12-4-2024 (SEOUL) What was meant to be a rejuvenating trip to South Korea for Thai beauty queen Teeyapar “Nam Petch” Sretsirisuvarna took an unexpected turn this week when she found herself embroiled in a dispute with immigration officials over a hefty tax demand on the cash she was carrying on her return journey.
The 31-year-old Miss Earth Thailand 2019 took to Facebook on Wednesday to recount her ordeal, claiming that three immigration officers at Incheon International Airport informed her she would have to pay a 5% tax – amounting to a staggering 37,110 baht (S$1383) – on the large sum of cash she was carrying, as it exceeded US$10,000.
Sretsirisuvarna explained that she had originally brought the substantial amount of money to South Korea to pay for plastic surgery procedures. However, after opting against going through with the operations, she found herself in the predicament of having to bring the cash back to Thailand, unaware of the tax implications.
“Three immigration officers at Incheon International Airport stopped me and notified that I had to pay tax of 1.4 million won (S$1383) since I was carrying more than US$10,000 in cash,” she recounted in her Facebook post.
In a bid to resolve the situation, the beauty queen presented evidence of the currency exchange transaction, demonstrating that the cash in her possession was the same amount she had originally brought into the country. However, her efforts proved futile, as the immigration officials remained adamant that she would have to pay the tax, albeit offering a slight reduction to 4%.
Faced with the prospect of missing her flight, Sretsirisuvarna reluctantly acquiesced and paid the demanded sum, but not without voicing her frustration over what she perceived as an unjust policy. She argued that currency taxes are typically imposed on incoming passengers to curb money laundering, and should not apply to those simply carrying their own cash out of the country.
The beauty queen’s post, which included the hashtags #ripkorea and #touristscam, swiftly garnered attention and sparked a discussion among netizens regarding South Korea’s currency declaration regulations.
One commenter pointed out that while Sretsirisuvarna had provided evidence of the currency exchange transaction, she had likely failed to obtain a certificate of declaration – a crucial document required for travellers carrying more than US$10,000 into South Korea. This certificate would have exempted her from the tax upon her departure, provided she could present it to immigration officials.
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