What You Can Bring Into Thailand: It is prohibited by law to bring the following items into Thailand without a license: narcotics, pornography, firearms and ammunition, blood, live animals, and agricultural products. Tourists are allowed to enter the country with 1 liter of alcohol and 200 cigarettes (or 250g of cigars or smoking tobacco) per adult, duty free, and there is no official limit on perfume. Customs no longer deem photographic film, PCs, or cameras as restricted items, as long as they are taken out of the country upon departure.
What You Can Take Home From Thailand: Pay more attention to what you can actually import to your home country, as Thai export customs are rather lax. However, one exception is cultural treasures: It is forbidden to take antique or authentic Buddha images or Bodhisattva images or fragments out of the kingdom. Special permission is required for removing antique artifacts from the country. You will be required to submit the object along with two 5x7-inch photographs showing a frontal view of the object, your passport, and a photocopy of your passport notarized by your home embassy. The authorization process takes 8 days. For further details, contact the Department of Fine Arts, Na Phra That Road, next to Thammasat University (tel. 02221-7811 or 02225-2652), open weekdays 9am to 4pm.
Please note: This is only an issue if the object in question is an antique, especially one that has been removed from a temple or palace, or a piece that has particular historic value to the kingdom. If you purchase a small Buddha image or reproduction, whether an amulet or a statue, you can ship it home or pack it in your bag. Any antique dealer will be able to notify you about which images require special permission.
U.S. Citizens: For specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure.") Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.
Canadian Citizens: For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
U.K. Citizens: For information, contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.
Australian Citizens: A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.
New Zealand Citizens: Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).
