Customs duty.

valentine · Post by **valentine** » October 16, 2006, 5:27 pm

Going to Singapore with a few Thai friends shortly. When I picked the tickets up today I was given a friendly tip that Customs & Excise are clamping down hard on over the limit duty free. Not just charging the excess duty but issueing heavy fines.Nothing official as yet but be advised.

Post by **jackspratt** » October 16, 2006, 8:05 pm

Try this as back-up for what you have been told.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=88362

Take care

jack

Post by **john2005** » October 16, 2006, 8:25 pm

Are the Udon to Singapore flights up and running?

valentine · Post by **valentine** » October 16, 2006, 8:41 pm

Thanks Jackspratt. I was told about this British family but as I had no idea if it was genuine or not, I didn't mention it. To think they took the whole family to the courthouse cells was beyond my belief.I have also been warned the Laos Nong Khai crossing has been tightened.
John 2005. No sign of Udon-Singapore yet. The last estimate was from Udons Governor, New Year. When asked the CEO of Singapore Airlines, owner of Tiger Air, Said "About then" Neither said, what New Year though.

Post by **cookie** » October 16, 2006, 10:29 pm

What is all this?

What is going on?

1) custom duty crack down
2) speed traps
3) alcohol strickter rules
4) visa crack down
5) Prohibition,....
6)....

I want Thaksin Back!!!!!

****!!!!!

Post by **Bump** » October 17, 2006, 10:59 pm

valentine wrote:Going to Singapore with a few Thai friends shortly. When I picked the tickets up today I was given a friendly tip that Customs & Excise are clamping down hard on over the limit duty free. Not just charging the excess duty but issueing heavy fines.Nothing official as yet but be advised.

Your friend may have been very correct this from Thai Visa true or not don't know I wasn't there.

A group of five friends arrived at the new airport two days ago for their well earned one month holiday in Pattaya. Four of them being smokers, and not liking the brands avialable in Thailand decided to bring a reasonable supply of their own cigs from the duty free in England. O.K. 10 sleeves each might be excessive but they were purely for their own use, plus maybe a few packets for me , hopefully.
After being searched the five lads were dutifully wisked away to some police station approx half an hour away where they had all the cigs taken off them and a fine of 3,000 (Three thousand pounds) deducted from their wallets.
Given the choice of pay or go directly to jail (Whether Bluffing or not ) the lads coughed up and after five hours were let go to continue on their journey to Patters.
Another family of four (Man ,wife and two young kids ) were fined 1,000 pounds and not having enough money to continue their holiday got the next flight home.
Could this be another money making scam from the customs. Surley the duty on fifty sleeves of cigs can't be that high. Don't get me wrong, they new they had exeeded the limit but three grand is not a nice way to start your hols.

TIT the land of smiles

Just be carefull lads

Post by **beer monkey** » October 17, 2006, 11:38 pm

and not liking the brands avialable

10,000 ciggies.........
lost all that money and still ended up smoking the brands they did,nt like

i bet everytime they light one up they think of their well earned months holiday in LOS.

valentine · Post by **valentine** » October 18, 2006, 1:26 pm

In thirty years coming here, god knows how many times, I have NEVER been stopped by customs, just handed them the filled in declaration form, nice smile, bye, bye.I always purchased the maximimum amount at Heathrow, you can't buy over as they mark your boarding card, but on arrival at Don Muang, straight in duty free in baggage hall, another couple of bottles plus ciggies for some friends.No attempt made to conceal them, just in the plastic carrier bags.I wonder if purchases from Thai duty free would be treated the same.? Maybe someone has paid big bucks for the concession and is trying to enforce arriving passengers buy from him too.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » October 18, 2006, 3:16 pm

Maybe with immigration being so quick,they need to slow the the traffic flow from jamming up ,so they stop more people to check

Who knows,maybe they are training more people for the new airport

Post by **patayapete** » October 19, 2006, 5:25 am

this is nothing new me and a friend landed in bkk in january, as we
scoured the crowd for our driver a thai aproached us, i thought it was
a tout but realised something was wrong when i noticed his id card
draped round his neck! customs follow me sir!it cost my mate around
16000bht in all and we had to
use our taxi as transport,(the fine had to be paid down town)
still all the customs seemed really happy to see us
one even quiped wellcome to thailand as the money was handed over!
p.s this was for 5 cartons as i recall, that were not visible and they never
searched me?

Post by **kevh** » October 19, 2006, 6:38 am

sorry to wake you up pattaya pete but you were riped off. are you really telling me that you were aproached but a man in the arrivals hall and then got in a taxi to the customs office???

Really have a think, there are international laws in airports. the real customs office is definatley in the airport.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » October 19, 2006, 9:30 am

I agree,that was a scam!

Post by **beer monkey** » October 19, 2006, 3:34 pm

if thats the case surely the 5 lads in the above post must of been ripped off too as they also travelled 30 mins away.(all be it to a police station or was it ???)

looking forward to a reply from p/pete, you must of got a receipt of payment.

Post by **Bump** » October 19, 2006, 5:55 pm

Spoke to a friend who came through the airport a few days ago with five huge bags no inspection, but he was traveling with his wife.

Wonder if we have a tourist scam going the second one certianly sounds like it.

These may be worth passing on to the Tourist Police if anyone knows how to go about it.

Post by **patayapete** » October 20, 2006, 12:09 am

firstly yes the customs office is in the airport(old one anyway) and we were taken there first,this is where the wellcome to thailand quip was made amid much smiling and laughter(by the customs)
our taxi was used to travel to a building maybe 20 mins from the airport
the entance had armed guards and everyone in the building was in uniforms.(a very convicing scam

)
yes my mate did recieve paperwork but i doubt he has kept this
momento from that trip. i was suprised when our taxi(the driver was just in time to accompany us to the customs)was used but in my way of thinking when you've landed in bother in a foriegn country the last thing to do is get mouthy, kevh i can only say ex liverpool docker ok

Post by **beer monkey** » October 20, 2006, 12:27 am

so it was,nt a scam then, thats ok.

Customs duty.

Customs duty.

Re: Customs duty.