

FedEx and DHL are ones to avoid due to this.  But, I just got some stuff from China.  Big box via DHL and no tax!  Yes!

Making me nervous - have a DHL on the way with $235 AUD value....

 

Coin toss or raked over the coals?

[noahvail]

Been here 9 years. One trip back from NZ 7 years ago, brought a new Shoei helmet, cost the equivalent of ฿20,000. It was in the original packaging. Customs asked for a look. They had never seen a flip-front helmet before, did a couple of oohs and ahs, brought some other agents over to look approvingly, and waved me on. Go figure.

[silent]

2 minutes ago, noahvail said:

Been here 9 years. One trip back from NZ 7 years ago, brought a new Shoei helmet, cost the equivalent of ฿20,000. It was in the original packaging. Customs asked for a look. They had never seen a flip-front helmet before, did a couple of oohs and ahs, brought some other agents over to look approvingly, and waved me on. Go figure.

Figure they thought you were an astronaut.

[bberrythailand]

Just bad luck, you could pass daily without never being stopped.

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

Interesting to note the 10,000 baht threshold !! 

I have been bringing back Makita cordless tools every trip, building up my workshop... Was always worried about getting stung for tax but as most are just under this 10,000 limit, surely I won't have to pay :)

[noahvail]

Silent, you may be right. My travel cap of choice: 

[Dipterocarp]

2 hours ago, sfokevin said:

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop-rice-cookers/?searchredirect=Rice+cooker

 

http://www.biccamera.com/bc/item/3345734/

 

If a Japanese housewife wants a $500 rice cooker thats her business isn't it?

 

The question is is there a duty free allowance or not? I have brought new items many times no problem. I was told since it was "new" and I was keeping in Thailand I had to pay.  More I think about it I don't think they applied the rule correctly. By the way the item  (speakers) in question are 13,900 baht on Lazada and not the color I wanted. Much less on the Bic Camera site and I used a bunch of in store points I had accumulated for it too so my invoice was ￥17,220 (so about $150). Why would I take them out of the box they would be damaged on the plane? (the invoice was right on top so no way to fudge on the value).

Part of the fun of international travel is "shopping" ask any tourist. Bit of a bummer to be fleeced straight off the plane.

 

Now I have to run off to CM immigration to lodge a TM30 update to avoid another problem with Thai officialdom.

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Dipterocarp

[JayBird]

If I have three laptops in my luggage, I wonder if they will believe they are used and for personal use (which they are) or just charge me tax on the belief that no one would have more than one.

 

 

[craigt3365]

37 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Making me nervous - have a DHL on the way with $235 AUD value....

 

Coin toss or raked over the coals?

Coin toss, IMHO.  I wish you the best of luck!

[noahvail]

8 minutes ago, JayBird said:

If I have three laptops in my luggage, I wonder if they will believe they are used and for personal use (which they are) or just charge me tax on the belief that no one would have more than one.

 

 

I always have a laptop and a tablet, sometimes two. Never a problem. If they question it, and they will ask before they write you up, just offer to turn on all three and show them your directories & registration. That's proof they're yours and used. 

[NanLaew]

The OP specifically called it an EPA so he is on the Thailand Elite visa and that is one of the perks. He was not on the comparable, prepaid 'meet and greet' services that are available to us lower-order species. He also stated that they were already giving a bunch of Indians the third degree so rather than any crackdown, he just timed his 'green channel' walk through  rather badly.

 

A friend of mine, a many times visitor to LOS with a bag full of goodies for his mates over here didn't pay attention on arrival one morning and got caught with my cigars and some other stuff. They charged him for the box of cigars by total weight including the box and not just tobacco volume. They wouldn't let him open the box either when he pointed out it should be tobacco only. For his troubles, they confiscated the Dunkin Donuts ground coffee that some other guy had asked for. Either way, there was no crackdown but they do stage frequent 'all bags scanned" events during the day.

 

The trick is to be observant while waiting for your bags at the carousel and if they are doing some heavier checking, go for a walk or a piss or change some money or browse the DF until they stop.

[Dipterocarp]

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The OP specifically called it an EPA so he is on the Thailand Elite visa and that is one of the perks. He was not on the comparable, prepaid 'meet and greet' services that are available to us lower-order species. He also stated that they were already giving a bunch of Indians the third degree so rather than any crackdown, he just timed his 'green channel' walk through  rather badly.

 

A friend of mine, a many times visitor to LOS with a bag full of goodies for his mates over here didn't pay attention on arrival one morning and got caught with my cigars and some other stuff. They charged him for the box of cigars by total weight including the box and not just tobacco volume. They wouldn't let him open the box either when he pointed out it should be tobacco only. For his troubles, they confiscated the Dunkin Donuts ground coffee that some other guy had asked for. Either way, there was no crackdown but they do stage frequent 'all bags scanned" events during the day.

 

The trick is to be observant while waiting for your bags at the carousel and if they are doing some heavier checking, go for a walk or a piss or change some money or browse the DF until they stop.

Not my lucky day I guess but observing customs officials at an international airport then taking evasive actions is the fast lane to cavity inspection in most places.

[Scouse123]

Guys,

 

I came through in the early morning on a Qatar flight on June 22nd from Doha.

 

I went through the green channel. They were stopping everybody and putting bags through the X-ray scanners.No rhyme or reason, just everybody was stopped and baggage scanned.

[alien365]

I'm guessing most who are stopped with a large quantity of new goods will have also reclaimed their VAT from the airport before departing for Thailand too. There's a huge saving/profit to be had by doing this so it's not surprising customs want a cut. 

[Monkeyrobot]

16 hours ago, Dipterocarp said:

EPA is Elite personal assistant, porter pushing the cart. Approx $150 Electronics item they said attracts 10 percent import duty plus 7 percent VAT. (I thought there was a personal allowance allowed). Nope! Felt like being fleeced first thing off the airplane. Welcome to Thailand!

The 800 Baht taxies from Swampy to Sukhumvit are downstairs so you can get double fleeced. 

[VBF]

2 hours ago, noahvail said:

I always have a laptop and a tablet, sometimes two. Never a problem. If they question it, and they will ask before they write you up, just offer to turn on all three and show them your directories & registration. That's proof they're yours and used. 

Me too and I've printed out the receipts showing that they're not new "just in case". So far never been stopped.

[Prbkk]

I've been X-rated once in the past 15 years. If they check my case they will find: vitamins, almond milk, rye bread, cheese, tea, coffee beans, walnuts, almond, macadamias, tinned salmon, toothpaste, toiletries, apples, yoghurt powder, books, one bottle of booze ( just because the search for those things is difficult or they are crazy expensive). Walnuts for example: most supermarkets only have sugared/salted ones at an outrageous price, macadamia nuts only in tiny packets, cheese is 5-8 times the price in the west. Double the price, I wouldn't mind so much....but even with free trade agreements in place, the Thailand based consumer is yet to see any benefit ( more likely windfall profits for wholesalers and retailers, in the manner of King Power).

[silent]

3 hours ago, noahvail said:

Silent, you may be right. My travel cap of choice: 

In that case they might have really wondered 

[eeyang wah]

5 hours ago, sfokevin said:

One would thing that an Elite Card member would include girl friend upon arrival...

http://devilsdenthailand.com/vip-bus.html 

[tryasimight]

8 hours ago, Dan5 said:

t's just one incident. I wouldn't assume it indicates a trend or change in policy.

Change in policy at my place....the missus now demands to be referred to as my elite personal assistant.....I'm still referred to as that fat lazy bast@rd

Edited July 21, 2017 by tryasimight

[tryasimight]

4 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Interesting to note the 10,000 baht threshold !! 

I have been bringing back Makita cordless tools every trip, building up my workshop... Was always worried about getting stung for tax but as most are just under this 10,000 limit, surely I won't have to pay :)

Lithium batteries? How did you handle this? I want to do the same.

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Guys,

 

I came through in the early morning on a Qatar flight on June 22nd from Doha.

 

I went through the green channel. They were stopping everybody and putting bags through the X-ray scanners.No rhyme or reason, just everybody was stopped and baggage scanned.

There was an article here a few months ago that said that customs would be xraying everything incoming. Of course the usual Thai bashers derided the very concept and that they would never be enough machines or the maintenance would be inadequate etc etc..and the whole thing would turn to .....maybe they have made a start.

 

I've never had to put bags through the scanner but did get 'collared' while outside near the taxi rank having a smoke. Got asked to come back in the terminal and had my bags opened in the public area and checked (Thai wife present).

Had all sorts of goodies from Oz in there, a fair bit of cosmetics (for the aforementioned wife's sisters and mates) that made the female officers all gooey, but the main man was looking for illegal cigarettes.

Didn't have the heart to tell him smokes are a 1000 baht a pack in Oz, or why would any sane person try to smuggle them to Thailand.

 

Go to Myanmar.....everything is scanned.

[thaiguzzi]

18 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Which farang would bring goods into Thailand?

 

It's rather people who leave that have their suitcases full with shopping?

 

Or am I missing a point?

Me.

Motorcycle parts every time i come back. Suitcase full with motorcycle parts. Often overweight.

New, S/H and reconditioned. Cylinder head with new valve job, swing arm replacement, new spares, etc etc etc.

[thaiguzzi]

Oh yeah, and always bring 5 kgs of cheese...

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, Prbkk said:

I've been X-rated once in the past 15 years.

[cornishcarlos]

1 hour ago, tryasimight said:

Lithium batteries? How did you handle this? I want to do the same.

 

Batteries go in hand luggage... Tools, carefully bubble wrapped in checked luggage... 

[pgrahmm]

Just now, cornishcarlos said:

 

Batteries go in hand luggage... Tools, carefully bubble wrapped in checked luggage... 

Yeah - not good for your bags to rattle or gurgle....

[Techno Viking]

19 hours ago, Chou Anou said:

Electronic items in particular are far cheaper (30-50%) if bought overseas than the same item bought in Thailand...

I agree 100%, just had arrive some Alpine car stereo gear  (subs/amps/split speakers/ digital sound processor) and the cost in the uk was less than 50% for the same gear here, I got slugged with 15% import tax and 7% VAT and it all arrived in 4 days................... why even bother shopping locally.