News Forum - Thai woman fined 54,000 baht at airport after entering country with designer brands

[Thaiger]

A Thai woman was fined 54,000 baht at Suvarnabhumi Airport for wearing designer brands and travelling with luxury products in her luggage. The woman, now based in South Korea, was stopped by customs officers as she passed through the airport on Friday, May 20 with her foreign boyfriend. It was the first time in two years she had visited her native Thailand. Custom officers asked the couple to stand aside while they rummaged through their three suitcases and two carrier bags, checking luxury items such as clothing, shoes, hats, and sunglasses. The furious woman revealed the officers even asked the […]

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[Manu]

Well that's a nice publicity for the weatlhy tourists that they seem to want to target so much...

[Cabra]

  On 5/23/2022 at 8:16 AM, Manu said:

Well that's a nice publicity for the weatlhy tourists that they seem to want to target so much...

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Spot on

[drkenchao]

if my memory is correct: i read that all goods including electronics gadgets brought into thailand (even on rrtirement visa or immigration ) could be subject to customs tax if exceeded certain amount. It is all up to the discretion of customs officers

[Fanta]

Taxed not fined. Does she get the tax back if she leaves with the same gear?Or will she have to pay export tax 

[KaptainRob]

Could be something fishy about the whole story as it came via Facebook from a 3rd party source.  I'm not necessarily doubting the fine wasn't genuine but the circumstances could be quite different to what is assumed.

Imagine this scenario if you will:  a Thai arrives through immigration and is flagged as "a person of interest" - in other words someone with a shady background.  Customs officers then act, based on that 'history'.  I am always suspicious of 3rd party anonymous claims.

[Skip]

I entered Thailand with a rolex watch... I got lucky and no one noticed or said anything...

So a word of advice to all those rich tourists that THAILAND is hoping will visit...

DON'T!!!

[WilliamG]

Sh1t, and I was going to bring 465 bottles of HP sauce from the Pound Shop in UK when I return in June.

[Soidog]

  On 5/23/2022 at 9:07 AM, WilliamG said:

Sh1t, and I was going to bring 465 bottles of HP sauce from the Pound Shop in UK when I return in June.

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HP sauce? Like bars of gold mate! 

[Graham]

Another great advertisement for Thailand which is posted for the world to see (pay attention you rich tourist's), how much more ridiculous can they get, next they will ask for receipts to show item's being worn are older than 1 year. 555

[Soidog]

  On 5/23/2022 at 9:28 AM, Graham said:

Another great advertisement for Thailand which is posted for the world to see (pay attention you rich tourist's), how much more ridiculous can they get, next they will ask for receipts to show item's being worn are older than 1 year. 555

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As always mate, follow the money to understand the reasons. I’m starting to think reading such nonsense is bad for my mental health. If I carry on, my mental health could deteriorate to the level of the Thais who come out with this BS.

[gazmo16]

Surely the women with the channel bag had the right idea, leave it with customs, pay nothing and retrieve it all on your way out as they are only visiting . 

Unless of course selling it on was the actual purpose ? 

[Rookiescot]

So what happens when someone rich comes into the country? Are they stripped and handed a boiler suit to wear for the duration of their stay?

[Rookiescot]

  On 5/23/2022 at 10:06 AM, gazmo16 said:

Surely the women with the channel bag had the right idea, leave it with customs, pay nothing and retrieve it all on your way out as they are only visiting . 

Unless of course selling it on was the actual purpose ? 

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I am surprised the handbag was still there when she went to collect it.

[Johno]

So ridiculous publicity that is already circulating on facebook..immigration hell bent on destroying tourism which  is guaranteed  and something no other country in the world worries about what people wear ???

https://www.facebook.com/353155198700592/posts/963407634342009/

[Faraday]

  On 5/23/2022 at 9:13 AM, Soidog said:

HP sauce? Like bars of gold mate! 

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Sure?

Try giving one to your wife on her birthday   

[DiJoDavO]

I don't get it. If those were for personal use and got seized, what did they expect them to do? Walk naked through Thailand? If they want wealthy tourists, I'd be a bit more friendly to those people if I was working at the airport. 

Besides that, 70k sounds rather like: I need some amount of money in my pocket now, 70k seems nice. Instead of: We have checked the products and calculated the amount exactly, so it will be exactly 70k. Where does an amount like that come from? 

[MikeW]

  On 5/23/2022 at 8:36 AM, drkenchao said:

if my memory is correct: i read that all goods including electronics gadgets brought into thailand (even on rrtirement visa or immigration ) could be subject to customs tax if exceeded certain amount. It is all up to the discretion of customs officers

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I had to pay tax on my dog when I moved here 

[SirPixAlot]

OMFG!
Like someone said above already. That seems more like a typically "Facebook-Drama". Gonna be run on CH 3 100 times. U will get only upset, if you read such hoax stories.

[astro]

  On 5/23/2022 at 2:06 PM, DiJoDavO said:

I don't get it. If those were for personal use and got seized, what did they expect them to do? Walk naked through Thailand?

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It wasn't just what they were wearing, but three suitcases full of the stuff.

Besides, the clothes weren't "seized", but subject to customs duty.

It always helps to read the article before commenting...

As already said, this is not exactly the advertisement they want to attract "quality tourists".

[Rookiescot]

  On 5/23/2022 at 3:32 PM, astro said:

It wasn't just what they were wearing, but three suitcases full of the stuff.

Besides, the clothes weren't "seized", but subject to customs duty.

It always helps to read the article before commenting...

As already said, this is not exactly the advertisement they want to attract "quality tourists".

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So what do they do with Lady Gaga's suitcases if she turns up?

Even in the very worst case in that this woman WAS going to sell this stuff it really is small potatoes compared to the huge amounts that come in via containers.

But maybe this was just a womans clothes. The kind of stuff she wears on a daily basis.

[HolyCowCm]

Old news. If someone doesn’t know that these turds can and do pull people aside to fleece them then it is a shame. Every last several times I came back I had some high end things and pretty nice amounts of cash. But all for personal use and none for sale and I was happy when I wasn’t called and passed through. I think they should maybe see how much money these people have and if they are wealthy or have pretty subsistent bank accounts then leave them alone. 
Customs are some of the biggest crooks I have come across here. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by HolyCowCm

[Janneman]

Seriously? 20.000 bath? That is like 600 dollars? So you enter Thailand with your iPhone, fancy sunglasses, pretty shoes, a laptop perhaps? I'm at 80.000 baht now. Tricky. 

[joseph]

It's nice to enter with a BOI work permit. I have purchased abroad and entered with computers, champagne, perfume, etc. Thailand customs has never bothered mentioning it. Philippines did try to appropriate material once. I asked for the name of the officer and I told them someone would be contacting them. I had my "samples" back in 30 minutes and it never happened again. If you do not have BOI sponsor, get an invoice for the items and list as "Samples, No commercial value".  

[Skip]

  On 5/23/2022 at 5:37 PM, Janneman said:

Seriously? 20.000 bath? That is like 600 dollars? So you enter Thailand with your iPhone, fancy sunglasses, pretty shoes, a laptop perhaps? I'm at 80.000 baht now. Tricky. 

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Actually you are required as a tourist on with a visa to show that you have at least 20,000 Baht "cash" with you... rarely enforced... visa exempt you must show 10,000 Baht... CASH... not credit.

If the customs agent actually said that the limit was 20,000 Baht... he was flat out lying... however whatever you have of value over a certain limit (a limit as applied to goods which is muddy at best) must be declared on the declaration sheet that you fill out before arrival... ie... cash limit undeclared is apx 170,000 Baht... but you can bring more if you declare it ahead of time.

Almost every country has customs limits even on personal items... BUT only enforce it on competitive goods (goods being brought into the country which are also a mainstay of the country that you are entering)... I know... clear as mud.