Chinese men accuse Thai official of extortion and illegal watch seizure
Luxury items vanish amid shadowy fines and legal dead ends
Two Chinese nationals accused Thai Customs officials of extortion and unlawful luxury watch seizure at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on August 4 last year.
The alleged corruption by the Thai officials came to light after the news-focused X (formerly Twitter) account, Red Skull, shared the story on April 28. The account reportedly obtained the details from a man whose two Chinese friends were allegedly victims of the incident.
According to Red Skull, the two Chinese men arrived in Thailand with two Rolex watches they had bought in Macao. Their intention was to take the watches to the Erawan Shrine, near the popular shopping mall CentralWorld, to conduct an auspicious ceremony according to their beliefs.
However, the men were stopped by Customs officials, who informed them that they had illegally brought the watches into the country without declaring them or paying the required taxes.
The officials allegedly demanded a fine of 300,000 baht in cash, which was reportedly paid in a bathroom, raising suspicions.
Furthermore, the watches were not returned. The men were allegedly coerced into signing documents transferring ownership of the watches to the country.
When the Chinese nationals later requested the return of their watches, the officials reportedly refused and instead instructed them to repurchase the items at prices set by the Thai Customs Department.
The two men claim that they attempted to file a complaint with the department but it was not accepted. They subsequently filed a complaint with the Administrative Court of Thailand, though no progress was made.
Red Skull also shared screenshots of a WeChat conversation between one of the Chinese men and an alleged Thai official. In the chat, the supposed official requested cash payments and reassured the man that everything would be fine once payment was made.
The Chinese man reportedly replied that he and his friend lacked the money and preferred to go through legal channels without paying a bribe. However, the alleged official continued to urge payment, promising a smooth resolution.
In response, the Thai Customs Department issued an official statement on April 29 via its Facebook page, insisting that its officials acted lawfully and followed regulations.
According to the statement, the Chinese tourists proceeded through the Nothing to Declare channel despite carrying two brand new luxury watches, indicating an intent to evade tax.
Officials reportedly escorted them for further inspection. One of the Chinese nationals was allegedly speaking on the phone throughout the encounter.
A man claiming to be a government official later approached customs staff, urging them to drop the legal proceedings and allow the men to pay the tax before release. The department stated that its officials refused the request and continued with standard procedures.
At one point, one of the Chinese men asked to use the toilet and was granted permission. A second Thai man, also claiming to be a government official, allegedly intervened again to seek the release of the two travellers but customs staff reportedly declined.
The department maintained that the Chinese men voluntarily offered the watches as state property to end the legal proceedings and were not coerced or threatened.
As of now, no further investigation has been launched into the identities of the individuals claiming to be government officials. The Administrative Court of Thailand has yet to state the matter.
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