Customs clearance red channel at Suvarnabhumi

[raphoedon]

Hi guys, I'm coming back to town for first visit of this year in February. An Australian friend of mine , resident in Hua Hin asked if I could bring a car part for him on my trip in February. I agreed and I'm happy to do it however I'm worried about customs at Bangkok, I don't want to be held up there at all, I'm going to head through the red Channel rather than risk interrogation and fine for or incorrectly going through the Green.

The item is a front grill for a car and the box is 160cm high and therefore conspicuous to say the least , please do any of you have experiences of a similar nature in the red Channel that you can share with me to give me some comfort that it should be a formality.

Thanks

Derek

[Ginjaninja]

I would be more inclined to stick it in a golf bag or similar and stick to the green channel. I have a friend who took an entire Kawasaki exhaust system to Bangkok but yeah agreed it is a gamble.

For the red channel you will need customs declaration documents. I'm sure you could find a template somewhere online and you would probably have to pay the duty on it upon arrival.

GN.

[uncle tom]

My experience of customs in various countries is that if you go through the red channel 'just to be sure' the officers will be very polite and not at all suspicious.

I've never tried to bring anything that big through BKK, but on two occasions I've brought and declared items I knew to be dutiable, and on both occasions they couldn't be bothered to do the paperwork and waved me through.

In case they do want to charge you, check what the relevant duty rate is and have sufficient Thai cash on you. Also have the original invoice/receipt for the item readily to hand. That way it will hopefully only take them a few minutes before you're on your way.

[uncle tom]

I would be more inclined to stick it in a golf bag or similar and stick to the green channel. I have a friend who took an entire Kawasaki exhaust system to Bangkok but yeah agreed it is a gamble.

Given how often they x-ray bags in the green channel, I'd say that's a really bad idea. A recipe for getting fully turned over by customs..

[Ginjaninja]

I would be more inclined to stick it in a golf bag or similar and stick to the green channel. I have a friend who took an entire Kawasaki exhaust system to Bangkok but yeah agreed it is a gamble.

Given how often they x-ray bags in the green channel, I'd say that's a really bad idea. A recipe for getting fully turned over by customs..

As said; it's a gamble.
I'm a frequently flier in and out of BKK and have probably only had my bags scanned twice in the past ten years..

[HHTel]

I'm not sure whether xray machines have been installed on the carousels yet. It was announced that they would be installed by the end of last year at which time all incoming bags will be scanned.

[Nereus]

Go through the Green channel. There is a free trade agreement with Australia and I often have car parts sent over. No tax payable. If they ask just tell them it is for your own car.

Go through the red channel and you will be there half the day for no reason.

[PeteC]

Further for Dannie Boy and others, all recent reports indicate that Bangkok Customs is on a rampage concerning chargeable duty on items brought in. They now have luggage x-rays that they use on inbound luggage. Be careful what you bring that looks new and unused, and more importantly what you declare and if you go through the Green lane, or the Red lane.

The penalty seems to be confiscation and a charge of 4 times the value of the item, even if they take it.

What the Media is saying per the above, and what really happens on the ground are two different things perhaps. We can thank the Chinese hordes for this who endlessly abused things pre-Covid by bringing in items to resell.

[Dannie Boy]

I must admit to being guilty in the past of bringing various items in through the Green Channel - some food items, some household items and was planning to do the same this time - might have to reconsider this?

[PeteC]

I mentioned it as I just read an article about it this week in one of the usual sources.

[Dannie Boy]

I mentioned it as I just read an article about it this week in one of the usual sources.

Thanks Pete - Hopefully anybody reading this and travelling over the next few weeks/months can provide their experiences

[Ginjaninja]

I quite often bring in things to Thailand. The last couple trips I’ve had a pile of baby things. My bags get scanned every now and again but in the 10+ years I’ve been coming here I’ve never had an issue. Only once I’ve been pulled aside and had my bag thoroughly checked. I had two bottle of spirits in my luggage but they let me go and were very pleasant about it all.
I do try to avoid taking items in their original packaging. No idea if that has helped or not.
My Danish pal once flew business-class and had a whole ZX-14 exhaust system in his case.
I’ve travelled through countries that are a lot stricter with customs. The U.K. & Australia being the worst (Oz taking the lead).
African countries are terrible but they’re just looking for an excuse to grab some $$


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[PeteC]

.....I do try to avoid taking items in their original packaging. No idea if that has helped or not......

I think it does especially with laptops, watches and cameras/phones. Load up the laptop with apps and email, wear the watch, and have pics on the camera and contacts on the phone. Get rid of all the packaging and labels.

Edit: The above are not tips concerning smuggling items for resale, but items brought in for your personal use as a resident here, to avoid any misunderstandings.

[handdrummer]

I was never questioned about the cymbals and hand drums that I brought in. I didn't even think about what was legal or that I'd have to prove personal use. I guess I had the winning ticket, or things were laxer 9 yrs. ago.

[PeteC]

They couldn't have cared less a decade ago unless you had bags of cigarette cartons and sacks of booze bottles.

However as I said above, the Chinese smugglers ruined it. They weren't even discrete bringing in those nylon striped bags loaded with resale goods. I saw it each and every time I went through the airport and as that wasn't that frequent, I'm sure it was happening everyday when Chinese arrivals where in high numbers.