Customs shakedown at the airport

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Skmly
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Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Skmly »

Apologies for the late post also if anyone has already covered it. He customs are now X raying hold baggage on arrival. I was nabbed in the arrivals hall and told I had too much tobacco 500 grams when I was only allowed 250 and would have to pay 5000 baht as a fine. As the standoff continued for a good 5 minutes and asked if this was my first trip etc. A bigger fish was wheeled in and I was asked to get out very quickly. Presumably he was richer pickings.

I was very please they didn't find the bottle of wine in my case or the Champagne tucked away along with the Gin I had. I may well have been a different case.
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Re: shakedown at the airport.

Post by Petrus »

For fook sake wont they get tired messing with us all the time... starting to feel so unwelcome here :?

Anybody knows what is the current allowance for tobacco, wine & liquor at BKK airport arrival? I heard it changed again recently...
theprice01
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Re: shakedown at the airport.

Post by theprice01 »

i thought you could only buy baccy in 500g pouches at the airport!?!
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hhfarang
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by hhfarang »

On liter (or litre) of alcohol per person is the legal limit.
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huahin4ever
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by huahin4ever »

I came through the airport last Friday, A lot of people but they didn't scan any carry-on or had stopped any people as long as I was there.
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Takiap »

A mate of mine just arrived back from South Africa on Sunday and got through customs without his carry-on luggage being scanned. They would have had a real party with him..........cigarettes; wine; brandy and several huge bags of biltong. :laugh:


To be fair though, customs do have every right to enforce the law. I was stopped at Heathrow and pulled up for having two bottles of Sangsom in my bag. The officer eventually allowed me to keep both bottles and sent me on my way with only a warning.



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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Gérard »

In 15 years, I have never been checked in Thailand but it can occur as in any country and I have been checked 2 or 3 times when arriving in Europe.
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Dannie Boy »

Takiap wrote:A mate of mine just arrived back from South Africa on Sunday and got through customs without his carry-on luggage being scanned. They would have had a real party with him..........cigarettes; wine; brandy and several huge bags of biltong. :laugh:


To be fair though, customs do have every right to enforce the law. I was stopped at Heathrow and pulled up for having two bottles of Sangsom in my bag. The officer eventually allowed me to keep both bottles and sent me on my way with only a warning.



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That's my experience as well, most customs officers are not interested in the person who takes two bottles instead of one, they're looking for Mr big who either has ten times the allowance, or more specifically banned items such as drugs
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by BOZ »

Well we arrived last night with 5 large suitcases (70kg each) my oversized golf bag carrier loaded up, 2 carry-ons and 2 briefcases... Had 2 carts loaded up and got only a glance from the customs folks as we walked past them.. I always avoid eye contact and pretend I am calling my ride giving out door info as I passby... So completely hassle free entry yet again... Was worried after this thread started as we always have iPads and iPhones gifts along with our own... Now let's hope our container clears the port this week with the same ease, they are looking at the 9th as the date... Can't wait to get everything in the house and set up!!
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Dr Mike »

I have been picked out for special treatment twice when entering Canada. EVERY item taken out of my bags, went through every pocket in the clothes, demanded PP to my computer and spent 20 mins going through files. X rayed the empty bag I co-operated,what choice do you have. At the end one time I was told--Cleanest guy we have seen all week. I asked why was I profiled, no reply. I asked, is it because I am a single guy coming from Thai, they agreed that was the case.
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by GLCQuantum »

Going through your personal computer files seems a bit much - didn't know they could do that without reason.
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Korkenzieher »

There are a number of isolated reports of the same happening in the UK. Usually, as the good doctor says, single men returning from places of ill repute (ie, Thailand) and frequently at antisocial hours, when I guess they assume people will think that staffing levels are lower.
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crazy88
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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by crazy88 »

Duty free allowances are well published at every airport I have ever been to but they do do deals on packages that are over your limit such as 400 cigs when you are only allowed 200 which might confuse the inexperienced traveller as rules do vary. As for Thailand being a place of ill repute try the rest of the world. I have never been to a city that does not have a seedy side somewhere in town. As for looking at my computer or searching me not a problem. It is called security and there for a reason in any country. Terrorists don't write that as an occupation on the immigration form I would imagine Or am I wrong?

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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by Takiap »

I agree that there is a need for security, but I don't believe they do or should have the right to go through files on your computer.

Ironically, I have never been stopped anywhere other than at Heathrow where it happened regularly, but I was never asked to hand over my computer.


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Re: Customs shakedown at the airport

Post by hhfarang »

People have told me that customs in the U.S. also went through the photos in a digital camera memory card upon arrival from Thailand.

In all my travels throughout my life my bags were only gone through once at a U.S. entry. I asked why me and the customs officer told me it was nothing personal, that since they were not allowed to profile any longer they searched the bags of every nth (n being a number I don't remember) person coming through and I was just lucky to be that number.

Doesn't seem like a very secure way to determine who to search but that's politically correct America nowadays.
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