Smuggling DVD’s from Myanmar December 14, 2005
Posted by Martin in : Overseas Travel, Thailand , trackbackI was amazed that Tik, a feew days previous had acquired a collection of interesting DVD’s. I was equally amazed that they cost her no more than 50 baht ($1.25) each. She’d bought them from a Myanmar market and we decided to return there today to get a few more. In all Tik had about about 90 DVD’s already but I was greedy for more.
We arrived in the morning, crossed into Myanmar without problem and headed straight for the DVD shop Tik recommended. I was delighted to see boxed DVD sets which I’d never yet seen in Thailand. We bought over 200 DVDs, just filling the table with anything I’d even remotely been interested in before. We bought Music DVD’s, movies, Oscar-winner compilations, MP3 CD’s, increasing our momentum with every exclamation of “Wow, I’ve not seen this for years!”.
Exhausted we took some time out to buy Tik a suitcase, yet I couldn’t resist popping my eyes into a different DVD shop further along the stalls. This was the largest DVD supermarket I’ve ever seen, and despite my reservations about buyning for the sake of buying, we picked up another 300 DVD’s there including; a complete Stanley Kubrick compilation, a 50-DVD wooden-box set of Discovery documentaries and a mountain-full of Christmas gifts.
Filling 4 large carrier bags, plus Tik’s new suitcase we limped back into Thailand oncemore. I assumed it would be no problem for Tik to pass through immigration with most of the DVDs.
I walk through myself with just one bag, speaking in Thai to the inspector and walking right through. Tik passed in front of me and I saw her speaking with one of the immigration staff. By the time I’d passed through the gate, Tik was nowhere to be seen.
I telephoned her after a few minutes, she didn’t reply. I paced up and down for some time before seeing her being marched back to the border by two formal looking guards. My assumption that Tik would be fine was wrong and she’d been told to take the DVD’s back to the shop. Presumably they believed that she’d be setting up shop with them.
The guards told her that, even were she to pass through customs, she’d face problems with police should she be stopped with so many DVD’s in Thailand. Fortunately they allows her to retain one suitcase full and one bag full for her personal use. These were to be left at the customs office so that when she returned back, she would be able to pay tax on them and reclaim them.
We were fortunate that the guards were quite professional, not being unduly rude to Tik, as obviously I was concerned for her and had to patiently await her instruction from the other side of the border. Heroically, on Tiks instruction I walked into the customs office, saw Tik’s bags on the floor and, smiling at the member of staff just took them out to the car and avoided any questions or tax.
Had Tik been able to find some Thai people in Myanmar to carry some of the excess DVD’s back for her she’d have had no problem, but naturally Myanmar is a major area for drug smuggling and the girls Tik met were reluctant to help. We solved the problem by Tik passing the purchases through the gate to, and then I ran straight to the car, hoping we’d be ok.
Tik passed through immigration without problem this times and, eternally relieved, we drove back to the hotel, with a cargo of over 500 DVD’s in the trunk. Life was good …
Only a few kilometres down the road we were stopped by army personnel at a checkpoint. Tik was naturally quite flustered, having been told by the security staff that she’s face problems if she got the DVD’s into Thailand anyway. I stood silently trying to understand the Thai she was saying to the rifle-clad men.
They began meticulously searching inside the car, using a torch, checking in all the small compartments and continuing to probe Tik with questions. I could make out some of her replies and later she clarified the conversation for me. She’d not known what to say and switched between saying that she’d arrived alone, and that she kind of knew me but wasn’t really sure. She certainly had no idea what I might have bought because she’d only just met me that day. Things came ot a head when, quite naturally the inspectors wanted to see what was in the boot.
I could hear Tik reporting that she didn’t know how to open it. It wouldn’t take long for somebody to try opening it by skillfully putting the key in the lock and successfully turning it. My lovely Thai skills flowed from me in real Mr Bean style when - quite miraculously - the inspector did manage to open the boot on his first attempt revealing all our contraband in it’s full glory.
“Very clever” I announce, “Thank you so much”, “It’s been a problem opening it” . In deliberate ignorance I help the guys unlaod our collection and take time, with a big grin on my face telling the guys just where each DVD is destined. . “This ones for me, I’m very happy to have this”, “This ones for my sister, she loves this DVD”, “No I’m sorry, its for my mum, my sister’s already seen it”.
I explained that I’d bought them from Mae Sai - which is the Thai part of the border. It wasn’t a deliberate lie, but I just classify the whole area as Mae Sai, I’ve no idea what the Myanmar site is called. We were allowed to go, and packed our bounty back in the trunk.
“Please don’t close the trunk” I say, “I have a problem opening it”. The inspector closes it, and proceeds, as if by magic to open it again. I would never be so arrogant to assume he believe me for one second, but he didn’t say anything when I fein suprise that “wow, now there is no problem, you can open it, thank you so much”.. I’m assuming in hindsight that he was so amused by my bizzare Thai that he quite forgot how to fulfil his occupation.
We returned to the hotel without further problems, and 2 years worth of movies to keep us occupied should our escapade result in us spending 2006 in a police cell.
We tried relaxing at the resorts spa with an extended oil massage, however a massage in the evening at the top of the mountains was damn cold and I think we both regrettted not making the most of the opportunity a little earlier in the day.
Aside from the obvious stresses today, I was delighted that Tik and I were able to breath a long deep breath when returneed back, and certaainly saw the funny side of it.
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