Incoming baggage to be x-rayed at Suvarnabhumi by next year: Customs

[Bundooman]

18 hours ago, wgdanson said:

That reply shows that you have no experience whatsoever of sex toys.

Do you?

[Just Weird]

9 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

32 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

It's odd how so many Thaivisa posters are quick to indignantly condemn the police when they are perceived as not enforcing the law, yet when another law enforcement agency does enforce the law they get condemned for it!

Some of them are just weird!

You're right.

 

Please do not alter my posts if you choose to quote them, it can change the emphasis and intended tone of the comment and forum rules do not allow it.  Thanks.

[Time Traveller]

Awesome! 

Another year where we can bring weapons, contraband and other illegal stuff into Thailand before they start checking.

[madmitch]

19 hours ago, overherebc said:

Palm oil in your suitcase?

It was quite sensible until that last sentence!

[CaptainJack]

16 minutes ago, SMEinBangkok said:

"Thailand customs allows visitors to enter Thailand with personal effects, the value of which does not exceed 80,000 Baht, without paying import fees as long as: 1) the items are specifically for personal or professional use; 2) the amount of goods are reasonable; and 3) the items are not subject to restriction or prohibition."

 

This is the next TM30-style debacle.  Personal effects means clothing, toiletries, phones, tablets, computers, etc.  80,000 baht is $2700 USD, roughly.  And notice the wording....essentially every single person they stop for a 'customs' inspection will end up owing money for bringing in their used computers, suits, etc. for use while visiting Thailand.

An intelligent post, and definitely on point.   We all travel internationally and are all accustomed to the declarations forms about what we can bring into another country.   Only in Thailand,  as I and many others expect,  will this be abused to essential extort more fines and money from foreigners returning or visiting Thailand. This is the never ending problem with Thailand.  They write a law or implement a system that by it's very nature is going to be abused by the Thai way of doing things.  Sad, but why would anyone who has lived in Thailand for any time expect different?

[Just Weird]

4 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

Awesome! 

Another year where we can bring weapons, contraband and other illegal stuff into Thailand before they start checking.

You enjoy your own little world where you think that Customs do not check luggage for contraband already.

[Time Traveller]

18 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

Most lemmings and that includes most travelers allow them to full body xray them.

 

XRAY.

 

I always opt out.  But then I also travel with a child. They don't let you get go through the full body scanner with a child.  

 

Do you know why?

Never heard of any full body xray. 

Those full body scanners at airports are not x-ray. They are radio waves. Wavelength is one millimeter. X-rays are wavelength of 0.01 to 10 nanometers. 

 

When you make ridiculous errors like this in your comments, you lose all credibility.

 

 

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

18 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

Welcome to friendly Thailand.  How will they bring sex toys now?

Don't need to bring them when Lazada will deliver them to your door step. ????

 

On 9/5/2019 at 4:12 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

This is getting crazy. When one is leaving why would TM 30 be a consideration, and if one returns, TM 30 starts again the following day.

Seems that some people think too much about things that are not even their responsibility.

 

[Time Traveller]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

You enjoy your own little world where you think that Customs do not check luggage for contraband already.

Ok, so why do they need to start x-raying baggage?

[Just Weird]

2 minutes ago, CaptainJack said:

18 minutes ago, SMEinBangkok said:

"Thailand customs allows visitors to enter Thailand with personal effects, the value of which does not exceed 80,000 Baht, without paying import fees as long as: 1) the items are specifically for personal or professional use; 2) the amount of goods are reasonable; and 3) the items are not subject to restriction or prohibition."

 

This is the next TM30-style debacle.  Personal effects means clothing, toiletries, phones, tablets, computers, etc.  80,000 baht is $2700 USD, roughly.  And notice the wording....essentially every single person they stop for a 'customs' inspection will end up owing money for bringing in their used computers, suits, etc. for use while visiting Thailand.

An intelligent post, and definitely on point.   We all travel internationally and are all accustomed to the declarations forms about what we bring into another country.   Only in Thailand,  as I am many others except,  will this be abused to essential extort more fines and money from foreigners returning or visiting Thailand. This is the never ending problem with Thailand.  They write a law or implement a system that by it's very nature is going to be abused by the Thai way of doing things.  Sad, but why would anyone who has lived in Thailand for any time expect different?

What was so "intelligent and on point" about suggesting that every single person stopped will be liable for duty? 

 

Computers are exempt from import duty and how many people bring multiple "suits etc" here that are going to attract Customs attention?  Customs Officers, same as police and Immigration officers do have discretion.

[Just Weird]

3 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

Ok, so why do they need to start x-raying baggage?

To make more efficient checks, there aren't enough staff to individually check every piece of luggage by hand.

[Time Traveller]

8 hours ago, Just Weird said:

To make more efficient checks, there aren't enough staff to individually check every piece of luggage by hand.

Exactly what I said.

[Just Weird]

1 minute ago, Time Traveller said:

Exactly what I said.

What's you point, did I disagree with you?  No.  You asked me a question, I answered it.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

  1 minute ago, Just Weird said:

To make more efficient checks, there aren't enough staff to individually check every piece of luggage by hand.

Please don't alter my comments if you quote them, as you did in this one, forum rules do not allow it.

[Mister Fixit]

8 hours ago, ThePioneer said:

Some people have their suitcase full of cheese or salami, 

 

 

 

Yes, that might put paid to my 3 kg-plus boxes of cheese, half a dozen chorizo, tins of corned beef, mushy peas, and £1 tins of salmon.  

[crazykopite]

I would assume it’s mainly wealthy Thais who could get caught out most people purchase duty frees on the way home those with a lot of watches bought or borrowed will have to be extra careful 

[MikeN]

1 hour ago, RBOP said:

What a waste money and resources. At the other end we get scanned, x-ray, questioned, probed and patted at departures before getting on a plane. 

At the other end they are looking for dangerous goods, not stuff that may or may not be prohibited or taxable in one of the 190 odd other countries around the world. That’s the job of the destination country, Australia has been X-raying incoming baggage for years, mainly for biosecurity reasons.

[crazykopite]

????Jeez how the hell will I get my Tetley tea bags in ☹️

[bronzedude]

2 hour wait for bags. Welcome to Thailand.

[ThaiFelix]

I dont know why everybody is panicking, they will probably get the xray machines from the same company that supplied those "bomb detectors" a while back.  Remember?  It doesnt matter whether they work or not, so long as people think they do.  ????

[Percy P]

19 hours ago, overherebc said:

Palm oil in your suitcase?

Yes it cheaper to buy in Malaysia then T/Land.

[Sydebolle]

I might suggest that H.E. The Minister of Finance, Khun Uttama Savanayana should take a trip by air from anywhere A to anywhere B. No living soul ever had neither palm oil nor fuel oil in checked-in or hand-carried luggage.

Nowadays the airport security (the guys who stand around in groups in grey, badly cut uniforms, poking noses or busy on Line, Facebook or similar) go apes*ç"t over sealed, transparent, tiny water bottles - if they exceed 100ml. Shaving cream, toothpaste and all other (semi-)liquid form of earthly presence = straight into the bin. Not all (domestic) airports though apply the same filters; others include belts, remove cigarette lighters without asking or pad you down even if the screening gate does neither whistle nor blink. 

Duty collection is nothing new but I seriously query, if - in Thailand - they will screen everybody equally. More than once I saw a beehive of officials, officers and other "people" buzzing around an absolute nobody - either loaded with money or connections - or on stage nightly in one of those endless soaps at 8.30pm.

Like satellites, they were circumventing the person from the moment they got out of the finger dock all the way to the limousine (black Mercedes-Benz with very dark tinted windows), waiting with running engine in the "no stop" zone.
Trust me, these "VIPs" will never see anything screened nor collected from them, even if the perfume or whisky should leak out of suit cases ....... go figure! 

[wgdanson]

54 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

Do you?

Yes, I call her 'the wife' !     LOL

[Guderian]

Now Thaksin won't be able to enter Thailand by hiding in somebody's suitcase any more.

[elaxjt]

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, so if you bought 3 bottles of wine at an off-licence in the UK (as it is cheaper than buying wine in Thailand), put it in your suitcase with these new x-rays machines you could be charged for importing them into Thailand?

[soidog99]

19 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

As they don't allow my wife to bring her small bottle of contact lens cleaner, just how much fuel oil would one be able to smuggle?

That is carry on, they are talking about checked in luggage.

[Jaxxper]

19 hours ago, kotsak said:

Should we expect an increase in luggage theft? ????

If they are scanning baggage then there should be no need to open it. I agree locked bags are no real deterrent but I’ve found that if you put a small cable tie in addition to the lock it’s impossible to open the bag without cutting the tie and thus leaving the evidence that the bag was tampered with. Just one more deterrent.

[Artisi]

20 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Also for politicians and high rank officers etc or private planes?

Oh no! special fast track.

me, me, me - bags must be ready when I am. 

 

 

[essox essox]

17 minutes ago, elaxjt said:

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, so if you bought 3 bottles of wine at an off-licence in the UK (as it is cheaper than buying wine in Thailand), put it in your suitcase with these new x-rays machines you could be charged for importing them into Thailand?

of course.....

[emptypockets]

15 minutes ago, elaxjt said:

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, so if you bought 3 bottles of wine at an off-licence in the UK (as it is cheaper than buying wine in Thailand), put it in your suitcase with these new x-rays machines you could be charged for importing them into Thailand?

You are allowed 1 litre of alcohol, so yes if you declare it you may be charged duty. if you don't declare it and get caught you are looking at up to 10 times the dutiable rate and possibly prison time. I doubt if they'll lock you up but that's he law as it stands. Big signs all over the arrivals hall.

[flyingtlger]

Thailand is becoming more and more unattractive come to...

Customs and Immigration sometimes takes 2 hours to pass through and now they'll try to nickel and dime you for gifts you're bringing in for relatives and friends.  I get it that they may be trying to stop illegal drugs and such but that's a very small percentage of visitors..

Sacrifice the whole for the few?  

Time to look for greener pastures.....