Laptop searches on trips to Thailand ...

[Smiles]

There is an interesting thread in the Global Forum regarding wiping down, cleaning up, and sanitizing one's laptop hard drive before stepping foot in international airports ( http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 11534.html ).

All that's fine and dandy (though I hardly understand a word of most of the technical stuff) and I am interested in the discussion as it's my intention to take my laptop with me in November. I'm really not that concerned about what's in the gloomy depths of my computer . . . I rarely do random www searches any more, and my photos are innocuous.

What I am concerned with is being dragged out the cattle call lineup for a full HD search: the time-wasting of it all; the tediousness, the possibilities of missing flights (they don't give a damn if you miss it!); the stultifying boredom of having to answer technical questions (to which I definitely have no answer) to some low level bureaucrat/nazi/wanker/punk security clerk.

So my question to those who've carried laptops through airport security mazes is this: Do they do laptop searches on every person carrying one (Shirley impossible??)? Random searches? One outta 20? 7 outta 10?
What do you think the odds of getting picked are?

And then ... having been picked: Do they take you away and do their business in some dark torture chamber? How long does it take?

And then again (the Worst Scenario).: Has anyone on the Board been unlucky enough (or have knowledge of) to be the chosen fish, and then missed their flight because of it? Has anyone really unlucky enough, been held back from travel . . . sent home . . . arrested/detained.


I'm seriously thinking of simply buying a second laptop in Thailand and leaving it there with the Beloved for the 4 months a year when I have to be back in Canada: Not because of something I need to hide, but to separate myself from the ridiculous tedium of even the contemplation of being the Chosen One.
Prices are fairly cheap for what you get nowadays, and frankly I am not in love with carrying that not-so-light boat anchor wherever I go. I can transport my Important Stuff on my cute little 100 gig portable hardrive (no bigger than a pack of cards), which I never leave connected to my main computer.

Cheers ...

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[jinks]

I have carried my laptop on my trips for two years.

The biggest hassle was having to remove it from it's carrybag and put it into a separate tray to be X-rayed.

Fingers crossed so far .....

UK, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore and Thailand have never asked to see it booted up or looked at what is on it.

I too have nothing to worry about except a possible unnecessary delay.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I would buy one when you get here, that's what I did. I wanted a Thai/Eng key board and Thai/Eng Windows as well as a warranty in Thailand. I went to Pantip (love that place) and bought a Sony Vaio. There is a huge Sony service center in Bangkok as well but I think only for Sony Vaio sold in Thailand, not sure?

Then leave it in Thailand for your BF. You can IM each other. He also might have some fun in the Thai chat rooms and Thai web sites.

[TOQ]

On a previous trip here I brought an old laptop from home. I just leave it here in Thailand when I travel back to the States.. The people in Los Angeles are a true pain in the ass.. It isn't worth the aggravation you go through... Senior citizen, single, traveling to and from Thailand.. Can you say Red Flag..

Then they want to know since you don't have a computer with you "Where is your camera?" Here we go again..


john

[Brad the Impala]

I have carried a laptop abroad, including Thailand, regularly over the last ten years, probably around a hundred journeys, and never had anyone show any interest in it.

[Smiles]

May be wrong, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the US was the only real 'problem' area: e.g. " ... The people in Los Angeles are a true pain in the ass ... " (TOQ), and I more often than not connect either through San Fran or Seattle when off to Thailand.
USA Imm folks on the west coast are truly the grouchiest, most ill-humoured (and undoubtedly paranoid) group I've ever encountered. It's really only there that I would expect any search at all.

Thanks for the experiences ...

I got sick of carrying the heavy beast around with me and keep thy laptop at home.

Now all I carry is a small password protected USB stick with all software or data I need onboard. I just go into any internet caf├й plug the USB stick in and can work as much as I like. Even eBangking works nicely.

The best is, if I unplug from computer, all my data are on my USB plug only but nothing went to the machine inside the shop. Therefore nobody can track my data.

I pay a few TBT for the use of machine and maybe printouts.

Backup is online too, so I can use either the USD stick or the virtual disk and add new data to my laptop. I haven’t lost this USB stick yet (yes I am proud of myself for that) but if this might happened, due to the smart protection nobody can use the stick. And all my data are recorded on my virtual disk.

Carrying the laptop around doesn’t make it better. I don’t know the weight of the USB stick but I guess it should be around 50 grams.

Nobody has shown any interest in this small device yet. And I can store about 8 GB of data which is quite a lot.

[Bob]

Given the prior posts, I was wondering what would happen when I brought my laptop through customs at Los Angeles three weeks ago.
The customs guy asked me where my trip originated and I responded "Bangkok". All he responded was "welcome home" and waved me through.

[DJB0Y-old]

Nice idea ttom--

What software are you using to password protect or encrypt the data on your USB stick?

Does anyone have any good recommendation for encrypting of password protecting data on an external hard-drive?

I really feel very vulnerable having all my data available to anyone who plugs it into their computer.

Thanks,

DJ

[tony279760-old]

i'm using cryptainer and it seems to be doing the job fine. though i've never been stopped carrying a laptop i've heard a few reports that uk customs officers are taking an interest in te contents of laptops.