Thread: Customs allays fear of stricter check of outbound, inbound passengers

March 08, 2018 by Thai PBS

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The Customs Department has allayed concerns over the enforcement of two regulations requiring air passengers to declare valuable items being brought into and out of the country.

Customs Department’s deputy director general Chaiyut Kumkun said the two regulations, which came into force on Feb 26, were the old regulations that had been re-announced to the public following the promulgation of the 2017 Customs Act which replaced the 1926 Customs Act.

Under the regulations, outbound passengers who intend to take along with them high value items such as luxury watches, video cameras, cameras or notebook computers, will have to declare these items to customs officials posted at departure gates.

Moreover, an item purchased at duty-free shops and not for personal use will be taxed if the item exceeding 20,000 baht in value.

Mr Chaiyut explain that the declaration of valuable items for outbound passengers was not compulsory, but he advised passengers to declare the items to make sure that they would not have problem with customs officials upon returning to the country.

In case passengers were randomly searched when returning to Thailand, they can easily prove the items are personal property they brought with them before departing the country and not bought abroad, he said.
Meanwhile, Kulit Sombatsiri, director-general of the Customs Department, assured the public that they had nothing to worry about the regulations as it does not mean that stricter checks or new regulations were being introduced.

In-bound and out-bound travelers can come and go as they had done before. They don’t have to be worried that they will be delayed by customs checks, he said.

Customs allays fear of stricter check of outbound, inbound passengers - Thai PBS English News

This is causing a fair bit of angst amongst my work colleauges, we all travel with laptops, which are one of the targets.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

This is causing a fair bit of angst amongst my work colleauges, we all travel with laptops, which are one of the targets.

Oh don't worry about that, they'll see all the Hello Kitty stickers all over them and assume you're just students.

That's going to piss Harry off he travels first class everywhere i would imagine his underpants cost 20,000 baht ,guess he will have to go commando from now on.

Originally Posted by klong toey

That's going to piss Harry off he travels first class everywhere i would imagine his underpants cost 20,000 baht ,guess he will have to go commando from now on.

Each one of my phones is worth more than that, and I carry three when I'm travelling.

As long as they do receipts.....

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Each one of my phones is worth more than that, and I carry three when I'm travelling.

3 iphone X's harry - you must make quite a stir at the starbucks

Originally Posted by baldrick

3 iphone X's harry - you must make quite a stir at the starbucks

I said phones, not shit gay phones.

It's going to an administrative nightmare .
Its not going to work.

Customs Department steps in to calm public outcry over pre-departure declaration rule

BANGKOK, 9th March 2018 - The Customs Department has stepped in to calm public frustration and outcry over its latest notifications, including an apparent requirement for travelers to declare their personal effects before departing the country.

Deputy Director-General of the Customs Department, Chaiyuth Khankun said on Thursday that the notification at the center of public attention, requiring travelers to declare such personal effects as watches, video cameras and computer notebooks before leaving the country, is not intended to be compulsory but has been initiated to facilitate the intentions of some travelers, who plan to take some items out of the country only to bring them back later.

According to the much-criticized notification, which has been in effect since February 26, travelers who wish to make such a declaration, can report to an on-duty customs official to have all such items recorded and use the issued copy of record to prove they are not newly-acquired items that are subject to import duties when they re-enter Thailand with the traveler.

Mr. Chaiyuth said that the declaration process will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Nevertheless, he conceded that this notification includes some information, which appears confusing to the public, and the Customs Department has already started working with related agencies to make adjustments to it in order to help the public gain a better understanding, tentatively within a week.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Customs Department steps in to calm public outcry over pre-departure declaration rule

If the item is not new (package, or tags still on) and you don't have 3 of it in your luggage it should be considered as personal belonging...

They're quite good at alarming their people and devising unimplementable rules... It paves way to the "discretion" of the guy in charge of checking your luggage....(eg you give me one and you can go...)

Customs Dept to remove order requiring Thai travelers to declare valuable items

BANGKOK, 5th April 2018 (NNT) - The Customs Department will cancel a regulation requiring Thai travelers leaving Thailand to declare their personal belongings that they intend to bring out of the country. The regulation was introduced so travelers would not be taxed upon arrival in foreign countries.

The requirement has been criticized by many travelers because the procedure of declaration at the departure points of international airports are complicated and time consuming.

The customs officials will issue a receipt, which will be shown upon arrival of the traveler to customs officials in order that the items will be exempted from taxation.

Common personal assets, such as ornaments, need not be declared with customs officials.

The Director-General of the Customs Department, Kulit Sombatsiri, said the scrapping of the order 60/2560 was meant to make Thai travelers feel comfortable when they travel during the Songkran festival.

To avoid misunderstanding among Thai travelers, he said that customs officials at Suvarnabhumi and Don Meuang airports would be given a short training course on the use of proper language to be used with the travelers and on manners.

However, he noted that checking of items brought back by travelers upon their return would be randomly checked as usual, with some travelers suspected to be traders to be given special attention.

Personal items, which are brought back that are exempted for tax, must cost less than 20,000 baht in total, for instance 200 cigarettes and one litre of liquor.

If a traveler brings back an item which costs more than 200,000 baht, the customs official on duty has the discretion to tax the traveler.


http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en...O6104050010024