Alcohol confiscated at Bangkok Airport in transit - isn't it a scam?

[Haplo]

Similar experience in HK airport so I knew never to buy alcohol except in Sydney.

Didnt know about the NZ and US exemption. NZ i can understand but why US and not the other G20 countries.

 

[Forg]

Similar experience in HK airport so I knew never to buy alcohol except in Sydney.

Didnt know about the NZ and US exemption. NZ i can understand but why US and not the other G20 countries.

USA doesn’t have any people living there that’d want to blow up a ‘plane or, say, shoot up a school. Of course!

 

[vetrade]

DF isn't much cheaper (and may in fact be dearer at many airports) so I can't understand why people still buy there and take it as carry on.
Just masochists I guess

 

[Renato1]

So, on the same trip as described, does this mean that one can buy a carton of cigarettes at Delhi to take to Australia, whereas at the transiting airport they don't seem to want to sell any cigarettes to people going to Australia?

If the people at Delhi don't mind selling alcohol they know will be confiscated at the next stop, you'd think they wouldn't mind selling cigarettes which may incur some tax on arrival.

Someone is selling alcohol that either they or the airline know will never arrive in Australia.
Seems like a scam to me, especially if it's been going on ten years and there is no prominent warning of it anywhere.
Regards,
Renato

 

[justinbrett]

DF isn't much cheaper (and may in fact be dearer at many airports) so I can't understand why people still buy there and take it as carry on.
Just masochists I guess

Duty Free Exclusives. It’s not about the price...

 

[Dr Ralph]

Not a scam. Been happening for many years at Bangkok.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So, on the same trip as described, does this mean that one can buy a carton of cigarettes at Delhi to take to Australia, whereas at the transiting airport they don't seem to want to sell any cigarettes to people going to Australia?

If the people at Delhi don't mind selling alcohol they know will be confiscated at the next stop, you'd think they wouldn't mind selling cigarettes which may incur some tax on arrival.

Someone is selling alcohol that either they or the airline know will never arrive in Australia.
Seems like a scam to me, especially if it's been going on ten years and there is no prominent warning of it anywhere.
Regards,
Renato

I’d suggest it’s a case of ignorance rather than a scam. India services dozens of destinations, why would the staff particularly know (or care) about transit rules for connecting flights in a second country en route to a third?

No doubt many people would only produce the boarding pass as far as bangkok, rather than both boarding passes to australia.

Cigarettes... some airports will remind passengers of the limit for Australia. But there’s no concern the cigarettes will be confiscated. Whether or not a passenger wants to pay the tax on arrival, or forfeit the goods, is up to them.

 

[leadman]

It should only be ex NZ and ex USA as they are the only two exempt countries.

Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005, Authorised Version F2018C00068 registered 19/01/2018:

"exempt country means New Zealand or the United States of America"

This is is one of my biggest gripes returning to my country and i almost detest having this often over the top search being done what i skeptically believe is for the Duty Free shops port side. And it came to bear the other month when some fragile metallurgical samples, which had passed x-ray, were broken by the overzealous handcheckers. I had to pack them tightly and small enough not to be like a bottle, but of course they would not listen. I've been brewing on this for a while and it came to a head over this incident and in point form;

1) Austman, they do not check in TPE, ICN, HND or NRT. I'm not sure on the LHR to PER. (So is our great government saying that all the other airports that we re-search your items useless? So SIN and BKK are incompetent? We, the Australian Government cannot trust your security measures. Is it because the other airports told them to "stick it" and they will not do the searches? )

2) So why don't we do it when we fly OUT of the country? (is our checking far better than other countries? Oh i forgot we just revamped our expensive shopping malls, sorry, sorry, I meant departure halls, spending millions, but dumping the arrivals out in the smoking area!)

3) So why don't we do it for internal flights? Why not, oh sorry i forgot that we have better checking than SIN at all our airports!

4) I'm not a believer in conspiracy theories (like paying 40,000 very passionate NASA staff bribes to keep them quiet about the staged moon landings!!!) but i wouldn't argue the negative that its to funnel business to the duty free shop upon landing. Going out now its almost an embarrassment as you hurdle the shop counters trying to make a shortcut to the lounge without going through the chicanes, almost deserving of a Monty Python skit. So why not help the incoming Duty Free? Mmmmm, so where do a lot of the tourists buying booze come from, surely not Thailand or Bali or Malaysia.......

Sorry for the rant, but its in my top three list of what I hate most when travelling.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, except you can get very competitively priced DF at Singapore, delivered to the gate. So in that sense it doesn’t appear to be for commercial purposes.

 

[Renato1]

I’d suggest it’s a case of ignorance rather than a scam. India services dozens of destinations, why would the staff particularly know (or care) about transit rules for connecting flights in a second country en route to a third?

No doubt many people would only produce the boarding pass as far as bangkok, rather than both boarding passes to australia.

Cigarettes... some airports will remind passengers of the limit for Australia. But there’s no concern the cigarettes will be confiscated. Whether or not a passenger wants to pay the tax on arrival, or forfeit the goods, is up to them.

Thanks. Maybe not the sellers in India or elsewhere (though they could have a helpful warning notice) - but the airlines that regularly flies the route doesn't know it and warn passangers?

The first I knew of this was when I read this thread.

I couldn't get anyone to sell me duty free cigarettes in the USA or Singapore airports when coming back to Australia, and my memory is hazy - I think I had the same problem in Dubai too.
Regards,
Renato

 

[leadman]

Well, except you can get very competitively priced DF at Singapore, delivered to the gate. So in that sense it doesn’t appear to be for commercial purposes.

You and i are seasoned travellers and know the game well, but the average Joe Blow returning from coughet? How many times have you been in a line and the traveller in front has to scrounge through their bumbag to find their passport as they didn't think they would need it through customs, or the frequent flyer in a rush "bugger it i'll get it on the other side"?

 

[Himeno]

There, corrected for you.

No. It is the doing of stupid politicians.
There is no threat from liquids. Period.
It is all based on a so called "plot" that has no basis in reality.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks. Maybe not the sellers in India or elsewhere (though they could have a helpful warning notice) - but the airlines that regularly flies the route doesn't know it and warn passangers?

The first I knew of this was when I read this thread.

I couldn't get anyone to sell me duty free cigarettes in the USA or Singapore airports when coming back to Australia, and my memory is hazy - I think I had the same problem in Dubai too.
Regards,
Renato

All you need to tell the shops is that ‘I will pay the tax’ when you take up your carton(s) of cigarettes. Then they will sell them to you, no problems.

If Australia is your next stop, and you present a boarding pass with Australia as the next stop, some duty free shops will refuse to sell you alcohol. This has happened to me in Bangkok before.

But if you are originating in Delhi, going to Bangkok, how does the assistant know you’re going to Australia? Various airlines do advise passengers of the transit liquid rules... with in the inflight magazine, or on line, or via announcements in the cabin. But not everyone will look for those.

 

[kermatu]

I’ve never been caught out thankfully. Partly as I read the rules of where I’m travelling to, but also because I have found DF staff and airline staff (when given alcohol on board) to be very diligent in checking where I’m travelling or transiting to.

The 100ml restriction makes no sense to me given you can carry whatever liquid you want domestically. At least for now.

 

[kermatu]

DF isn't much cheaper (and may in fact be dearer at many airports) so I can't understand why people still buy there and take it as carry on.
Just masochists I guess

High alcohol content goods are almost always significantly cheaper duty free. I regularly purchase in NZ and Australia over 100 proof whiskey and bourbon for one third the price I’ve ever seen at DM or the like.
As with any shopping, a bit of research in advance makes sense. Impulse buys are usually a mistake. And no excuse these days as a quick google check while in store can be done.

 

[davidj]

So is our great government saying that all the other airports that we re-search your items useless? So SIN and BKK are incompetent? We, the Australian Government cannot trust your security measures. Is it because the other airports told them to "stick it" and they will not do the searches? )

In my experience the only travel that doesn't require removal of liquids is domestic AU. Even travel within EU requires liquid sterilisation land to airside.

 

[Forg]

High alcohol content goods are almost always significantly cheaper duty free. I regularly purchase in NZ and Australia over 100 proof whiskey and bourbon for one third the price I’ve ever seen at DM or the like.
As with any shopping, a bit of research in advance makes sense. Impulse buys are usually a mistake. And no excuse these days as a quick google check while in store can be done.

I’ve only travelled internationally maybe once a year in the last 6-7 years or so ... and maybe I’ve just been SOL, but Dan Murphy’s has been either cheaper or only a dollar or so more than Duty Free in Sydney airport (and that dollar hasn’t been worth the delay on exit ). That’s for stuff like Kahlua, a few gins, a few reasonable Scotches (I always check Glenmorangie due to Highlander ), and the occasional wine.
It’s been almost like Dan himself travels a lot & puts specials on whatever’s on-special whenever Forg is going through the airport ...

In my experience the only travel that doesn't require removal of liquids is domestic AU. Even travel within EU requires liquid sterilisation land to airside.

Me too; but what hadn’t actually occurred to me (before it was stated by others a few times in this thread) is that there’s no check at the gate when you’re flying out of Straya, yet all these airports in other countries are doing bag-checks when boarding aircraft flying in. Sure there’s the security check; but then you can buy all sorts of liquids before you get on the ‘plane. If safety was a Thing, they’d implement those checks (maybe have the SIN setup of security at each gate).

 

[JohnK]

Well, except you can get very competitively priced DF at Singapore, delivered to the gate. So in that sense it doesn’t appear to be for commercial purposes.

Only if you have a long enough transit or you pre-order online.

 

[serfty]

Not a scam. Been happening for many years at Bangkok.

As indicated, not a scam, but certainly a way to increase revenue for the Austrlain Airport owners - who charge high rent's to their airside duty free stores who endeavor to pass the cost onto PAX.

 

[justinbrett]

I flew KUL-LHR-INV and bought duty free at KUL. They seal the bag and give it to you in KL - I fully expected to lose it in LHR but no issues at all.

I feel that if LHR can trust duty free from Malaysia, than the Asian ports should trust duty free from Europe.