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


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3 hours ago, xerostar said:

Another nail in the Thai tourist industry coffin ! 

Wow, even for TV that's a ridiculously over the top "the sky is falling" post.  And congratulations for being the first in the thread to use the old "nail in the tourist industry coffin" cliche.  Shame you didn't mention brown envelopes then you could have scooped that prize too - there's usually one of each of those cliches in every thread.

So come on, how is X-Raying bags before they get to the carousel going to sink the industry?  Bear in mind that no-one will see it or even know it is happening.   Bear in mind there will be no delay or obstruction to anyone. Bear in mind that it is standard practise in dozens of countries around the world.  But no, obviously a family of excited Brits looking forward to their holiday will Google to find out what the arrival airport baggage scanning policy is.  Then, shock horror, when they find out Thailand does the same as dozens of other airports and scans bags before the carousel, they are going to rip up their tickets, cancel their hotels, and then go to Skegness instead.



 

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3 hours ago, masuk said:

On a brief visit to China last year, I stayed at a small hotel, and the first thing I had to do was place my luggage onto an x-ray machine, opposite the check-in desk.

That's a first for me.  Never had a hotel do this before.

Having passed the test, I was then allowed to check in.  ????

Some Bangkok hotels have scanners. Shangri La to name one.

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3 hours 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. 

Countries of departure aren't interested in what may or may not be illegal to bring into Thailand. Not their job to police that. That's the job of Thai customs. Do you have any problem with them checking for illegal products? Many countries already check all incoming luggage, including hand luggage.

 

In fact, I've read that Thailand uses dogs in the baggage loading area to check bags before they are loaded onto the carousel, and if they find something the officers can wait to see who collects the suspicious bag. I guess the x-ray machines are in addition or a replacement.

 

If you're legal and you've got nothing to hide you are ignored. If not, you'll be challenged. That's the way it works, everywhere.

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1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

If it is anything like Myanmar, you get your checked bags and walk to the machine. Both checked and carry on bags go through the machine You are there when it happens. Some posters allude that the bags may be x-rayed before the carousel. Unlikely in my opinion as it would be a major exercise in man power to watch the progress of a suspect bag all the way until a passenger removes it from the carousel.

Of course they will be scanned before the carousel - that's what the article says.

And they have ordered 23 machines.  There are 23 carousels.

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3 hours 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.

Some of us wear watches and other jeweller with higher value than that.

They intending to make you pay duty on personal lap[tops/tablets, worn clothing which would have cost more than the total allowable, if you include the cost of the luggage. 

 

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1 minute ago, Mister Fixit said:

I got mine in 10 days ago!  Plus the corned beef, tinned fish and mushy peas.  

OMG!

You did not forget the baked beans for putting on your toast, did you?

And let me guess, that so called cheese was actually cheddar? Mild, medium or tasty?

 

 

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37 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Countries of departure aren't interested in what may or may not be illegal to bring into Thailand. Not their job to police that. That's the job of Thai customs. Do you have any problem with them checking for illegal products? Many countries already check all incoming luggage, including hand luggage.

 

In fact, I've read that Thailand uses dogs in the baggage loading area to check bags before they are loaded onto the carousel, and if they find something the officers can wait to see who collects the suspicious bag. I guess the x-ray machines are in addition or a replacement.

 

If you're legal and you've got nothing to hide you are ignored. If not, you'll be challenged. That's the way it works, everywhere.

Many countries use the dogs over the bags before the carousel, drug, explosive, money detection dogs.

They use the x-ray machines as an add on as well 

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2 hours ago, emptypockets said:

If it is anything like Myanmar, you get your checked bags and walk to the machine. Both checked and carry on bags go through the machine You are there when it happens. Some posters allude that the bags may be x-rayed before the carousel. Unlikely in my opinion as it would be a major exercise in man power to watch the progress of a suspect bag all the way until a passenger removes it from the carousel.

The article states that the x-ray machines will be a installed on the baggage carousel. What you are stating here is what I have been doing at Suvarnabhumi for the last 2 years or longer. 

Claim your bag go to the customs channel and get your bag scanned

 

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20 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

OMG!

You did not forget the baked beans for putting on your toast, did you?

And let me guess, that so called cheese was actually cheddar? Mild, medium or tasty?

 

 

2 large 450 grams blocks of extra mature Cheddar, 2 wedges of Brie, 2 wedges of mature Stilton, 2 cartons of Camembert.  And also three links of chorizo, 6 tins of tinned mackerel at 53p (or about 20 baht a tin) and 8 tins of anchovies at 59p a tin (about 150 baht or almost £4 here now).  

Then there were the four tins of corned beef, 2 tins of mushy peas (only 23p in the UK or about 10 baht) 3 1-pound chubs of black pudding and one large tin of stewed steak as well as a tin of pilchards in tomato sauce, the latter two just for nostalgia's sake.

Oh and a couple of jars of capers (silly expensive here) and a few jars of salmon paste, again these last just for nostalgia.  And, of course, a LARGE plastic jar of Marmite ...

 

Then there was the brand new tablet, as well as the radio I bought which receives air band which I gather is illegal to listen to in Thailand.  

 

I eat baked beans about once every two years and I can get them here if I want them, albeit expensive and way too sweet for my taste. 

 

We were well over weight with 4 bags but I'd paid in advance for two of them and I think we totalled about 112 kgs or more.  They all went through with no problems at all, and also we weren't stopped at the green channel.  Indeed, in 12 trips back in 15 years I have never been stopped in Thailand once, ever.

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22 hours ago, tifino said:

latest attempt in keeping track of all those bad aliens...

Image result for xray zombie

That's actually an amusing idea. 

Go to Immigration in an Alien suit. 

A "Legal" one.  "Good Guy" Alien but, end of the day, still just a miserable, downtrodden Alien.

 

The upside is, Thai chicks seem to have a fetish for it.

 

image.png.5078bdac485fe3c02d5208af686aaf2c.png

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14 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

2 large 450 grams blocks of extra mature Cheddar, 2 wedges of Brie, 2 wedges of mature Stilton, 2 cartons of Camembert.  And also three links of chorizo, 6 tins of tinned mackerel at 53p (or about 20 baht a tin) and 8 tins of anchovies at 59p a tin (about 150 baht or almost £4 here now).  

Then there were the four tins of corned beef, 2 tins of mushy peas (only 23p in the UK or about 10 baht) 3 1-pound chubs of black pudding and one large tin of stewed steak as well as a tin of pilchards in tomato sauce, the latter two just for nostalgia's sake.

Oh and a couple of jars of capers (silly expensive here) and a few jars of salmon paste, again these last just for nostalgia.  And, of course, a LARGE plastic jar of Marmite ...

 

Then there was the brand new tablet, as well as the radio I bought which receives air band which I gather is illegal to listen to in Thailand.  

 

I eat baked beans about once every two years and I can get them here if I want them, albeit expensive and way too sweet for my taste. 

 

We were well over weight with 4 bags but I'd paid in advance for two of them and I think we totalled about 112 kgs or more.  They all went through with no problems at all, and also we weren't stopped at the green channel.  Indeed, in 12 trips back in 15 years I have never been stopped in Thailand once, ever.

Just the person they are looking for

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31 minutes ago, elaxjt said:

The article states that the x-ray machines will be a installed on the baggage carousel. What you are stating here is what I have been doing at Suvarnabhumi for the last 2 years or longer. 

Claim your bag go to the customs channel and get your bag scanned

 

the article actually says 'above' the carousel.

In the five years I have been travelling monthly through Swampy (rough guess - 40 times) I have never, ever, not even once, had my bags scanned. What I said was in the airport I use in Myanmar EVERY bag, including carry on is scanned. I get my bag and walk through the green lane as do 99% of other people. the only people I have seen selected for screening are usually Asian (Chinese) with bags and boxes piled high on their baggage trolley.

Just to get the 'the Thais hate us crowd' baying for blood, all of those approx. 40 entries were all on 30 day visa exempt entries.

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1 hour ago, Harry2 said:

Is there an official site/list of prohibited food stuffs you cannot import into Thailand? I bring 20kg+ of food back from Europe & dont want to be stung by the Customs/Excise guys for B10-20k over B200 of cheese.

 

 

So something as my supply ….sad times coming ????….time to say farewell junta country....every month a new squeeze tighter 

My imported  foods.jpg

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2 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

in the five years I have been travelling monthly through Swampy (rough guess - 40 times) I have never, ever, not even once, had my bags scanned. What I said was in the airport I use in Myanmar EVERY bag, including carry on is scanned. I get my bag and walk through the green lane as do 99% of other people. the only people I have seen selected for screening are usually Asian (Chinese) with bags and boxes piled high on their baggage trolley.

Just to get the 'the Thais hate us crowd' baying for blood, all of those approx. 40 entries were all on 30 day visa exempt entries.

Well I have been stopped every time I come through Suvarnabhumi. Whether it is alone or with my Thai wife. 

Regardless of this it still states that the x-rays will be installed on the baggage carousels so unless the Thai government introduce customs forms along with the TM6 on arrival there is no way to declare that you have more than the allowance allowed 

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3 minutes ago, elaxjt said:

Well I have been stopped every time I come through Suvarnabhumi. Whether it is alone or with my Thai wife. 

Regardless of this it still states that the x-rays will be installed on the baggage carousels so unless the Thai government introduce customs forms along with the TM6 on arrival there is no way to declare that you have more than the allowance allowed 

Of course there is.  You collect your bag from the carousel and take it to the red channel.  

If you take it and go through the green channel you'll be stopped as your luggage will have been flagged.

Really it's no so hard to understand is it?

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3 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Of course there is.  You collect your bag from the carousel and take it to the red channel.  

If you take it and go through the green channel you'll be stopped as your luggage will have been flagged.

Really it's no so hard to understand is it?

Then why not just install the machines at the different channels scan each bag as it goes through?

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3 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Of course there is.  You collect your bag from the carousel and take it to the red channel.  

If you take it and go through the green channel you'll be stopped as your luggage will have been flagged.

Really it's no so hard to understand is it?

No,

but I think many would like to see a nice list of which things are prohibited except the ones we al know , more specific about food ,….. meat I know is prohibited because the English mad cow disease history from years past ….. and can cost a heavy fine .., but what about dry foods or vacuum packed food ?

A summary would be the least they could produce to not give the extortion attitude !

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3 minutes ago, david555 said:

No,

but I think many would like to see a nice list of which things are prohibited except the ones we al know , more specific about food ,….. meat I know is prohibited because the English mad cow disease history from years past ….. and can cost a heavy fine .., but what about dry foods or vacuum packed food ?

A summary would be the least they could produce to not give the extortion attitude !

A list would mean that they have thought this all through properly 

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9 minutes ago, elaxjt said:

Then why not just install the machines at the different channels scan each bag as it goes through?

Imagine the log jam that would cause!!

In what way would congregating every single traveller at one bottle neck (ok, two as there are two exits) to scan all the bags?  hat would be horrendous.  

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