US Customs and Frequent Visits to Thailand

[Guest francois]

Like so many others I fit the profile, single man, etc, and have been singled out on several ocassions for a baggage serarch and some questions. My baggage search was somewhat half-hearted and just a few questions. No one was ever rude except one female agent in Detroit. I give the standard answers, just a vacation but am interested in retirement there; like the people and Thailand is an inexpensive place to visit. I never bring anything questionable with me such as lube, condoms, Viagra, gay literature, photos, PC, camera. Any photos I take in Thailand of me and the bf, (none of any questionable nature) I mail the negatives to myself and then print them when I arrive home. The problem on arrival at Customs is that you are tired and stressed from the long flight and are in a bit of a daze to properly answer the agent's questions.

[Gaybutton]

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm wondering where customs officials get the right to ask detailed questions about sexual activity during your travels. I realize that the primary function of customs inspection is to prevent illegal or smuggled materials from entering the country and to collect taxes on dutiable goods, and I realize they have the right to inspect anything you are carrying, but since when has it become a function of customs to decide whether you are homosexual and were engaged in sexual activities?

 

When they ask, "Why do you go to Thailand so often?" what would happen if your answer was, "I go because I enjoy the cheap, easy sex."? Have you broken any laws? Do they have the right to publicly or even privately embarrass you about it? Do you have any recourse if they do humiliate you in front of others?

 

As I said, I'm not a lawyer, but I am not posting this in jest. I'd really like to know whether customs truly has the authority to pry into your sexual activities abroad. If they have "probable cause" to suspect that you were engaged in sexual activity with minors, that's one thing. But if not, then do they really have the right to put people through the third degree about their sexual activities? If they do, the next question is why? What purpose is being served? I don't get it.

[Guest thrillbill8]

I have the same question about ones "rights" when customs does a selected search on you. Last summer when I flew into San Francisco, I received a "mark" on my custom card as I went through passport control and then customs went through my bags. The main attraction was my camera and the official had me show each, YES EACH, photo that was on my digital camera. Fortunately, I didn't have any thing on there to cause embarassment, but I did feel uncomfortable when she saw my pictures of my Asian boyfriend's BD party around the swimming pool (he's 38 but looks a lot younger). I felt like it was none of the agent's business....if I had something to hide, I could have taken the disc out of the camera. The suitcases didn't cause as much attention.