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The customs office at Incheon International Airport has advised South Koreans departing for Thailand to carry no more than 10 packs of cigarettes as the Southeast Asian country enforces strict customs clearance checks on tobacco.

Incheon Airport Customs warned that any travelers carrying more than 10 packs of cigarettes might face heavy fines if they fail to report them to the Thai airport customs office.

If they are caught bringing in more than 10 packs of cigarettes without reporting to the customs office, travelers are fined 13,000 baht (350,000 won) for every 10 packs and all the cigarettes are confiscated.

Thailand has recently designated public buildings as nonsmoking areas in a stepped-up antismoking campaign, and many tourists go through strict checks for cigarettes when they arrive. Also, tax officials are cracking down on travelers carrying more than 10 packs of cigarettes for excessive tax evasion.

According to Incheon Airport Customs, about 800,000 Koreans a year visit Thailand. Among them, smokers buy a bundle of cigarettes at duty free shops before departing for Thailand.

Many Korean travelers, having no information about Thai customs regulations, might get into trouble due to their excessive possession of cigarettes on arrival at Thai airports

“People need to bone up on customs rules of the country they plan to travel to before leaving to go abroad in order to avoid any potential trouble with customs clearance,” said Lee Cheng-woo at Incheon Airport Customs.