Thai tourists warned of Dutch ban on Ya Hom powder

The Foreign Ministry has warned Thais travelling to Netherlands not to carry a traditional Chinese medicinal powder with them as it has ingredients banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

The Facebook page of the ministry’s Protection of Thai Nationals Abroad Division said the ingredients of Five Pagoda Ya Hom powder are from endangered plants under Cites. Permission is required to import such ingredients.

The powder is used to treat nausea and stomach ache, as well as for as a pickmeup if you are tired or feel faint.

The ministry said that the Dutch customs authority is also restricting items that have components from tigers, big cats, crocodiles and varanus. The importation of any of these items requires an official permit.

Officials have focused their attention on Dutch nationals who have visited Thailand rather than Thai tourists.

Objects banned from entering the country include wood catapults, orchids with roots and cash more than 10,000 euros, medicinal herbs and Chinese medicine.

To check on banned items, travellers are urged to contact: www.douane.nl, FB: Douane Nederland, Twitter: @doune or Instagram: douane_nl.

The Nation 

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