Do you need to show 20K baht at Nong Khai border?

[finy]

I’m going to do my next visa run in Laos and spend about a week there.

 

I had to show 20K baht at the Malaysian border last time.

 

Do they want to see it at the Nong Khai border too?

 

I’d prefer not to carry it around with me if possible.

 

cheers

[Get Real]

The rules say that you should have if you are on a tourist visa. Not many landborders that are asking for it, though. However, as we all know, an instable Immigration officer on a bad day might ask. The Malaysian border I have very little knowldge about, but Nong Khai I visit frequently and never seen a person beeing asked to show funds.

[ubonjoe]

I have seen no recent reports of the 20k baht being asked for there.

[darrendsd]

Been through there 5 times over the last 2.5 years, never been asked, however I always take it just in case

[Get Real]

20K ain´t much, so why would you want to take a chance. As we all seem to say the chance is between 0-0,1 but just in case as previous poster stated.

 

Is it your tattoos on your avatar by the way? Nice work in that case! Made them in TH?

[finy]

I’m staying there for a while, so it would be more than 20K in total.

 

Apparently there are ATMs before immigration.

 

Yeah on tattoos, Wat Bang Phra. 

[thaipo7]

I have been to Laos a few times and did not know about the 20,000 Baht and have never been asked to show this.  Like one person said, "20,000 Baht isn't much."

[pearciderman]

20 hours ago, Get Real said:

The rules say that you should have if you are on a tourist visa.

 

Actually it is for all forms of visa, not just tourist.

[finy]

I’m guessing you can pay the extra dollar (weekend) to enter in baht?

[Alidiver]

I came through there (railway station) 6 weeks ago, without being asked, but do you really want to risk it?

[Bullie]

On 3/15/2018 at 11:23 AM, pearciderman said:

 

Actually it is for all forms of visa, not just tourist.

No it's not. Non-0 does not require this, because you would not have gotten one without proving sufficient funds in the first place.

[pearciderman]

20 hours ago, Bullie said:

No it's not. Non-0 does not require this, because you would not have gotten one without proving sufficient funds in the first place.

 

Incorrect.

 

(PS at some consulates you don't have to show funds to get a Non-O)

[JackThompson]

20 hours ago, Bullie said:

Non-0 does not require this (show 20K Baht), because you would not have gotten one without proving sufficient funds in the first place.

We had some reports awhile back from the Malaysian border, of this being required for those on Non-O Multis based on marriage; luckily, the Thai wife was able to do a "money run" into Thailand with ATM cards to withdraw the necessary funds. 

 

There was one other report of this occurring on the Malaysian border for a person with a retirement extension with a re-entry permit - but protesting to the IO in charge resulted in the demand being rescinded in that case.

[jackdd]

They never asked me for anything at Nong Khai, got a visa exempt there just a few weeks ago.

And land borders are not like an Airport, you are not trapped there. If they ask for money and you don't have it you just walk to the next ATM and get some (7/11 is like 200 meters away. Of course, this is not really legal, but nobody will care about it). In the worst case that you can't go to the 7/11 you would have to go back on the Laos side, use an ATM there and exchange the money. If you are there with your own vehicle even that takes less than 10 minutes.

[darrendsd]

15 minutes ago, jackdd said:

They never asked me for anything at Nong Khai, got a visa exempt there just a few weeks ago.

And land borders are not like an Airport, you are not trapped there. If they ask for money and you don't have it you just walk to the next ATM and get some (7/11 is like 200 meters away. Of course, this is not really legal, but nobody will care about it). In the worst case that you can't go to the 7/11 you would have to go back on the Laos side, use an ATM there and exchange the money. If you are there with your own vehicle even that takes less than 10 minutes.

And what if the I/O outs a denied entry stamp into your PP? Do you really think they would just let you wander off to get the required money then come back?

 

The money requirement is very rarely asked for at Nong Khai however if you think if it is you can just do what you suggested above then i'm afraid you are mistaken

[jackdd]

20 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

And what if the I/O outs a denied entry stamp into your PP? Do you really think they would just let you wander off to get the required money then come back?

 

The money requirement is very rarely asked for at Nong Khai however if you think if it is you can just do what you suggested above then i'm afraid you are mistaken

If you got a denied entry stamp for not having 20k THB, and then you go get the money and come back, what do you expect him to do? The reason why he denied you does not exist anymore.

And if you don't act stupid you will not get a denied entry stamp at all. If he would ask you to see 20k THB, you tell him you don't have them in cash now, but can go to an ATM if he really wants to see it. He will then either be like "nevermind", because just too much hassle and just give you the stamp, or he would allow you to go to the ATM, you get the money, show it and then get your stamp, you just have to act nice and polite with him.

 

The Thai-Laos borders are generally very relaxed, Thai-Cambodian borders are not so relaxed, but also far from strict.

At Nong Khai i even once managed to take a motorbike out of the country which was not in my name (should not be possible, right?), i didn't even have to offer a tip, just talked nice with them. The IOs at the Nan border (Laos as well as Thai IOs) were kinda confused about what this motorbike was doing in Laos, but just talking nice with them also solved this and i was back in Thailand. At a Cambodian border i failed to do this.

[darrendsd]

Just now, jackdd said:

If you got a denied entry stamp for not having 20k THB, and then you go get the money and come back, what do you expect him to do? The reason why he denied you does not exist anymore.

And if you don't act stupid you will not get a denied entry stamp at all. If he would ask you to see 20k THB, you tell him you don't have them in cash now, but can go to an ATM if he really wants to see it. He will then either be like "nevermind", because just too much hassle and just give you the stamp, or he would allow you to go to the ATM, you get the money, show it and then get your stamp.

 

The Thai-Laos borders are generally very relaxed, Thai-Cambodian borders are not so relaxed, but also far from strict.

At Nong Khai i even once managed to take a motorbike out of the country which was not in my name (should not be possible, right?), i didn't even have to offer a tip, just talked nice with them. At a Cambodian border i failed to do this.

"If you got a denied entry stamp for not having 20k THB, and then you go get the money and come back, what do you expect him to do? The reason why he denied you does not exist anymore"

 

Haha you are totally mistaken if you think that will actually happen

 

And where is this 7-11 you talk about? There is one AFTER Immigration, are you seriously suggesting that Immigration will let you enter Thailand without a entry stamp just so you can go and get the 20k, come back then stamp you in? Seriously??

 

There is no 7-11 before Immigration so that's the only one you can be referring to

[ubonjoe]

The do not normally do a denial of entry stamp at border crossing. The just say no and send you back to the other side of the border.

Go back the Laos side and get the 20k baht and return to the Thai side.

That is why people suggest using border crossing instead of airports.

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

The do not normally do a denial of entry stamp at border crossing. The just say no and send you back to the other side of the border.

Go back the Laos side and get the 20k baht and return to the Thai side.

That is why people suggest using border crossing instead of airports.

I never said he would get a denial stamp, I just said in theory which he seems quite flippant about, once a person has one things can become quite problematic

 

My point is the poster seems quite flippant about what would happen and thinks it is just a minor thing to be refused or have a denied entry stamp, the reality is it could cause a lot of issues if it actually happened

 

The poster thinking that Immigration will let you into Thailand in order to get the 20k is laughable i'm afraid

 

FYI I had a major issue at the Kanchanaburi crossing 2 weeks ago and it certainly wasn't as easy to sort out as some posters seem to think it will be

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, darrendsd said:

is just a minor thing to be refused or have a denied entry stamp, the reality is it could cause a lot of issues if it actually happened

Only at an airport is this a big hassle, and would a "denial of entry" stamp be given - then detention like a criminal until a flight out.  This has even happened to those who had the money, at airports.

At a land-border, one would return to the other side of the bridge/no-man's land, cancel one's exit-stamp, get the money, re-exit, and return to the Thai side, show the money, and enter.  I spoke to someone who did this at Sadao (2016 or 2017), and others have reported this here.  

 

I suppose one could "force" a "denial of entry" stamp, by being a pain to an IO at a land-border, but I've never read a report of this actually happening from a "show the money" request.  Granted, best to just have the 20K to show from the start, and avoid all the running around. 

 

3 hours ago, darrendsd said:

The poster thinking that Immigration will let you into Thailand in order to get the 20k is laughable i'm afraid

This scenario was reported once that I recall, at a Malaysian border - the IO offered to hold the passport while the person went into Thailand to fetch the cash.  I would not accept such an offer, and there was speculation that it could be a set-up.  It would be easy to "sneak in" and get the money, but doing that could have serious repercussions (entering the country illegally), so should not be done, in any case.

 

Malaysian borders, plus Ranong and Poipet are the only land-borders where I have heard of the "show the money" Rule being enforced, recently (i.e. in years).

[darrendsd]

38 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Only at an airport is this a big hassle, and would a "denial of entry" stamp be given - then detention like a criminal until a flight out.  This has even happened to those who had the money, at airports.

At a land-border, one would return to the other side of the bridge/no-man's land, cancel one's exit-stamp, get the money, re-exit, and return to the Thai side, show the money, and enter.  I spoke to someone who did this at Sadao (2016 or 2017), and others have reported this here.  

 

I suppose one could "force" a "denial of entry" stamp, by being a pain to an IO at a land-border, but I've never read a report of this actually happening from a "show the money" request.  Granted, best to just have the 20K to show from the start, and avoid all the running around. 

 

This scenario was reported once that I recall, at a Malaysian border - the IO offered to hold the passport while the person went into Thailand to fetch the cash.  I would not accept such an offer, and there was speculation that it could be a set-up.  It would be easy to "sneak in" and get the money, but doing that could have serious repercussions (entering the country illegally), so should not be done, in any case.

 

Malaysian borders, plus Ranong and Poipet are the only land-borders where I have heard of the "show the money" Rule being enforced, recently (i.e. in years).

As I said i'm not saying it will happen, just painting a scenario of what could happen if it did, everything you and the poster above have suggested would depend on the I/O's mood on the day

 

Wasn't there a recent thread of somebody being denied at Savvankhet? To many TV's if I remember right, he spent the next few hours being bounced about each Immigration as both refused to let him in, The Laos side wouldn't let him back as he had just left

 

Of course this is not the same scenario as not having the 20K (maybe this was why he was denied, I don't know) Problems at the Thai side of the Savvanakhet border are almost unheard of but it just goes to show that it can and does happen and everything depends on what mood the I/O is in

 

After dealing with the Kanchanaburi I/O'S 2 weeks ago I can tell you they can certainly be moody 

 

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, darrendsd said:

Wasn't there a recent thread of somebody being denied at Savvankhet? To many TV's if I remember right, he spent the next few hours being bounced about each Immigration as both refused to let him in, The Laos side wouldn't let him back as he had just left

One could be denied a TR Visa in Savannakhet for many reasons - no flight out in 90-days, no bank-statment, no lease or hotel proofs, etc. 

 

If he had 2 visa-exempt entries by land borders in that calendar year, then tried to come in for a 3rd, that would not be permitted. This is why it is wise to save Visa-Exempt land-entries for the "something went wrong getting my next Tourist Visa" scenario.

 

I have not seen a report of the Laos borders asking for 20K Baht (or 10K Visa Exempt) in recent years - only Malaysia, and general hard-times at Poipet all-around.

 

I'd like to see what reason Laos was giving for not canceling an exit-stamp and letting him back in - assuming he still had days left of the 30 initially allotted for a VOA entry. 

[darrendsd]

5 hours ago, JackThompson said:

One could be denied a TR Visa in Savannakhet for many reasons - no flight out in 90-days, no bank-statment, no lease or hotel proofs, etc. 

 

If he had 2 visa-exempt entries by land borders in that calendar year, then tried to come in for a 3rd, that would not be permitted. This is why it is wise to save Visa-Exempt land-entries for the "something went wrong getting my next Tourist Visa" scenario.

 

I have not seen a report of the Laos borders asking for 20K Baht (or 10K Visa Exempt) in recent years - only Malaysia, and general hard-times at Poipet all-around.

 

I'd like to see what reason Laos was giving for not canceling an exit-stamp and letting him back in - assuming he still had days left of the 30 initially allotted for a VOA entry. 

No he had the TV,  he was denied by Thai Immigration, they were giving him the same reasons as what they do at the Airport

 

I haven't read all this thread so can't be certain that it's the same guy but this happened a year ago

 

As I said problems happen at land borders to

 

I was at Kanchanaburi 2 weeks ago, it took them 30 minutes to stamp me out, I;m not going to go through all the details but let's just say if they stamped me out they were not going to let me back in, at that border they don't let you out if you are not going to be let back in, this is because if when you are stamped out you then go to the Burma side and get a straight in and out stamp, if you are not going to be let back into Thailand you are then stuck in no mans land

 

It all ended well in the end, let's just say palms were greased but I think it just illustrates my point about trying to get back into another country (Burma) after you have already just been stamped out

 

 

[JackThompson]

 

5 hours ago, darrendsd said:

...

trying to get back into another country (Burma) after you have already just been stamped out

I understand about the stamp out refusal if no stamp-in at Burma / Myanmar - but this is not a typical case, in that you are dealing with a "border pass" situation.  With Cambodia, Malaysia, and Laos, most of us have a VOA or visa-free allotment of time - so can cancel our exit-stamp. 

 

To travel beyond the border in Myanmar requires a "visa" for most of us, which is why I never went there for a Tourist Visa - didn't want to dare flying back to Thailand, being denied-entry, not eligible to re-enter Myanmar (visa already 'used'), then shipped 1/2 way across the planet to my passport-country.

 

5 hours ago, darrendsd said:

No he had the TV,  he was denied by Thai Immigration, they were giving him the same reasons as what they do at the Airport

I just re-read that.  My experience is, IOs in the Issan region (Poipet excepted) are happy to see us coming and staying - especially if with GFs.  And the reason for denial (I commented at the time) seems to have been his inability to show where he intended to stay - something they are very keen on, these days.  Bring a business-card from your condo, lease-agreement, etc.

 

If a true story (was a fresh account - could be another "sell elite using fear" post, given how unusual for that crossing), he should have traveled to the next bridge and used his unused TR Visa to enter there.  As he was at a land-border, no detention, and maybe one extra night in a hotel and eating out in Laos. 

[edwardandtubs]

15 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

 

 

If a true story (was a fresh account - could be another "sell elite using fear" post, given how unusual for that crossing), he should have traveled to the next bridge and used his unused TR Visa to enter there.  As he was at a land-border, no detention, and maybe one extra night in a hotel and eating out in Laos. 

I'm in Vientiane for a visa run right now without 20,000 in cash. In the unlikely event of this being an issue at the border, where is the next bridge and how would I get to it? And wouldn't it be easier to just use one of the cash machines on the Laos side (I think I saw one) and then try again at the same same crossing?

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

I'm in Vientiane for a visa run right now without 20,000 in cash. In the unlikely event of this being an issue at the border, where is the next bridge and how would I get to it? And wouldn't it be easier to just use one of the cash machines on the Laos side (I think I saw one) and then try again at the same same crossing?

Yes, you could try again at the same crossing.  The person who was purportedly denied entry in the case mentioned claimed to have a different issue (I think no Thai address to provide - but not clear).  They were attempting enter into Mukdahan, which is not very far from Nakon Phanom; from Vientiane you could attempt to re-enter Thailand via Pakxan.