Would a knife get taken going through Customs if it's in checked luggage?
 

Hi. We're going to Bangkok Dec. 19th from NY. On Dec. 24th, we're flying to Phuket where we will spend Christmas. I'm bringing gifts to share while there. Would a throwing knife (is there such a thing? My son wants one to chuck at trees and fool around with, in general - he's 19 - I've been searching for the perfect 'throwing knife'), anyway... I really don't know if I put the gift in my checked luggage if it will still be there when I get to Bangkok then Phuket! Does anyone know the answers?

I think that's probably a REALLY bad idea even in checked luggage. And why would he want to damage trees?

It's beautiful there, let him people watch and leave the weapons at home.

Well, John Locke took a whole case of knives with him to Australia and back again...

Yes, you can check even firearms. When I moved to Maui I packed all of my cutlery in my checked luggage, including my OJ Simpon commemorative knife collection.

They stopped me for 15 min til they found a nail clipper which they took from me

I brought back a sushi knife once a few years ago from Japan. It was in my bag that was checked in and it wasn't a problem. I know a few others who brought back samurai swords and other such souvenirs from Japan and didn't seem to have problems. However, I know security concerns are high. You may do well to call the airline and ask them as to what the policies are these days.

zee, the nail clipper was in your CHECKED luggage? I don't think so.

Yes, you can take knives in checked luggage. I do it all the time -- about an 8 inch blade one that I use for cheese, bread, etc. on picnics.

The funny part is that coming home from Paris a couple years ago, they screened my carry on and asked me if I had a knife. I said no, as I was sure it was in my CHECKED luggage. When I got home I discovered I had left it in the pocket of my carryon and had it with me all the time. If they saw it on the xray as I went through security, I can't figure out why they let me through with it.

Zee123, I'm guessing you must be talking about CARRY-ON luggage?

This question is about CHECKED luggage.

And the question is about customs, (not security), which is after baggage claim at your destination anyway.

Customs in Bangkok won't care how it was transported across the ocean, either in checked bag or carry-on. All they care about is what you are bringing into Thailand.

On vacation trips I always take a small kitchen knife (for picnics - and who knows what else - I always take a mini flashlight too) and have never been stopped or questioned. (And this is dozens of trips.)

But agree - why carry around a knife just to damage anything?

My Swiss Army knife is always in my checked Dopp kit and has never been questioned, nor stolen (it's engraved by/from warriors).
M

I have a small travel knife (not folding) which I took with me to Europe, no problem. Used to cut bread, cheese, veggies for picnics.

I would assume, it depends on the type of the knife. Hunting knives are considered weapon in some countries. Don't know what a "throwing knife" is.

Faina - I guess it all depends at what your are throwing the knife! :)

Or at whom! ;)

I regularly pack my penknife in my check-in luggage because I need a knife for picnics once I reach my destination.

Once while leaving Guadalajara I placed all my personal items (keys , coins , spare batteries , camera) in the basket to go through the x-ray machine. The attendant took the 2 AA batteries and said that they were not allowed. I started yelling for a supervisor and screaming thief. The offending attendant then ran away. I then asked myself if I real wanted to miss my plane for a pair of batteries. It seems that the 2 batteries that were in the camera were okay but the spare pair were not. So to answer the knife question it all defends who you run into.

I'm not sure which country you're taking it to, but you should make sure that it is legal wherever you're bringing it.

my best friend and i cater. when we travel we stay in villas, so we always take a variety of kitchen knives and a good pair of scissors so we can do our gourmet thing. her husband hunts every year in colo or mont and takes his guns and knives with him. most recently we have traveled to mexico, turks and caicos and usvi w/knives. friend is making 7th trip to bvi in spring and will of course be taking her cutlery. so tsa does not have a problem with this.
divers often take a knife to their destination as well, and i think thailand is big for divers so just guessing that thai customs will not object.
and yes there are definetly "throwing" knives. as i was curious i searched for 'throwing knives' and there are tons of sites selling and apparently a community of ppl who dicuss/gather. who knew?
as regards the knife still being there i have seen machines at the airports recently that for a fee will wrap your to be checked bags in saran wrap. bags go through machinery now instead of hand searches apparently - so this would deter theft.
enjoy christmas with your son.

The question poses a problem not evident on its surface. I don't know what Thailand's laws are but, in many, maybe most, of the US, throwing knives are considered martial arts weapons. Again, depending on the state, their mere possession may be a serious crime. If you had prohibited weapons in your baggage, not only could they be confiscated but you could very well wind up in handcuffs then in court.

In California, where I worked, things like double edged knives, throwing stars, nunkachu (two fighting sticks on a cord), billy clubs, etc are in the same category as sawed-off shotguns and subject any one who possesses them to serious penalties. There are some exceptions for possession in a licensed martial arts training school but an airport departure area hardly applies.

Thanks, all. Just to clarify some things... my son didn't want to throw the knife at trees in Thailand while on vacation, it was just an item he thought would be a nifty little gadget to use on his own... since we're celebrating the holiday in Thailand, I needed to bring the gifts there to be given out on Christmas day. Turns out I never did buy him the knife. He opted for speakers, instead, and those, I'm not bringing to Thailand! He's content to have them delivered to the house in our absence. One day I'll look into the "throwing knives". He goes to college in NH and there's plenty of wood there to play with.. hey he might even enjoy whittling, who knows?

All's well that ends well.