On June 24, reporters reported that yesterday (June 23, 2026) the Chanthaburi Provincial Excise Office, led by Mrs. Suphaporn Wattanacharoen, Chanthaburi Provincial Excise Officer, along with suppression patrol officers, announced the results of a proactive operation to intercept tax avoidance goods, seizing a large lot of smuggled cigarettes along with a suspect. After receiving a tip that smuggled cigarettes would be transported from the border in Pong Nam Ron District to Bangkok, officers planned an interception. They found a bronze Toyota Corolla with license plate Gl 4991 Chanthaburi driving to the Khao Rong intersection in the direction of Chanthaburi city. They identified themselves and searched the car. Upon opening the trunk, they were stunned to find black plastic bags tightly packed inside. The suspect had removed the spare tire to increase space for transporting foreign cigarettes to evade tax, totaling 2,990 packs.
Investigation revealed that Mr. Santi (surname withheld), aged 50, a resident of Chanthaburi Province, was the driver. He confessed that he was hired to transport smuggled cigarettes from a natural border crossing in Pong Nam Ron District to a destination in Bangkok, receiving 3,000 baht per trip. This was his second time before being caught by the officers' plan.
However, officers counted all the seized items and found they were worth approximately 269,100 baht, with an excise tax value of about 171,652.40 baht. When including legal fines, the total becomes as high as 2,574,786 baht, which is considered an expensive lesson for illegally transporting goods. The perpetrator himself stated he did not know he would face such heavy fines. The officers then took the suspect and the evidence to the Mueang Chanthaburi Police Station for legal proceedings.
Regarding this lot of smuggled cigarettes, preliminary investigation found that they were intended for distribution in Bangkok, targeting teenagers and middle-income workers. The Excise Department confirmed that it will continue to seriously crack down on tax evasion to create fairness for legitimate businesses and maintain state interests sustainably.
