Searches On Arrival At Suvarnabhumi

[cavanami]

I have had my bags put thru the x-ray, but 5 sec and on my way, nothing ever opened.

 

I put my Duty Free on top of the cart, in plain sight, so they can see one bottle of booze and no ciggies, never had an issue...YMMV

[shygye]

I meant 50,000 to 100,000 baht

 

You can bring more than 50k baht equivalent. You must declare it on the customs form.

[expat]

I had my bags x-rayed, and then I was pulled over for having too many bottles of vitamins. (I always bring back a year's supply for me and my family, so I had about 20+ bottles.)

 

I said 'How much?' He said 'How much you think?' I said '500 baht.' He said 'Oh, no, too little. 2000 baht.' I said '1000 baht, ok.' He smiled. I handed the money to the woman on the x-ray machine as directed and was on my way.

 

The trip after that, my last trip, I arrived about midnight. I tried to go through the diplomat exit where there's no x-ray, but the guy asked me to use the regular entrance and to x-ray my bags. He was the only one in the area, so when he disappeared behind the machine, I put all my bags except the vitamin bag through the x-ray and left the other on the cart.

 

I won't try that again. I got away with it, but the consequences if you get caught are too much.

 

I'm going to buy my vitamins at MBK from now on--they smuggle them in (the exact brand I get from Costco) and it's not that much more expensive than in the States, perhaps 50% more.

[rookie]

Searches On Arrival At Suvarnabhumi ...are tame compared to the airport insanity in the US.

 

One of my favorite and most irreverent columnists, "Fred on Everything" has a sarcastic take on the evolving airport searches in the US, in his most recent column ('The Price of Freedom'):

 

http://www.fredoneverything.net/FOE_Frame_Column.htm

[simie]

I only bring a soft carry on holdall not checked in luggage and trip before last I brought over 2 boxes of English tea for my brother, which where making a carton shape at the end of my bag. I was stopped by a goon between getting off the plane and passports who I assume thought I had cigarettes? But as I don't smoke he was out of luck and once I'd opened the bag and shown him it was just tea bags I was on my way. I had arrived on a Qatar airways flight and I believe the arab airlines are their favourites for nabbing people with excess duty free?

Simie.

[Flashermac]

I had my bags x-rayed, and then I was pulled over for having too many bottles of vitamins. (I always bring back a year's supply for me and my family, so I had about 20+ bottles.)

 

I said 'How much?' He said 'How much you think?' I said '500 baht.' He said 'Oh, no, too little. 2000 baht.' I said '1000 baht, ok.' He smiled. I handed the money to the woman on the x-ray machine as directed and was on my way.

 

The trip after that, my last trip, I arrived about midnight. I tried to go through the diplomat exit where there's no x-ray, but the guy asked me to use the regular entrance and to x-ray my bags. He was the only one in the area, so when he disappeared behind the machine, I put all my bags except the vitamin bag through the x-ray and left the other on the cart.

 

I won't try that again. I got away with it, but the consequences if you get caught are too much.

 

I'm going to buy my vitamins at MBK from now on--they smuggle them in (the exact brand I get from Costco) and it's not that much more expensive than in the States, perhaps 50% more.

 

 

I ordered some vitamins from the US last month. It was clearly marked on the package: "medical supplies, not subject to duty". The Thai post office made me pay duty anyway ... and always do.

 

 

 

[expat]

I remember checking on the net--the duty is 30% for vitamins if I recall correctly (which is unlikely). That would still make vitamins from the US cheaper than the ones in Thailand.

[bust]

I ordered some vitamins from the US last month. It was clearly marked on the package: "medical supplies, not subject to duty". The Thai post office made me pay duty anyway ... and always do.

Who fed you that info?

Under the DFA anything declared "medical supplies" is charged import duty.

[cavanami]

Same-same here, with vitamins.

I went 12 rounds with the Thai Customs several years ago and after several days, got them to see that they were only vitamins, not worth millions of Baht, paid the small duty and the farkin' storage fee (which was more then the duty)...never again...once burned, twice shy, for this cowboy!

[pasathai1]

we got our stuff xrayed last oct, ( we had several boxes of stuff, you know how it is going to visit family)

 

 

my take on the process is they seemed more interested in our reaction than what shows up on the screen.

 

maybe they just take the search further if the "searchees" look nervous