Hi All,

I have a long trip planned to Thailand and am wondering if it's worth the trouble to purchase a couple of cartons of cigarettes in duty free and then declare them at customs. Given brand preference and the fact that we'll be sequestered at a resort for a while I don't want to count on buying them in the country. Since there have been an increased number of reports of random checks in the green line (and I experienced one on my last trip) I don't want to chance anything.

So, what kind of duty am I looking at for an extra carton? (1 over the duty free limit)

How much extra time will it take to clear customs?

I plan to enter the country in HKT.

Any information here would be very helpful.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=88699

I think the duty is discussed in that thread. I do not think the duty-free shop will sell you more than your limit?

Unless an exotic brand they should be available in country.

edited to add: A quick review of the Thai Customs website and a few others seem to indicate that you cannot import tobacco products. So even if you wanted to declare an extra carton and pay the duty, you couldn't, and they'd be seized. At least that's how I read things based a quick review. That might explain the recent spate of huge fines in the linked thread?

Generally duty is 60% based on some fair market price but there can be other fees, jacking the total up to 110%.

Prices of "duty-free" cartons do not seem to be such a bargain anyways. They are usually 400B/carton at the airport on arrival (before customs) versus 60B a loose pack post-duty at a 7-Eleven. I'm sure the price difference narrows even more if you buy a carton at post-duty prices.

In short, minimal price differences pre-and-post duty.

In short, minimal price differences pre-and-post duty.

Very good point. Unfortunately, our resort in Phuket isn't near any type of convenience store so our only option would be to buy them at the gift shop (> THB120 per pack) or have a hotel car give us a ride to the nearest store (at which point any savings are wiped out).

Still a much better deal than the US where prices are pushing USD5.00 per pack.

It sounds as though you are flying into Phuket and then will take a car to your resort? If so you will pass dozens of shops that sell cigarettes. Could you stop at one of those to stock up before getting sequestered?