Bangkok airport scam: Singaporeans asked to pay $1000+ fine

[ChaosMyth]

Singaporeans going to Bangkok, take note.

 

According to one Singaporean who travelled to the wildly-popular Thai city recently in May 2018, a new kind of scam is allegedly going on at the airport there.

 

This is copied from the Facebook User’s post:

 

I don’t usually write such long posts on Facebook but the terrible experience at Suvarnabhumi Airport during my recent trip over the weekend has prompted me to do so. What I want to achieve is to raise awareness and to prevent more people from being caught in the same situation.

 

I was travelling with 13 other Singaporeans and we landed in Bangkok around 9.40am on 18th May. Everything seemed fine, as per my previous trips to Bangkok – we went through customs, collected our luggage from the baggage claim area, and then proceeded to walk through ‘nothing to declare’.

 

When we were about to exit the airport to head over to our AOT transport (to be clear, we were already out of transit area, about to exit the airport, so that’s where the public is free to walk around), we got stopped by Thai officers, and they asked me “how many of you?” and I replied “14”. I saw the change in expression followed by “oh, can you follow me to office?”

 

With nothing to hide, we followed them to the Excise Department office. They told us they were going to search our luggage. Again, with nothing to hide, we agreed. Some of us came out relatively quickly but we soon realised 2-3 of us were asked to stay in the office with their passports confiscated.

 

Background info: 14 of us walked out together in a group, carrying 6 bottles of Balvenie 16 which we got from Changi Airport Duty Free. Each bottle was packed individually in sealed bags to be carried on board the plane, and each bottle came with an individual receipt. However, 3 of such sealed bags were placed in 1 plastic bag, which meant 2 of us were carrying the 2 plastic bags (containing 3 sealed bags each).

 

So, we are all aware that the alcohol allowance for hard liquor to be brought into Bangkok is 1L per pax. Were we well within our alcohol limit/allowance? You would think so, but NO. They told us we could be charged with tax evasion because only 2 people were carrying the alcohol (even though all of us said we were travelling as a group of 14), and that we LITERALLY were allowed to only CARRY 1 per person.

 

They wanted to fine us up to THB 75,000 (~SGD3,160) BUT we were told they will lower the fine to THB49,000 (~SGD2,065) IF we paid IMMEDIATELY. Note: CASH ONLY, no cards allowed – they told us to get cash from our credit cards OR change our SGD and told us where the ATMs and money changers were. They even threatened to take all of us to the police station if we do not agree to pay the fine.

Allow me to emphasize one more time – 14 of us bought 6 bottles of hard liquor.

 

We managed to get them to lower the fine to THB 33,000 (~SGD1,390), not that I’m complaining we got a lower fine but isn’t it weird they could adjust the fine amount? We eventually paid the fine because we were in a foreign country afterall and it was extremely difficult to reason with them when they were threatening ‘jail’ in no time. They were definitely rushing us to pay up. Despite paying the fine, they only returned 2 bottles (out of 6) to us. We also realise that one of the officers was ‘stationed’ at the baggage claim area while we were there and was probably eyeing us the entire time but waited till we have gone through customs before stopping us. To highlight, the officer eyeing us at the baggage claim area eventually ended up at the airport exit, SUSPICIOUS MUCH??? That officer’s area of duty comprise of both INSIDE and OUTSIDE, and they could switch their duties as and when?

 

While we were stuck there (the longest 90mins ever…), we saw a number of people being escorted to the Excise Department office too, comprising of a group of 10 (bringing in 8 bottles which is still within the allowance!!!), a couple (well, apparently it is not okay for the guy to carry the bottle on behalf of his girlfriend/wife), and another smaller group before us. Think about the amount of THB collected over that 90mins.

 

By the way, there was a man from the Taiwan embassy who came up to me 20mins into this incident, asking me if I was Taiwanese. Apparently he snapped a few photos of us standing OUTSIDE the Excise Department office and perhaps he was going to help us if we were Taiwanese. However, he got called out by the Thai officers and they demanded him to delete the photos he took in a PUBLIC SPACE. They even took down his details and demanded to take a photo of his pass.

 

After the episode, we found out from some of our (Thai/Singaporean) friends that they do this to both locals and tourists, that the officers in the airport will go out of the way to find reasons (even the 200 cig allowance) to justify the fines they impose on you. In my opinion, it was absolutely unfair. To my surprise, nothing came up when I tried searching on google for people with similar experiences, which means many people out there could still be unaware since we can’t be the first.

[macrosszero]

When you are in another country, you have to respect its laws (and how literally it is interpreted). If you are driving a Singapore-registered car through the checkpoints, you have to have 3/4 tank whether you think it is fair or not. Even though they don't check that often, when they do, you can't cry foul. 

 

And a "big" group of 14 with 6 bottles of Balvenie at $100+ each, for what is probably a weekend trip to Bangkok...... how many will be drunk, and how many will be resold? 

 

As cheap as alcohol is on the streets of Bangkok, the customs officials aren't dumb either.

[Jman888]

官字兩個口。

[Hamburger]

dont buy alcohol boh daichi.

 

The End.

[Mcf777]

Many years back when I came back from china, at Changi airport exiting area, I was also stopped for having 6 bottles of liquor in the same trolly.

 

I am told all paxs must carry their own liquor.

 

I pointed to the officer that they are all elderly. How to carry. Heng, they let me off.

 

I guess this rules applies to all countries.

[Watwheels]

You said it yourself, 2 person carry 6 bottles where the rule state one person is only allowed to carry one bottle.

 

A group of 14 of you... how the officer know whether you guys are acquainted in any way when the plane is full of the ppl from the same country of origin. How will he know who will consume the alcohol? When he caught 2 of you with 6 bottles, isn't it a clear violation?

 

IMO you guys should have distributed the bottles to one person carry one bottle before disembark.

[Kusje]

You said it yourself, 2 person carry 6 bottles where the rule state one person is only allowed to carry one bottle.

 

A group of 14 of you... how the officer know whether you guys are acquainted in any way when the plane is full of the ppl from the same country of origin. How will he know who will consume the alcohol? When he caught 2 of you with 6 bottles, isn't it a clear violation?

 

IMO you guys should have distributed the bottles to one person carry one bottle before disembark.

 

What you say is true.

 

But the way the officers were going about the "fine" also means that they were looking for a bribe.

[Watwheels]

What you say is true.

 

But the way the officers were going about the "fine" also means that they were looking for a bribe.

 

For that I do not know for sure. Did TS made to sign a "summon" and pay the fine? If there's black and white I think the officer is just doing his job. Ppl may mistake his kindness (for giving chance and lowering the fine) for something else.

[Jamesc]

Dont walk in a big group.

 

[Jman888]

When you are in another country, you have to respect its laws (and how literally it is interpreted). If you are driving a Singapore-registered car through the checkpoints, you have to have 3/4 tank whether you think it is fair or not. Even though they don't check that often, when they do, you can't cry foul. 

 

And a "big" group of 14 with 6 bottles of Balvenie at $100+ each, for what is probably a weekend trip to Bangkok...... how many will be drunk, and how many will be resold? 

 

As cheap as alcohol is on the streets of Bangkok, the customs officials aren't dumb either.

 

 

maybe they going to offer to the king?   

[Galantspeedz]

i was also informed by Changi Airport officers that each pax must carry their own allowance of liquor.....

 

my cousin had cleared customs while i was pushing trolley through....

[Jamesc]

To prevent this kind of problems I always walk close to a good looking young Thai lady.

 

Prevention is better than cure.

 

So far never had any problems with Customs.

 

[t0y0ta]

Each bring your own liquor bro.. Stay within the law. No excuse for customs to tekan you. Also can ask sg embassy to help. Once you escalate the customs will probably be scared.

[Voodooman]

Got official receipt? Read like the MIW at Msia custom.

[Beehive3783]

my advice is not to be xialan babi. 

 

you think SG embassy is big fark? they are still in someone else's country.

 

probably you have not heard of the case whereby some SG fella called the SG embassy because of the local authorities trying to get a bribe from him, the local authorities were pissed off because of that and they trumped up some charges on him and put him in the lockup.

 

Each bring your own liquor bro.. Stay within the law. No excuse for customs to tekan you. Also can ask sg embassy to help. Once you escalate the customs will probably be scared.

 

[Mahjong74]

Singaporeans going to Bangkok, take note.

 

According to one Singaporean who travelled to the wildly-popular Thai city recently in May 2018, a new kind of scam is allegedly going on at the airport there.

 

This is copied from the Facebook User’s post:

 

I don’t usually write such long posts on Facebook but the terrible experience at Suvarnabhumi Airport during my recent trip over the weekend has prompted me to do so. What I want to achieve is to raise awareness and to prevent more people from being caught in the same situation.

 

 

This posting was just removed from Facebook minutes ago. 

 

so it is not a scam afterall..........have to follow their law when you are oversea

[Celicar]

dont buy alcohol boh daichi.

 

The End.

Carry the alcohol in your belly boh daichi.

 

The End.

[Mcf777]

already up online.

see how Thai going to reply

 

https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/singapore/singaporeans-allegedly-scammed-by-bangkok-airport-officers-to-pay-heavy-fines-for-exceeding-alcohol-limit/ar-AAxC1iW?li=AAaGkVj&ocid=spartandhp