Penang Visa Run

[Keefyj]

I am told that if you do a visa run to Penang , fly in fly out, that you are required to show that you have 20,000 baht in the bank on returning.

is this true ? 

[JackThompson]

Upon return, some are asked to show 20K Baht.  You should definitely have this.  Most go through with no questions asked, but a small percentage of those who have the money and a valid-visa have been denied-entry, when/if the IO decides they have spent "too much time" in Thailand.  Others have been forced to buy tickets to their home-country on-the-spot, dated within 60-days, then let in.  Others are only interrogated on/off for hours, but eventually let in. 

 

There is no amount of time published or known to be the trigger-point (reports of what IOs have said vary wildly) - so the determination appears to be purely subjective - likely influenced by how many detention-cells are available, what the "denied" quota is, and/or other factors we can only guess about. 

 

Note that this behavior is only reported at some airport immigration checkpoints (both in Bangkok) and the Poipet/Aranyaprathet land-border.  At all other locations, provided one does not have previous overstays, showing the 20K Baht is reported as the only hurdle.

 

To avoid the checkpoint-lottery entering by air, when obtaining Tourist Visas in Penang, I always returned by-train through Pedang Besar (with the 20K to show - they may ask to see it), then flew out of Hat Yai to my destination.

[elviajero]

No.

 

If you’re applying for a Tourist Visa in Penang you need to show you have at least 20K in a Bank (cash not accepted). IMO it’s best not to show a Thai bank as you’re a ‘tourist’.

 

When you re-enter Thailand using the visa you might be asked to show 20K in cash (bank statement not accepted). They usually only ask long term tourists, if they are thinking about denying entry.

[DiDiChok]

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Upon return, some are asked to show 20K Baht.  You should definitely have this.  Most go through with no questions asked, but a small percentage of those who have the money and a valid-visa have been denied-entry, when/if the IO decides they have spent "too much time" in Thailand.  Others have been forced to buy tickets to their home-country on-the-spot, dated within 60-days, then let in.  Others are only interrogated on/off for hours, but eventually let in. 

 

. . . . .

Well, it's only a throwaway point but I am sure that tickets back to the 'Home Country' for most people cost at least ฿20,000 so I don't understand how it can be said that you haven't got the money yet you have got enough money to buy a more expensive ticket?  Tickets are 'e-tickets' these days, contact-less payments are normal and credit/debit cards are widely accepted.  I suppose it must be down to inscrutable Asian logic.

[JackThompson]

31 minutes ago, DiDiChok said:

Well, it's only a throwaway point but I am sure that tickets back to the 'Home Country' for most people cost at least ฿20,000 so I don't understand how it can be said that you haven't got the money yet you have got enough money to buy a more expensive ticket?  Tickets are 'e-tickets' these days, contact-less payments are normal and credit/debit cards are widely accepted.  I suppose it must be down to inscrutable Asian logic.

Of course you are correct.  First they say you don't have the money - but if rejected, some are taken to then purchase a ticket for more money that was requested to be shown.  With the IOs doing this, it's not about if you "really have the money" or not - just "gotcha."

 

But note that some who had the cash reported they had to buy tickets, and were allowed in after buying the ticket.  I don't recall if these were visa-exempt, tourist-visa, or both.

 

After many got wise to this, and started bringing the 20K Baht in cash, immigration at the problem-checkpoints shifted tactics.  Now, somehow, they are able to determine if visitors had enough total-wealth to fund their whole stay - this without even asking any questions about the applicant's wealth / finances.  Recently, most reported rejections were based on that premise, instead.

 

But, bottom line here - if you have a Tourist Visa, you still have pretty good odds, even at the airports.  I just never liked taking chances that involve detention-cells and nasty-remarks in my passport and immigration-history, so used land-borders when I using Tourist Visas.