Thai Customs getting tough in Nong Khai?

Post by **tamada** » June 9, 2009, 7:39 pm

Anyone done a recent trip over to Vientiane and had any hassles bringing back wine & beer? The wife says a neighbour is complaining that they were given a hard time re-entering Thailand with their usual excesses of spirits and cigarettes. Just want to know if this is a one-off or if they have started enforcing duty-free limits on Thai and/or farangs coming back.

I went there last year in a Lao minibus with the family and they bought all the usual fancy looking Chinese sh!te liquors while I chose to get 2 cases of beer Lao and a dozen bottles of red wine. Didn't have any hassles then, just wondering if economic hard times has hit the Thai Customs & Excise people before my next trip.

Thanks

Post by **Rod & May** » June 9, 2009, 7:58 pm

There last month nearly gave myself hernia carrying booze back .... obvious big boxes of wine ... no problem

Post by **BobHelm** » June 9, 2009, 8:04 pm

I've never had a problem with bringing alcohol in the form of wine or beer. I am sure that there is a limit but I am not sure what & have looked on the customs web site before without success as it only appears to mention 'spirits'. There is probably/maybe a way of converting this to wine or beer but I do not know the conversion method & they (customs) have never been particularly interested - might be different if I had a pick up full of the stuff though.
Cigarettes are a completely different matter. 1 carton is allowed per adult and, although customs are not pedantic on this (i.e. if you have a couple of extra packs (NOT cartons) they will not worry you) if you are carrying excess they will certainly fine you (20,000 baht) & take ALL your cigarettes off you. This has always been the case & maybe people are lucky to get away with it on many occasions, but I do know both Falang & Thai who this has happened to.

Post by **jackspratt** » June 9, 2009, 8:14 pm

Rod & May wrote:There last month nearly gave myself hernia carrying booze back .... obvious big boxes of wine ... no problem

Why didn't you give some to May - or was she also about to bust a gut

Post by **Rod & May** » June 9, 2009, 8:22 pm

May was doing a passable impersination of sherpa ........... fake gucci hand bag straining with bottles

Post by **RALPHCUSENS** » June 9, 2009, 9:47 pm

by Rod & May » June 9, 2009, 6:58 pm

There last month nearly gave myself hernia carrying booze back .... obvious big boxes of wine ... no problem

Rod, You should be ashamed of yourself, you being a serving BIB, fancy bringing in more than your allowance

Post by **Ray.Charles** » June 10, 2009, 12:01 am

I miss my wine when I am in Udon. In the States, I drink upto a, doctor recommended (!), bottle a day paying wholesale $6 - $7 per bottle for very drinkable Chilean, Argentinian, or Californian wine. I plan to make wine runs to Laos. Can we drive the pick-up into Laos? Is there a place to taste the wine before buying? Next year, I would try to make some wine myself, perhaps with rotting mangoes.

Post by **BobHelm** » June 10, 2009, 8:33 am

Ray. It is possible to drive a pick up into Laos but the vehicle has to have a 'passport'. There are threads on here about it.
I also had the idea of making 'country wine' (the title given to wine made from produce other than grapes) as I have done so in the past in UK with varying effects. Orange (which are pretty cheap & plentiful here) makes a particularly nice dry white. However I am sure that someone has posted on here in the past that this is actually illegal to do in Thailand.... maybe they will post again on that...

I am reliably informed that the least hassle way of bring wine back from Laos is to hire a taxi at the Thai side of the boarder (there are a couple of travel agents in the shops just before the bridge)and they will ferry you across, wait while you shop, load up the taxi, take you back across to your pickup on the Thai side...

Post by **trubrit** » June 10, 2009, 9:06 am

Yes Bob. Me. Hopefully this is the link.
http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/b ... 13532.html

Post by **BobHelm** » June 10, 2009, 9:13 am

That is the one, thank you TB.....
I assume that for a Falang to obtain a 'licence' to enable the legal production would undoubtedly be illegal as probably a 'proscribed' occupation????

Post by **Ray.Charles** » June 10, 2009, 9:45 am

Thank you both for keeping me out of jail. I would though miss beng out of a headline.

Post by **thefactoryoutlet** » February 5, 2015, 5:36 am

Hello,

Sorry to ask but someone told me that they xray all bags there now ?

So it is now impossible to bring back 20+ bottles of wine ?

What would be the fine if I try ?

Thank you.

Post by **thefactoryoutlet** » February 5, 2015, 5:38 am

Sorry, how to subscribe to this post and get notification of reply ?

Post by **ting_tong** » February 5, 2015, 11:36 am

gray bar at the bottom of the page for subscribe

check with the limit first, over the limit is automatic lock up and intimidation for a big fine, it happened to a few friends a few years back for cigarettes. you dont have very good bargaining skills if behind bars, thats what they experienced

Post by **BobHelm** » February 5, 2015, 11:46 am

They certainly have the x-ray machines there but no one to operate them the last twice I crossed.
However the seller phoning the Thai customs to tip them off concerning your overload is something to worry about far more..

As ting says a Falang crossing with excess duty items is just a plain stupid thing to do...

Post by **747man** » February 5, 2015, 11:52 am

thefactoryoutlet wrote:Hello,

Sorry to ask but someone told me that they xray all bags there now ?

So it is now impossible to bring back 20+ bottles of wine ?

What would be the fine if I try ?

Thank you.

Yes that is correct re: The X-Ray......

I Would NOT Recommend bringing in that much wine,IF That is over the limit Also VERY Strict on Cigarettes now 1 CARTON ( 200 Cigs ) Is the MAXIMUM Allowance.......Almost Certainly get a Big Fine...IF Over you're limits...

They are getting tough at the border now, They even questioned me last time with 10 or so " Lacoste " Polo Shirts,But I Got through because it was nearly Christmas & I'd bought them as presents ....( Not to Re-Sell )
They're are signs on the Thai Side ( Coming Back in ) WARNING...." Do NOT Attempt to bring in ANY Counterfeit Goods back into Thailand "
So....................You Have been WARNED........

Post by **old-timer** » February 5, 2015, 12:46 pm

747man wrote:They even questioned me last time with 10 or so " Lacoste " Polo Shirts,But I Got through because it was nearly Christmas & I'd bought them as presents ....

I bet the receivers of those presents were pleased with them. I mean , there is nothing like getting a fake Lacoste polo shirt for Christmas.

OT................. $\:D/$

Post by **747man** » February 5, 2015, 12:51 pm

old-timer wrote:
747man wrote:They even questioned me last time with 10 or so " Lacoste " Polo Shirts,But I Got through because it was nearly Christmas & I'd bought them as presents ....
I bet the receivers of those presents were pleased with them. I mean , there is nothing like getting a fake Lacoste polo shirt for Christmas.

OT................. $\:D/$

Actually the 3 I Gave away to various people They were

,So There...And with the ones I Kept I'm

Also......

Post by **GT93** » February 5, 2015, 12:56 pm

A fake Gucci bag might top that OT. 747 probably brings them in as well - perhaps 10 or so the previous Xmas. They would make 747 very popular with the Thai ladies. I don't think he'd keep any.

Whenever I see a woman with a Gucci bag in NZ, I ask myself if she is Thai. She's either a Thai with a fake bag or a Chinese woman with the real McCoy.

Post by **thefactoryoutlet** » February 5, 2015, 2:38 pm

Thank you, maybe I should talk to the customs directly to tell them that I bought 20 bottles and want to pay tax ?